Alright, a quick update. So with my BM5 mkIII’s (7" driver) hooked up I loaded a track into Live and dropped an EQ with a low cut at 50Hz on it to try to simulate what a smaller (4-5") driver with a cutoff around that point would sound like. Don’t know why it didn’t occur to me sooner to run this little test, given that I have at my disposal monitors that can reach into the low end easily.
Yeah, I’d miss the sub frequencies for sure on a smaller monitor. The track I listened to is Ultraviolet by Deas (great track btw). There is almost an entire secondary groove/pump/gallop happening in the sub frequencies, and it pretty much vanishes when you apply the EQ cut. Tried to hear the sub frequencies with headphones but they do not reproduce this low end in the same way at all. With the monitors it’s much more visceral, on headphones it’s more of a “suggestion”.
That said, the 7" isn’t shy with the bass and all that low frequency stuff will probably show up as problems in production. So, @darenager, you are absolutely right about room treatment. I am way overthinking the monitor choice and not thinking enough about acoustics.
@maxoche, they really are great! It’s just a shame that they hiss so loud. I think they are not intended for people to sit so close to them. And yeah, I am almost 100% sure that the hissing is inherent to the speakers themselves. They hiss when on without anything plugged in, they hiss when my internet router and any LED lights are off (interference), and they hiss in another room on a different outlet. I can record the hissing sound, but I don’t know how useful that would be. The little iOS app Decibel X reads -30dB right against the tweeter grill. I can hear the hissing at 1.3m. At <1m it’s very noticeable. But if I zone out I kind of forget about it… But I feel like it would contribute to ear fatigue over time.
All that said, if they didn’t hiss I’d keep the BM5 mkIII’s. But since I will most likely be returning them, I am now thinking that maybe 7" is a tad too much sub for my room and I should go for something in the 5.5-6.5" range. Maybe, just maybe, the A5X will be enough (goes down to 50Hz according to the specs), and the future sound treatment will help it out with the low end. But, like @Ciaba said, they are an old model and yet their price still feels premium. The 8030C’s are newer, compact, but also 390 EUR more expensive and don’t go as low…
I wish the HS7’s were more flat or that ADAM released A5V’s as part of their new lineup instead of the 4". They would be just perfect.
Or maybe I just keep the the BM5 mkIII’s, learn to live with the hiss. Returning monitors is a PITA.
Tiny tangent: why do people use subs and/or 8"+ monitors? Is there really that much more usable information below 40Hz? Don’t most people cut into that with EQs anyway?
Back on topic: I promise I will make a decision, guys! It’s so easy to get OCD about this stuff. It’s like a big fat balancing puzzle where you juggle budget, features, specs, available space, acoustics, looks, reviews, tests, etc, etc… But I will decide one day! (Preferably by the end of the weekend so I can move on with my life haha)
Thanks for all the comments and participation! It’s helpful and I am learning things.