# a77x or focal sm6?



## martin vegas

I am looking for a pair of studio monitors for dance music..any suggestions would be appreciated!


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## Tablix

Would help to know your planned usage, source, budget available, space and your expectations.  Any monitor in this price range will be more than capable of reproducing EDM with pristine accuracy, however you will probably want to add a sub into your system for more accurate and defined low end response.  The other issue is active monitors of this level have a pretty tight sweet spot and may not be the perfect solution for your needs.  You also need to consider placement of speakers in the room and whether you require sealed cabinet or front/rear ported cabinets.
  
 You may actually be better off spending a bit less on your overall speaker budget and then investing in some room treatment to deal with any acoustic issues.  The room you are in can really affect the listening pleasure, better to spend wisely than throw money at a problem.  I would do some research at soundonsound.com for reviews then ask some questions on homerecordings.com forums then go to a local retailer and to audition systems within your budget.  
  
 Plenty of good choices in this price range, and below.... but I would not recommend spending all that cash without asking if its exactly what you want or need.  Look into KRK, Dynaudio, Genelec, JBL and Mackie as other alternatives that may be just as suitable.


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## martin vegas

tablix said:


> Would help to know your planned usage, source, budget available, space and your expectations.  Any monitor in this price range will be more than capable of reproducing EDM with pristine accuracy, however you will probably want to add a sub into your system for more accurate and defined low end response.  The other issue is active monitors of this level have a pretty tight sweet spot and may not be the perfect solution for your needs.  You also need to consider placement of speakers in the room and whether you require sealed cabinet or front/rear ported cabinets.
> 
> You may actually be better off spending a bit less on your overall speaker budget and then investing in some room treatment to deal with any acoustic issues.  The room you are in can really affect the listening pleasure, better to spend wisely than throw money at a problem.  I would do some research at soundonsound.com for reviews then ask some questions on homerecordings.com forums then go to a local retailer and to audition systems within your budget.
> 
> Plenty of good choices in this price range, and below.... but I would not recommend spending all that cash without asking if its exactly what you want or need.  Look into KRK, Dynaudio, Genelec, JBL and Mackie as other alternatives that may be just as suitable.


 
 I have been on sound on sound and finished up with these two..it's for making dance music nothing else..the thing with the focals is you would probably need the sub 6..the adam audio are bass heavy so no need to worry about a sub..all the walls have been sound proofed with auralex..using them with the babyface rme and dj decks and synths and a korg electribe! http://youtu.be/D6S5bUbs9T0 http://youtu.be/X37aK6uB7A4 http://youtu.be/I3Dk-cnxayk


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## cel4145

tablix said:


> Would help to know your planned usage, source, budget available, space and your expectations.  Any monitor in this price range will be more than capable of reproducing EDM with pristine accuracy, however you will probably want to add a sub into your system for more accurate and defined low end response.  The other issue is active monitors of this level have a pretty tight sweet spot and may not be the perfect solution for your needs.  You also need to consider placement of speakers in the room and whether you require sealed cabinet or front/rear ported cabinets.




+1 on getting sub. Dance music really does benefit from a subwoofer, IMO. 

Note that you don't have to go with a subwoofer in the same brand as the speakers, but you do need to make certain you get one that has the right connections and features to integrate well with the monitors.


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## martin vegas

cel4145 said:


> +1 on getting sub. Dance music really does benefit from a subwoofer, IMO.
> 
> Note that you don't have to go with a subwoofer in the same brand as the speakers, but you do need to make certain you get one that has the right connections and features to integrate well with the monitors.


 
 Don't need a sub with the a77x! http://youtu.be/I3Dk-cnxayk The a77x are playing here with the decks!


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## cel4145

martin vegas said:


> Don't need a sub with the a77x! http://youtu.be/I3Dk-cnxayk The a77x are playing here with the decks!




I don't know what that means, and sorry. Not going to watch a 15 minute video (or even two minute video).


