Adam A5X User Manual

A5X Nearfield Monitor

Operation manual / Bedienungsanleitung

English / deutsch

A5X

Safety Instructions

Please read the following safety instructions before setting up your system. Keep the instructions for subsequent reference. Please heed the warnings and follow the instructions.

Caution

Risk of electrical shock

Do not open

Risque de shock electrique

Ne pas ouvrier

CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK,

DO NOT REMOVE BACK COVER OR ANY OTHER PART.

NO USER-SERVICABLE PARTS INSIDE.

DO NOT EXPOSE THIS EQUIPMENT TO RAIN OR MOISTURE.

REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL.

Caution: To reduce the risk of electric shock, do not open the loudspeaker. There are no user-serviceable parts inside. Refer servicing to qualiﬁed service personnel.

This product, as well as all attached extension cords, must be terminated with an earth ground three-conductor AC mains power cord like the one supplied with the product. To prevent shock hazard, all three components must always be used.

Never replace any fuse with a value or type other than those speciﬁed. Never bypass any fuse.

Always switch off your entire system before connecting or disconnecting any cables, or when cleaning any components.

Do not place this unit on an ustable cart, stand or tripod, bracket or table. The unit may fall, causing serious injury and/or serious damage. When cart is used, use caution when moving the cart/apparatus combination.

Do not expose this product to rain or moisture, never wet the inside with any liquid and never pour or spill liquids directly onto this unit. Please do not ut any objects ﬁlled with liquids (e.g. vases, etc.) onto the speaker.

Check if the speciﬁed voltage matches the voltage of the power supply you use. If this is not the case do not connect the loudspeakers to a power source! Please contact your local dealer or national distributor.

Safety Instructions

Protect the cord from being walked on or pinched.

Always use fully checked cables. Defective cables can harm your speakers. They are a common source for any kind of noise, hum, crackling etc.

Always keep electrical equipment out of the reach of children.

Always unplug sensitive electronic equipment during lightning storms.

The monitor should be installed near the socket outlet and disconnection of the device should be easily accessible.

To completely disconnect from AC mains, disonnect the power supply from the AC receptacle. Never use ﬂammable or combustible chemicals for cleaning audio components.

Avoid touching the speaker membranes and do not block the woofer’s ventilation ports.

Never expose this product to extremely high or low temperatures. Never operate this product in an explosive atmosphere.

High SPL’s may damage your hearing! Please do not get close to the loudspeakers when using them at high volumes.

Please note that the diaphragms build up a magnetic ﬁeld. Do not ply with magnetic items at close range to the diaphragms.

Assure free airﬂow behind the speakers to maintain sufﬁcient cooling.

English

Table of contents

Safety Instructions .........................2-3

1. Introduction ...................................5

2. Quick Start .....................................6

2.1 Important Information ....................6

2.2 Quick Start A5X .............................6

3. Connecting the Speaker .................7

3.1 Basic Connections .........................7

3.2 The Stereo Link ..............................7

4. Speaker Placement ........................8-10

4.1 Vertical set up ................................8

4.2 Horizontal set up ............................8

4.3 Tweeter at height of ears ...............9

4.4 The stereo triangle .........................9

4.5 Surround placement ......................10

4.6 Stand/Wall mounting .....................10

5. Speaker Adjustments .....................11

5.1 Control panel .................................11

5.1 Tweeter level ..................................11

5.1 Room EQs (Shelve ﬁlter) ................11

6. Trouble Shooting ............................12

6.1 No or distorted signal ....................11

6.1 Parasitic noises ..............................11

7. Maintenance ..................................13

8. Transportation / Package ..............13

9. Environmental Information .............13

10. EU Declaration of Conformity ........14

11. Limited Warranty ............................15

11.1 Terms and Conditions ....................15

11.2 How to claim ..................................15

12. Technical Data /Technische Daten 16

1. Introduction

Dear customer,

Thank you for choosing the ADAM Audio A5X Nearﬁeld monitor!

ADAM loudspeakers are built for maximum quality reproduction and audio perfection. With the A5X you have selected a precise, high-resolution speaker system that allows you to both evaluate and enjoy audio recordings. This monitor meets highest expectations in sound quality and craftsmanship.

This manual is intended to provide you with information about your new ADAMs. It contains important information regarding safety, setting up, handling, and warranty. We request that you read these sections carefully to ensure easy set up and prevent potential problems.

The A5X is a compact near ﬁeld monitor. It is perfectly suited for a wide variety of stereo and multi-channel professional applications including small control rooms, desktops, mobile facilities and post-production edit bays as well as connection to your favorite mp3-players and gaming consoles…in other words, in any situation where a combination of no-compromise sound reproduction and a small footprint is required.

The A5X is a two-way ported active system that uses ADAM’s proprietary X-ART folded ribbon tweeter ensuring full compatibility with the latest expanded high frequency resolution media formats, and a conventional bass/midrange driver below the crossover frequency of 2.5kHz. Each section uses an individual amp with continuous output of up to 50 Watts (RMS).

If you have any questions about this or any of our products, please don’t hesitate to contact us – we will be happy to assist you.

For detailed information concerning ADAM’s technologies and products, complete reviews, and a list of worldwide ADAM users and studios, please visit our website:

www.adam-audio.com

We hope very much that you really enjoy your new loudspeakers, and wish you many delightful hours with them.

The ADAM Audio Team

English

2. Quick Start

2.1

Important Information for set up

After having unpacked your loudspeaker, please allow the system to acclimate to the temperature of the room for approximately an hour.

It is important to ensure the speakers sit ﬁrmly on a solid surface!

We recommend that you retain the original packaging, as it is the best way to guarantee safe transportation should the need to do so arise.

Please note that the loudspeakers will take some break-in time to achieve optimum sonic performance.

