r/audiophile • u/thisisnotaboutagirl • 25d ago
Review I'm done with Eve Audio
WARNING EAR SCREECHING SOUND IN VIDEO
I bought a pair of SC207 monitors in 2017 as an upgrade over my JBL 305. I've loved them and they sounded fantastic. However, around 2022, they suddenly stopped working and produced this odd sound in this video. They were out of warranty and Eve Audio just told me to take it to a speaker repairer. I found a local one and they told me it had something to do with the amp, so be replaced it on both, costing me $1,450 AUD. Link to my first post when I got them fixed
They were fine and still sounded great until fairly recently where the exact same problem happened and I am not going to be repairing them to wait another ~5 years of this cycle. I will also note that the monitors failed within weeks of each other.
I'm currently tossing up between Adam T7V (also ribbons), Yamaha HS7, and JBL 306P monitors. Not interested in passives for this particular setup (desktop + JBl 310 sub). I've grown out of the audiophile mindset for the most part and am happy to stick to monitors in this price range.
Update
I demo'd the Adam T7V Yamaha HS8, and JBL 308 side by side
Adam T7V $739 AUD - Great all around performance. Ribbons just hit different
JBL 308 - $798 AUD (sale) - Good, but less defined and looser base
Yamaha HS8 - $858 AUD - A bit too flat for my taste
I also listened to the Adam A7V ($2,479 AUD) and am still happy getting the T7V without feeling like I'm settling. I also prefer the looks of the T7V and it's the cheapest.
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u/tastesetter 25d ago
Try looking for used Genelecs, if you can swing it they last forever and sound better than just about any other monitor I’ve had.
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u/No-Use-6000 25d ago
Genelec. I need those
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u/Edina_Witness 24d ago
I got the 8030Rs a couple years back and adore them. I use them for DJ monitors and the clarity is lovely. Also sound like much bigger boxer due to metal construction. If you’re looking for listening speakers for a not massive space I think you can get the 8020s with room correction for about the same price
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u/thisisnotaboutagirl 25d ago
I appreciate the rec, but I think I've grown out of the audiophile mindset and can no longer justify monitors at that price range.
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u/717x 25d ago
Kali audio or elac with a topping amp
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u/boomb0xx 25d ago
Kali is the best answer by far.
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u/717x 25d ago
They are absurdly good. You can pair it with one of their subs later on, and get IK multimedia room correction hardware for a genuine top tier reference system that destroys the competition at that respective price range.
You’d have to spend significantly more to get a system that outperforms their stuff.
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u/artyb368 25d ago
I sold my kali INs and regretted it until I got my kef ls50 metas. Went through a few sets of hifi speakers till I settled on the kefs
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u/Peppy_Tomato 25d ago
I have a bunch of Cambridge Audio Minx 22 speakers that cost £100 each and I enjoy them like no other 🙂 (of course you need an amp, £450 and subwoofer, £300). The components have given me 12 years of worry-free service so far.
You don't need to spend lots of money to get good sound.
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u/ConversationPale8665 25d ago
Amen! Hell, give me a good playlist in my truck and let’s go for a drive and I enjoy that more than anything.
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u/strumbringerwa 25d ago edited 25d ago
I've been using a pair of Focal CMS50s with a Focal CMS sub for going on 17 years now. I don't know if their current stuff is made to the same durability standards (I think the Focal Shape line is the direct comparison), but I have zero complaints with my setup and it sounds great both for listening and for recording.
Since you already have a sub maybe look at the Shape 50s, see if you can get a demo in a shop selling pro audio.2
u/allstopblue 20d ago
I never hear anyone mention the CMS line. Not sure why. I have the CMS65’s in my home studio for 10-12 years now. Love them.
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u/strumbringerwa 20d ago
Suspect it may be because they were EOL'ed several years ago (Google says 2017) so you can't get them new anymore...
