It’s no secret that we’re fans of Adam Audio here at Higher Hz, and for good reason. Years ago, when the company was less well known, their speakers were overpriced and didn’t sound nearly as good. Today, however, twenty years later, the company has perfected their craft of churning out quality products at affordable prices, and we couldn’t be more grateful for that.
Our verdict on the Adam Audio T7V 4.5
The Adam Audio T7Vs are fantastic monitors, with few faults. The worst we can say is that the bass is a little overhyped, but this can be easily adjusted by the LF knobs on the back. In fact, it shouldn’t be possible for bass to sound as full and defined as it does on these speakers, and yet it does. Overall, these are next to perfect monitors and would make a perfect addition to any studio setup.
Power and frequency response 4.0
The T7V has a fairly impressive frequency response. Its 7-inch woofer can reach down to 39 Hz, while the ribbon tweeter can deliver up to 25 kHz. A pair has a SPL rating of up to 110 dB, which is more than fair for nearfield use.
Overall, we were fairly impressed with the performance of these monitors. The bass reproduction is far heftier and fuller sounding than one would normally expect from monitors of this size.
What might be an issue here is accuracy. We don’t want to suggest that the T7V is an inaccurate monitor, it isn’t, but there are monitors with a much flatter response, although they might cost you a pretty penny. So, while this is a great sounding speaker, if you’re looking for accuracy it might be worth considering alternative options.
An easy work-around with the T7V could be simply adjusting the LF knob to -2 dB, for you may find that working with it set to 0 dB may produce a thin sounding bass in your mix when put through other sound systems. That adjustment alone would correct most problems you might have with these speakers. Otherwise, they sound awesome.
Build quality 5.0
For what it’s worth, the T7V is an exceptionally designed monitor. It has some weight to it, it feels solid, and as an added benefit, they look great. The speaker is rear ported, and they’ve flared the port exit to reduce any amount of port noise that may have been an issue otherwise.
I/O and controls 4.4
All ins and outs are located on the steel rear panel. Here you’ll find your standard On/Off switch and IEC socket, as well as a balanced XLR input and unbalanced RCA input. Above the inputs is a rotary control for level, stretching from -60 dB to +18 dB. HF and LF shelving filter switches also allow you to filter the highs and lows of the monitors from neutral, -2 dB, and +2dB. It would’ve been nice to see an LED monitor on the front as we do with many other monitors these days, but it’s absence is not the worst thing in the world.
Compared to other studio monitors
Before jumping on the T7V, it might be worth taking a look at a few other alternatives. For more options, check our recommendations for the best under $500 monitors and the best budget monitors.
Adam Audio T7V vs. Kali Audio LP-8
The LP-8s are arguably a bit flatter than the T7Vs out of the box, but not by much. For our tastes, the T7Vs are objectively better speakers, but if you’re not down to pay the extra money the LP-8 is a perfectly fine choice.
Adam Audio T7V vs. KRK Rokit 7 G4
We think the KRKs are so overhyped at this point, and fair enough, they’ve certainly earned their place. At a certain point though, when will we stop buying things just because they’re the popular choice? Save yourself the headache and get the T7Vs.
Adam Audio T7V vs. JBL 306P Mk2
Again, our allegiance lies with Adam Audio, and just like the LP-8s, the 305P is a mildly more affordable solution to your financial woes.