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## martin vegas

cel4145 said:


> I don't know what that means, and sorry. Not going to watch a 15 minute video (or even two minute video).It means


 
It means you don't need a sub with them..Then it was time for the electronic house of Deadmau5, and the Adam AX77 turned into a very different beast indeed. The album 4x4=12 has some of the edgiest low‑bass sounds that you'll ever hear, and these are overlaid with detailed and sometimes surprisingly delicate mid‑ to high‑frequency sounds. The bandwidth of the A77X starts at 38Hz and it doesn't mess around when it is down there, producing a fast, accurate, rock‑solid and very deep bass that never feels as though it's dragging the beat or overpowering the other elements in the mix. If you ever own a pair of A77Xs, you're never going to even think about needing a subwoofer in your setup


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## cel4145

martin vegas said:


> If you ever own a pair of A77Xs, you're never going to even think about needing a subwoofer in your setup




I told my dual 18" sealed subs in my living room (950 watt amplifier) what you just said, and they are hysterically ROFLing. 

Since you seem to know it all, I assume you already know that 

1) Room acoustics greatly affect lower bass frequencies. Where speakers sound best is often not the best spot to accurately produce good bass. A subwoofer offers more flexibility in placement. 
2) A subwoofer can be crossed over to produce frequencies that all speakers will struggle to produce below their tuning point and it takes some of the pressure off the amplifier. Many people report better SQ as a result. 
3) Some of the factors that determines whether or not you need a sub is how big is the room, where are you sitting, and how loud do you listen.
4) YouTube is a horrible way to evaluate speakers. The only YouTube video I have ever seen that provides useful indications about what kind of bass a speaker can produce is this one:


[VIDEO]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlpqBoQ1hoQ[/VIDEO]


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## Tablix

I am in agreement with CEL regarding sub's , I am using A7x monitors and have been for a while, and they can produce pretty good bass but its certainly not the most perfect solution if you are really serious about production.  I have a small production room that is directly connected to someone else's property meaning a sub would upset the neighbors so I make do without.
  
 The ADAM's are not bass heavy, that would defeat the object of a monitor, but they do have a wider frequency range.  That may mean a lower frequency response but due to the ported design they are probably less accurate at that level than a dedicated sub or indeed a closed cabinet sub.  
  
 Also sound treatment does not mean covering every surface with auralex, a few panels in the correct place is enough, and do you use bass traps in the corners to deal with the low end frequencies.  There are some great guides to room acoustics and treatment around, also placement of your desk and monitors is also a factor and can alter your sound.  
  
 You can make very decent sounds on very average gear, a good monitor is not going to improve your music and getting the best out of your monitors is far more difficult than parting with your cash.
  
 All IMHO


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## martin vegas

cel4145 said:


> I told my dual 18" sealed subs in my living room (950 watt amplifier) what you just said, and they are hysterically ROFLing.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



 
 


tablix said:


> I am in agreement with CEL regarding sub's , I am using A7x monitors and have been for a while, and they can produce pretty good bass but its certainly not the most perfect solution if you are really serious about production.  I have a small production room that is directly connected to someone else's property meaning a sub would upset the neighbors so I make do without.
> 
> The ADAM's are not bass heavy, that would defeat the object of a monitor, but they do have a wider frequency range.  That may mean a lower frequency response but due to the ported design they are probably less accurate at that level than a dedicated sub or indeed a closed cabinet sub.
> 
> ...



Thanks for the answers..and yes I know about subs(I have thor's hammer subs stereo pair with an fbi)..I have the room done in auralex with bass trap columns in the corners and diffusors even the ceiling and the floor done..the A7x has only got one subwoofer while the a77x has two..no need for another subwoofer(I got that text from sound on sound by the way) made my mind up now and going with the A77x.. I am only doing dance music nothing else..thanks again! http://youtu.be/tOKwlFPV2MM put this video up so people know what we are talking about!


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## cel4145

The A7X and A77X do not have subwoofers. They have drivers that extend full range up until where the tweeter kicks in.


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## martin vegas

The two 7” woofers are identical with that of the A7X. With their large voice coils (1.5”) and powerful amplifiers, they are capable of both very high maximum sound pressure levels as well as very deep registers. The woofers do not cover the same frequency bands: while both of them are responsible for the (sub-) bass frequencies up to about 400Hz, only one of them reproduces the midrange. This prevents interferences between the two drivers. For stereo setups the A77X is available in A and B versions in order to guarantee a precise stereo image.


