Best Studio Monitor for 2020? ADAM Audio T8V Review & Honest Opinion

[@Psyzzer]

33 to 25khz not 36

[@CreativeSauce]

Thanks for the correction!

[@Psyzzer]

@@CreativeSauce Thanks for the video!

[@yusemei]

when he said the other members of the family don't care about the mix I felt that

[@DJayFreeDoo]

Like when i tried to explain distortion to my mom. i distorted a track i made on the master bus. and had a non distorted version and let her hear then one after the other. she couldn't tell which one was distorted. even after i explained clearly what distortion would do to the sound. so i gave up on that one lol.

[@ADAMAudioBerlin]

Thanks for the wonderful review, Mike!

[@CreativeSauce]

My pleasure :)

[@marcuscurtismusic]

Mike, I have been using the T7V Adam audio monitors for a while now and I just love them. they are the best monitors I have ever used. KRK makes a good product but the T7v monitors seem to work a little better for my situation. I read in a review that the ribbon tweeter cuts down on ear fatigue. I can tell you that it is true. I am able to hear things in my mixes that I could not detect with my old monitors. My ears don't get as tired and I can go a little longer without taking a break. That alone is worth the price of admission. The T7V monitors were equal in cost to the KRK monitors that I was considering at the time of purchase. These are well worth the investment. There is one huge drawback though. I have a deep desire to go back and remix all of my music. So far I have resisted that temptation. As always Awesome video and awesome job. You must have a bottle of awesome sauce sitting next to your bottle of creative sauce.

[@CreativeSauce]

Hey Marcus - you are correct, they do say they cut down on ear fatigue. I didn't use them long enough to say for sure, so I'm glad you are able to confirm it :) And you are spot on about that draw back!

[@gjani1980]

I've been using my T8Vs for a year now, and I am absolutely satisfied with them, especially at this price range. There is no better option for this price.

[@teknical100]

Due to ill health, I didn't set my studio up for over a year and when I did the sub-bass lasted about 10 seconds before it gave up (the shop had closed for good by this time and the official repair company didn't feel it was worth sending it to them to fix), one of the monitors gave up at the turn of this year. The original monitors were Behringer Truth 2031A's and the sub-bass was also the same company. So I bought These Adam T8V's after looking about a bit. I was pretty convinced they didn't work when they were turned on - a lot of interference and no 'umph' noise on flicking them on (clearly meaning no power-up). lol But the power was on and they sounded great (except for the background noise which was there even with no signal). So I bought balanced cables, and wow, these things are great, the bass response is very good. No more Behringer for me, from now on it's Adam.

[@Rickytee2]

Excellent review Creative Sauce , I've also had the pleasure of auditioning these monitors and agree with your analysis of their performance. Comparing these to the KRK G4 8 and Yamaha HS8 I personally think the Adam T series edges them both, I think in time they may well usurp the HS series as the top entry level studio monitors.

[@CreativeSauce]

Cheers Ricky :)

[@Markspencer7808]

I’m considering these or KRK’s. why do you give these the edge over the G4 8’s in your opinion?

[@ernestdaniels1671]

Nice Video again Mike. I currently have the KRK V4's, the KRK V6's, and the Adam T7V. I love using the original Mackie Big knob to check my mixes against my three monitors. I do have to say, the brightness in the Adam T7V tweeters are quite nice. and the port in the back should never be a worry because as both you an I alike agree that.., REAL AUDIO FOLKS NEVER PLACE THEIR MONITORS UP AGAINST A WALL!!!

[@bigcomputer1038]

Fantastic review, thank you!

[@Rid-iculo-us]

Over the years I spent a *lot* of money... Alesis, Roland, Rokit, Yamaha, Tannoy... buy and sell, always trying to upgrade. About 8 years ago I got a pair of Adam F7 with a sub 7. Nothing in a similar price range came even close since then. The difference in reproduction detail is just incredible and this translates to your mixes right away. They are very pleasant to listen to for hours on end. The imaging is fantastic. The sub7 got fried about a year ago and Adam replaced the entire insides free of charge hassle free. TV8s are ordered :)

[@musikone1780]

I have the T7V's and I love them. I listened to a lot of of monitors before choosing the T7V's. As far as I am concerned they are the absolute best you can get in the price range.

