ADA Suite 7.1 HD (part 2)
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30-09-2010, 11:16 PM
| #121 |
| Illustrious Member  |
Where's Nick?  I'm genuinely interested to hear what he thought of the ADA this time?In other news, my ADA and balanced converter arrives tomorrow  Won't be able to set it up for a couple of weeks but I'll finally have it  Just a bit miffed I can't get a direct answer on the 3-D passthrough, maybe you should change that part of your review Adam  |
| Thanks from: | baritone (03-10-2010) |
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01-10-2010, 12:33 PM
| #122 |
| Conspicuous Member  |
Indeed I have been wondering the same thing  Adam |
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03-10-2010, 5:47 PM
| #124 |
| Illustrious Member |
Send me an email and I'll reply with it One question to those in the know, if I connect my ADA to my network via a network switch i.e. cabled, can I set it up using my wireless laptop, or does my laptop need to have a hard wired connection as well? I know you can connect the laptop directly to the ADA but that means going out to get a crossover cable. Thanks Matt |
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03-10-2010, 10:26 PM
| #125 | |
| Conspicuous Member | Quote:
Adam | |
| Thanks from: | Smurfin (03-10-2010) |
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24-10-2010, 12:01 PM
| #127 | |
| Conspicuous Member | Quote:
I might be wrong but I seem to recall they have some codes for Pronto for an earlier ADA Preamp, if your remote accepts them? If not the manual has the Hex codes so maybe you can convert them. ADA Suite 7.1 HD manual Adam | |
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24-10-2010, 1:05 PM
| #129 | |
| Conspicuous Member | Quote:
Also a lot of remote manufacturers don't let you access the raw hex codes, like harmony, Nevo etc. If you make some enquiries on remote central you may find someone willing to convert the codes for you. It is quicker to do that in most cases than explain how to do the conversion to a novice at hex codes. I has someone offer to do so for me but they didn't all work so I bought a remote that supported the native commands for RS232. Adam | |
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24-10-2010, 3:40 PM
| #133 | |
| Member  | Quote:
go easy on him, ada uk distributors have advertising contracts with av forums i assume. And nick is a official reviewer. He may have to clear this kind of thing with others, and in theory could be in a difficult position. Potentially thousands of pounds of sales for ada and partners could change baised on a opinion, and thats alot of responsability for one (unpaid- I assume/think?-not that it should matter) person. | |
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24-10-2010, 7:31 PM
| #134 |
| Member | |
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24-10-2010, 9:09 PM
| #135 | |
| Assured Advertiser  | Quote:
Your dealer should be able to download this file for you in seconds from the ADA dealer site. If you are in the UK please PM with the dealer name if you need assistance with this. Neil Davidson - Visit my facebook page | |
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24-10-2010, 9:23 PM
| #136 | |
| Assured Advertiser | Quote:
Like others I am keen to hear Nicks comments and learn if he has changed his mind about the two channel music potential of the ADA based on further listening. I would also clarify that much as I would like a single post on the forum to be worth thousands of pounds, it doesn't normally work that way. Nick - if you are reading please post your honest thoughts for the enjoyment and education of all of us. Neil Davidson - Visit my facebook page | |
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26-10-2010, 9:28 PM
| #137 | |
| Illustrious Member | Quote:
I finally got an answer direct from ADA in the States, which was pretty non-commital and basically it's a HDMI 1.3 procesor so not officially supported. Can't really argue with that as it's not officially compliant and never marketed as such. I'm not overly concerned as most of my 3D viewing has been via sky, and the 3 BluRay 3Ds I own can be watched on the PS3, just connected directly to the TV via HDMI rather than the Ada. Anyway, now that I've lived with my ADA and finally got it setup (what a palaver that was....turns out I had a dodgy network cable ) and listened to a few movies/TV and surprisingly for me - music - I'm almost ready to post my thoughts | |
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27-10-2010, 11:20 AM
| #138 | |
| Conspicuous Member | Quote:
Adam | |
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28-10-2010, 2:42 PM
| #139 |
| Conspicuous Member |
I have updated the review to add some IR Codes for the Suite 7.1 HD. I know some work but I haven't tested all of them, so please do leave some feedback so I can keep things accurate and up to date. ADA Suite 7.1 HD IR Codes Cheers, Adam |
