Barefoot Sound Micro Mains Vs. ADAM S3A's

rvwainscott · 17th May 2008, 04:43 AM

Our Barefoot Sound MM27's arrived yesterday (2 x 83lb boxes) and we hooked them up and put them through their paces. They are now sitting next to our ADAM S3A's and a Dynaudio BM6A 5.1 Surround System. The BM6A's have a Velodyne High Gain Series Sub as part of the system and it will, after much modification, produce 15hz accurately which is why I use that system for film post production.

The first thing we noticed was that the Barefoot system was loud! They have 4X the power of the Adams but I assumed it would need most of that power to produce the low end that the company brags about so much. After all, my Velodyne can demand as much as 3000 watts to produce its lows. I had to make some adjustments so I could A/B/C them against the other speakers in the system.

I was expecting to hear some difference between the systems but I was blown away by how radically different the Barefoot's were in comparison to the other monitors. First, I threw up a mix that featured a modern drum recording. On the Adams, I could just hear the attack of the snare and then the snare vanished. Switching to the Barefoots, I could not only hear the attack of the snare but I could also hear the shell as well as the reverb tail. Was this the same recording??? The Barefoots clearly had an openness in the mid's that the ADAMS just don't have.

On the low end, the Barefoots had a low end response that I couldn't match until I brought the Velodyne Sub to bear. BTW, I know how picky people here are about things so let me tell you that the Velodyne HGS 18 is not a commercial sub. It has balanced inputs and I had that particular sub placed in a much sturdier cabinet that I had built for it as well as the fact that I had the speaker professionally tweaked and the amp was modified by velodyne not once but twice for us. When I say it will do 15hz with less than .05% distortion I am not kidding. Anyway, the Barefoot system even beat out our club system destroying everything but the Velodyne - I was impressed.

The highs on the Barefoot system was not nearly as ear raping as the Adams. That ribbon tweater on the S3A's can really push the highs.

All in all, I like the Barefoot system a lot. I'm very curious to see how my mixes will translate on this system. I also plan to keep using the S3A because they just plain sound bad in the same way an NS10 sounds bad. If I could get a mix to sound good on the ADAMS then I was sure they would sound good anywhere else.

I would like to hear your thoughts on these speakers.

h4nc0 · 17th May 2008, 05:11 AM

I envy you. Barefoot speakers were on my wishlist forever, but I decided against it each time because there is no way to hear them before buying. Let us know how the mix translation goes compared to S3As.

radu.ionescu · 17th May 2008, 12:05 PM

my pair should arrive only monday according to fedex!! whatta wait; 4 months!! ill post my thoughts next week!!

Dirty Halo · 17th May 2008, 12:13 PM

I would best describe the Barefoot MM27s as being as reliable as a classic pair of NS-10s while ALSO giving you the satifaction of a pair of great sounding full mains, pumping your music to impress all listening

-andrews

h4nc0 · 17th May 2008, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dirty Halo

I would best describe the Barefoot MM27s as being as reliable as a classic pair of NS-10s while ALSO giving you the satifaction of a pair of great sounding full mains, pumping your music to impress all listening

-andrews

STOP!! You are making me drool!

Gravity8058 · 17th May 2008, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rvwainscott

I'm very curious to see how my mixes will translate on this system.

You in for a treat -- this is the main reason to buy these!!!

pw8888 · 17th May 2008, 02:15 PM

I use them (MM27) every day with client 100% happy when they listen the mixes OUTSIDE THE STUDIO !!!

cdog · 17th May 2008, 09:00 PM

Congrats on the purchase, thanks for the comments.

They make the highs on the ADAMs seem harsh huh? Wow.

Dean Roddey · 17th May 2008, 09:14 PM

So the street price is $3500 each? They best sound good. That puts them at $1700 more than a pair of S3-A's, which are already pretty pricey. At that price it might be more fair to compare them to the S4V-A MK from Adam perhaps?

goldenlotus · 18th May 2008, 05:54 AM

Would you mind posting some pictures of them in your studio?

syra · 18th May 2008, 06:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rvwainscott

The Barefoots clearly had an openness in the mid's that the ADAMS just don't have.

The highs on the Barefoot system was not nearly as ear raping as the Adams. That ribbon tweater on the S3A's can really push the highs.

hmm ...l lasted 4 seconds listening real loud to a rock mix with heavy guitars on the MM27s...the upper mid-range killed me. At the same volume, on the S3A's I lasted a minute...

