ADAM Audio S5H – 2 x 10.5″ Woofer Active 3-Way System Midfield/Main Monitor

OVERVIEW

The Adam Audio S5H is a powerful midfield/main monitor custom-designed for the demanding rigours of reference listening in the world’s most expansive studios and control rooms.

The three-way S5H was conceived, as its name suggests, to be used in a horizontal orientation and features two 10-inch Extended Linear Excursion (ELE) bass drivers, newly designed by ADAM Audio expressly for the S Series. Like the LF ELE units on all the other members of the range, the S5H’s woofers feature ADAM Audio’s proprietary Symmetrical Magnet Assembly (SMA), guaranteeing that low-frequency audio remains tightly controlled and free of distortion at all times. The all-important mid-range frequencies are handled by ADAM Audio’s new hybrid DCH. This innovative 4-inch MF driver was also newly developed by ADAM Audio exclusively for the S Series and combines the sonic advantages of cone and dome drivers in a single, one-piece unit.

Together with the S-ART treble driver – the latest iteration of ADAM Audio’s widely respected folded-ribbon tweeter, now produced to tighter tolerances than ever before – the resulting combination produces a powerful but unfatiguing sound, with a palpable sense of depth: the last word in high-resolution, natural-sounding audio reproduction.

The off-axis responses of the treble and mid drivers remain extremely accurate thanks to the addition of high- and mid-frequency waveguides milled from solid aluminium: ADAM Audio’s newly developed Mid-range and High-frequency Propagation Systems (MPS and HPS). The resultant stable, wide-ranging dispersion ensures that teams of more than one person can work in the loudspeakers’ sweet spot simultaneously, as is often necessary in larger control rooms.

The S Series’ custom-designed DSP optimises the loudspeaker crossovers to create linear responses for the entire range, as well as providing user equalization and in-room tuning/voicing functions. The DSP also handles the limiter-based high-frequency driver protection, processes the signals from the AES3 digital inputs, and will in time facilitate various expansion options. Software updates can be carried out with ease via the associated USB port, which also allows users to connect computers and control the speakers’ DSP functions via a software front-end.

No fewer than three separate amplifiers power the drivers: a 700 W Class D design for the bass drivers, a 300 W Class D for the mid-range and a 100 W Class D unit for the S-ART tweeter.

With its innovative features, advanced design, generous headroom and enormous dynamic range, the S5H takes its rightful place as ADAM Audio’s flagship reference monitor: an extraordinary loudspeaker offering audio reproduction to the very highest standards of fidelity.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

DCH Midrange Driver

A self-developed, groundbreaking one-piece hybrid dome/cone design, offering the sonic advantages of both driver types, with minimal partial resonances.

The 100mm (4-inch) mid-range driver, newly designed by ADAM Audio’s engineering department for the S Series, is a hybrid design: part cone and part dome driver. The extremely rigid one-piece drive element combines the clean decay characteristic and linear frequency response of a dome driver with the high excursion advantages of a cone driver, audibly improving transparency in the critical mid-range and producing excellent, distortion-free reproduction at high output levels. In conjunction with the high-quality S Series suspension, which properly controls large-scale excursions, wobble is completely excluded. In addition, the DCH’s output extends down an octave further than competing mid-range drivers (as far as 200 Hz), ensuring a clean and consistent dispersion without tonal colouration.

The DCH™ is manufactured using a specially laminated carbon composite material and its domed form renders it very stable. It behaves as a piston up to 8 kHz (one and a half octaves beyond its operational frequency response), does not produce unwanted vibrations and does not deform, even at high output levels. Unwanted ringing and resonances, of the kind that obscure sonic detail and produce listening fatigue, are almost completely excluded, and reproduction remains extremely clean across the driver’s entire operational frequency range.

The robust construction of the DCH also allows it to be placed nearer to the S-ART treble driver. Together, the pair act as a more coherent sound source for the all-important mid-range information, making overall dispersion wider, more consistent and more accurate. Several features resembling those from the ELE bass driver also appear on the DCH™, suitably adapted, such as the linear magnet assembly and suspension and damping systems, vented pole piece, the heat-dissipating chassis/basket, and the large 65 mm (2.5 inch) voice coil. There are a few differences: for instance, the mid-range driver surround is manufactured from a specially formulated foam material. As with the low-frequency driver, fine, highly dynamic details are reproduced without colouration or filtering.

ELE™ Bass Driver

Custom-built bass driver created specifically for the S Series, using ADAM Audio’s engineering design experience and the latest computer modelling techniques.

The S Series ELE™ bass driver (short for Extended Linear Excursion) is a custom design created especially for and in parallel with the S Series cabinet and bass-reflex system. Realised by an ingenious combination of human engineering skill and the latest computer modelling techniques, it guarantees accurate audio reproduction at an extremely high resolution thanks to the precision-designed relationship between its low weight, optimised inner damping and highly rigid honeycomb cone, in conjunction with a basket which has been developed to eliminate unwanted resonance and distortion. The result is a bass driver that offers audio professionals a clarity and transparency hitherto unexperienced in low-frequency audio reproduction, operating with great precision even at high sound pressure levels.