Quick Start

2.2

Before connecting the loudspeakers to your audio components and the power source make sure that both the loudspeakers and your audio system are switched off and set the level controls fully counterclockwise.

There are two options of connection: Basic active speaker use. Connect your sound source or mixing console to the speakers. Use either the RCA (unbalanced) or the XLR (balanced) connectors. You will ﬁnd the connector wiring printed on the speaker’s rear panel (for further information, see 3.1). Stereo Link. If you want to use the Stereo Link (controlling the overall volume by one control), please see 3.2.

Check if the speciﬁed voltage matches the voltage of the power supply you

use. If this is not the case do not connect the loudspeakers to a power source! Please contact your local dealer or national distributor. If the voltages match, use the included power cables to connect the loudspeaker to the AC sockets.

Switch on the main on/off switches on the front panel of the loudspeakers.

Make sure that the line out level (volume) of your stereo is either at a low level

or all the way off. Then, switch on your audio system.

Turn on your source of music and adjust the volume carefully.

3. Connecting the Speakers

TWEETER LEVEL

LOW SHELFHIGH SHELF

CONTROLS

-6 dB +6 dB

-4 dB +4 dB

TWEETER LEVEL

LOW SHELFHIGH SHELF

CONTROLS

-6 dB +6 dB

-4 dB +4 dB

TWEETER LEVEL

LOW SHELFHIGH SHELF

CONTROLS

-6 dB +6 dB

-4 dB +4 dB

TWEETER LEVEL

LOW SHELFHIGH SHELF

CONTROLS

-6 dB +6 dB

-4 dB +4 dB

3.1

Basic active speaker connection

For the basic active speaker connection, please use mono XLR or RCA cables. In most professional applications XLR will be the best choice, while RCA is more common in HiFi applications. Each one of the two loudspeakers has to be connected to one channel of the sound source.

The Stereo Link

3.2

If you wish to use the Stereo Link that allows adjustment of the volume of both loudspeakers with a single master control, please proceed as follows:

First, connect Speaker 1 (that is supposed to control the overall volume) to your preampliﬁer, sound source, etc., using a stereo RCA (*1) cable. Second, connect Speaker 2 to Speaker 1

via the Stereo Link output of Speaker 1 and the Analog Input of Speaker 2. Please use the provided (or another) mono RCA cable.

Speaker 1

IN-/ OUTPUTS

OUTPUT

STEREOLINK

INPUT

UNBALANCED IN

2 x RCA

2 x XLR

BALANCED IN

ﬁg. 1: Common connection

Speaker 1

IN-/ OUTPUTS

OUTPUT

mono RCA (*

STEREOLINK

INPUT

RCA (stereo)

UNBALANCED IN

BALANCED IN

ﬁg. 2: Stereo Link

Speaker 2

)

IN-/ OUTPUTS

UNBALANCED IN

BALANCED IN

IN-/ OUTPUTS

UNBALANCED IN

BALANCED IN

STEREOLINK

OUTPUT

INPUT

OUTPUT

INPUT

Please note:

On the front side of the unit functioning as master, a corresponding

white LED will illuminate as soon as mono RCA is connected to the Stereo Link output.

Unlike the common ‘master-slave-conﬁguration’, any A5X that is connected accordingly can function as either a master or a slave unit.

For an equal volume level of both speakers please make sure that the volume knob of speaker 2 is snapped in the middle position.

white

LED

English

4. Speaker Placement

Please make sure that there are no obstacles in the way from the monitor to your ears. You should be able to see the speakers completely.

4.1

Vertical set up

The A5X has been designed for a vertical set up. The speakers must be positioned on a solid surface or a stand. Please note that vibrating parts of nearby objects can mask the sound.

A3X

ﬁg 3: vertical set up

4.2

Hoizontal set up

If you choose to use your speakers in horizontal position as indicated below, please make sure that the set up is mirrored/symmetrical, i.e. that the tweeters both face either the outwards or inwards. This is crucial for a precise stereo signal.

A3X

so:

A3X

ﬁg 4: horizontal / mirror symmetrical set up

or so:

A3X

4. Speaker Placement

Tweeter at the height of ears

4.3

The Tweeter should be positioned approximately at the height of your ears. In case you need to position the speaker in a signiﬁcant lower or higher position, the monitor should be angled accordingly.

ﬁg 5: Tweeter at height of ears / speaker angling

4.4

The Stereo Triangle

If the loudspeaker is going to be used for stereo applications, the optimum listening position should be at the top of an imaginary equilateral triangle with the two loudspeakers should be placed at the other two points of this triangle (see ﬁg. 6). The loudspeakers should be aligned with the listener’s position.

ﬁg. 6: Stereo Triangle

• bothloudspeakerandthelisteningspotshould form a equilateral triangle with approx. the samedistancesbetweenloudspeakersandthe loudspeakers/thelisteningspot

• alignmenttowardslisteningspot

English

4. Speaker Placement

4.5

Surround Placement

Speaker positioning for multi-channel stereo purposes is ideally based on a circle with speakers placed at 0° (Center), 30° (Front Right), 110° (Rear Right), 250° (Rear Left), 330° (Front Left), with the listener being the circle’s center (Radius between 0.7-2.0 m). This ITU recommended conﬁguration may vary depending on the purpose of the control room (music or ﬁlm). However, it is recommended to create a symmetrical listening position with the front side and surround speaker pointing to the listener’s ear. The distance to the surrounding walls should be at least 40 cm to avoid early reﬂections, which can degrade the sound.

ﬁg 7: Surround set up

Stand/Wall Mounting

4.6

On the rear side, you will ﬁnd two M8 (8 mm) metric strew threads for stand/ wall mounting. Further equipment (e.g. Omnimount) for mounting is also available.

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