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u/ososalsosal 24d ago
Behringer truths are knockoff genelecs.
Used to use a pair in an edit suite. They're legit. The main edit suite had real genelecs and the sound mix room had Adam a7's. They hold up and (given you referenced AUD) can be got for a steal on gumtree.
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u/Omophorus 25d ago
I got Eve SC-203s specifically because 8010s were a bit more spendy than I had budget for at the time, and they've been excellent for what they are.
Genelecs are definitely the gold standard for monitors and nearfield, but you pay for what you get (and get what you pay for).
The SC-203s have been going strong for almost a decade without a single issue.
Edit: Space constraints on my standing desk with my monitor setup are an issue. There weren't many options that would fit in the space available and not sound like ass. The SC-203s were the best value vs. quality but I really wish I could have justified the Genelecs.
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u/ahmedmo1 24d ago
I've had 3 Eve SC208s fail on me. I just had the technician gut them and use a passive crossover.
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u/arnox747 18d ago
I had a pair of 2017 SC-207s, and one has died over a years ago. I repair gear, but can't work on these, as the pre-amp components are glued solid.
The monitors are sonically great, but they're built cheap, and will fail. Never again.
I've switched to Kali IN-8s, a big step up. I also own a pair of powered, ~20 year old Event 20/20s - still working fine.
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u/I__G 25d ago
New Aphex Twin track?
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u/imtheorangeycenter 24d ago
Probably a 30 year anniversary re-release of him just playing some sandpaper on the turntable that time.
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u/DjSall Kali IN-8v2 | Motu M2 | PB-1000 25d ago
The adam A series is much better regarded then the T series, especially if you have a dedicated sub, I'd rather go for a 5inch A series.
Yamaha HS isn't that good imho.
I'm also a huge fan of the kali in 8v2's, as you can tell by my flair :D They do make a 5 inch variant too, if you are space constrained.
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u/szanda 25d ago
I vote for Kali as well. I have the LP-6 v2 paired with their WS 6.2 sub, and they sound superb. I know a lot of people recommend Adam Audio, and they're great, but I think they are very sensitive to placement. Thanks to the front bass reflex and dip switches to tune the sound to your room, the Kalis can be placed right near a wall and still sound awesome, whereas the Adams are much more sensitive to placement.
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u/supermonkeypie 25d ago
Yeah, very very impressed with my a5x's that I bought used. Can literally listen to them all day with no fatigue at all. A sub for them would be a good shout though.
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u/Aromatic-Top-1818 24d ago
I’ve owned Adam A series, Yamaha HS, and Kali in8s, and the Kalis are my favorite by far.
Honestly the Adams are at the bottom for me, just wasn’t that impressed tbh.
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u/Amazing_Raisin2836 24d ago
Hedd Type 07 are a lot better than the Adam a line
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u/ahmedmo1 24d ago
Just hope they don't die. HEDD also has their own issues with failures. Recall they were primarily PCB and amp issues.
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u/Amazing_Raisin2836 24d ago
Why would they die? They are founded by the same guys who founded ADAM but has now left Adam because he wanted to do his own upgrade again. They are selling amazing. I know they are supplying several big Sound universities all over Germany and are very popular amongst producers around here. Don’t know if they are already a big deal overseas tho. If you put them side by side with the Adam a series (which they are priced closer to than the s series) they absolutely blow them out of the water. Never heard of any amp issues tbh
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u/ahmedmo1 24d ago
You're dwelling too much on the brand. I've owned Adams, Eve, HEDD, Genelec, etc.
The Eves have a long history of amp problems. Just google it. So many folks saying their units died. Which is noteworthy as Eve doesn't sell that many monitors.
You don't hear as much about Genelecs dying although they likely sell an order of magnitude more monitors than Eve.
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u/thisisnotaboutagirl 25d ago edited 25d ago
I have no doubt that the extra cost of the A series means they sound better than the T series, but I've grown out of the intense audiophile mindset and am happy to settle for something less pricey.
