monitors - Adam A5X seem boomy - should I try Genelec or KH120

[ThaneSpire]

I'm still setting up a modest project studio in my apartment. The room isn't perfectly acoustically treated yet, and it will never be acoustically perfect. Room is 11' x 10ft x 8ft ceiling. I just ordered Auralex LENRD Bass Traps and 2x2' foam panels. I got the Adam A5X and have them on ISO acoustics stands.

Thing is I'm super disappointed in the A5X. The company FAQs say they need 8 hrs of burn in. I've left spotify playing the top pop songs playlists through them at 85db for 3 hrs so far. Could the burn in time be a factor here? I have rolled off the bass with the panel on the back about 1.5 db which helps a little. I'm concerned about screwing up mixes using that feature ( ?).

I often see the Neuman kh120 or the Genelec 8030C mentioned in this size range. Wondering if either one is worth considering stepping up to those vs these, or I'm just not used to high quality near field monitors yet. Is the added bass I'm hearing just part of what it means to be a 'revealing' monitor ? I appreciate any insights.

[hoxclab]

Even with auralex bass traps in four corners above three bookshelves and a bed in one corner in a house with brick walls and auralex foam panels I can tell you that the bass is still off in my room. Everything else is great and the bass traps do indeed help some. I’d probably get another set if I were you though. I compensate by metering and keeping my bass under -10 on the mixer. I also use my pair of 58x which reveled where a bass sits in a mix nicely. I think you need to get used to the fact your bass might be uncontrollable and take that into account when mixing. Bass isn’t that big of a deal to fix in a mix compared to mids and highs.

[ThaneSpire]

Appreciate you sharing that experience. I was wondering how one goes about compensating for imperfections in a non-pro studio room. This is good info.

So you're saying try Genelec maybe ? Or does the Adam have a known profile of being bassy?

[roman.i]

These foam panels will not solve bass issues. Get 4 GIK 244 panels.
Monitors will be slightly softer after burn in, don't put them too close to the wall, at least 20-30cm from the wall.
I use -3db rolloff in a similar room with bass traps to get the bass right.
I heard these Adams, they're not bassy at all.

[Passing Bye]

Those monitors aren't boomy, your room have issues that can't be solved by buying another pair of monitors.

[bmanic]

These foam panels will not solve bass issues. Get 4 GIK 244 panels.
Monitors will be slightly softer after burn in, don't put them too close to the wall, at least 20-30cm from the wall.
I use -3db rolloff in a similar room with bass traps to get the bass right.
I heard these Adams, they're not bassy at all.

This.

Anything Auralex is a complete waste of money. If you want to setup a proper studio you need completely different kinds of solutions.. real solutions.

If you want to do mixing at home, I'd go the headphone route instead. Slate VSX, or some high-end headphones like Audeze + proper preamp + crossfeed plugin (like Goodhertz CanOpener). They are much more flexible and will serve you better than some half baked low budget monitors + room treatment in a non-purpose built studio room.

I have a purpose built studio at work with pretty decent acoustics for mixing/mastering and I can honestly say that I can mix equally well at home with my Slate VSX headphones. Heck, I'd even go as far as saying that I trust this headphone solution more than the studio and I have about 20 years of experience in that studio room and about 10 years on the monitors there (Genelec 8k series + 7050 sub).

[chk071]

Boomy sucks. I have that as well here, with my JBL LSR305 speakers. Just at a very specific and narrow frequency band though, in the 55 Hz region. Can't solve that at all here, so, I just have to live with it.

Having the monitors further away from the wall doesn't help either, BTW. I even tried a meter or so, and, it's still the same. I think it's overlapping waves from the reflection of the wall behind me. At least I have no other explanation for it.

[Hink]

These foam panels will not solve bass issues. Get 4 GIK 244 panels.
Monitors will be slightly softer after burn in, don't put them too close to the wall, at least 20-30cm from the wall.
I use -3db rolloff in a similar room with bass traps to get the bass right.
I heard these Adams, they're not bassy at all.

This.

Anything Auralex is a complete waste of money. If you want to setup a proper studio you need completely different kinds of solutions.. real solutions.

there was a time where I would strongly disagree with this, but I dont sell it anymore

[cantaloupe]

If you want to do mixing at home, I'd go the headphone route instead. Slate VSX, or some high-end headphones like Audeze + proper preamp + crossfeed plugin (like Goodhertz CanOpener).

I'm realising this myself. Currently getting by with headphones + a mono Mixcube. CanOpener is essential for mixing.

The main issue for me with headphones (Sennheiser HD 600) is dynamics, which is nonexistent from my audio interface. I assume the VSX fare better?

[Aiynzahev]

I think you'd find the KH120's are very different in character. Definitely worth trying. In fact I'd rate the KH80's as just as good if not better, believe it or not. The Genelecs are nice too. My answer is always yes, it's worth trying different monitors if you can spare the expense of shipping and returns etc. It's an education.

[Dasheesh]

adam uses art tweeters. the rest of you can go bang yourselves to death. funny ish you say they are bass heavy when they focus on the tweeters.

[dayjob]

foam traps are useless for bass management.

before you change monitors get some good bass traps/panels and experiment w/your listening position. moving your monitors out further from the wall..a bit off axis etc.. see how it sounds. if your DAW has a test oscillator load up a sin wave and let it play at normal listening level..s et it to 60hz.. walk around the room. listening for nulls and standing waves. try it at 100hz and 200hz etc.

also, do some research about the dimensions of your room which isn't far from being a perfect cube which is pretty much worst case scenario

[ThaneSpire]

Thanks for all the great info - I had never heard of slate vsx or canopener - this sounds like a route I need to look at. As for acoustics, I was actually looking at the GIK 244 bass traps before anything else but it appears they need to be hung from screws - unfortunately my apartment building won't let me do that, which sucks I know.

bmanic you made me think maybe I'm misconstruing my goals - I don't plan to mix final products at home because of all the problems exposed above - I plan to send the tracks and pay a professional mixing engineer. I just don't know how much I'll need to prepare the tracks beforehand, so I thought I'd need at least some good monitors before sending it out. ?

[ATN69]

I am careful to recommend anything really since most things are subjective anyway. I do however want to suggest Sonarworks reference software with calibration microphone. I have the Adam A7 and had them for a very long time. I invested in the Sonarworks Reference 4 with the calibration microphone and it helped me a lot. I had some nasty resonance issues in my room but after calibration it was much better. It is in no way perfect but well worth it in my own case.

[ThaneSpire]

I am careful to recommend anything really since most things are subjective anyway. I do however want to suggest Sonarworks reference software with calibration microphone. I have the Adam A7 and had them for a very long time. I invested in the Sonarworks Reference 4 with the calibration microphone and it helped me a lot. I had some nasty resonance issues in my room but after calibration it was much better. It is in no way perfect but well worth it in my own case.

Thanks a bunch - Sounds like a very worthwhile investment. Reviewing their site. Maybe it's nasty resonance - of course, yes, the room cube shape sucks.

In the meantime, took the a5x down to -3 db bass rolloff, pulled them further from the wall (doesn't seem to matter - not sure if that's because they're front ported).. the saga continues. wealth of information and experience on this forum thanks