The ADAM Audio S2V is an active vertical 2-way studio monitor intended for nearfield applications. Despite its compact footprint, the S2V delivers the power and accuracy professional engineers demand of a precision reference-grade monitor; reproducing high-resolution, full-bandwidth audio with stunning clarity. Engineered in Berlin to the strictest tolerances, ADAM's 3rd-generation S series monitors feature cutting-edge technology, including new Extended Linear Excursion (ELE) woofer and S-ART tweeter — an updated, even more precise version of ADAM’s acclaimed accelerated ribbon design. With its ruler-flat 35Hz–50kHz frequency range, ultra-wide and stable stereo imaging, powerful PWM ICE bi-amplification, and ultra-low distortion, the ADAM Audio S2V provides world-class monitoring you can trust, session after session.

ADAM Audio S2V Active Nearfield Monitor at a Glance:

• German Handmade Precision S-ART Tweeter with HPS Waveguide
• 7“ Woofer (Hexacone)
• Total RMS Amp. Power: 350 W
• Frequency Response: 35 Hz - 50 kHz (-20 dB)
• Max. SPL Per Pair at 1 m: ≥120 dB
• AES3 Digital Input

7" ELE low-frequency driver 

The drivers in ADAM Audio's S series monitor speakers benefit from years of in-house research and development and take advantage of the latest advances in technology and materials science. Newly developed for the S series, ADAM's Extended Linear Excursion (ELE) bass drivers employ the Symmetrical Magnet Assembly (SMA) to deliver optimized low-frequency reproduction with extended dynamic range and freedom from coloration. The ELE driver incorporates a rigid, yet low-mass honeycomb driver cone; a highly efficient, self-cooling linear magnet assembly; linear suspension and damping systems with a low-loss speaker surround; a vented symmetrical voice coil; and an optimized driver chassis/basket design. The S2V's 7" woofer extends response down to 35Hz, making the speaker a suitable choice for nearfield monitoring in control rooms and mastering suites, without the use of a subwoofer.

The S-ART folded-ribbon tweeter 

Instead of producing sound with a piston-like diaphragm like most loudspeakers, ADAM Audio's S-ART folded-ribbon tweeter uses a pleated diaphragm capable of moving air four times faster than the folds themselves are moving. Handcrafted to the tightest tolerances, the S-ART tweeter delivers breathtaking highs up to 50kHz and enriches the soundfield with stunning detail, faithfully conveying every nuance of the source material. Being handcrafted and meticulously tested in the ADAM’s Berlin laboratories, the S-ART high-frequency driver is a rare exception in these days of automated mass production.

Proprietary waveguide technology

Both the DCH midrange driver and the S-ART tweeter benefit from ADAM Audio's proprietary waveguide technology, which increased the accuracy of the drivers' off-axis responses. Milled from solid aluminum, the newly developed High-frequency Propagation Systems (HPS) help deliver stable, wide-ranging dispersion that makes it possible for production teams of two or more people to work in the stereo or multi-channel sweet spot simultaneously — a common occurrence in larger control rooms.

Custom DSP engine for linear response 

Utilizing the latest SHARC processing technology, the S series’ custom DSP optimizes the system's loudspeaker crossovers to deliver linear response over the entire frequency range and provides user sound-tailoring EQ as well as room tuning and voicing functionality. The DSP also handles limiter-based high-frequency driver protection, processes the signals from the AES3 digital inputs, and allows for various expansion options. Software updates can be executed easily via the system's USB port, which also allows you to connect to computers and control DSP functions via softwarem

Authoritative ICE Power 

With decades of experience in designing professional sound systems for recording and broadcast studios and venues of all sizes, Music Experience understands that under-powering is never an option. Serious reference monitors such as the S2V need authoritative power, and ADAM Audio obliges with a powerful proprietary 350-watt PWM ICE Power bi-amplification system. A 300W Class D amplifier drives the S2V’s bass unit, while an additional 50W Class D amp is dedicated to the S-ART treble driver. Combining the no-compromise precision of ADAM Audio’s custom drivers with the company’s custom amplification, the S2V is a reference monitor designed for discerning audio professionals and mission-critical applicationsm

Designed without compromise

S series monitors were designed without compromise to be high-precision professional reference monitors that flawlessly reproduce any signal presented to their inputs. You can expect outstanding transparency, dynamic response, and flexibility in placement and operation — and an open, natural, and non-fatiguing sonic presentation that will continue to please your ears and allow you to effortlessly make wise decisions throughout lengthy recording and mixing sessions. ADAM Audio's substantial cabinet construction is scientifically designed to minimize undesirable vibrations and their attendant coloration, while its rounded edges reduce diffraction distortion. Generous mathematically sculpted bass reflex ports on the front baffle help deliver bass reproduction with very low compression and allow positioning close to wallsm

