Adam S3X-H User manual

S3X-H Near-/Midfield Monitor
Operation manual / Bedienungsanleitung
English / deutsch

2
Safety Instructions
Please read the following safety instructions before setting up your
system. Keep the instructions for subsequent reference. Please heed
the warnings and follow the instructions.
Caution: To reduce the risk of electric shock, do not open the loud-
speaker. There are no user-serviceable parts inside. Refer servicing to
qualied service personnel.
This product, as well as all attached extension cords, must be terminated
with an earth ground three-conductor AC mains power cord like the one
supplied with the product. To prevent shock hazard, all three components
must always be used.
Never replace any fuse with a value or type other than those specied.
Never bypass any fuse.
Always switch off your entire system before connecting or disconnecting
any cables, or when cleaning any components.
Do not place this unit on an ustable cart, stand or tripod, bracket or table.
The unit may fall, causing serious injury and/or serious damage. When cart
is used, use caution when moving the cart/apparatus combination.
Do not expose this product to rain or moisture, never wet the inside with
any liquid and never pour or spill liquids directly onto this unit. Please do
not ut any objects lled with liquids (e.g. vases, etc.) onto the speaker.
Check if the specied voltage matches the voltage of the power supply
you use. If this is not the case do not connect the loudspeakers to a power
source! Please contact your local dealer or national distributor.
Caution
Risk of electrical shock
Do not open
Risque de shock electrique
Ne pas ouvrier
CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK,
DO NOT REMOVE BACK COVER OR ANY OTHER PART.
NO USER-SERVICABLE PARTS INSIDE.
DO NOT EXPOSE THIS EQUIPMENT TO RAIN OR MOISTURE.
REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL.

3
English
Safety Instructions
Protect the cord from being walked on or pinched.
Always use fully checked cables. Defective cables can harm your speakers.
They are a common source for any kind of noise, hum, crackling etc.
Always keep electrical equipment out of the reach of children.
Always unplug sensitive electronic equipment during lightning storms.
The monitor should be installed near the socket outlet and disconnection of
the device should be easily accessible.
To completely disconnect from AC mains, disonnect the power supply from
the AC receptacle. Never use ammable or combustible chemicals for
cleaning audio components.
Avoid touching the speaker membranes and do not block the woofer’s
ventilation ports.
Never expose this product to extremely high or low temperatures. Never
operate this product in an explosive atmosphere.
High SPL’s may damage your hearing! Please do not get close to the
loudspeakers when using them at high volumes.
Please note that the diaphragms build up a magnetic eld. Do not ply with
magnetic items at close range to the diaphragms.
Assure free airow behind the speakers to maintain sufcient cooling.

4
Table of contents
Safety Instructions ......................2-3
1. Introduction ..................................5
2. Set up & Quick Start ....................6
2.1 Important Information for Set Up ...6
2.2 Quick Start .....................................6
3. Speaker Placement ......................7-8
3.1 General Recommendations ............7
3.2 Tweeter Height ...............................7
3.3 Stereo Setup ..................................8
3.4 Surround Setup ..............................8
4. Controls/Speaker Adjustement . 9-10
4.1 The front (control) panel ................9
4.2 Standby Switch & LEDs ..................9
4.3 Input Controls ................................10
4.4 Bass Controls .................................10
4.5 Tweeter Controls ............................10
5. Troubleshooting ...........................11
5.1 No or distorted Signal ....................11
5.2 Parasitic Noises .............................11
6. Maintenance .................................12
7. Transportation / Package ...........12
8. Environmental Information .........12
9. EU Declaration of Conformity .....13
10. Limited Warranty .........................14
10.1 Terms and Conditions ....................14
10.2 How to claim ..................................14
11. Technical Data ..............................15