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28-10-2010, 3:47 PM
| #140 |
| Illustrious Member |
I've had my Ada setup for a couple of weeks now, and though I've not watched as much as I wanted to, I've been through a couple of blurays and (surprisingly for me) alot more music than normal. Firstly, when I unpacked the Ada and the unbalanced converter the first thing that struck me was...."Is this all you get for £6500?" It's the most understated processor I've ever come across, and particularly as both my units are rack mount versions, they look quite industrial with roots firmly planted in custom install territory. That said, in my new cabinet it all looks pretty good and despite not really wanting the kit on show (which it isn't), I'm pretty happy with the aesthetics. One added benefit is that as it doesn't look expensive, especially both units being 1U high, the wife doesn't think they cost that much Anyway, as Adam mentioned in his review the dials have a solid, firm feel to them, and there's something refreshing about the minimalist looks, especially when it comes to the back panel. Finally, no wasted space! It's got everything that I want which is perfect The setup software is a doddle to use and is extremely flexible. I had a nightmare getting it to work, but I discovered in the end it was a faulty network cable!  All changes are carried out instantly which means it's very easy to hear the differences between settings, and the solo mode is going to be great when it comes to proper calibration.So how does it sound? Well, my setup has changed alot recently (see sig) and I have to say, this is the most accomplished (and bloody expensive) rig I've ever owned. Does it translate into sound quality? Without a shadow of a doubt....yes, and this is without any form of PEQ (yet). I probably don't need to wax lyrical about this as plenty of people have already posted thoughts, but particularly for movies the things that strike me are dynamics, detail and transparency. I've got to be honest, this isn't a night and day difference from the mid-range kit and anyone who says it is either has better ears than me or is just getting caught up in the good old trap of AV hype and emperor's clothes. But what I can say is that it's better than any processor or integrated amp that I've ever heard. It's difficult to describe as there's absolutely no flavour to the sound whatsoever; the top end is detailed without being shouty, the low end is very well defined without any bloom, and the mid-range is full of punch without any specific emphasis. The detail retrieval is really the biggest strength in my opinion. It's actually quite astonishing, either that or maybe my memory is just a bit unreliable of other equipment  It's not the big ticket scenes that highlight this though, it's more the quiet scenes where the finest detail can be heard, to a level I've not experienced before. And going back to big ticket scenes, these really highlight the composure. I suppose my biggest criticism of receivers I've owned in the past is that when all hell is breaking loose on screen, the grip seems to be loosened.I remember this in particular with my Onkyo 875, with a bit of brashness in the sound during chaotic scenes, the soundstage becoming a little muddled - whereas the Ada holds everything together very well, whilst still retaining that detail and grip. Of course, we're not talking massive margins here, but the difference is there nonetheless. There's a sense of air about the sound, or maybe effortless is the right word (God how many cliches can I fit into one post  ), whatever it is it feels like there's nothing between you and the soundtrack. Fabulous in other words.And music? Well, I've got to be honest here. Over the last 10 years my music listening has been mainly confined to the car. With background noise and a confined space, many tracks have sounded great, but this just doesn't translate into a home listening environment. What I mean is, I've listened alot in the car, and previously when I've listened at home nothing has sounded that great. Maybe it's been my choice of electronics or speakers at home, but everything has left me wanting. Thinking about it, this is probably why I haven't really listened to much on my AV systems previously. Given the above, it's clear I've not got that much experience of critical music listening (other than previously everything has sounded crap), so take my next comments in context with this. And the comment is wow. Music has become another joy again, so much so that I'm now re-ripping my entire CD collection in lossless FLAC, and a squeezebox touch is now sitting on top of my AV cabinet. Although I'd had a good experience listening to music at Adam's (both on his XTZs and my Genelecs) I was half expecting a somewhat sterile experience, much like I've experienced before. But this is completely the opposite. That listening through an open window comment is exactly how I'd describe it. Perfectly