Having said that at some point I'll give the MM27s another listen at my own place.

RoundBadge · 18th May 2008, 06:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by syra

hmm ...l lasted 4 seconds listening real loud to a rock mix with heavy guitars on the MM27s...the upper mid-range killed me. At the same volume, on the S3A's I lasted a minute...

Having said that at some point I'll give the MM27s another listen at my own place.

Curious,When did you hear em?did you try the "Relaxed " setting?
theres some buttons on the back that change some of the upper mid characteristics/lows

They're my dream speakers.
Fvcking love 'em.worth every cent.
When I flipped btw my Adams and MM's,my initial reaction was I seriously thought there was something wrong with the Adams.

..

raal · 18th May 2008, 07:38 AM

after about a month i think i'll finally be getting my MM27s out of customs on monday.

rvwainscott · 18th May 2008, 08:11 AM

I actually had to call the company because I didn't get any documentation with these monitors and I did not know there was a "relaxed" setting until after I spoke with someone at Barefoot. They do not post any type of user's manual on their website either though I was told that that would soon be fixed.

Next, I didn't get to try them before I bought them. Sadly, I believe that I just might be the only facility in AZ to have a set of these but they were highly recommended to me so I thought I would give it a try and so far I am very happy with them. I did, though, let Barefoot know that they could send interested parties to my place if they had a serious buyer that really wanted to demo them. I would want someone to do the same for me.

I will post some images in the next day or so. We took some shots with our camera phones but I would rather post something nicer.

I realize that to compare them with the S3A's probably isn't fair 'cause of the difference in price. Sadly, I do not have anything even remotely close to compare them too nor have I seen anything in any of the boutique music outlets here in Phoenix that are similar.

Here, though, are some images of my control area minus the Barefoots. Imagine all the fun I had fitting the barefoots in there.

matucha · 18th May 2008, 10:25 AM

wow ;-)

but please, continue comparing them to S3A, that's what I have, so I can relate to that ;).

S3A can sound ugly ugly ugly when feeded with appropriate material. But good mixes are never harsh on them. There is also a level of details, I couldn't hear in any other box that went through my studio (k+h, dynaudios, aps...)

Tetness · 18th May 2008, 10:26 PM

Robert, glad you're happy with your purchase!

212121 · 19th May 2008, 01:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rvwainscott

The highs on the Barefoot system was not nearly as ear raping as the Adams. That ribbon tweater on the S3A's can really push the highs.

So why don't they put a "ribbon tweater" in the new mm12???

jho · 19th May 2008, 02:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 212121

So why don't they put a "ribbon tweater" in the new mm12???

RoundBadge · 19th May 2008, 04:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 212121

So why don't they put a "ribbon tweater" in the new mm12???

Because the hi's on the MM's already sound amazing.
The S3a's hi's sound separated and artificial in comparison

..

roostert · 19th May 2008, 04:26 AM

My Barefoots turn heads in tracking and mixing sessions here in Nashville everyday. They go everywhere I go in town. Players/clients/producers that have never heard them before are always shocked by the sound, and then they notice the side-firing subs. I can't imagine working without them now. I still use 2 small "crappy" speakers on mixes, but I find I literally only check once or twice on them. I almost entirely use the Barefoots from start to end. Everyone always talks about how loud they get.....and they can. However, you should try mixing on them at low volumes! They sound just as good soft. I promise.

rvwainscott · 19th May 2008, 05:21 AM

Here are some images of the barefoots in action. Sorry for the less than stellar quality of the images - I'm an engineer, not a photographer.

Also, I'm glad to say that these Monitors helped me land a new client today. Someone that wanted me to co-produce their album decided that he had to work on those monitors because he heard things in his mix that he never heard before on any other system.

I also had a long-term client that for years had insisted on using the Dynaudio's decide, after hearing the barefoots, that he didn't want to use the 6A's anymore. I'm still shocked at how great these things sound. I think I'll have some mixes finished by the end of the week so the real test will come when I hear how well they translate.

RoundBadge · 19th May 2008, 05:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rvwainscott

Here are some images of the barefoots in action. Sorry for the less than stellar quality of the images - I'm an engineer, not a photographer.

Man you've got the MM's spread way out there.
You gonna mix like that?

..

rvwainscott · 19th May 2008, 06:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RoundBadge

Man you've got the MM's spread way out there.
You gonna mix like that?

..