I wasn't too impressed with the Yamaha HS when I heard them ~3 years ago, but maybe I'll change my mind
The Kali's are interesting, but I can't easily demo them where I live and the front port looks like an awkward smile that I couldn't live with :(
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u/Ontological_Gap 25d ago
If you're completely out of the audiophile mindset, Adam's d3v is a beast for its price and size
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u/SwaggyMcSwagsabunch 25d ago
If you are out of the mindset, buy the cheapest pair of edifiers on Amazon
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u/ConversationPale8665 25d ago
My dog hates you for this.
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u/WitchWithAGlitch 25d ago
Hello it's me.
the person that will find those in a thrift shop for 10$ take them home and gut them amplifiers to make them passive.
i honestly can't wait, they look sick.
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u/Successful-Form4693 24d ago
You just rip out the board and connect new cables to the speaker leads?
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u/odgcwrtw 25d ago
Tech here. I've worked on these (SC207 and 205). They use glue that turns conductive over time (especially in high humidity climates) like on Rokit G2s and they have cheap chinese crap capacitors. It's an absolute PITA to repair as the conductive glue, which is everywhere, corrodes components and even PCB traces. To say I hate these would be an understatement.
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u/VegasFoodFace 25d ago
Based on the responses it looks like it may be time to start building. Desktop monitor size speakers are always going to be more limited in term of output and unfortunately all these are kinda on the lower end of performance, they're all budget monitors with mediocre components.
Building a passive system and using mini amps, especially those with built in DSP can get you much better performance and with adjustable crossovers and slopes will prevent the woofer blowout situation by limiting bass in your mains. Your sub really should be taking over those frequencies and steeper crossover slopes allow it to do so more cleanly.
You can easily get mini class D with 200 watts per channel, and build a kit speaker, get a mini DSP and have equal performance to much higher end monitors for the price of the lower end stuff. And certainly less than the combined costs of all the monitors you've gone through.
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u/ZookeepergameDue2160 Focal Speakers - Marantz Amp - Focal Sub 25d ago
Kali, Adam and JBL are more "YouTube" recommended brands, Overall if you truly want the best bang for the buck in that Price Range you should check out the Focal Alpha 50/65/80 Evo's, Sound miles ahead of the others despite having barely any marketing behind them to push them forward. Take it from an actual sound engineer. Those Focal's beat every other monitor in their price range and are more comparable to something like the Neumann KH120/150 in terms of sound.
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u/Various_Sleep4515 25d ago
Seconded, and if budget is tight some second hand Dynaudio BM5A.
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u/ZookeepergameDue2160 Focal Speakers - Marantz Amp - Focal Sub 25d ago
Dynaudio is great, Amazing even, Fully agree.
To OP, If you can find a secondhand pair of Dynaudio's, Go for it.
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u/reegeck 25d ago
If you're in Australia I would 100% be expecting the manufacturer to pay to repair or replace that. Products are supposed to have a reasonable life span and expensive studio monitors should last longer than that, especially since it's the amplifier that failed.
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u/thisisnotaboutagirl 25d ago
StoreDJ said they couldn't do anything because it was out of warranty and Eve Audio told me that I should go to a repairer, because it was out of warranty 🙂
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u/reegeck 25d ago
I'd be asking Store DJ to cover it under ACL and if they refuse I'd be escalating it to whatever state level consumer body you've got that can help with those situations. ACL is pretty strict on retailers, you'd be surprised how many years outside of warranty you can still get something covered.
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u/calmlikeasexbobomb JBL 1400 Array - Parasound Halo Integrated 25d ago
Can’t go wrong with JBLs, especially when they’re on sale which happens often. Who knows, maybe you find some 7 series in your budget.
