ADAM Audio D3V Black

De senaste månaderna har jag använt ADAM Audio D3V som min enda lyssningskälla i hemmastudion. Tidigare arbetade jag med ett par hifi-högtalare som kostade mer än det dubbla, men som ändå inte var i närheten av den precision och ärlighet som D3V levererar.

Trots sitt kompakta format bjuder de på ett förvånansvärt djup. Basen är stram och kontrollerad, kommer man under 50Hz kan dessa inte återge detta på ett bra sätt.
och tack vare ribbon-diskanten får jag en detaljåtergivning som gör det lätt att höra nyanser i både reverb, panoreringar och transienter.

En stor förbättring jämfört med mina gamla hifi-högtalare är stereobilden – här finns en tydlig bredd och separation som gör mixarbetet både roligare och mer pålitligt.

Jag äger även ett par Yamaha HS8, och i jämförelse upplever jag att ADAM ger en mer neutral och balanserad helhetsbild, medan HS8:orna har sin styrka i mellanregistret, särskilt för sång, som de återger mycket tydligt. Tillsammans kompletterar de varandra fint, men om jag bara fick välja ett par för det dagliga arbetet hade D3V varit mitt förstahandsval.

These are just perfect speakers for my desk. Overkill really. I don't make music, just really like to listen to tunes while I work. Nice and crisp sound. The low-end goes way deeper than you would expect. The volume won't be enough for a party in a medium room, but more than enough for me at my desk. The usb connection to my laptop works immediately without installing anything.

Small comments, but really nothing negative: - The speakers and feet are sturdy, but if someone would bump hard against my desk they probably will fall over. - More EQ options would be even better.

An upcoming firmware update will address two small niggles: the tweeter going inactive at low volumes, and sleepmode options (it currently shuts off after 20 mins, and doesn't have auto-wake). I'm happy that that firmware update is in the works.

I expected much more from these speakers. I own the iLoud Micro Monitor, and when my son wanted something similar or slightly better, the reviews for the D3V sounded convincing. Once the speakers arrived, however, the experience was not what we hoped for.

In most music, the D3V feels tiring to listen to, and the bass lacks the deep, controlled low end that the Micro Monitor delivers. The Micro Monitor is not perfect either; its bass can lose strength or distort at higher volumes. But at normal listening levels it sounds balanced and enjoyable, especially considering its size. With the D3V, only a few tracks actually sound better, and even then the improvement is small.

The D3V clearly has more power, but that extra power doesn’t always help the sound. In many songs it makes the presentation harsher and less pleasant. The room is untreated, I’m using the USB‑C digital input, and although I’m not a trained musician, I’ve been in the hi‑fi world for many years. I hope these speakers improve after break‑in, because if this is their final character, they don’t justify the higher price compared to the Micro Monitor.

Gaming performance was also disappointing. In ARK, creatures like the T‑Rex and Giga sound thin and small, almost like a little Raptor, which is a big downgrade from how they sound on the Micro Monitor.

We will continue testing after the break‑in period and will also try the analog inputs with a better audio interface. I’ll update my impressions once we have more results.