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## cel4145

martin vegas said:


> The two 7” woofers are identical with that of the A7X. With their large voice coils (1.5”) and powerful amplifiers, they are capable of both very high maximum sound pressure levels as well as very deep registers. The woofers do not cover the same frequency bands: while both of them are responsible for the (sub-) bass frequencies up to about 400Hz, only one of them reproduces the midrange. This prevents interferences between the two drivers. For stereo setups the A77X is available in A and B versions in order to guarantee a precise stereo image.




You didn't write that: http://www.adam-audio.com/en/pro-audio/products/a77x/description

If you are going to copy stuff from other websites, you should let people know where it came from.


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## cel4145

Those drivers are still not subwoofers. Tower speakers use similar kinds of configurations.


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## martin vegas

cel4145 said:


> You didn't write that: http://www.adam-audio.com/en/pro-audio/products/a77x/description
> 
> If you are going to copy stuff from other websites, you should let people know where it came from.


 
  


cel4145 said:


> Those drivers are still not subwoofers. Tower speakers use similar kinds of configurations.


 
 From adam audios website yes, tower speakers have woofers built into them aswell ..the a77x have a woofer for the sub bass low and one for mid bass, just like some tower speakers!


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## HiFiGuy528

SM9 bro.  Go big or go home!  ok, seriously Twin6 be should do the trick.


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## martin vegas

hifiguy528 said:


> SM9 bro.  Go big or go home!  ok, seriously Twin6 be should do the trick.


 
 Focal are the better sounding of the two..it's just I need the sub 6 with them..that's all!


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## Tablix

The A77x effectively use a ribbon tweeter and 2x mid/bass drivers.  Both of the 7" drivers are the same but they are prescribed different ranges of frequency to improve the delivery, you could do exactly the same with A7x and a sub, except a dedicated sub would have the benefit of being designed specifically for the lowest frequencies possible. I would suspect that A7x with the ADAM Sub8 would be better in most applications than the A77x.  In the UK you can buy the A7x with Sub8 for almost exactly the same price as a pair of A77x but that will give you a MUCH bigger frequency range.
  
 I would seriously recommend you do a live demo and let your ears inform you


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## Tablix

The SM9 is a three system like the A77x, the solo BE is the 2 way design where you would need to add a sub.  The focal CMS range are very good for the money and well worth considering.


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## martin vegas

tablix said:


> The SM9 is a three system like the A77x, the solo BE is the 2 way design where you would need to add a sub.  The focal CMS range are very good for the money and well worth considering.



I have heard the sm9 at the flux studio in new York..I am swayed by the focal twin be with sub 6 now..the sm9 would be overkill for dance music really(and i would need a better dac)..i think I will have to have a listen to both the focals and adam audios..but I know the focals will win this one!


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## HiFiGuy528

Twin6 BE has a lot of bass.  I have the sub too but it's not really needed.


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## martin vegas

Thanks everyone, here's some tunes! https://soundcloud.com/sonnentaenzer/sommermix-1-tanz-unter-der-sonne https://soundcloud.com/sonnentaenzer/sommermix-2-sonnenstunden-am-see https://soundcloud.com/sonnentaenzer/sommermix-3-sommerklaenge-unter-freiem-himmel https://soundcloud.com/sonnentaenzer/sommermix-4-ein-stueck-pures-glueck https://soundcloud.com/sonnentaenzer/sommermix-5-der-klang-des-sommers


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## HiFiGuy528

sound quality is pretty good.  thanks for sharing.


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## martin vegas

Thinking about this over the babyface rme..easier to use!


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## HiFiGuy528

martin vegas said:


> Thanks everyone, here's some tunes! https://soundcloud.com/sonnentaenzer/sommermix-1-tanz-unter-der-sonne https://soundcloud.com/sonnentaenzer/sommermix-2-sonnenstunden-am-see https://soundcloud.com/sonnentaenzer/sommermix-3-sommerklaenge-unter-freiem-himmel https://soundcloud.com/sonnentaenzer/sommermix-4-ein-stueck-pures-glueck https://soundcloud.com/sonnentaenzer/sommermix-5-der-klang-des-sommers


 
  
 I like your mix man.  Downloading the others right now.  Thank you!
  
 Apogee is the BEST.  I have the Duet 2 and ONE for iOS.


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## martin vegas

I am adding these to my recording studio..i just hope everything works with pro tools 11,i've got the avid artist control to go with apogee quartet in a package deal..fingers crossed it should all work!


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## martin vegas

Adding a machine studio!


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## martin vegas




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