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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?
Ag insider logo xs@2xdrubin
transaudio
96 posts
 
This idea that ATC is "not easy to drive" is an opinion, not fact.  The fact is its quite easy to drive for the impedance curve does not drop down low as is the case with large number of passives.  A reasonable amplifier can drive them fine.  A large amplifier can drive them fine too.

ATC makes an 150W/ch amp themselves (P1) - costs $4k. Uses the same design as their 3 way active amp packs.    Unless 4K is a cost no object price point?  
Brad
frustee
10 posts
 
I was driving ATC SCM 40 V2s with a 10 year old Rotel RB-1090 Amplifier which cost me $895 here on the Gon.  

400 wpc into 8 ohms.  That Rotel owned the ATCs.

Plenty of good values in used high power amps, would not sweat that issue.
jaybe
753 posts
 
I've heard SCM 19v2 speakers driven by a 30 watt Pass amp and a preamp with adequate gain. They went plenty loud for most listening and sounded mighty nice.
melville's avatar
melville
22 posts
 
I am currently waiting for a pair of SCM19V2 to arrive.  I will be driving them with a Norma IPA 140, which is a damn fine amp.  With regard to contenders: I am selling my ML Ethos, though brilliant, because I am more accustomed to smaller boxes where the images have a better chance of being 'seen' in a virtual soundstage.  I have had Spendor D7s, which were also great, but not particularly dynamic.  I found that I could not live with the Harbeth 7es3 because I was too aware of cabinet resonance with some material.  Sonus Faber Amator M was a very nice-sounding speaker, but my room has problems with rear-firing ports.  I wish there were better videos on Youtube of the 19s.  The ones with the speakers on the cabinet are anathema.  Anyway, I bought the ATCs because I want smooth treble, neutral, realistic mids and tight, controlled bass.  From all of my reading, I think that I have made the right choice. 

I will keep you posted once they are in my system.   
jb0194
476 posts
 
I just added the SCM40 v2 to my system. I find them very enjoyable at low to modest volume, sounding lively and with superbly articulate bass. They really immerse me into the music. My Naim Uniti (80w@8, 155w@4) drives them effortlessly at my preferred listening levels. The soundscape belies their relatively compact size.
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