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The Adamante’s tonal balance is quite even. There’s only a small but noticeable drift into the leaner side. I deliberately refrained from calling it brighter since that would suggest more presence region energy. That's not the case. Simply envision a 16Hz to 20kHz neutral and very flat speaker. Now subtract the lowest two octaves and resist compensatory trickery. Presto, that’s the ‘lighter’ side of the Adamante. Midrange and treble are transitioned seamlessly, exceptionally transparent and—vital at least to me—utterly nonchalant and natural in character. That’s the basic stunt this speaker pulls. Because I initially distrusted my take on it, I swapped plenty of musical chairs.

Let’s start with Cake’s Prolonging the Magic and the track "You Turn The Screws". It was joy from the first note. The intro’s right-handed piano sounds were simply there.  All the nuances of the hammer fall were plain yet not in any over-eager ‘look ma’ fashion. Instead it was all so very self-effacingly relaxed and obvious. Ditto the trumpet. It seemed unwaveringly bolted to the floor slightly left of stage center and showcased excellent structure and finesse. When the song got serious 20 seconds later, it was very easy to be generous and overlook that the bass accompaniment lacked some of the usual pressurization. For reference, the equally compact Thiel traded places. Piano action indeed gained a shade of warmth and fullness with the American. What really stumped me however was another observation – a fine grayish mist with caused less differentiation and a somewhat flatter, fuzzier, less spatial presentation. Had I not acquired the small Thiel as a compact reference monitor precisely for its famous transparency, microdynamic agility, accuracy and freedom from hardness? Had she not shown costlier challengers—occasionally far costlier ones—a clean set of heels on those counts? Flummoxed, the Diapason was moved back. This so wasn’t possible.
But it was; at least relative to the Italian. Even the unfriendliest commentator could never claim that the Adamante conjures up its brand of transparency by injecting glassy, metallic, hyper-pronounced, forward or hard ingredients which might win quickie auditions but would turn anyone off three hours later. There’s simply no artifice or effort, period. I’d go as far as calling the Diapason a relaxation-inducing monitor. Precisely because the tunes are presented with such clarity, there’s not even any subconscious doubt that better cables or assorted cones might improve our ability to tell what’s what. Instead one might ascertain whether Sade’s Solider of Love lingered in the domestic inventory. Mine had it.


Now I must cover something about the bass which I really liked. First and to repeat, low bass was missing and mid/upper bass enhancements were as well. The Adamante won’t sound full but for its size and the kind of rooms one should use her in, she isn't lean either. So much on amplitude. On quality, the usual dry/underdamped scheme misses the boat. Perhaps semi sec would cover it?

It’s a question of timing. The Diapason tracks impulses instantaneously and doesn’t overdamp the decays to there take its time. The trademark beats of Solder of Love rang out clearly longer and looser than over many other speakers. The effect was nearly ‘cool’ in its innate swing yet simply a function of accuracy. Dryness which kills this natural ring-out isn’t for me and exactly why the Adamante had me at hello. Besides high transparency and superlative dimensionality, this speaker lives a third central virtue – timing precision. Perhaps the notion to wire up the mid/woofer to the amplifier direct with just a short inner wire was spot on. The result was certainly highly immediate and consistent, be it on the very first piano attack by Cake, drums and percussions in general or in fact transients of any denomination.

One evening Calexico’s Hot Rail was on the spinner and I was focused elsewhere to pay much attention. But when at the end of the title track the jackhammer kicked in (which erects the virtual rail construction scene that gives the album its name), my body couldn’t help itself. I had to look up to make sure no construction worker had walked into my flat to bust open the flooring. Who in their right mind conducts A/Bs for jackhammer realism? It was admittedly outré but fascinating nonetheless just how the Adamante dealt with common noises. An unplugged hammer if you will.


Conclusion: I looked forward to this assignment and also harbored a certain ambivalence. I probably expected a friendly speaker which everyone would like because it was voiced to the warm and cuddly side while blowing a large chunk of the budget on cosmetic bragging rights, not sonics. I I only fully understood this preconception in hindsight when it failed.


Diapason’s Adamante is an exceptionally resolved monitor with first-class soundstaging and (not often the case) blessed with articulate yet musical timing that avoids all artificial edge. Instead of going after overt warmth, its foot is planted on the more lightweight side of the fence. It's a deliberate choice your preferences must match.


If you’re blessed with the requisite change and listen in small to medium rooms, this woody Italian is a must audition. I was blown away sonically and bought into the fine furniture charms only afterwards. Sonic traits include:


 • The Adamante refuses midbass lift to compensate for lack of bass which is endemic to the monitor breed. The tonal balance is thus somewhat lightweight but does not tilt up to remain even and most certainly not too bright or forward.
• Midrange and treble are seamlessly connected and brilliantly clear. Detail retrieval is excellent but lacks all tiresome aggression. The word is simply ‘informative’.


• The bass too is perfectly integrated but generates no pressure waves nor mines deeply. Existing bass is exceptionally ‘swingy’, i.e. instantaneous on the attack and finely nuanced on the decay to not step on the brakes with overdamped bone dryness.
• Transient events (noises, percussion, string attacks) are unbelievably realistic.
• Soundstaging is beyond reproach by combining millimeter sorting with a holistic presentation. Sounds are three-dimensional rather than flat, firmly localized and freely suspended and decorrelated from the speakers. Depth layering is impressive even at the edges of the stage. The speakers lights up the entire recorded venue.
• The Diapason isn’t really SPL stable.


Facts:
Concept: 2-way bass reflex monitor with direct-drive mid/woofer (no electrical filter:
Dimensions & weight: 26 x 36 x 36.5cm W x D x H, 8kg/ea.
Sensitivity: 89 dB/W/m
Nominal impedance: 6 ohms
Other: Biwire terminals, optional €980 stand
Website
 
 
redaktion @ fairaudio.de

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