Adam Audio A5X Powered Studio Monitor

A wealth of truly outstanding reviews and many awards helped to establish the original A5 speaker as one "of the best small monitors" and a "great choice for the small studio." (Future Music, 01/2009). The similar dimensions and name could make one believe that the A5X is nothing more than a new version of the A5. A quick listening however leaves no doubt that the A5X is much more than that. Like all other models of the AX-Series it features the proprietary X-ART tweeter. The very data of this technology shows that it is at the forefront of what tweeters can accomplish. Numerous listening tests have confirmed this.A 5.5" Midwoofer reproduces the frequencies below 2.5kHz. The diaphragm is made from Carbon fiber/Rohacell/Glass fiber, which is the same composite structure shared in the next two bigger models. This material with minimum weight and maximum rigidity prevents break up resonances, resulting in an outstanding dynamic behavior and impeccable sound characteristics. Stereolink A very handy and exclusive feature found in the two smaller AX monitors is the Stereolink. This is accomplished by a pair of additional RCA connections that allow for a bypass of the second stereo channel to the other speaker. This new technology connects two A5X speakers in such a manner as to allow the user the option to control the overall stereo volume of the system from either speakers gain control. This makes the A5X a natural for "mixer-less" desktop applications where overall system volume needs to be adjusted easily. Controls and Connectors The front of the A5X sports dual ports for surprisingly low frequency response down to 50Hz. The front panel also has power and gain controls. The rear panel includes a tweeter gain control as well as balanced (XLR) jacks and unbalanced (RCA) jacks, allowing for greater connection flexibility. There are also two M6 (6mm) metric strew threads for stand/wall mounting.X-ART Technology The X-ART (eXtended Accelerating Ribbon Technology) tweeters and midranges incorporate a new approach to the Air Motion Transformer concept originally developed by Dr. Oskar Heil. ADAM Audio has improved upon this splendid idea utilizing superior geometries and materials to achieve unprecedented audio fidelity. X-ART strikes a new path concerning the kinematics of moving air, resulting in a dramatic improvement in the quality of audio reproduction. The X-ART membrane consists of a pleated diaphragm in which the folds compress or expand according to the audio signal applied to them. The result is that air is drawn in and squeezed out, like the bellows of an accordion. The ADAM X-ART design overcomes the piston-like motion of all conventional drivers and their inevitable problems by achieving an improvement in air loading by a factor of 4 over conventional transducers. To illustrate the basic principle by a comparison: When you breathe, your thorax is moving slowly whereas the air is moving comparably fast. Similarly, the X-ART diaphragm presses t