5
English
1. Introduction
Dear customer,
Congratulations on choosing an ADAM Audio S3X-H monitor!
ADAM loudspeakers are built for maximum audio perfection. With the S3X-H
you have selected a precise, high resolution speaker system that allows
you to professionally evaluate audio recordings. This monitor meets highest
expectations in sound quality and craftmansship.
This manual is intended to provide you with information about your new
ADAM. It contains important information regarding safety, setting up,
handling, and warranty. We request that you read these sections carefully
to ensure an easy set up and to prevent potential problems.
S3X-H
The S3X-H is suitable for both near- and mideld monitoring. It is an
ideal tool for situations where a combination of no-compromise sound
reproduction and a small footprint is required.
The S3X-H is a three-way ported active system that uses the new X-ART
tweeter, ensuring full compatibility with the latest expanded high frequency
resolution media formats, and three HexaCone©-bass/midrange drivers.
Each one of the three cone drivers uses an individual PWM amp with
continuous output of up to 250 Watts (RMS). The tweeter is powered by
a new A/B amp that has been designed by ADAM Audio to realize the
tweeters unique abilities without any limitations.
Questions? Problems?
If you have any questions about this or any of our products, please don’t
hesitate to contact us–we will be happy to assist you in any possible way.
For detailed information concerning the ADAM technologies and products,
complete reviews, and a list of worldwide ADAM users and studios, please
visit our website: www.adam-audio.com
We hope very much that you really enjoy your new loudspeakers, and wish
you many delightful hours with them.
The ADAM Audio Team

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2. Information For Set Up / Quick Start
2.1 Important information for set up
Acclimation: After having unpacked your loudspeaker, please allow the
system to acclimate to the temperature of the room. Please do not connect
the speaker for approximately an hour.
HQ Cabling: We recommend using high quality cables to guarantee optimal
performance.
Solid stand: It is important to ensure the speakers stand rmly on a solid
ground!
Package: We recommend not to damage the package and to retain it. The
original packaging is the best guarantee for safe transportation (see 7.).
Break-in time: Please note that the loudspeakers will need a few days to
achieve optimum sonic performance.
2.2 Quick start S3X-H
Before connecting the loudspeakers to your audio components and the
power source make sure that both the loudspeakers and your audio system
is switched off!
Set all level controls fully counterclockwise. a.
Connect the loudspeakers with your audio units: b. Use a XLR cable. The male
plug goes into the loudspeaker, the female plug into your audio component.
Check if the specied voltage matches the voltage of the power supply c.
you use. If this is not the case do not connect the loudspeakers to a power
source! Please contact your local dealer or national distributor.
If the voltages match, connect the loudspeaker via the included power
cables to two AC sockets.
Switch on d. your audio system. Switch on the main on/off switches on
the back panel and nally the standby-switch on the front panel of the
loudspeakers.
Turn on your source of music and adjust the volume carefully.

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English
3. Speaker Placement
3.1 General recommendations/advises
Direct sound ways: There should be no obstacles in the way from the
monitor to your ears. You should be able to see the speakers completely.
Distance to walls: The distance to the surrounding walls should be at least
40 cm to avoid early reections, which will degrade the sound.
Alignement: The loudspeakers should be aligned with the listener’s position.
Nearby objects: Please note that vibrating parts of nearby objects can
mask the sound.
Mechanical adjustements: If you plan to modify the speaker cabinet (e.g.
drilling holes), please contact us before doing so. Usually, we will handle
your warranty obliging.
3.2 Tweeter at the height of ears
The Tweeter should be positioned approximately at the height of your ears.
In case you need to position the speaker in a signicant lower or higher
position, the monitor should be angled accordingly.
Figure 1: Tweeter at height of ears / speaker angling

