ATC scm 19 upgrade ??

BTW, ATC and Bel Canto make a marvelous combination.

I haven't tried so I really can't say either way - although Bel Canto has the power needed and it is a respected brand. I think the dealer above is mostly concerned about Class D amp design and lets face it - nearly everyone has an opinion or bias on amp design (from tubed single ended to Class D everyone seems to have their preferences). I suspect however Powerstudio's problem is more with the speaker as I would not be surprisedto hear that he has already checked it with another amp - at low levels in a near field position you are only going to need 40 watts.

In my experience source problems with ATC tend to show up more at loud levels - digital hash, a poor recording, amplifier distortion all become annoying due to the forward midrange (like with a horn you hear it - nothing is sugar coated).

Another caveat is that, as a general rule, louder (as long as it remains without distortion) always sounds much better. This makes it hard to listen without inching up the volume. Inevitably, ATC users nearly always end up listening at louder SPL's than those with other speakers. Some people say it is the way they are voiced (light bass) whilst others argue it is because they don't distort as much as most speakers. Perhaps it is a combination of both.

Along these lines, however, it would be nice to know what source Powerstudio is using or has tried?

Hi there
Mglik what amp do you reccomend me for scm 19 and relative low cost with xlr input.

Shadome I´m using cranesong avocet class A monitor controller

and yes at low level the bass is very soft low mids too.
At normal level (70db) all fine, maybe the highs are very soft, less resolution but this can be do it to my treatement absortion

Powerstudio,

You appear to be working at quite low SPL's (far less than 70 db). At lower levels it should be nearly all midrange and as you go higher in SPL the treble and bass should become more prominent. Something is indeed unusual or plain wrong.

Try to run some tests at different SPL levels (what you mix at and what "sounds good") to see what you are experiencing in your room with your gear.

This may help you confirm what you have described - right now I think a ported speaker with more bass output is on the cards.

FWIW: Another angle to pursue is that the Cranesong Avocet is described by Bob Katz as being similar to Benchmark DAC1 - this suggests soft or 'missing' lower midrange (according to benchmark manual that is what most people perceive the DAC1 to sound like compared to other DAC's).

FWIW2; See Equal loudness curves. Notice how bass and lower midrange (500 Hz) drops in sensitivity as you go to lower SPL's (from 70 to 20 db SPL) - relative to the all the other frequencies.

I usually work at 65/70db but I feel important change from 70 to 68/65(1 steep down in avocet)

Avocet can be similar than benmarch but avocet is far superior used in hundred of mastering rooms

Maybe I need a ported monitor or atc actives...
and what about scm 7 with subwoofer??

Avocet can be similar than benmarch but avocet is far superior used in hundred of mastering rooms

I did not mean to imply Avocet is comparable in quality to DAC1 - I just read Bob Katz review thats all. I don't know this Avocet at all - so I simply googled it and found that Bob Katz says, "So, what does the Avocet sound like? For digital (PCM) sources, its DAC sounds indistinguishable from the Benchmark, one of the best DACs I’ve heard regardless of price"

I usually work at 65/70db but I feel important change from 70 to 68/65(1 steep down in avocet)

=> In this case something is wrong for sure. I don't think it is a speaker choice problem - something is broken or not operating correctly. If the image moves slightly then you can suspect one channel or the other in the chain - it could be speaker, source or amp or coupling between source and amp. FWIW: If you are controlling the volume with the Avocet then extremes in attenuation are best avoided as that is where any volume control is usually at its worst. If there a way you can attenuate the Bel Canto (does it have trim pots?) so that you drive the Avocet higher in line level signal into the Bel Canto then that would be the next step that I would try. Volume attenuation does strange things even with high end gear when at extremes - it can affect noise floor, dynamics, imaging and frequency response in subtle ways.