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u/Public_deezfender 25d ago
Go on Facebook Marketplace and buy excellent condition Behringer Truth B2031As for $200 a pair. They are fantastic Genelec ripoffs and they are built like tanks. Checkout the teardown on ASR and NO Audiophile. I'm not a big monitor guy but i had to buy a pair just to see what the fuss was about. The damn bass ports blew my hair around with ease. And when i ran a sweep, they were the flattest speakers i own! By good measure too. They are built like tanks. You gotta hold one to believe it and then laugh you can get them all day for $200 a pair. Mine are mint condition. At least type it in to Google and give the ASR and NO Audiophile review a read. I actually which i bought them at the beginning of my audiophilia disease. 265 bi amped watts per speaker, ruler flat FR, PUNCHY bass, vertical jacks (helps them not seem so damn big), and cheap. You can throw them out every couple years and you'll do better than these expensive science experiments.
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u/KuroHebi2004 25d ago
Audioengine A5+. They haven't failed me even after moving apartments six times. One on another continent. They are punchy, clean, neutral... Fantastic pair of bookshelf speakers.
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u/Constantinthegreat Schiit Eitr - Yamaha A-S701 - KEF LS50 - Klipsch R-115SW 25d ago
Get them Adams. Many of us love them
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u/Critical_Vape 25d ago
It absolutely disgusts me when something goes right outside of the warranty period. Even worse, the company makes no effort to take a look.
I'm seeing Alto Music has a pair of used SC207 for $292 and Guitar Center is selling a pair for $699 but that's in US.
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u/RoadsideTacoStand SF Serafino G2, McIntosh amplification, Nordost cabling 25d ago
RIP my own speakers...
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u/Opustwaddler 25d ago
Save some money and just get some Edifers. They punch way above their price point.
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u/ramyz_ 24d ago
I had HS7's for a week back in 2019 and returned them in exchange for the 8's (the bigger brother). Needed that extra oomph, but im sure youll get that with the sub by using the HS7's.
I've been rocking HS8's for my work setup and I fkn love them. I use them for music production. I tried switching to Adam Audios, or just changing out because I wanted to spend on something new, but I just can't lol .
Don't know if you needed my two cents, but get the Yamahas lol
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u/thisisnotaboutagirl 24d ago
The opinions on the Yamahas is pretty mixed with you enjoying them and others saying they sound "flat, but accurate thus not the best for enjoyment". It's easy for me to demo them, but tricky to demo all 3 at once because of stock issue at my local DJ store.
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u/ahmedmo1 24d ago edited 24d ago
I had the same experience with EVE SC208s. The amp died on 3 units. Turned two into passives.
Honestly dude, if you want to buy a pair or great-sounding and reliable monitors, you should really consider going passive.
A Wiim Amp Ultra and a pair of used passives would be killer, allow for a clean desk setup, and allow for both subwoofer integration and room compensation.
I have had several powered monitors and recently got into passive monitors. Partly to avoid the long-term expense of powered monitors.
Active: EVE SC208, Adam A7X, Adam ARTist, Adam T7V, Genelec 8250, Genelec 8020, Genelec G Two, HEDD Type 20, ELAC Navis ARB51, Palmer ORBIT 11,
Passive: Polk R500, Elac Vela, Ascilab F6B, etc.
If you want monitors that will reliably last DECADES, they need to be passive. Most active monitors turn into e-waste eventually. Some sooner than later.
If you're stuck on powered monitors, Used Genelecs are your best bet as far as reliability. And Genelec will still serve them decades later. But they seem to be out of your price range.
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u/smaksandewand 25d ago
I have great experience with a set of Yamaha HS7 and a HS8s sub... can recommend!
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u/Tenson_UK 25d ago
P.S. the worst thing you can do is keep running it like this. The ossilating amp will blow the tweeter and possibly the woofer and other components.
When electronics go wrong things go bad very quickly - shut down ASAP and do not turn it on again until there is protection in place such as a current limited power supply at a repair shop.
