Adam Audio S6X Active Studio Monitor

The S6X main monitor is designed for large control rooms and film studios. It uses a symmetrical concept to increase the realistic reproduction of ADAM Audio monitors to higher sound pressure levels. ADAM Audio has avoided the typical overloading of the bass range that can often be found in main monitors. A wide horizontal radiation characteristic and moderate vertical beaming are crucial factors to minimize the impact of ceiling and floor reflections and achieve neutral sound reproduction at high volumes.

Extended D’Appolito Design

A total of seven individual speakers were arrayed so that gradual transitions could be made possible given the size of the cabinet. In addition, we chose a horizontal symmetry that can be described as an extended D’Appolito configuration. This kind of design combined with suitable transition frequencies and filter slopes results in radiation patterns that lead to very consistent reproduction characteristics in the horizontal centre position. At the same time, vertical dispersion is reduced so that reflections from the ceiling, floor or mixing console are greatly reduced. Thus, so-called ‘early reflections’ have less chance to interfere, which leads to significantly better stereo imaging and a more three-dimensional sound.

Impulse Coupling

Further progress in development was achieved by the use of Alucore panels, an extra firm component material with an aluminium honeycomb core. All drivers of the S6X and S7A Mk2 are mounted on such panels, which considerably improves mechanical coupling between the drivers and the cabinet.

The S6X: Accuracy and Power

A number of innovative approaches in conjunction with uncompromising effort in all sonically relevant areas make the S6X one of the largest and most sophisticated active monitors currently available. The horizontal symmetry design is conscious of harmonic and generous diaphragm area proportions to achieve not only a flat frequency response but also a consistent dynamic behaviour within the entire frequency range. Complex orchestral structures can be easily analyzed and spatially arranged on the S6X. Extensive control options on the front panel allow for adjusting to different acoustic situations or personal tastes.

Amplification

The built-in amplifiers are coupled to the respective drivers as directly as possible so that remote amplifier units do not compromise the advantages of active technology. One 500 Watt amplifier is assigned to each of the 12″ woofers, while 250 Watt units are used in the other bands of the frequency range. This main monitor combines very high accuracy and exceptional power: SPL peaks far beyond 130 dB are produced without any compression or harshness. The S6X is an excellent choice for large control rooms and film or sound studios.

Control Panel

In addition to the input sensitivity that can be adapted in the range of ±10 dB, there are four other level controls that affect the individual amplifier modules. Shelving filters at both ends of the frequency spectrum and three fully parametric equalizers help compensate for standing waves in the control room. The EQs can be inserted separately or grouped so their effect can be directly evaluated.

State of the Art Technology

ADAM Audio monitors have earned a worldwide reputation as the preeminent tool for sound engineers based on technological innovations that we’ve established in the field of loudspeaker technology.

The X-ART Technology

The X-ART (eXtended Accelerated 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 by 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 (see the previous page) 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 the air faster in or out of its folds than they themselves are moving. This markedly superior “motor” is responsible for the unprecedented clarity and pristine transient reproduction that can be heard with the ADAM X-ART drive units.

In addition, the X-ART tweeter’s pleated membrane avoids the typical breakup/distortion and subsequent dynamic limiting at higher frequencies of stiffer voice coil designs, such as those found in dome and cone tweeters. Another positive result of the X-ART design is that the driving “stripes” are in direct contact with the outer air and are cooled immediately.

More Area = More Dynamic

The diaphragm area is another important factor in determining the dynamic range of a transducer. Basically, what you see is what you get. The cone area you can see is always the acoustically active area of the loudspeaker-this is true for practically all other drive units. By folding the X-ART diaphragm into the 3rd dimension (as seen from the listener’s position) a larger foil can be used, thus increasing the acoustically effective area of the diaphragm by a factor of more than 2.5 times. This results in higher dynamic output with extremely wide dispersion.

“…an excellent piece of craftsmanship…”

Audio Media was amongst the first magazines to review a new SX-Series model. About the tweeter they say:

“The famous ART tweeter as used in ADAM’s monitors has also undergone reconstruction in the X model providing 4dB higher efficiency and reproducing frequencies accurately all the way to 50kHz, which has made such a difference. The ART tweeter from ADAM has always been one of its strong points, but this new X-ART tweeter is a perfect balance in what is an excellent piece of craftsmanship. ”

(Audio Media)

X-ART Tweeter Technology

ADAM Audio X-ART Tweeter

ADAM Audio X-ART Driver

Area comparison between the unfolded X-ART tweeter diaphragm (at the bottom) and a 1″ dome tweeter (on top)

Air is drawn into the folds of the X-ART diaphragm with a velocity transform ratio of 4:1

Air being squeezed out of the folds of the X-ART diaphragm with a velocity transform ratio of 4:1

The X-ART Tweeter

The lack of a traditional voice coil in X-ART tweeters results in a very flat impedance. Please note the vertical scaling – in a normal plot, the impedance rise would disappear in the line itself, as it is 1/500 of the normally expected value. Correspondingly, the phase response is extremely flat within ±1.5°.

