Short answer: the Airpulse A100. It ranks #35 of 108 powered bookshelf speakers by sound quality, rated 4.0/5, at $999.99; the ADAM Audio A4V ranks #67, rated 3.6/5, and costs $1,079.98, so there is little reason to consider the other one.
Why pick the ADAM Audio A4V: A compact studio monitor with onboard DSP, placement controls and room correction support for tricky rooms. The catch: A small average-deviation figure hides a major localized response irregularity: the selected measurement spans 10.8dB from 300Hz to 5kHz, and listening-window narrow-band deviation is 0.547.
The Airpulse A100 is the more accurate pick. A compact powered pair with a ribbon tweeter, Bluetooth, digital inputs, a remote and a subwoofer output. Its measured preference score, a predictor of how neutral it sounds, is 4.56 against 3.92 for the ADAM Audio A4V. It keeps a wired aux input, which the ADAM Audio A4V lacks. Watch for: Bass reaches -3dB around 63Hz, so lower notes need a subwoofer for full weight.
Buy the Airpulse A100. It is rated higher for sound quality than the ADAM Audio A4V and costs less, so only choose the other one for a particular feature it does better.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Powered Home rankings.
A compact studio monitor with onboard DSP, placement controls and room correction support for tricky rooms.
A compact powered pair with a ribbon tweeter, Bluetooth, digital inputs, a remote and a subwoofer output.
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Specifications Side By Side
| ADAM Audio A4V | Airpulse A100 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,079.98 per pair | $999.99 per pair |
| Ranked | #67 of 108 in Medium Size Powered Bookshelf Speakers | #35 of 108 in Medium Size Powered Bookshelf Speakers |
| Enclosure | 2-way active, dual front ports | - |
| Drivers | X-ART folded-ribbon tweeter, 4” MLM woofer | Horn-loaded ribbon tweeter, 5” hard-anodized aluminum cone woofer |
| Dimensions | 10.6H x 6.2W x 8.7D in | 6.3” x 11.1” x 10” (160 x 283 x 255 mm) each |
| Weight | 12.8 lbs (5.8 kg) each | 24.3 lbs (11 kg) each |
| Amplifier Power | 130W RMS each | 100W total (40W+40W woofer, 10W+10W tweeter) |
| Inputs | XLR and RCA; Ethernet for control | RCA (aux), USB, optical, coaxial, Bluetooth aptX |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 3.92 | 4.56 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 6.33 | 7.08 |
| XLR Input | Yes | No |
| RCA Input | Yes | Yes |
| TRS Input | No | No |
| Optical Input | No | Yes |
| Coaxial Input | No | Yes |
| USB Input | No | Yes |
| HDMI Input | No | No |
| AES Input | No | No |
| Aux Input | No | Yes |
| Bluetooth | No | Yes (SBC, aptX) |
| Frequency Response | 58Hz - 41kHz (-3dB) (Manufacturer specified) | 52Hz - 40kHz |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | - | 53.2Hz (measured, spinorama.org) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | - | 63.0Hz (measured, spinorama.org) |
| App | - | None (physical bass/treble knobs, IR remote) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | - | SBC, aptX |
| EQ | - | Yes, rear-panel bass/treble trim knobs |
| Bluetooth Version | - | 4.1 |
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