[@ТимурГиев]

Hi😁😊😉 Have you heard of KALI Audio monitors, if so, which ones? What can you say about them? I choose between Kali and Adam, help with advice, please:)'

[@SonicVisualGR]

Great presentation ! If I was ADAM Audio, I would hire you as the best product presenter with the highest wage out there ! For two months I'm wandering around, to decide which monitor to buy for my home studio. I even saw a presentation about T8V by other people, was not convinced. Your knowledge and presentation skills just made me love this monitors ! Thank you ! ( and sorry for my bad English )

[@CreativeSauce]

Wow, thanks , you are very kind! I think I just enjoyed them so much, it made me wanna do the best I could :)

[@hellodavidryan]

Great review, thanks for putting the effort in (and the handy measurements regarding size). I'm loving hearing so many veteran Aussies on here too.

[@johnnykenepaske153]

Thanks for the review ! I have used KRK Roket 8s for years and trying to decide between the Adam T8V or the tried and true Yamaha HS8. I think you have convinced me to take the plunge. $299 USD is a great deal!

[@Maddtuna]

did you take that plunge yet? I'm in the same boat, and trying to decide between both of these models, as well!

[@prodbyvicofficial]

Facts same here bro’s , Someone help , I’m really skeptical about my studio monitors, not sure which to go for.

[@DanielMartinez-ir4pf]

How do these compare to the krk's?

[@musikone1780]

The HS8's are good monitors, but it is well know that they do cause ear fatigue.

[@JayYarbroughMusic]

Superb review.

[@CreativeSauce]

Thank you Jay!

[@benbirdsinging3275]

The Adam T8V costs 269 euros each in the Netherlands. I myself have the Genelec 8020 CPM in my studio, a lot smaller and at the time considerably more expensive! But fair is fair, still a great sound!

[@CreativeSauce]

Thanks for the info - could you pop me some links and I'll put them in the description. Cheers :)

[@reevant2215]

Thanks again Mike. Strangely enough I’ve been thinking about monitors for the last few days but these look way too big for my needs both physically and financially. But it’s good to see many options. Thanks again Mike. Tony.

[@CreativeSauce]

Hi Tony. Maybe consider the 5" or 7" versions. I've heard good things.

[@musikone1780]

Try the T5V's. You will love them.

[@StudioBonn]

A very complete review, thanks for that. I was in the same situation with my old monitors with a subwoofer... after I got my T8V I don't miss the sub anymore! And the distortion you talked about in your mix: same here by using a standard sound for practice...just minimal distortion I never heard before. I'm so glad to use them now...best regards Michael

[@calvincurry8496]

Just got a pair. Wonderful👍👍👍👍

[@CreativeSauce]

They certainly are!

[@GregorMima]

Cheers fir the review! I'm actually considering them for my hifi setup in my living room. They look awesome and it looks like people really love them. The T7V were missing on the lower end, seems the 8 don't have the problem anymore lol..

[@CreativeSauce]

Haha - pretty fancy for HiFi!

[@GregorMima]

@@CreativeSauce Yeah they are insane, insane awesome :-) ... had them now for few months, hooked up to a Topping D50S ... funny on RCA in they had some "clicks" every few min... not sure where that came from, switched to RCA->XLR Cordial cables and XLR in on Adams, it´s gone. Boi some "pro" commercial music is really crappy mixed lol ... Considering now the Adam T10S sub to update my little Eris 4.5 monitors/workstation :-)

[@CreativeSauce]

@@GregorMima ah yes, I've had the T10S for a while. It's great, and I think it's takes some stress from the main drivers in the T8Vs.

[@GregorMima]

​@@CreativeSauce Adam sub is planned for the Presonus Eris 4.5 ... they really need it lol.

[@edwinrumbaoa4507]

Thank you for the review.

[@chrismoore2971]

Krks are great to get started, but I remember when I went from rokkits to a7x's the detail especially in the low mids was night and day 👍

[@arthurcrosby5755]

Thank you for a great review. I’ve been considering purchasing the Adam T8V. I’ve also had in mind the Focal EVO 65‘s. The Focals have had good reviews and have a reputation for good build quality. The Adam T8V‘s have good reviews but also have that beautiful 8 inch bass driver. It’s decision time 🤷‍♂️.

