ARTist 3 Review: Lend ADAMs Smallest Your Ears

Berlin, October 24, 2011

In a new review, Michael Lavorgna from AudioStream.com has lent the ADAM ARTist 3 both his ears. He also compares them to their professional siblings, the A3X. Below you can find some extracts from that review, which you can read at full length on the Audiostream website.

Psst lean in cause I’m going to whisper—I nearly feel that calling this a review is misleading. The reason being I enjoyed listening to music through the ARTist 3s to such an extent that it was very difficult to stay in reviewer-mode as opposed to damn! this is fun, what should I listen to next mode. I actually made each of my family members come in, sit down and listen (causing more eye rolling than any sentence beginning “When I was your age…”). “Point to where the sound is coming from”, I’d say like a giddy audiophile and inevitably my wife and daughters pointed at the iMacs screen dead center. Then, “Wait, it’s coming from…inside my head. It’s like headphones!” Welcome to the nearfield.

So what, some of you may be thinking. Imaging is imaging. And I’d agree. What’s more with the ADAM ARTist 3s is they add an uncanny ability to hear into the recording on a micro-level that I can only call captivating. I’m obviously referring to the accordion-like in-out air-moving 4 times as fast as it otherwise would break-neck transient hyper-speedy output of the X-ART ribbon tweeter and its ability to capture and present micro-detail at a truly extra-ordinary level. It really takes some getting used to and even then, when you think you are accustomed, you’ll find yourself fascinated when some aspect of a recording you know well reaches out, or perhaps better stated as it has you reaching in, to find the music has got you completely captivated.

[…]

In other implementations that use ribbon drivers I’ve heard a bit of difficulty in terms of the handoff between a ribbon tweeter and its more traditional driver-mates—a shift in tonal flavor like someone slipping a scoop of frozen yogurt in with your ice cream – the flavors just don’t mesh. Here, I did not hear any grinding of different sonic gears although bass had a slight looseness, a bit of tubbiness that could be dialed in or out more and less depending on distance from the rear wall but not completely removed. I’m speaking on a critical level because on a listening-enjoyment level this actually added pleasure to the listening experience. Some big bottom to go with your tight top. Not ice cream and yogurt, rather more like music.

[…]

What I can say is the ADAM ARTist 3s allow you to hear subtle, slight and super-fine detail that at no time during my listening party ever became harsh or over hyped. Coupled with some real-world boogie factor and a your-desktop-becomes-the-soundstage (and/or takes up residence inside your head) presentation, I’d say if you’re in the market for a great excuse to ignore whatever else it is you do at your desk, lend the ADAM ARTist 3s an ear, preferably two.

Michael Lavorgna, AudioStream.com, October, 2011. Link to the full review: http://www.audiostream.com/content/adam-professional-audio-artist-3