balanced, neutral, incredibly detailed but no sense of coldness about the sound. So far I've found listening utterly compelling, particularly on well recorded tracks with strong vocals. I've listened to alot of Bocelli and Diane Vickers (love her voice) and excuse the cliche, but they could very well be sitting in the room. The Genelecs naturally have a big impact on the sound, but the combination of the Ada and the Gens is the best I've ever heard in my own four walls. I'm listening to more music than I've done in the last 10 years and though I don't get much time, I'll happily sit down just to listen to one or two tracks when I do get a moment Overall I'm very happy with my purchase, and I've not even thought about the PEQ yet. Are there any negatives? A couple. Firstly, the fan on my unit is very loud. I believe this was sorted a long time ago, but I think my unit is one of the earlier ones (it's several firmwares behind I believe) and the first owner didn't return it to Graham to get the fan changed - Adam's by comparison, is positively silent. Must admit I've pretty much got used to it, and if I heard it slightly when the room was silent and it was behind closed doors, now I don't even notice it. The only other annoying thing is that if I manually changed inputs some of the sound modes are sometimes missing. For example, as I've not setup Squeezebox on my Harmony remote, I have to change the input manually, which is set to output in stereo. When I change back to say my Popcorn Hour though, the discrete setting sometimes disappears and I can't get it back without rebooting the processor - even then it occasionally doesn't work and has taken up to 4 reboots before I can get it on Discrete rather than PLII movie. Not sure if I'm doing something wrong or whether the firmware needs updating but this is an annoyance. Aside from this, HDMI handshake issues are a thing of the past. It's pretty much instant and rock solid, which is a big plus imho. The sound quality, flexibility of setup (read Adam's review for more on that) and the fact that - aside from my gripe on sound modes - it works faultlessly, makes this a winner for me. Is it worth £6500? Well individuals can only answer that for themselves, it's certainly not £5000 better than some of your mid-range integrateds. But it's a clear step up, and the best I've heard in my home, and for me? That makes it a very worthwhile purchase. |
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28-10-2010, 8:44 PM
| #141 |
| Member | |
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28-10-2010, 9:03 PM
| #142 | |
| Illustrious Member | Quote:
Funnily enough there's been no whizz bang movies tonight....just a few Bocelli, Diana Vickers and Bjork tracks. Oh and a bit of Pendulum thrown into the mix  Damn I need to keep ripping.......  | |
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28-10-2010, 11:00 PM
| #143 |
| Member | |
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29-10-2010, 12:14 AM
| #144 | |
| Illustrious Member | Quote:
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30-10-2010, 12:05 AM
| #145 |
| Illustrious Member |
Just been watching the trailers on the 3D Imax Grand Canyon Adventure BluRay and my oh my...some of them sounded astonishing with the Ada/Genelec/Velodyne combo. The dynamics and steering are very much on the money |
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08-11-2010, 9:33 AM
| #147 | |
| Conspicuous Member | Quote:
Did you come from an Onkyo? IIRC my Onkyo always seemed quite loud when set with Audyssey, compared to setting the levels with the SVS AS-EQ1 for instance. Best way to check would be with a calibration BD, I think I have one so may check later if i get a chance. Adam | |
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08-11-2010, 9:57 AM
| #148 |
| Illustrious Member |
I came from a Yamaha but before that it was Onkyo. I've got a Digital Video Essentials BluRay kicking around somewhere, and possibly Avia so I can give those a whirl - just curious more than anything else |
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08-11-2010, 10:10 AM
| #149 | |
| Conspicuous Member | Quote:
FWIW in general terms I have found the better the kit (not necessarily the more expensive), the less 'shouty' it can be at high volume, giving the perception of lower volume. Of course a flatter response, especially at the higher end of the FR will appear quieter too, or even the fact you are not using EQ presently. I am not saying that is the case but there may be several factors at work here. Adam | |
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08-11-2010, 10:22 AM
| #150 |
| Illustrious Member |
I definitely agree about the "shouty" nature of the lower end kit. This is the first "high end" piece of kit I've owned which hasn't been legacy - and there's such an effortless quality to the sound it becomes difficult to define. Loving the Ada anyway |
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