[@HighlandStudio91]

Very lovely review....very excited over these monitors! Had preordered a pair of Focal Alpha Evo 50's though....hmmm....thinking of cancelling my preorder?

[@CreativeSauce]

I gotta say, 1 year on, and I still adore them!

[@HighlandStudio91]

@@CreativeSauce I did some more research on these & I am getting a lot of mixed reviews on the T8V's on the GearSpace Forum website.One negative review that I had just read,was absolutely horrifying and this is coming from a guy who has an adequately large room,with ample acoustic treatment and this is what he said in short; "the low mids in these things were some of the sloppiest low mids I've heard in a budget monitor. There was no definition or separation in anything between ~100Hz to ~350Hz. Everything in that range smeared together and had zero clarity." Here is that thread; gearspace.com/board/product-alerts-older-than-2-months/1307471-adam-audio-introduces-new-t8v-studio-monitor.html I had also seen a KZbin video where a guy conducted a test with a microphone & said the time alignment between both drivers was off considerably.Here is that video; kzbin.info/www/bejne/d6TEna2tnLV0g6s I've also noticed that Adam Audio is sending out legions of their monitors to bedroom producers who give these monitors a thumbs up,in order to receive a free pair of monitors. I really wanted to like Adam's T-series of monitors.....but the more I dig deeper,the more I realize that seemingly,a lot of these reviews are pure snake oil.

[@CreativeSauce]

@@HighlandStudio91 I guess I can only speak for myself. Each room will be different, but for me they have worked we. For the record, if it helps, I paid for mine :)

[@HighlandStudio91]

@@CreativeSauce Indeed....every room is different and I am very fond of Adam Audio(had the original A7's)...but I think Adam has cut too many corners with their T-series and from what I've read,Adam users tend to prefer the T5's(along with an Adam sub)...for overall clarity,across the frequency range.The larger monitors in the T-series tend to be a bit plummy sounding.If I did not have budgetary constraints,I would go with the Adam A5X's.Late yesterday however...I had discovered that KRK did a major overhaul in their Rokit series of monitors & elevated their overall quality from the entry-level to the mid-level and yet, maintained an entry-level price point.I had considered the Adam T7's seriously at one point,but now....I've decided to go with the KRK Rokit 7 G4's(better driver components & materials,front porting,high wattage class D amps,a digital LCD screen on the rear of the cabinet for room correction EQ settings,a removable magnetic front faceplate(with an option to replace the faceplate with a protective grille) and the Rokiot 7's are $20 cheaper than the Adam T7's.

[@CreativeSauce]

@@HighlandStudio91 I'm sure you will be happy with the new gen Rokit 7s. A very experienced friend of mine who gets the chance to try many monitors says that he thinks the new gen Rokits are several step above previous generations. However, he also stated to that he thought the Adam T series were 'Rokit beaters'. Honestly, in my job I hear all kinds of opinions about all kinds of things! I've seen terrible reviews for hardware I thought was wonderful and problem free, and visa versa. Certainly, without a shadow of a doubt these were a massive upgrade from my old Rokit 8s - but there were old gen ones. As I say - I hear great things about the latest generation of Rokits - but I have not personally tried.

[@darylsamuel90]

I work at a pro AV store and the T5V (5-inch model) are currently - to my ears, the best-sounding pair of 5-inch monitors that we have had in stock so far. Second to the A5X.

[@bella3008]

Are these likely to cause ear fatigue if heard for a few hours in living room for watching movies or listening to music?

[@therealjackfisher]

I use Behringer TRUTH B2031A, These ADAM monitors have tweeters that look like the bigger more expensive and discontinued model of TRUTH series B3031A and B3131A. I could never afford these monsters. And these ADAMs cost about the same as my current monitors. Pretty impressive. Behringer Truth series monitors have this switchable feature that turn off the power to monitors when sensors dont detects no signal for a minute, so they save me some cash in the long run.