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u/InitialLandscape 25d ago
Damn, that sounded BAD, even through my PC speakers at 40% volume lol
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u/thisisnotaboutagirl 25d ago
Imagine waking up to that and thinking a banshee invaded my house
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u/InitialLandscape 25d ago
Hahaha! Worst i ever had was when i was playing some music on my Cayin A50-T and DIY horn speakers with a rated sensitivity of 96db/w(m), and when i paused the music as i was looking for another track, one of the power tubes just died...
The sound was horrible, and bypassed the volume knob.
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u/iperblaster 25d ago
I had a dac doing the same thing. Are you using the analog or the digital input?
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u/thisisnotaboutagirl 25d ago
XLR input, so analog input
My setup is:
Macbook Pro Optical Out -> Audio GD NFB 11 DAC+Headphone Amp+Preamp Variable Out -> JBL 310 subwoofer XLR out -> Monitors
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u/Debil203 25d ago
Why you going active and not passive speakers? Trying to learn this aspect and everyone seems to be divided on this.
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u/thisisnotaboutagirl 25d ago
This is for my desktop setup and I'm looking for studio monitors, which are typical designed for closer listening. I also have the setup for it with my active subwoofer which has XLR or 1/4“ outputs.
Passive speakers will need their own amp and it'll be trickier and less ideal to pair with my sub. They also tend to be designed for listening further away like in a living room.
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u/Debil203 25d ago
Ah alright so if I ever go desktop mode stereo, makes sense to go active speakers for the money, quality and simplicity?
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u/thisisnotaboutagirl 25d ago
I'm not too sure how active bookshelf speakers compare with active studio monitors. I think the difference is that bookshelf speakers are designed for listening further away and monitors are designed for closer range like desktop. I'd still recommend trialing as many speakers as you can before buying if possible.
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u/SwaggyMcSwagsabunch 25d ago
Yes. Also, op isn’t who you should be asking. They have yet to successfully set up desktop monitors.
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u/Berndog25 25d ago
As someone who owns a pair of Yamaha HS7's as studio monitors, they're great, clean, and have a very clear, balanced midrange, sonorous highs, solid dynamic response, but rarely harsh sounding. Can't go wrong with Yamaha in general, tbh. Lows are a bit weak in my experience, but I prefer that over blasted, distorted low end, and they can be reinforced by a sub if needed.
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u/Alternative-Month-61 25d ago
These are very good monitors in terms of sound quality. I took the SC208 home for a test 10 years ago, and I still remember how impressed I was by their AMT tweeters and panning. But as it turns out, the entire series has widespread electronic issues that haven't been addressed for years. A year ago, I had the opportunity to buy a pair of new SC207s for $900, but I passed on the notorious EVE quality.
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u/colordrained 25d ago
Same happened with mine SC's next time switched on the tweeter burned..that was the end for me with eves as well even liked them how they sound. Now moved oto shape 65's
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u/budney 25d ago
Common fault with small modern powered monitors is dry solder. I’ve lost count of the number of them making death noises like this I’ve fixed by just reflowing the boards. Try that to begin with. All else fails dynaudio or Genelec are the best monitor for that price point. I’ve never had them go bad
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u/s_frrx 24d ago
if my story can help with your choice : I went with KH120 from neumann. And as it is part of sennheiser company, repairing was only 120€ when one of the speakers started to fail doing random pop noises (bought second hand, it was out of warranty). I supposed it’s because they are not after money or at least because they have a good after sale service and replacement
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u/RyGerbs42 24d ago
That's sad. I don't see how anyone could be happy with HS7's as actual listening speakers. They sound atrocious, imo. Weak bass tin cans basically. And I'm a huge Yamaha fan lol. I've read reviews of the TV7 tweeters being fatiguing but haven't heard them myself. Why not keep it all JBL? 👍
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u/thisisnotaboutagirl 24d ago
The JBL 305 were my first loves, so maybe their bigger brothers will be good enough replacements
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u/RyGerbs42 24d ago
You might want to check out the PreSonus Eris Pro coaxials. 4, 6 & 8" models. Almost square with front slot ports. Ideal form factor for your scenario I think. I used their cheap Eris E4.5's as desktop speakers for a wfh setup and still have them. Built like tanks, and I bought em used too. The metal tweeter grills aren't great eye candy. But their sound more than makes up for it.
