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Your thoughts about ATC loudspeakers

I’m interested in the ATC SCM-40 from their HiFi series and would like to hear from people who have owned or spent a lot of time with ATC speakers. This is a fairly new model and may be a bit of a departure from their classic sound.

At the show in Newport last weekend, I was quite taken by these speakers. I went back the next day and heard the same things that I liked about them, but a couple of red flags also went up:

Microdynamics – not sure these speakers do them well and microdynamics are critical to communicating inflection and nuance and to making music sound alive

Imaging, specifically wrt depth. Nothing much outside of the plane of the speakers, so recording venue info is not there and even instrument and vocal body may suffer a bit.

Were these shortcomings of setup or associated gear, or is this what ATC does?
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audiotroy's avatar
audiotroy
3,795 posts
 
Keoliphant, we sell the ATC and just took in mint pair of Harbeth C7 in trade towards the ATC SCM 19V2.

Here is the take on both speakers, first you do not want an overly warm amp with Harbeths, Harbeths are polite speakers in the treble. 

As per the ATC they are more dynamic, with a more life like sound, the Harbeths are more laid back perspective in the treble with a richer midrange.

We do not agree with Keoliphant the ATC sound great at all volumes, the issue with ATC is that many people like to play them loud as they do not compress and just get louder without compression. 

Low volume playback is all about a system's total resolution. 

If you like a rich laid back sound then Harbeths are your poison, if you favor a sound which mirrors real life the ATC are the better speaker.

If you like find wooden cabinets Harbeths are much prettier.

Dave and Troy
Audio Doctor NJ




biscorbit
143 posts
 
I didn't go with the 30.1 at the time cause I listen to mostly live concerts and a good amount electronic music.  I felt the C7 were a more of a all around speaker and more my style in sound.   Rock, jazz, blues, and classical are all great too!  Plus even at low levels they sound great.  I agree they really do sound better with a ss amp and pre.  The definition of the sound wasn't as mushy as with tubes.  Not to say a tube amp wouldn't be great I just know what I heard.   I found the Atc speakers to even be more finicky with matching amps and preamp.  My Mac ss sounds great with my C7, but I heard atc 40's with Mac gear I found them dull.  This is probably why many atc owners say to go active rather than passive.  
simna
165 posts
 

Hej

Just wanna say that I’ve had the ATC SCM 19v2 for about three years now. They are 20 cm from backwall and 230 cm from listening position. Room size about 3,9 x 4,5 m. Amp is an old tube amp (EL84 push-pull) with 35w. I`m usually listening at low to normal listening volume. Volume pot never higher than 10 o`clock so there is still more power to use (without distorsion, I`ve checked). Fatigue? Yes, with very bad recordings.

This speakers and this amp sounds wonderful together IMHO😀


Regards

Staffan


digsmithd
913 posts
 
I have had my scm 19 v2's for over a year...they are honest no colored up sounding...sometimes it could use 'candy colored'...these are the most honest sounding stand mounts ive had...
jb0194
476 posts
 
Based upon more listening to my recently acquired passive SCM40 mk2s I remain very impressed by how they portray music at modest volume. The clarity is outstanding, from acoustic/electric bass at the bottom though cymbals at the top. I mainly listen to acoustic jazz, and both instruments and voices are as faithful to their real life counterparts as I can expect from a music reproduction system.

I believe those who say ATC loudspeakers really shine at higher volumes. Just want to add my grist to the mill for others who listen at modest volumes, so as to encourage them to consider the brand when in the market for loudspeakers.
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