Another notable feature of the ELE™ driver is its mechanical suspension, which operates optimally even over large excursions in either direction, allowing bass frequencies to be reproduced without distortion at high SPLs. Low-frequency energy is not limited as it is on similar systems, and the dynamics of the original audio are preserved in full. ‘Softer’, less highly tensioned driver suspensions may allow uncontrolled displacement at high SPLs. The highly tensioned linear S Series suspension system, by contrast, dampens the movements of the membrane at high output levels in a controlled manner and returns it to its rest position. The suspension is extremely robust and ensures distortion-free reproduction across the entire audible frequency spectrum.

The newly created long-throw speaker surround was also carefully engineered to be considerably more resilient than competing modern designs. This greatly increases the maximum possible excursion of the driver membrane, improving dynamic range and reducing distortion.

Finally, the loudspeaker basket is anodised by means of a specially optimised process during manufacture: the material’s black finish absorbs heat and provides another means by which the driver is kept cool.

HPS™ Waveguide

The S-ART tweeter comprises the latest iteration of ADAM’s respected folded accelerated ribbon design, produced to tighter tolerances than ever before, and…

The HPS (High-frequency Propagation System) waveguide was initially designed at ADAM Audio for the S-ART tweeter of the S Series range with the aid of the latest computer modelling techniques. It hones the dispersion of the speakers to an even, uniform consistency, broad in the horizontal axis but tightly focused in the vertical plane. This minimises potentially distracting reflections from the horizontal surfaces of significant studio furniture (for example mixing consoles), ensures that imaging remains constant, and creates a large, well-controlled and stable ‘sweet spot’, even at high output levels.

The U-ART tweeter as used in the T Series is fitted to a precision waveguide with the same dispersion-control attributes as the HPS waveguide used in ADAM Audio’s flagship S Series studio monitors.

MPS™ Waveguide

On the S5H and S5V, the DCH mid-range driver is set into an additional waveguide, the MPS (Mid-range Propagation System), which ensures that dispersion remains wide and smooth even over longer listening distances.

Milled from a solid block of aluminum, it hones the dispersion of the speakers to an even, uniform consistency, broad in the horizontal axis but tightly focused in the vertical plane. This minimises potentially distracting reflections from the horizontal surfaces of significant studio furniture (for example, mixing consoles), ensures that imaging remains constant, and creates a large, well-controlled and stable ‘sweet spot’, even at high output levels.

S Series Bass Reflex System

The S Series bass reflex tubes have been aerodynamically redesigned with optimal rounding to minimise signal losses and colouration due to air friction and turbulence, especially at the front-panel ports, and incorporate additional anti-resonance technology in their port designs to keep pipe-related tonal colouration to a minimum.

SMA™ – Symmetrical Magnet Assembly

Custom-designed magnet assembly that allows the voice coil a maximum excursion three times greater than that offered by previous designs, with an extended linear excursion range for improved low-frequency performance and reduced distortion.

The newly developed magnet assembly in the bass driver, which ADAM Audio has named the SMA™ (Symmetrical Magnet Assembly), extends the maximum possible excursion of the electromagnetic voice coil by a factor of three compared to previous designs. The greatly extended travel ensures that the membrane operates in a linear fashion over a relatively large distance, displaces a greater volume of air, and is capable of higher maximum output. The design allows the driver to accurately reproduce low-frequency signals without distortion, even when called upon to produce extremely large excursions. An ingenious built-in ventilation system also prevents warming of the large, custom-designed voice coils, and thus reduces the effects of power compression below the threshold of audibility. As voice coils warm, their ohmic resistance changes, damping and dynamic range are reduced, operational parameters change, and low frequencies are no longer reproduced cleanly. These unwanted effects are avoided in ADAM Audio’s new design.

The carefully engineered construction makes use of materials designed to encourage heat dissipation, and also keeps unwanted air turbulence and compression out of the magnet assembly, minimising distortion.

The SMA™ also features several other innovations developed by ADAM Audio especially for the S Series: An elongated pole piece is employed in the low-frequency driver, extending beyond the magnet assembly to widen the reach of the resulting magnetic field and also to render it symmetrical. This keeps the driver’s performance linear and reduces distortion in the output to a minimum. The magnet assembly operates over a larger travel than other comparable low-frequency drivers, allowing the voice coil much greater scope for downward motion and preventing it from being damaged at high output levels. The pole piece is also vented to encourage ventilation and maintain constant pressure in the magnet assembly. To reduce turbulence and air noise, the venting is aerodynamically rounded.

The S2V, S3H and S3V’s parabolic pole pieces prevent unwanted modulation of the driver’s magnetic field, drastically reducing non-linear second-order distortion, while demodulation rings help the magnetic field remain symmetrical and also minimise non-linear third-order distortion.

The largest S Series models, the S5H and S5V, have an additional refinement: another magnet of opposing polarity is situated on top of the elongated pole piece to further streamline the magnetic field lines and render them symmetrical. This ensures that the movement of the voice coil remains linear and keeps distortion to a minimum, even at high listening levels.