In summary, X-ART tweeters have a high efficiency (approximately 96 dB/W/m), a perfectly linear impedance (3.9 Ω ±0.21), an equally perfect phase response (±1° within the utilized bandwidth), excellent directivity characteristics and a superb power handling capacity; plus, the neodymium magnets and yoke (ring) utilized in the X-ART units result in perfect magnetic shielding.

A groundbreaking technological innovation with easily discernible superior performance and no technical flaws, the X-ART driver is clearly unequalled in the annals of audio history.

The X-ART Midrange

Because midrange is musically speaking the most significant frequency band, the ADAM development team was particularly interested in building a midrange driver using the same principle as the X-ART tweeter.

The X-ART midrange driver uses a diaphragm that weighs only a fraction of comparable voice coil units and can theoretically cover the range from 400Hz to 20kHz. The large diaphragm area comparable to a conventional midrange unit permits very high, uncompressed SPL without compromising dispersion. The unit has an absolutely flat impedance curve and consequently exhibits linear phase behaviour, with a mere ±0.75° deviation within the utilized frequency band.

The result of this technological superiority is unmistakable. There is a special openness that is immediately apparent to the listener when auditioning ADAM monitors utilizing the ART midrange drivers. These monitors are a quantum leap forward in musical accuracy, closely approaching the ideal loudspeaker.

A/B Amplifier

Every progress comes with new questions and difficulties. The new X-ART tweeter with its extended frequency band up to 50 kHz (-3 dB point) caused an interesting kind of problem: PWM amplifiers need a low pass filter to separate the modulation frequency from the audio band, and this may limit the reproduction capabilities of the new tweeter. So ADAM spared no efforts and decided to design its own high-frequency power amp to allow the new high-frequency unit to live up to its unique talents.

The Perfect Partner for X-ART

An internal bandwidth of more than 1 MHz is externally limited so that the unit delivers an ultra-wide response up to 300 kHz. With nothing limiting the talents of the X-ART tweeter, the monitor has unsurpassed clarity and openness which will please, amaze and thrill even the most experienced professional ear.

“…a response up to 50kHz it makes the clarity even wider.”

“The famous ART tweeter…has also undergone reconstruction in the X model providing 4dB higher efficiency and reproducing frequencies accurately all the way to 50kHz, which has made such a difference.”

(Audio Media)

Woofer

HexaCone woofers are an integral component in most of ADAM’s monitors/speakers. The core is a honeycomb Nomex structure that makes them both extremely light and very stiff. The front and back of the cone have been coated with Kevlar, one of the most advanced synthetic materials available. Kevlar withstands elongation by a force factor greater than 1000 times that of steel, enabling the cone to resist deformation.

No Break-Up Resonances

HexaCone woofers are far more rigid than paper, polypropylene or aluminium devices of similar dimensions. Due to this rigidity, break up resonances in the diaphragm cone are prevented. The effective length and diameter of the voice coils in conjunction with the size of the magnets and the available cabinet volume are all precisely aligned for a musically optimal low-frequency reproduction.

Authenticity Instead of Inadequate Pressure Levels

Another general problem observed frequently in many so-called reference monitors is a disproportionate low-frequency volume. With massive woofers (and frequently inadequate acoustic pressure levels!), the average listener is supposed to be impressed. However, this approach results in an inaccurate representation of the overall sound quality. ADAM woofers have been designed to reproduce the given sound material with the highest possible authenticity, guaranteeing ideal translation to the widest range of systems and environments.

PWM – Pulse Width Modulation

In recent years amplifier technology experienced its second big change after going from tubes to transistors some 40 years ago. You can still find semiconductors in this new generation of amplifiers, but the signals to be amplified are treated in a completely new and different way.

Pulse Width Modulation

PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) – sometimes referred to as Class D amplification, sometimes called Switching Amp Technology – converts the incoming signal to a series of rectangular waveforms of equal height. The width of the rectangles varies in time and the relation of the width of the rectangles represents the musical signal. This waveform can be amplified much more simply, as the transistors are not modulated anymore; instead, they are used as switches that only turn the power supply voltage on and off.

It is possible that a very fast mechanical switch could do the job, but power transistors are a better choice for the task, so PWM amplifiers still work pretty much like conventional Class AB designs. It is important to note there are no bits and bytes involved, so “Digital Amplifier” is a misleading and inaccurate term.

Advantages Of PWM

The main advantage of PWM amplifiers is their extremely high efficiency (>90%). As a consequence the heat to be dissipated is only one-fifth of earlier designs, leading to much lower temperatures within the amps and making the use of heat sinks obsolete.

This principle has been known for decades, but time was needed to develop units that perform at the leading edge in sonic reproduction quality and yet still maintain the high efficiency mentioned previously. The ADAM units use the new technology for both the amp and the power supply section (i.e. no more transformers) combined with state of the art input and filter sections to achieve the best in multi-channel active studio monitoring.