[@CreativeSauce]

Interesting Jack - thanks for the info!

[@valquireveljkovic]

great review! thanks a lot. facts, opinion, length and overall video quality is fantastic

[@chwilla]

Thanks for your detailed review, love it! What room size would you recommend at least?

[@gamingwithjordan266]

I thought I had subscribed to you before but I had not. I apologize about that! I was freeloading! I just subscribed. Your videos are very helpful. I appreciate the time that you are taking to share your knowledge.

[@CreativeSauce]

LOL - thank you!

[@MrMoviePhoneEx]

It was that bass port that sent me over the Kali instead. I’ll get a pair of Adams some day but my setup needs are so specific the rear bass port killed it for me. Picked up some IN-8’s instead and love them! I’m sure the Adam’s are great too, but getting a 3-way speaker for around the same price was very nice :)

[@CreativeSauce]

Yes, I hear many good things about Kali's too, but yet to try :)

[@gnickolas69]

Hey Bryan how to the kali 3 ways sound im at a stand still between these adam 8s and the kalis. Features are different but kalis come with only a 1 year warranty and the adams 5 yrs

[@MrMoviePhoneEx]

​@@gnickolas69 I bought mine through sweetwater with their standard 2 year coverage. The In8's sound amazing! One of the issues I have with my space is that I needed 8" monitors that could go on their sides and fit just above my screens (dual 27" monitors I use for video work) - So the Kali's concentric 3-way design is perfect for my needs. They do have a notable hiss at the zero point that I can reduce by turning each speaker down a bit and rebalancing, but it's still there in some quieter content. Probably the biggest surprise for me though, even in my cramped space, only able to get about a meter+ triangle with my prime listening position, and with the Kali's on their sides above me angled downwards - tweaters/mids on the outside, I still get an amazingly wide and detailed stereo field! Perfect for my work as I use them for composing to picture and general sound design.

[@GPM80]

Excellent review mike. I am currently using the presonus eris 4.5 monitors at the moment but have been looking at possible upgrade options. These look brilliant and i have also heard great things about the kali lp6. The 8 inch may prove too big for my room so i wonder if the adam T5V or even the T7V might be a better option for me. Many thanks

[@CreativeSauce]

Hi Glyn - nice to hear from you :) I hjavnt tried either the T5V or T7V, but if these are anything to go by - I'd say you cant go wrong. Simply just quality gear. Ive also heard good things about the Kali, but hard to get hold of here down under :(

[@GPM80]

@@CreativeSauce thanks for the reply mike. Yeah i been mad busy with work lately with the way everything is at the moment. Hoping to catch up on everyones vids this weekend as i finally have a few days off 😂😂

[@dunk8157]

Probably a bit late, but wanted to say you can always EQ the lower bass out on a big speaker if its too much, but you cant add bass in on a smaller speaker.

[@lunao19]

thank you for the video, appreciated!

[@DawidOwizyc]

I had Y... HS80m and now Adam T7V and I can say that you cant compare those. Adam is better /// Techno producer ///

[@579enact]

I must admit, I haven't yet splashed out on a pair of studio monitors. I still have the "G-401A" speakers which I bought 20 yrs ago, a nice pair of 2x60W speakers with bass, treble cones and the thing is, I've listened to everything on them for so long now that my ears would need time to adapt to anything else. I wonder if this is an important issue for a professional producer: Let's say you are at home, and you have your favourite speakers, with the EQ set just the way you like it for many years - do you have to train yourself to go into the studio and listen to a different sound balance? And also, should a producer allow for high-frequency hearing loss in middle age? After doing several tests on youtube, it seems that I can hear up to about 12.5KHz and no further. How do I make sure that younger listeners are catered for in my mixes, and that I'm not doing them a disservice?

[@miekwavesoundlab]

The best monitors are the ones you’re good with.

[@prodynamicmusic1234]

Hi should you buy Adams 8 or Yamaha Hs8. Which is better? Please tell me

[@MikeMackie]

I’ve heard the adams are superior

[@musikone1780]

The HS8's cause ear fatigue, that is why I got the T7V's instead of the HS8's.

[@bella3008]

Are these likely to cause ear fatigue if heard for a few hours in living room for watching movies or listening to music?