Until I come up with a better solution, yes. It isn't as bad as it looks. They are about 8 feet apart so, of course, I need to be slightly further back than with the other nearfields.

It was suggested to me that I shouldn't put them any closer than 6 feet from each other so I'm guessing that 8 feet is not way out there.

Also, these things are loud. I do not know of any other nearfield that throws out nearly 800 watts per side. The ADAMS only have 450 watts per monitor (3 x 150). While the low driver on the ADAMS get 150 watts the 10" drivers in the Barefoots get 500 watts. The mid driver on the Adams get 150 and the mid drivers on the Barefoots get 250. The adams win out with power to their ribbon tweeter sending it 150 watts compared to the 60 watts given to the dome tweeter in the Barefoots.

The high end on the adams can be a bit brutal and 150 watts pushed into a folded ribbon can at times feel like an ice pick but, if you are in search of sibilance, the Adams can be your best friend. You'll notice that I have not said a word about getting rid of them as I intend to continue using them a near field monitors.

Barefoot advertises these monitors as "micro mains" and, for the time being, I'm treating them that way. My control room is approx. 20' X 25' so I need my monitors to be a bit fuller.

RoundBadge · 19th May 2008, 06:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rvwainscott

Until I come up with a better solution, yes. It isn't as bad as it looks. They are about 8 feet apart so, of course, I need to be slightly further back than with the other nearfields.

It was suggested to me that I shouldn't put them any closer than 6 feet from each other so I'm guessing that 8 feet is not way out there.

Also, these things are loud. I do not know of any other nearfield that throws out nearly 800 watts per side. The ADAMS only have 450 watts per monitor (3 x 150). While the low driver on the ADAMS get 150 watts the 10" drivers in the Barefoots get 500 watts. The mid driver on the Adams get 150 and the mid drivers on the Barefoots get 250. The adams win out with power to their ribbon tweeter sending it 150 watts compared to the 60 watts given to the dome tweeter in the Barefoots.

The high end on the adams can be a bit brutal and 150 watts pushed into a folded ribbon can at times feel like an ice pick but, if you are in search of sibilance, the Adams can be your best friend. You'll notice that I have not said a word about getting rid of them as I intend to continue using them a near field monitors.

Barefoot advertises these monitors as "micro mains" and, for the time being, I'm treating them that way. My control room is approx. 20' X 25' so I need my monitors to be a bit fuller.

Yeah the MM's are cool like that.
you can have the volume,power and fullness to track with guys rocking in the control room or have em at super low volumes for quiet mixing and they don't flinch.

..

TapeOp · 19th May 2008, 07:23 AM

rvwainscott, you don't have enough monitors.

You either get some more or I'll start a petition for you to be banned from Gear Slutz.

h4nc0 · 19th May 2008, 07:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TapeOp

rvwainscott, you don't have enough monitors.

You either get some more or I'll start a petition for you to be banned from Gear Slutz.

+1

u b k · 19th May 2008, 07:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rvwainscott

The highs on the Barefoot system was not nearly as ear raping as the Adams. That ribbon tweater on the S3A's can really push the highs.

that's just their way of telling you the music doesn't need to be so damn bright

.

in all seriousness, i've never heard the s3a's present anything that was smooth as anything other than smooth.

gregoire
del
ubk
.

goldenlotus · 19th May 2008, 08:29 AM

Wow beautiful setup you've got there. Thanks for the pictures.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rvwainscott

Here are some images of the barefoots in action. Sorry for the less than stellar quality of the images - I'm an engineer, not a photographer.

Also, I'm glad to say that these Monitors helped me land a new client today. Someone that wanted me to co-produce their album decided that he had to work on those monitors because he heard things in his mix that he never heard before on any other system.

I also had a long-term client that for years had insisted on using the Dynaudio's decide, after hearing the barefoots, that he didn't want to use the 6A's anymore. I'm still shocked at how great these things sound. I think I'll have some mixes finished by the end of the week so the real test will come when I hear how well they translate.

Reptil · 19th May 2008, 09:28 AM

Wow busy setup!
you're a speaker slut

IME monitors need a bit of space around them. It depends on which kind of course, but did you try to remove some of them, and check?
I understand all ears are different, but seriously, you don't get interference? (the big PA ones resonating etc. the dynaudios getting a bump from the adams etc.)

Bastiano666 · 19th May 2008, 11:36 AM

Hey UBK !!!

I've read alots of your post about monitors and I would like to have opinion about the Barefoot MM27s if you ever heard them of course!!!