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3. Speaker Placement
3.3 Stereo set up
If the loudspeaker is going to be used for stereo applications, the optimum
listening position should be located in the middle of a stereo triangle. This
means that your listening position will be located at the top of an imaginary
equilateral triangle and the two loudspeakers should be placed at the other
two points of this triangle.
3.4 Surround set up
Speaker positioning for multi-channel stereo purposes is ideally based
on a circle with speakers placed at 0° (Center), 30° (Front Right), 110°
(Rear Right), 250° (Rear Left), 330° (Front Left), with the listener being
the circle’s center (Radius between 0.7-2.0 m). This ITU recommended
conguration may vary depending on the purpose of the control room
(music or lm). However, it is recommended to create a symmetrical
listening position with the front side and surround speaker pointing to the
listener’s ear.
Figure 3: Surround set up
Figure 2: Stereo Triangle
• both loudspeaker and the listening spot
should be a equilateral triangle
• approx. the same distances between
loudspeakers and the loudspeakers / the
listening spot
• alignment towards listening spot

9
English
4. Controlpanel/Speaker Adjustment
4.1 The front (control) panel
On the front you will nd a new, highly sophisticated control panel that
allows detailed ne-tuning of your loudspeakers to your particular room
acoustics and personal listening preferences. The following tips are
intended to assist you at using the controls in the best manner.
Please note that using the controls may have a great impact on the overall
sound characteristics of your loudspeakers. We recommend using the
controls with utmost care and only after several audio tests with familiar
recordings.
4.2 Standby Switch & LEDs
The main power switch can be found on the rear of the
loudspeaker. On the front, there is switch for power on/
standby. In standby mode, the switch glows orange, in power
on mode it glows green.
To the right of the standby switch you nd two LEDs:
In case of an overload, the • OL LED will ash red. A
protective curcuit will safe your speaker from damage.
All SX-models from the S2X can be retrotted with a 24 bit / 192 kHz •
D/A Converter. The D/A LED glows blue when a converter is inserted in
the input on the rear side of the speaker.
Figure 4: Control panel

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4. Controlpanel/Speaker Adjustment
4.3 Input Controls
There are two different controls to regulate the overall input
sensitivity:
One control allows for • coarse settings from -20dB to
+8dB. The control works with 4dB steps.
The other control is intended for • ne tuning in 0.5dB steps, ranging from
-1.5dB to 2dB.
4.4 Bass Controls
There are also two different controls to regulate the lower
frequencies:
The • EQ 80 Hz control is an equalizer to boost bass
response.
The • <150 Hz control is a shelf lter that allows to progressively raise or
lower the frequencies below 150 Hz (see Fig. 5).
4.5 Tweeter Controls
There are also two different controls to regulate the lower
frequencies:
The • Gain control alters the input sensitivity within ±2dB
(0.5dB steps).
The • >6 kHz control is a shelf lter that allows to progressively raise or
lower the frequencies above 6 kHz (see Fig. 6).
Figure 6
ROOM EQ >6 kHz for the high frequencies
above 6 kHz
Figure 5
ROOM EQ <150 Hz for the low frequencies
below 150 Hz

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English
5. Troubleshooting
All ADAM products are designed and manufactured to the highest quality
standards. However, if any problems with your speaker occur, we recom-
mend to proceed as follows:
Problem: The power on/standby switch shows normal operation (green) but
there is either no or only a distorted audio signal.
If both (all) speakers are affected, the reason can probably be found within
the signal path. If only one speaker is affected, the problem will probably be
within this speaker.
Check the wiring a.
Is the cable defective? Are all cables connected correctly?
Check the signal pathb.
Interchange the cables of both loudspeakers. Does the problem change with
one of the cables?
Connect the monitor as directly to the signal source as possible (please
mind the volume!). Is another part of the signal path (e.g. mixer, subwoofer)
defective?
If the answer to all these question is ‘no’, the problem is being caused by
the loudspeaker with the utmost probability.
If the answer to at least one of these questions is ‘yes’, there will probably
be another defective device within the signal path.
Problem: You hear parasitic noises (like humming, buzzing, soughing,
cracking).
Please disconnect the signal cables.
If the noises disappear, check the signal path.
If the noises can still be heard, check for other electrical devices close to
the speakers (mobile phones, switching power supplies, etc.). If there is no
interfering device the speaker will probably cause the problem.