[@CreativeSauce]

Hi Bella. I use them for up to 10 hrs a day no problem! My eyes and brain go before my ears:)

[@nataliaorsini1899]

This is true

[@musikone1780]

Bella, these don't create ear fatigue like the Yamaha HS8 do. They are very easy on the ears.

[@RainStickland]

These look awesome. I was looking at the original ones, but these have a great price. Probably to compete with the Kali monitors I've been hearing about.

[@CreativeSauce]

Hi Rain - nice to hear from you :)

[@alanmartinez6513]

thank you for honest opinion, it really helps out! I own the T7V would you recommend getting the 8 or going for the 5"?

[@musikone1780]

It depends on the size of room you will be using them in. If you are in a small room, you shouldn't buy the 7's or the 8's. if you are in a larger room, you shouldn't buy the 5's.

[@dokanyon]

Are these worth the upgrade over the audioengine a5+?

[@alessandrochila]

What do you think about using this for hi-fi in mid-size rooms? I think these speakers can reach some higher-priced HiFi speakers... There is a better active speakers choice for hi-fi under 1k € for pair? Thanks to all.

[@thenoizfaktory]

I would like to hear your thoughts on the Adam T8V vs Presonus Sceptre S8 vs Focal Alpha 80.

[@SurfinSuburban]

If I don't make music or do anything like that are these a good buy? Like if I'm just listening and enjoying music a lot on my computer

[@CONFLAGRO]

is it true that mid range of t8v is a bit muddy?

[@ConvexFolds]

Not at all, just the mids are not quite as clear as the T7V or the HS8's but they are about £100 more which can put people off, the HS8's I mean. Thats why T7's are more popular as they are cheaper than the big brother of the T8V's. However with that said the HS8's do take the 1st place hot spot of well over 1k reviews online and score a 4.9 out of 5 which is pretty dam impressive

[@CONFLAGRO]

@@ConvexFolds well i got em already. I think they sound amazing. Especially compared to krk 8 g4.

[@ConvexFolds]

@CONFLAGRO that's good to know. I recently got a pair of the T6V's and although they are very good for the money and sound great they just weren't loud enough for me personally. They will be returned very soon and I've already ordered the T8V's, so really excited for them to arrive now lol. I was looking at the Yamaha HS8's but just couldn't justify the extra 100 quid for the mids to sound a bit better. How are you finding your speakers? Are they loud and bassy enough for you?

[@platinumyaadmusic6410]

Hi what are they like loud..are they underpowered

[@milansimko3501]

Hi! What do you think about mids (lead voice, strings, brasses...)? Thanks!

[@nicolatroso8383]

Hi are this monitors good for a yamaha cp 88 ?

[@musikone1780]

Yes, but they work better on the Roland RD-2000. :)

[@1masterfader]

Hows the mid range on these?

[@tomyg2766]

Great review as always Mike. Due to the size and weight of the 8V's, I went for the slightly smaller 7'V's. Had them now sbout 6 moths and they are by far the best monitor speakers I have ever had in my home studio. I retained my previous Tannoys and KRK's for comparison. Highly recommend the Adam speakers.

[@CreativeSauce]

Yes, I've heard the 7s too, great pick. I really think they've helped me get to a better mix quicker, compared to my old KRKs. If I could request anything it would be to have a power button at the front, that's pretty much it!

[@CreativeSauce]

@fu J , I think technically its a little small for the HS8s .... BUT.... its about the same size as my room, and they work wonderfully for me. I'd say go for it. Keep in mind, positioning and room treatment make a lot of difference.

[@nataliaorsini1899]

Can we use the T10s with these ? Or is that to much.

[@hbollar]

I've had a pair of these for awhile now. If you need more sub with these something else is wrong. I mix rap and took sold my sub after getting these...

[@kzugaming4287]

Hello and thx for this opinion. I am a DJ as hobby at home, streaming from time to time. I love drum code, house, trap, chillstep and all kinds of other styles. My gaming dj room is a 10m x 4m. Would you choose those adam audio t8v or presonus eris e66, or presonus eris e8 xt. What would be the bass level comparison using those... Thank you.