Impulse Coupling

To improve the time behaviour of speakers, ADAM introduces IC = Impulse Coupling, a method to vastly improve the connection between drivers and wooden cabinets.

There is a well-known action = reaction principle of Sir Isaac Newton, which (as relates to speaker mounting) dictates that the forces created by the movement of the diaphragm/voice coil assemblies are transferred to the cabinet. As wood is not very stiff, these forces cause local instability around the driver, i.e. – phenomena that keep the driver’s basket in motion relative to the diaphragm, thus deteriorating the transmitted sound quality. Imagine if you were to jump in the water…starting from a sandbank gives you a much less stable jump-off point than starting from solid rock.

Impulse Coupling is the rock-solid connection that improves the situation of the driver in a comparable way. In both the S6X and the S7A Mk2, all drivers are mounted on an ultra-stiff 25 mm thick aluminium honeycomb plate, which is acoustically dead – thereby providing an extremely mechanically stable bridge to the cabinet. As the drivers are much better fixed this way their

time behaviour (and consequently their clarity) is audibly and measurably improved.

Features:

X-ART tweeter, handmade in Berlin

• Allows longer operation with fewer signs of fatigue
• Their breakup is prevented by the folded diaphragms, distortions are effectively reduced to a minimum
• Advanced dynamic range due to acoustically effective diaphragm surface that is 2.5 times bigger (compared to a classic tweeter according to the piston principle)

The air velocity ratio of 4:1 during the sound generation by folded X-ART membrane

• Direct, fast response in the high range even with complex transients

Ultra-light but extremely dimensionally stable woofer material (HexaCone)

• The excellent transient response even at high sound levels without breakup of the diaphragm

4-way system with 2 x 12″ woofer and 2 x 7.5″ midrange

• Very high resolution of the stereo image and extremely wide stereo base

Spacious bass reflex ports on the front

• Bass reproduction with very low compression

Highly efficient PWM amplifiers

• Low-distortion amplification at both low and high volume levels

Linear frequency response of 23 Hz to 50 kHz

• Unbiased reproduction in a wide frequency band

Maximum peak sound pressure per pair in 1 m ≥ 133 dB

• Powerful, compression-free sound reproduction even at very high sound levels

Sophisticated room acoustic adjustments

• Allows optimal adaptation to acoustically difficult listening environments or individual preferences

Analog XLR input

• Optimized for balanced line signals

Directional sound radiation in the vertical plane

• Reduction of early reflections on the surfaces of, e.g. mixing consoles, desks, etc.

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Weight	428 lbs
Condition	New
Brand	Adam

Woofer

• Number: 2
• Basket Ø: 12" (305 mm)
• Voice Coil Ø: 3" (75 mm)
• Cone Material: HexaCone

Midrange (Cone)

• Number: 2
• Basket Ø: 7.5" (186 mm)
• Voice Coil Ø: 2" (50 mm)
• Cone Material: HexaCone

Midrange

• Number: 2
• Type: X-ART
• Diaphragm Area: 2 x 26 inch² (16800 mm²)
• Equiv. Diaphragm Ø: 2 x 5.5" (146 mm)
• Velocity Transform Ratio: 3.5:1
• Diaphragm Weight: 0.7 g

Tweeter

• Number: 1
• Type: X-ART
• Diaphragm Area: 4 inch² (2420 mm²)
• Equiv. Diaphragm Ø: 2" (56 mm)
• Velocity Transform Ratio: 4:1
• Diaphragm Weight: 0.17 g

Built-In Amplifiers

• Woofer: 2
• Type: PWM
• Amp. Power RMS / Music: 500 W / 700 W
• Midrange (cone): 2
• Amp. Power RMS / Music: 250 W / 350 W
• Midrange: 2
• Tweeter: 1

Control Panel

• Input Sensitivity: ±10 dB
• EQ 80 Hz (Q / Hz / Level): 3 x 0.2 - 20 / 20 - 200 / ±12 dB
• High Shelf EQ > 6 kHz: ±6 dB
• Low Shelf EQ < 150 Hz: ±6 dB
• Sub Gain: ±4 dB
• Mid-Woofer Level: ±2 dB
• Mid Level: ±2 dB
• Tweeter Gain: ±4 dB

Input Connectors

• Analog: XLR

General Data

• Panel: Front
• X-Curve Filter: Yes
• Frequency Response: 23 Hz - 50 kHz
• THD 90 dB / 1 m > 100 Hz: ≤0.5 %
• Max. SPL with sine wave acoustic 100 Hz to 3 kHz at 1 m: ≥123 dB
• Max. SPL per pair at 1 m: ≥133 dB
• Crossover Frequencies: 85 / 800 / 3100 Hz
• Input Impedance: 10 kOhm
• Weight: 213.8 lb (97 kg)
• Magnetically Shielded: No
• Height x Width x Depth: 28.5" (720 mm) x 37" (940 mm) x 19.5" (490 mm)
• Delivery Contents: Power cord, manual

Download UserManual Adam Audio S6X Active Studio Monitor