ADAM Audio: elevating the state of the art

From its 1999 launch in Berlin, ADAM Audio has built a solid reputation among the pro audio cognoscente. Music Experience knows that a superior speaker system has superior components, and this is one area where the company has a distinct edge. With years of R&D behind each proprietary driver, ADAM Audio's custom driver technology expresses itself in breakthroughs such as their X-ART (eXtended Accelerating Ribbon Technology) tweeter, which is based on a groundbreaking 1960s invention, the Heil Air Motion Transformer — and in fact, was the main impetus for the formation of ADAM Audio. The X-ART tweeter became the key to ADAM's signature transparent, high-definition sound; and the core development of ADAM’s proprietary designs going forward. Embracing, exploiting, and working with modern materials has allowed ADAM Audio to formulate loudspeaker components that continually elevate the state of the art in studio monitor design. Materials such as rare-earth magnets and high-strength diaphragm foils have increased reliability, enhanced performance, and made possible new driver geometry. As compared with conventional driver technology, Adam drivers deliver optimized radiation characteristics, lower distortion, and higher efficiency. Along with installations in a growing number of top studios, ADAM Audio's monitor range has garnered rave reviews from audio experts and recording engineers worldwide. If you're considering an upgrade to world-class monitoring, you'll be in good company with ADAM Audio monitors.

What ADAM Audio Says...

The 7-inch bass driver, newly created from the ground up for the S Series, covers frequencies ranging from 35 Hz to 3 kHz and delivers a powerful, distortion-free low-end with a wide dynamic range. The carefully refined S-ART tweeter, handbuilt as ever at the ADAM Audio factory in Berlin, works seamlessly in tandem with the newly developed HPS waveguide, creating absolutely precise imaging within a generously proportioned sweet spot. The S2V’s compact dimensions belie its impressive power. A 300 W Class D amplifier drives the woofer while a 50 W Class A/B unit handles the S-ART tweeter; the combined output produces SPLs of up to 120dB per pair. The S Series’ custom-designed DSP optimizes the loudspeaker crossovers to create linear responses for the entire range, as well as providing user equalization and in-room tuning/voicing functions. The DSP also handles the limiter-based high-frequency driver protection, processes the signals from the AES3 digital inputs, and will in time facilitate various expansion options. Software updates can be carried out with ease via the associated USB port, which also allows users to connect computers and control the speakers’ DSP functions via a software front-end. With its highly accurate frequency response and balanced, razor-sharp imaging, the S2V allows users to pinpoint even the most subtle audio details, making it an ideal choice for use in demanding studio environments.

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.

ELE™ Bass Driver

The S Series ELE™ bass driver (short for Extended Linear Excursion) is a custom design created especially for and in parallel with the S Series cabinet and bass-reflex system. Realized by an ingenious combination of human engineering skill and the latest computer modeling techniques, it guarantees accurate audio reproduction at an extremely high resolution thanks to the precision-designed relationship between its low weight, optimized inner damping and highly rigid honeycomb cone, in conjunction with a basket which has been developed to eliminate unwanted resonance and distortion. The result is a bass driver that offers audio professionals a clarity and transparency hitherto unexperienced in low-frequency audio reproduction, operating with great precision even at high sound pressure levels. Another notable feature of the ELE™ driver is its mechanical suspension, which operates optimally even over large excursions in either direction, allowing bass frequencies to be reproduced without distortion at high SPLs. Low-frequency energy is not limited as it is on similar systems, and the dynamics of the original audio are preserved in full. ‘Softer’, less highly tensioned driver suspensions may allow uncontrolled displacement at high SPLs. The highly tensioned linear S Series suspension system, by contrast, dampens the movements of the membrane at high output levels in a controlled manner and returns it to its rest position. The suspension is extremely robust and ensures distortion-free reproduction across the entire audible frequency spectrum. The newly created long-throw speaker surround was also carefully engineered to be considerably more resilient than competing modern designs. This greatly increases the maximum possible excursion of the driver membrane, improving dynamic range and reducing distortion. Finally, the loudspeaker basket is anodized by means of a specially optimized process during manufacture: the material’s black finish absorbs heat and provides another means by which the driver is kept cool.

HPS Waveguide

The S-ART tweeter comprises the latest iteration of ADAM’s respected folded accelerated ribbon design, produced to tighter tolerances than ever before. The HPS (High-frequency Propagation System) waveguide was initially designed at ADAM Audio for the S-ART tweeter of the S Series range with the aid of the latest computer modeling techniques. It hones the dispersion of the speakers to an even, uniform consistency, broad in the horizontal axis but tightly focused in the vertical plane. This minimizes potentially distracting reflections from the horizontal surfaces of significant studio furniture (for example mixing consoles), ensures that imaging remains constant, and creates a large, well-controlled and stable ‘sweet spot’, even at high output levels. The U-ART tweeter as used in the T Series is fitted to a precision waveguide with the same dispersion-control attributes as the HPS waveguide used in ADAM Audio’s flagship S Series studio monitors.