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6. Maintenance
Please switch the loudspeaker off before cleaning!
Please note that the diaphragms build up a magnetic eld. Do not play with
magnetic items at close range to the diaphragms.
Please make sure that no liquids get inside the cabinet. Do not spray any
uids on the speaker. Do not use a wet cloth for cleaning.
Do not use ammable or acidly chemicals for cleaning.
Do not touch the membranes of the loudspeakers.
We recommend using a lint-free, damp cloth for cleaning.
The loudspeaker membranes may be dusted using a very soft brush.
7. Transport / Package
In case you have to send your speakers to any other location, it is of vital
importance that you use the original packaging materials. Experience has
shown that it is very difcult to avoid damage if you have to send them
without these. ADAM Audio can not be held responsible for damages due to
improper packaging.
If a transport is necessary and the original package is no more available, a
new one can be purchased from ADAM Audio.
8. Environmental Information
All ADAM products comply with international directives on the Restriction
of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) in electrical / electronical equipment and
the disposal of Waste Electrical / Electronic Equipment (WEEE).
For disposal, please consult your local authorities for further information.

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English
9. EU Declaration of Conformity
We,
ADAM Audio GmbH
whose registered ofce is situated at
Ederstr. 16, 12059 Berlin, Germany
declare under our sole responsibility that the product:
S3X-H
complies with the EU Electro-Magnetic Compatibility (EMC) Directive
89/336/EEC, in pursuance of which the following standards have been
applied:
EN 61000-6-1 : 2001
EN 61000-6-3 : 2001
EN 55020 : 2002
EN 55013 : 2001
and complies with the EU General Product Safety 2001/95/EC, in
pursuance of which the following standard has been applied:
EN 60065 : 2002.
This declaration attests that the manufacturing process quality control
and product documentation accord with the need to assure continued
compliance.
The attention of the user is drawn to any spezial measures regarding the
use of this equipment that may be detailed in the owner’s manual.
Signed:
Roland Stenz
Director
ADAM Audio

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10. Warranty
ADAM Audio GmbH provides a ve year limited warranty for this product. If
anything goes wrong with this product due to manufacturing defects, ADAM
Audio and its national distributors will provide repair free of charge (exclu-
sions may apply) and replacement parts.
10.1 Terms and Conditions
This guarantee complements any national/regional law obligations of deal-
ers or national distributors and does not affect your statutory rights as a
customer.
This warranty is limited to the repair of the equipment.
Neither transportation, nor any other costs, nor any risk for removal, trans-
portation and installation of products is covered by this warranty.
Products whose serial number have been altered, deleted, removed or made
illegible are excluded from this warranty.
The warranty will not be applicable in cases other than defects in materials
and/or workmanship at the time of purchase and will not be applicable:
for damages caused by incorrect installation, connection or packing,a.
for damages caused by any use other than correct use described in the user b.
manual,
for damages caused by faulty or unsuitable ancillary equipment,c.
if repairs or modications have been executed by an unauthorized person,d.
for damages caused by accidents, lightning, water, re heat, public distur-e.
bances or any other cause beyond the reasonable control of ADAM Audio.
10.2 How to claim repairs under warranty
Should service be required, please follow the following procedure:
If the equipment is being used in the country of purchase, you should con-
tact your ADAM Audio dealer.
If the equipment is being used outside the country of purchase, you should
contact your ADAM Audio national distributor in the country of residence.
You will be advised where the equipment can be serviced. Please visit our
website to get the contact details of your local distributor.
To validate your warranty, you will need a copy of your original sales invoice
with the date of purchase.

