Adam Audio Subwoofer

A
dam Audio make
excellent monitors
and the
introduction last
year of their
affordable T Series
fi nally made them
available to a broader audience.
However, when I tested the T5V last
year, Adam were recommending
pairing it with either the quite small
Sub 7, or the expensive Sub 8. Either
way, there was a gap to be fi lled and
the T10S subwoofer does just that.
Built around a 10” paper cone
driver, the sub is a downward-fi ring,
rear-ported design with 130-watt
Class D amplifi cation. On the back it
has both balanced (XLR) and
unbalanced (RCA) inputs with
matching outputs for onward
connection to your satellite monitors.
There’s a three-setting Crossover
switch designed for nearfi eld setups
(80Hz) and cinema LFE standards
(120Hz) with a bypass option if
you’re using an external bass
management controller. Meanwhile, a
simple Phase invert switch further
assists with setup. A standard
footswitch (not included) can be
connected to the T10S and this not
only mutes the subwoofer but also
bypasses the crossover fi ltering to the
satellites. If you’re planning on
connecting your monitors via the
T10S rather than using a separate
monitor controller, it’s a must-have.
The bevelled cabinet design
visually matches the T Series
improve things or make them worse.
The footswitch option is handy,
particularly at setup, as you can A/B
the impact of the sub and thus set its
level accordingly. Speaking of level,
the T10S also packs a punch, and
though high relative levels should be
avoided, there’s weight if needed.
The T10S is a well-executed sub.
The downward-fi ring design is good
for tight spaces if you keep the bass
port free. There could be more
fl exibility in the fi lter cutoffs, but for
most this won’t be a dealbreaker.
monitors and is well fi nished; what’s
more, at 12.2kg the sub is suitably
hefty. To provide clearance and
isolation, the unit also has four
springy rubber feet. It’s worth noting
the downward-fi ring design is a
different choice for Adam, whose
other subs are all side-fi ring. This
could help when positioning it in tight
spaces, although note that there’s still
a rear-facing slotted bass port.
On the subject of positioning,
human hearing struggles to localise
low frequencies and this might
suggest you can stick your subwoofer
anywhere. However, in reality, strong
room frequency modes rule out a
number of options. To their credit,
Adam have included some excellent
tips on sub positioning and though
I’ve set up subs on many occasions,
the placement map in the manual is
handy. This points out sensible
perimeter positions in green, as well
as no-go areas like corners and the
room centre in red. Keep the sub
close to the satellites and not too
close to walls and you should be fi ne.
There’s also the aforementioned
phase invert to try, which will either
THE PROS & CONS
+
Solid build
Stylish design to
match other
T Series monitors
Footswitching option
Powerful, effi cient
amplifi cation
Informative
setup instructions
-
Slotted bass port
needs to be kept
away from walls
FM VERDICT
8.8
A worthy addition to the
affordable T Series monitors;
though it may not be the
most fl exible sub around, it
really packs a punch
THE PROS & CONS
+
Solid build
Stylish design to
match other
T Series monitors
Footswitching option
Powerful, effi cient
amplifi cation
Informative
setup instructions
To their credit, Adam have
included some excellent tips
on sub positioning
Adam Audio T10S | Reviews
91
FMU352.rev_adam.indd 91 26/11/2019 12:26