HPS™ Waveguide

The HPS (High-frequency Propagation System) waveguide was initially designed at ADAM Audio for the S-ART tweeter of the S Series range with the aid of the latest computer modeling techniques. It hones the dispersion of the speakers to an even, uniform consistency, broad in the horizontal axis but tightly focused in the vertical plane. This minimizes potentially distracting reflections from the horizontal surfaces of significant studio furniture (for example mixing consoles), ensures that imaging remains constant, and creates a large, well-controlled and stable ‘sweet spot’, even at high output levels. The U-ART tweeter as used in the T Series is fitted to a precision waveguide with the same dispersion-control attributes as the HPS waveguide used in ADAM Audio’s flagship S Series studio monitors.

High-Performance DSP Module

The high-performance DSP engine was developed especially for the S Series and implements perfectly tuned crossovers, guaranteeing optimal frequency response, and a dynamic range greater than that offered by traditional analog crossovers, with no loss of resolution. The DSP engine developed for the S Series provides users of all models in the range with a comprehensive array of options for in-room optimization. The intuitive OLED display allows control over overall level, two parametric shelving filters (one for the bass, the other for the highs) as well as six further fully parametric EQs with variable Q that may be assigned to boost or cut level at specific frequencies. Five memories are also provided to store voicing presets. On most S Series models, the first two of these are supplied by ADAM and are non-editable; the first is known as ‘Pure’ and is the factory default tuning, with an extremely accurate frequency response. The second is a dynamic, natural-sounding response curve of ADAM’s own design, which is known as UNR™ (the Uniform Natural Response). The remaining three memories are available to store users’ own personal voicing presets. Only on the new S3H is the situation slightly different; as on the rest of the S Series range, the non-editable Pure and UNR settings occupy the first two presets, but only the final two are available for user presets. The third memory on the S3H is a further non-editable option designed to emulate the sound of what is possibly ADAM’s best-known monitor, the highly regarded S3A. The DSP also offers limiter-based protection, AES3 digital inputs, and connectors for future expansion options. A USB connector allows software upgrades and facilitates connection to computer-based editing software, so that voicing adjustments or preset selection can be carried out without the need to access the rear panel of your monitors – a useful option if they are soffit-mounted.

SMA™ – Symmetrical Magnet Assembly

The newly developed magnet assembly in the bass driver, which ADAM Audio has named the SMA™ (Symmetrical Magnet Assembly), extends the maximum possible excursion of the electromagnetic voice coil by a factor of three compared to previous designs. The greatly extended travel ensures that the membrane operates in linear fashion over a relatively large distance, displaces a greater volume of air, and is capable of higher maximum output. The design allows the driver to accurately reproduce low-frequency signals without distortion, even when called upon to produce extremely large excursions. An ingenious built-in ventilation system also prevents warming of the large, custom-designed voice coils, and thus reduces the effects of power compression below the threshold of audibility. As voice coils warm, their ohmic resistance changes, damping and dynamic range are reduced, operational parameters change, and low frequencies are no longer reproduced cleanly. These unwanted effects are avoided in ADAM Audio’s new design. The carefully engineered construction makes use of materials designed to encourage heat dissipation, and also keeps unwanted air turbulence and compression out of the magnet assembly, minimizing distortion. The SMA™ also features several other innovations developed by ADAM Audio especially for the S Series:An elongated pole piece is employed in the low-frequency driver, extending beyond the magnet assembly to widen the reach of the resulting magnetic field and also to render it symmetrical. This keeps the driver’s performance linear, and reduces distortion in the output to a minimum. The magnet assembly operates over a larger travel than other comparable low-frequency drivers, allowing the voice coil much greater scope for downward motion and preventing it from being damaged at high output levels. The pole piece is also vented to encourage ventilation and maintain constant pressure in the magnet assembly. To reduce turbulence and air noise, the venting is aerodynamically rounded. The S2V, S3H and S3V’s parabolic pole pieces prevent unwanted modulation of the driver’s magnetic field, drastically reducing non-linear second-order distortion, while demodulation rings help the magnetic field remain symmetrical and also minimize non-linear third-order distortion. The largest S Series models, the S5H and S5V, have an additional refinement: another magnet of opposing polarity is situated on top of the elongated pole piece to further streamline the magnetic field lines and render them symmetrical. This ensures that the movement of the voice coil remains linear and keeps distortion to a minimum, even at high listening levels.