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English
11 . Technical Data
ADAM S3X-H — active 3-ways bass reex loudspeaker
*1 = long term IEC 265-8-Wrms / 10 min
*2 = nominal IEC 265-8 = Peak Power 5 µsec
*3 = pay attention to the selected voltage on the rearside of the speaker
Woofer 2
Basket ø 186 mm / 7”
Voice coil ø 50 mm / 2”
Cone material HexaCone®
Cone midrange 1
Basket ø 116 mm / 4.5”
Voice coil ø 25 mm / 1”
Cone material HexaCone®
X-ART tweeter 1
Diaphragm area 24,2 cm2 / 3.5 inch2
Equivalent diaphragm ø 5,6 cm / 2.2 ”
Velocity transform. ratio 4 : 1
Diaphragm weight 0,17 g
Built-in ampliers* 4
Woofer (1/2)* 2 x 250 W / 350 W
Midrange (1/2)* 250 W / 350 W
Tweeter (1/2)*50 W / 100 W
AC Voltage 100-120 V~, 50/60 Hz *3
220-240 V~, 50/60 Hz *3
Controls
Input sensitivity (coarse) -20 bis +8 dB (4 dB steps)
Input sensitivity (ne) -1,5 bis +2 dB (0,5 dB steps)
EQ 80 Hz -0 bis +6 dB (1 dB steps)
Low shelve > 6 kHz ±4 dB (1 dB steps)
High shelve < 150 Hz ±4 dB (1 dB steps)
Tweeter gain ±2 dB (0,5 dB steps)
General data
Freqency response ± 3dB 32 Hz - 50 kHz
THD > 80 Hz ≤ 0,6 %
Short time ≥ 116 dB
Max. peak ≥ 126 dB
Crossover frequencies 350 / 2800 Hz
Input connectors analog XLR
Input connectors digital (optional) AES/EBU (XLR) + SPDIF (Cinch)
Input impedance 10 kΩ
Weight 19,6 kg / 43.2 lb.
Magnetiically shielded optional
Height x Width x Depth 280 x 530 x 320 mm 11.2” x 21.2” x 12.8”
Warranty 5 years
Operating temperature 0° C bis 40° C (32° F bis 104° F)
Storage temperature -30° C bis 70° C (-22° F bis 167° F)
Humidity Max. 90% not condensing

S3X-H Near-/Midfield Monitor
Bedienungsanleitung
deutsch

18
Sicherheitshinweise
Bitte beachten Sie die folgenden Sicherheitshinweise, bevor Sie
Ihre neuen Lautsprecher in Betrieb nehmen. Bitte heben Sie diese
Anleitung auf. Bitte beachten Sie alle Warnungen und folgen Sie allen
Anweisungen.
Achtung: Um die Gefahr eines Stromschlages zu vermeiden, öffnen Sie
die Monitore nicht. Es benden sich keine wartungsbedürftigen Teile
im Gehäuseinnern. Bitte versuchen Sie auf keinen Fall, dieses Produkt
selbst zu reparieren und wenden Sie sich bei einem Problemfall an
qualziertes Servicepersonal.
Die Lautsprecher müssen mit einer dreipoligen, geerdeten Stromversorgung
betrieben werden. Alle drei Pole müssen stets verwendet werden. Dies gilt
auch für davor geschaltete Verlängerungen oder Verteiler.
Verwenden Sie ausschließlich die spezizierten Sicherungstypen.
Überbrücken Sie niemals, auch nicht im Notfall, die Sicherung.
Überprüfen Sie, ob die gekennzeichnete Nennspannung mit der
Nennspannung in Ihrer Umgebung übereinstimmt. Sollte dies nicht der Fall
sein, schließen Sie die Lautsprecher in keinem Falle an eine Stromquelle an
und kontaktieren Sie Ihren Fachhändler.
Schalten Sie stets alle Geräte aus, bevor Sie eine Kabelverbindung
entfernen oder neu hinzufügen.
Verwenden Sie nur Wagen, Ständer, Stative, Einbauhilfen oder Tische,
die vom Hersteller empfohlen oder die mit dem Gerät geliefert werden.
Bewegen Sie einen Wagen, auf dem das Gerät steht, vorsichtig, um ein
Herabstürzen zu verhindern.
Erklärung der graphischen Symbole
Das Blitzsymbol warnt vor der Gefahr eines
elektrischen Schlages.
Das Ausrufezeichen weist auf wichtige
Bedienungs- oder Pflegehinweise hin.
Achtung
Gefahr durch Stromschlag
Nicht öffnen
UM DIE GEFAHR EINES STROMSCHLAGES ZU VERRINGERN,
ENTFERNEN SIE WEDER DIE RÜCKWAND NOCH SONSTIGE TEILE.
DIE INNEREN BAUTEILE DÜRFEN NICHT VOM ANWENDER, SONDERN
NUR VON QUALIFIZIERTEM FACHPERSONAL GEWARTET WERDEN.
SETZEN SIE DAS GERÄT WEDER REGEN NOCH FEUCHTIGKEIT AUS.