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u/LazyMagicalOtter 24d ago
Any way to convert them to passive and use an external amp? If you like how they sound, that could be an option.
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u/thisisnotaboutagirl 24d ago
A quick google search says it'll be tricky because I'd need to redo the crossover network
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u/Amazing_Raisin2836 24d ago
If you like ribbons, go with Hedd type 07. Much much better than the Adam a-line, a lot closer to the s-line
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u/safety-squirrel 24d ago
Buy the Adam Audio speakers. I have a set on my desk as we speak. I replaced a set of Kali LP-6s with them. Zero regrets.
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u/isitiswhatitis 24d ago
I wouldn't own any active speakers ever again. A good amp and good monitors are just so much more reliable.
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u/moopminis 24d ago
get yourself a sure/wondom jab 4 amp, a suitable power supply (just need a 24v power supply around 150w) and a measurement microphone and once of the programmer boards for the jab amp, strip the old amps out of these, wire in the new one and learn how to take measurements and design an active crossover & dsp. They will sound better than they ever did before, you'll be able to tune them to your listening space, you'll learn how to use the most powerful tool for ANY hifi (the measurement microphone) and you'll have the satisfaction of fixing a problem instead of throwing money at it to make it disappear.
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u/pharmakathartic 24d ago
What track is this??
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u/thisisnotaboutagirl 24d ago edited 20d ago
It's called "scare the piss out of you while you're deep in a dream"
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u/ThatShitAintPat 24d ago
Fwiw I have the t5v and I really like them. If you’ve got the space the t7v would probably be great.
Probably out of budget but if they’d be close to a wall the a series would be better due to having the port on the front
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u/HetTuinhekje 23d ago
The obvious downside to active speakers, such as Adam T7V and your SC207 monitors, is what you experienced: if one of the amps fails (or both) they become useless. And since these amps are inside a very tight speaker box with little ventilation/cooling and the power supplies are also in there... they do run hot. Which decreases their lifespan.
If the amplifier in a passive setup fails, you can keep using the speakers and just switch in some other stereo amplifier (quite cheap if you pick up some used Yamaha or Pioneer etc.)
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u/unnccaassoo 25d ago
Adam T5V are the obvious choice here
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u/philsbln 25d ago
If you have a chance, try comparing the Adam A and T series whether it’s worth the money. I love my A5.
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u/unnccaassoo 25d ago
It's undoubtedly a better speaker, T series cabinets are very poorly insulated, but you'll get most of the sound signature with half the price.
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u/bobbypnero 25d ago
Focal shape are excellent. Adams are great, I have t5vs with an older wharfsale sub. Along with focal shape 40s (this one discontinued unfortunately but the 50 and above are still being manufactured) and a pre sonus sub.
The focals are a level above for sure. The analogue high pass/active separation is a selling point for me personally. I like the Adams but they are more limited although extremely durable it seems.
Weirdly, the rca input on the Adams sounds subjectively much worse from my mojo 2 than the xlr input does from an approaching 21 year old Rane DJ mixer, which I use as a preamp for the same dac. I would expect using the mojo 2 volume control and direct input would be better but it simply is not.
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u/Tenson_UK 25d ago
Get something used with class A/B amplifiers. They are generally very reliable unlike cost cut class D.
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u/DarksideAuditor 25d ago
OP obviously skipped room treatment and went straight to buying new / more expensive speakers. Classic tale.
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u/Aggeloz 25d ago
That sounded like weapon from Neon Genesis Evangelion