[@Markspencer7808]

I wonder how the compare to Rokit 8 G4?

[@CreativeSauce]

The comment above from Rick Brown suggest he thinks they are better - and I trust his opinion, coz I know he's actually a fan of the G4s!

[@Splashadian]

Can anyone answer the question of does all these speakers need to have their volumes cranked to the top for them to get proper sound? I bought a pair and I was surprised that at the 50% level they were very hollow and tiny sounding but once I turned them max then they had a full sound. My previous monitors were not like this and I'm wondering if I got a bad pair?

[@musikone1780]

I have the T7V's and they don't sound hollow or tiny. they have a very accurate and detailed sound. Mine are set at just above 50%.

[@bLuNTsMoKe251]

I’m having an issue when I’m recording an audio track. Every time I hit the record button or stop the record button I hear popping sound like a static sound.. if you can help me with that issue I really would appreciate it.. also I uninstalled and reinstalled it again and I’m still having the same problem. Thanks again

[@CreativeSauce]

Hmmm - it could be so many things. Have you tried changing the buffer settings for your audio interface?

[@bLuNTsMoKe251]

Creative Sauce thanks for the reply. That’s what it was..

[@kzugaming4287]

Just bought them. 😎

[@srpskisica]

Very nice! :)

[@CreativeSauce]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@keshav_g98]

Anybody has an opinion PreSonus R80 vs Adam T8v? Mainly for music listening, not professional work.

[@davmar9923]

Powered monitors are very popular and have a potential advantage in that the internal amps can be designed with the characteristics of the speakers in mind. However, they don't make much sense if you have more than one pair of monitors. A single amp can drive any number of different monitors with a simple speaker selector switch. Multiple powered monitors mean you are paying for redundant amplifiers. In my studio I have a pair of Event 20/20 main monitor speakers at the DAW workstation position (which has a Kontrol S49 MIDI controller keyboard) and a pair of Alesis Point Eight monitors at my Korg Kronos X 88-key weighted action synth keyboard, which is at right angles to the DAW workstation in the studio. A Hafler P1500 amp feeds a 15" powered subwoofer speaker level input directly and the sub speaker output is routed to a selector switch which feeds either pair of monitors, i.e., two 2.1 speaker setups. The subwoofer is very nearly the same distance to the listeners ears at either position and also about the same distance from the monitors in both positions. The subwoofer actually has another function. My electronic music studio shares a space with a home theater. In theater mode the studio subwoofer is actually part of a 9.2 theater audio system. The second theater sub output is sent to the studio subwoofer line input via a wireless audio system intended for such use. The 92" diagonal projection screen (4K projector) and theater electronics is at one end of the room and the music studio is at the other end. I originally tried a direct wired audio connection between the theater receiver and the studio subwoofer but there was excessive ground loop 60 Hz hum (different AC circuits). The wireless connection has no such problem.

[@troeteimarsch]

Sound is a difference in pressure. To end the stupid discussion about rear vs front bass ports I ask you one question: *Can you seal a leaking conduit with your hand an inch away from the hole? Exactly! No.* One can argue that if the waters' pressure and amount is high enough even a hand an inch away can be some sort of a restriction. Well: air has a thousandth of the density of water so yeah if one manages to put something a thousandth of an inch in front of the bass port one was right. But one knows that we call that 'sealing the bass port'. Furthermore bass is omnidirectional and all that a bass port does is generating resonances other than the ones given by the boxs' dimensions by creating areas of different air pressure / air velocity (through tubing). So even if the port was on the bottom of the speaker: the entire thing would still resonate at a lower frequency than the one without the port.

[@oldskoolfunkandsoul1]

the ax range are the best on the budget end..what are they like comprared to those??

[@reneavalos3157]

Are they Bluetooth?

[@MikeMackie]

No

[@pupai89]

4:44 when did most famiy members care about the low end.. Aphex Twin fans stay unmarried . Thanks for the review Sir😁

[@music_creator_capable]

Hello ^^

[@CreativeSauce]

Hey MC! I hope you are doing good man :)

[@music_creator_capable]

I do my possible and you?

[@rsvp9816]

giant mud box