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17th May 2008, 04:43 AM	#1
rvwainscott Gear nut Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Phoenix Posts: 117	Barefoot Sound Micro Mains Vs. ADAM S3A's Our Barefoot Sound MM27's arrived yesterday (2 x 83lb boxes) and we hooked them up and put them through their paces. They are now sitting next to our ADAM S3A's and a Dynaudio BM6A 5.1 Surround System. The BM6A's have a Velodyne High Gain Series Sub as part of the system and it will, after much modification, produce 15hz accurately which is why I use that system for film post production. The first thing we noticed was that the Barefoot system was loud! They have 4X the power of the Adams but I assumed it would need most of that power to produce the low end that the company brags about so much. After all, my Velodyne can demand as much as 3000 watts to produce its lows. I had to make some adjustments so I could A/B/C them against the other speakers in the system. I was expecting to hear some difference between the systems but I was blown away by how radically different the Barefoot's were in comparison to the other monitors. First, I threw up a mix that featured a modern drum recording. On the Adams, I could just hear the attack of the snare and then the snare vanished. Switching to the Barefoots, I could not only hear the attack of the snare but I could also hear the shell as well as the reverb tail. Was this the same recording??? The Barefoots clearly had an openness in the mid's that the ADAMS just don't have. On the low end, the Barefoots had a low end response that I couldn't match until I brought the Velodyne Sub to bear. BTW, I know how picky people here are about things so let me tell you that the Velodyne HGS 18 is not a commercial sub. It has balanced inputs and I had that particular sub placed in a much sturdier cabinet that I had built for it as well as the fact that I had the speaker professionally tweaked and the amp was modified by velodyne not once but twice for us. When I say it will do 15hz with less than .05% distortion I am not kidding. Anyway, the Barefoot system even beat out our club system destroying everything but the Velodyne - I was impressed. The highs on the Barefoot system was not nearly as ear raping as the Adams. That ribbon tweater on the S3A's can really push the highs. All in all, I like the Barefoot system a lot. I'm very curious to see how my mixes will translate on this system. I also plan to keep using the S3A because they just plain sound bad in the same way an NS10 sounds bad. If I could get a mix to sound good on the ADAMS then I was sure they would sound good anywhere else. I would like to hear your thoughts on these speakers.

17th May 2008, 12:13 PM	#4
Dirty Halo Lives for gear Join Date: May 2005 Location: Hollyweird Posts: 2,952	Best description... I would best describe the Barefoot MM27s as being as reliable as a classic pair of NS-10s while ALSO giving you the satifaction of a pair of great sounding full mains, pumping your music to impress all listening -andrews

17th May 2008, 02:15 PM	#7
pw8888 Gear addict Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Switzerland-France Posts: 383	I use them (MM27) every day with client 100% happy when they listen the mixes OUTSIDE THE STUDIO !!! __________________ ----- www.theroomstudio.net www.redroomstudio.net

17th May 2008, 09:14 PM	#9
Dean Roddey Lives for gear Join Date: May 2008 Location: Mountain View, CA Posts: 739	So the street price is $3500 each? They best sound good. That puts them at $1700 more than a pair of S3-A's, which are already pretty pricey. At that price it might be more fair to compare them to the S4V-A MK from Adam perhaps? __________________ Dean Roddey Chairman/CTO Charmed Quark Systems, Ltd www.charmedquark.com RME 9632, Pearlman TM-1, MP500-NV + P-1, Mackie HR824mkII, SONAR PE, Amplitube/Ampeg + BFD/Dim Pro, Waves Platinum + URS, Les Paul Std + Amer. Strat/Jazz, pakKontrol + Oxygen

17th May 2008, 05:11 AM	#2
h4nc0 Gear maniac Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Seoul, Korea Posts: 226	I envy you. Barefoot speakers were on my wishlist forever, but I decided against it each time because there is no way to hear them before buying. Let us know how the mix translation goes compared to S3As.

17th May 2008, 12:05 PM	#3
radu.ionescu Gear maniac Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Geneva CH Posts: 170	my pair should arrive only monday according to fedex!! whatta wait; 4 months!! ill post my thoughts next week!!

17th May 2008, 09:00 PM	#8
cdog Lives for gear Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Brooklyn Posts: 2,177	Congrats on the purchase, thanks for the comments. They make the highs on the ADAMs seem harsh huh? Wow.