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Deutsch
Sicherheitshinweise
Vermeiden Sie, dass Flüssigkeiten jeglicher Art ins Gehäuseinnere gelangen.
Sprühen Sie weder Flüssigkeiten direkt auf das Gerät, noch nutzen Sie
nasse Reinigungslappen.
Bitte verwenden Sie keine brennbaren und ätzenden Chemikalien zur
Reinigung dieses Produkts (siehe 6.).
Vermeiden Sie jede Berührung mit den Membranen der Lautsprecher und
blockieren Sie nicht die Bassreexöffnung.
Gewährleisten Sie eine rückwärtige Luftabfuhr für eine notwendige Kühlung
der Elektronik.
Zum Trennen des Gerätes vom Stromnetz schalten Sie den Netzschalter
aus. Anschließend ziehen Sie den Netzstecker aus der Steckdose. Der
Netzschalter und -stecker müssen leicht erreichbar sein.
Verwenden Sie stets geprüfte Kabel. Defekte Kabel sind häug die Ursache
für Störgeräusche verschiedener Art.
Setzen Sie dieses Produkt nicht bei extremen Temperaturen ein (siehe 11.),
ebenso wenig in feuer- oder explosionsgefährdeten Umgebungen.
Bitte beachten Sie, dass im Gehäuseinneren sich Magnete benden,
die ein Magnetfeld aufbauen. Vermeiden Sie, mit magnetischen bzw.
paramagnetischen Gegenständen in unmittelbare Nähe der Lautsprecher zu
hantieren.
Zu hohe Lautstärken können ihr Gehör schädigen! Vermeiden Sie direkte
Nähe zu Lautsprechern, die mit hohen Pegeln betrieben werden.

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Inhalt
Sicherheitshinweise ....................18-19
1. Einleitung ......................................21
2. Hinweise & Schnellstart ..............22
2.1 Hinweise zur Inbetriebnahme .........22
2.2 Schnellstart ....................................22
3. Lautsprecheraufstellung .............23-24
3.1 Allgemeine Empfehlungen ..............23
3.2 Hochtöner in Ohrenhöhe................23
3.3 Zweikanal Stereo ...........................24
3.4 Mehrkanal Surround ......................24
4. Kontrollpanel & Einstellungen ....25-26
4.1 Vorderseitiges Kontrollpanel ..........25
4.2 Standby Knopf & LEDs ...................25
4.3 Input Controls (Lautstärke) ............26
4.4 Bass Controls (Bass) ......................26
4.5 Tweeter Controls (Hochton) ...........26
5. Fehlerbehebung ...........................27
5.1 Kein oder gestörtes Signal .............27
5.2 Störende Nebengeräusche .............27
6. Wartung & Pege .........................28
7. Transport / Verpackung ..............28
8. Umweltinformationen .................28
9. Konformitätsbescheinigung .......29
10. Garantie ........................................30
10.1 Garantiebedingungen .....................30
10.2 Inanspruchnahme ..........................30
11. Technische Daten .........................31