High Performance DSP Module

Custom DSP engine implements precise crossovers for optimal frequency response and maximum dynamic range, in addition to EQ options and presets for in-room optimisation.

The high-performance DSP engine was developed especially for the S Series and implements perfectly tuned crossovers, guaranteeing optimal frequency response and a dynamic range greater than that offered by traditional analog crossovers, with no loss of resolution.

The DSP engine developed for the S Series provides users of all models in the range with a comprehensive array of options for in-room optimisation. The intuitive OLED display allows control over overall level, two parametric shelving filters (one for the bass, the other for the highs) as well as six further fully parametric EQs with variable Q that may be assigned to boost or cut level at specific frequencies.

Five memories are also provided to store voicing presets. On most S Series models, the first two of these are supplied by ADAM and are non-editable; the first is known as ‘Pure’ and is the factory default tuning, with an extremely accurate frequency response. The second is a dynamic, natural-sounding response curve of ADAM’s own design, which is known as UNR™ (the Uniform Natural Response). The remaining three memories are available to store users’ own personal voicing presets. Only on the new S3H is the situation slightly different; as on the rest of the S Series range, the non-editable Pure and UNR settings occupy the first two presets, but only the final two are available for user presets. The third memory on the S3H is a further non-editable option designed to emulate the sound of what is possibly ADAM’s best-known monitor, the highly regarded S3A.

The DSP also offers limiter-based protection, AES3 digital inputs, and connectors for future expansion options. A USB connector allows software upgrades and facilitates connection to computer-based editing software, so that voicing adjustments or preset selection can be carried out without the need to access the rear panel of your monitors – a useful option if they are soffit-mounted.

S Series Amplifiers

The S Series low- and mid-range drivers are powered by distortion-free Class-D ICE power amplifiers. Over 90 percent efficient, these designs waste considerably less energy, are much more robust and offer a longer working life than traditional Class A/B amplification. However, the latter can offer more bandwidth and tonal advantages in some cases when amplifying HF audio for reproduction by a tweeter. For this reason, ADAM has developed a special 50W, low-noise Class A/B power amp that operates linearly up to 300kHz, to drive the tweeter on the S2V, S3H and S3V. By contrast, the S5H and S5V use the very latest generation of extremely powerful Class-D ICE-Power amplifiers to drive their S-ARTs.

The carefully thought-out combination of appropriate amplifier technology with the highly efficient ADAM ribbon tweeter design is one of the contributory factors behind the highly accurate, effortless-sounding high end of the S Series. Great care has also been taken over the physical design. On all but the S2V, the smallest speaker in the S Series, the power amps are mounted in a discrete amplifier chamber within the speaker housing, protecting the system from any air leakage.

S Series Cabinets

While the imposing, robust construction of the S Series cabinets visually evokes ADAM’s background in industrial engineering, the aesthetics are rooted in practical considerations. The cabinets are solidly constructed from thick, vibration-resistant material to reduce unwanted resonance and colouration, even at high listening levels. The design also features large-radiused rounded edges, which help to minimise unwanted edge-diffraction effects. The robust finish affords the speakers extra protection from the stresses and strains (or stains) of daily life in a recording studio.

S-ART™ High Frequency Tweeter

All the models in the S Series employ the latest iteration of ADAM’s world-famous X-ART tweeter design, each handmade in Berlin, Germany, as with all previous ADAM products. For the new range, the manufacturing process for each tweeter has been undertaken to an even higher standard of precision, with a more stringent post-factory testing regime – hence the new designation S-ART. The driver’s legendarily precise transient response and its ability to reproduce the finest of high-end details, free of distortion and with natural-sounding dynamics, are the cornerstones of ADAM Audio’s worldwide reputation as a leading manufacturer of indispensable audio equipment – tools that every professional should own.

FEATURES

• German Handmade Precision S-ART Tweeter with HPS Waveguide
• 4″ Dome / Cone Hybrid (Carbon) with MPS Waveguide
• 2 x 10“ Woofer (HexaCone)
• Cumulated Amp. Power RMS: 1100W
• Frequency Response: 22 Hz – 50 kHz
• Max. SPL Per Pair at 1 m: ≥131 dB
• AES3 Digital Inputs And Various Expansion Options

TECHNICAL SPECS

Drivers

WOOFER:

Basket Diameter: 2 x 10″

Voice Coil Diameter: 3″ (76 mm)

Cone Material: HexaCone

MIDRANGE:

Type: Dome/Cone Hybrid

Basket Diameter: 4″

Voice Coil Diameter: 2.4″ (60 mm)

Cone Material: Carbon Composite

Waveguide: MPS

TWEETER:

Type: S-ART

Diaphragm Area: 4 inch² (2420 mm²)

Equivalent Diaphragm Diameter: 2″ (56 mm)

Velocity Transform Ratio: 4 to 1

Diaphragm Weight: 0.17 g

Waveguide: HPS

Amplification

Acoustics