18th May 2008, 05:54 AM	#10
goldenlotus Lives for gear Join Date: May 2007 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 599	Would you mind posting some pictures of them in your studio? __________________ http://www.myspace.com/nickbrandes

18th May 2008, 07:38 AM	#13
raal Lives for gear Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: mexico Posts: 3,395	after about a month i think i'll finally be getting my MM27s out of customs on monday.

18th May 2008, 08:11 AM	#14
rvwainscott Gear nut Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Phoenix Posts: 117	More about the Barefoot's I actually had to call the company because I didn't get any documentation with these monitors and I did not know there was a "relaxed" setting until after I spoke with someone at Barefoot. They do not post any type of user's manual on their website either though I was told that that would soon be fixed. Next, I didn't get to try them before I bought them. Sadly, I believe that I just might be the only facility in AZ to have a set of these but they were highly recommended to me so I thought I would give it a try and so far I am very happy with them. I did, though, let Barefoot know that they could send interested parties to my place if they had a serious buyer that really wanted to demo them. I would want someone to do the same for me. I will post some images in the next day or so. We took some shots with our camera phones but I would rather post something nicer. I realize that to compare them with the S3A's probably isn't fair 'cause of the difference in price. Sadly, I do not have anything even remotely close to compare them too nor have I seen anything in any of the boutique music outlets here in Phoenix that are similar. Here, though, are some images of my control area minus the Barefoots. Imagine all the fun I had fitting the barefoots in there.

18th May 2008, 10:25 AM	#15
matucha Lives for gear Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Prague, Czech Republic Posts: 1,932	wow ;-) but please, continue comparing them to S3A, that's what I have, so I can relate to that ;). S3A can sound ugly ugly ugly when feeded with appropriate material. But good mixes are never harsh on them. There is also a level of details, I couldn't hear in any other box that went through my studio (k+h, dynaudios, aps...) __________________ Matous Godik

18th May 2008, 10:26 PM	#16
Tetness Lives for gear Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Hollywood Posts: 1,312	Robert, glad you're happy with your purchase! __________________ Barefoot Recording Monitors

19th May 2008, 04:26 AM	#20
roostert Gear Head Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 36	My Barefoots turn heads in tracking and mixing sessions here in Nashville everyday. They go everywhere I go in town. Players/clients/producers that have never heard them before are always shocked by the sound, and then they notice the side-firing subs. I can't imagine working without them now. I still use 2 small "crappy" speakers on mixes, but I find I literally only check once or twice on them. I almost entirely use the Barefoots from start to end. Everyone always talks about how loud they get.....and they can. However, you should try mixing on them at low volumes! They sound just as good soft. I promise.

19th May 2008, 05:21 AM	#21
rvwainscott Gear nut Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Phoenix Posts: 117	Images of Barefoots in Studio Here are some images of the barefoots in action. Sorry for the less than stellar quality of the images - I'm an engineer, not a photographer. Also, I'm glad to say that these Monitors helped me land a new client today. Someone that wanted me to co-produce their album decided that he had to work on those monitors because he heard things in his mix that he never heard before on any other system. I also had a long-term client that for years had insisted on using the Dynaudio's decide, after hearing the barefoots, that he didn't want to use the 6A's anymore. I'm still shocked at how great these things sound. I think I'll have some mixes finished by the end of the week so the real test will come when I hear how well they translate.

19th May 2008, 07:23 AM	#25
TapeOp Gear nut Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Europe Posts: 134	rvwainscott, you don't have enough monitors. You either get some more or I'll start a petition for you to be banned from Gear Slutz.

19th May 2008, 09:28 AM	#29
Reptil Lives for gear Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Uterèg statsie woar! Posts: 9,326	Wow busy setup! you're a speaker slut IME monitors need a bit of space around them. It depends on which kind of course, but did you try to remove some of them, and check? I understand all ears are different, but seriously, you don't get interference? (the big PA ones resonating etc. the dynaudios getting a bump from the adams etc.) __________________ one moment your chewing on suckly dandelions and farting leasurely from your massive hairy ass and next -BLAM- your're a popsicle imagine that "Once I thought I was wrong, but I was mistaken." Unknown Dolphins are being brutally massacred. Totally unnecessary. Please sign this petition: http://www.petitiononline.com/golfinho/petition.html

19th May 2008, 11:36 AM	#30
Bastiano666 Gear interested Join Date: May 2008 Location: Quebec,Canada Posts: 13	Hey UBK !!! I've read alots of your post about monitors and I would like to have opinion about the Barefoot MM27s if you ever heard them of course!!!