I’ve heard/read good reviews about both ones. I know that the ADAM is a little bit more expensive, and hasn’t got as ‘good’ technical specifications
as the YAMAHA, but maybe sounds better?
Unfortunately I can’t just visit a local store to listen them myself, since in Hungary (especially where I live) my options
are very limited because of the poor selection. So I’ll have to order it from the internet, and maybe a little weird, but I’ll love and get used to it,
and its sound - no matter which one I’ll buy. My price range is around $900.
If I were you I´d rather save some more money and spend it on something like the older Adam A7 (they´re pretty cheap by now).
The low end of the A5X is around 50hz, so I guess you won´t be satisfied without using a sub, which might introduce or worsen a lot of other problems if your room is not properly treated. The HS80M go deeper and got way more power but I find the bass response to be kind of undefined, also the high freqs are pretty jarring, if you ask me. I´d even go as far as recommending the Beringer Truth 3031A over them any day. But then again, that´s just me, better have a listen first. Other monitors I´ve heard that might be worth a try in your price range are the Samson Resolv A8.
In any case, you have to make certain compromises on that budget for sure.
Very happy HS80M owner here. That high end bite is perfect for giving you that insight into upper-midrange “pain” that can be smoothed out of a mix. The monitors come into their own on stands, off the back wall a few feet, and preferably in a larger treated room. 8" woofers gives a comfortable bass sound and I personally prefer that sort of clean thump over using an additional sub where you have to deal with crossover issues.
Look to any monitor purchase as ‘adding on’ to your tool-kit - you never buy a new hammer and hope to build an entire house with it. Use the monitors in compliment with checking on other systems. I have other dedicated methods for doing things like getting precision sub mixing. Even if you had the most awesome expensive set of Genelec monitors no one in their right mind would use them for the entirety of their mix work. Monitors are like doctors: it helps to get a range of opinions.
Whatever you buy expect to take at least a year to understand them.
I hear, similar to the old NS10, they have quite a fatiguing top end and most people I’ve seen recommend them have also said they wouldn’t go for them as your only monitoring option due to this, but rather they work well as a second pair for checking your mixes on, rather than listening to/composing on day in, day out.
What’s your opinion of that? Would you be happy to use only the HS80M? Obviously with transitional testing on various systems and headphones when you can, but that’s after the main work in done on your workhorse monitors.
For what it’s worth, I have had some dedicated sessions with the famous NS-10s. They are way, way, way, more bitey than the HS80Ms, and they have miraculous focus in the low end, especially between 100-300hz. If I owned a pair I’d definitely use them for hunting out mud as well as softening that upper-mid pain. Wouldn’t use them to compose on. Nor do I use the HS80Ms to compose on, unless it’s low volume. The volume control is your friend - use it - always test mixes at different volumes. For composition I want comfort so I’ll usually use my headphones that I like.
I find the Yamaha’s to have a very hyped high end, and inaccurate lows. Somehow it’s very fatigueing to my ears. I’ve had much better experience with Adam’s. They may seem a bit boring at first flance, but they turn out to be very neutral and flat.
F or the money you are spending, you can also look at alternatives like Dynaudio BM5A. I’m currently a very content owner of BM6A’s
In the end it’s all a preference thing. I guess you can’t go wrong with any of those you mentioned.
I think it’s obvious from from mr_mark_dollin says: if you are serious about mixing, you need to hear it on multiple systems. But you can stick your track on a USB stick, and hear it on a number of home/car stereos as well, it’s just less practical.
Buy yourself a car-wreck, implement some decent car audio gear into it, and you have your pro studio on wheels.
That it doesn’t drive should be of no concern.
I have Adam A5 without the X and a friend of mine have the HS80. I think they can’t be compared, HS80 is for me a bad attemp at recreating the NS10 I don’t like how they sound, but hey NS10 sounds bad too. They are really great for mixing but not listening music. The Adam sounds really great to me the A5 lacks of low end but they are far more subtle than the HS80.
+1 on trying to find a second hand Adam pair:
At work I have a pair of ADAM P-22A they’re just way to hot, the bass is warm and the highs are really clean, a pleasure to mix on them and a pleasure to listen music on them.
Thank you very much for all the responses/help/tips!
After your responses, and some more digging in reviews, I decided to get the Yamaha. An ADAM A7X would be a better choice, but unfortunately it has a ‘better’ price also.
Since my main goal is to get a ‘reference’ monitor with affordable price, the Yamaha seems the best choice. For constant listening/composing, I’ll use
my headphones henceforward, and I’ll leave my old HiFi speakers as well, to have another system on which I can check my music besides the Yamaha.
