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Review ATC SCM20PSL monitors 50 hours listening

My wife's system under construction consists of a Rega Apollo R CD player, Luxman 509X integrated and new ATC SCM20PSL monitors!  In burr magnolia.  They are gorgeous!  All electronics sitting on an IKEA two shelf bench.  I did mention system under construction....before anyone flames. That shelf will be corrected with a Quadraspire SVT stand.  Okay?

Even in this incomplete phase with the monitors sitting on no name massed 29" stands, they are incredible.  The Luxman grabs hold of them firmly and just drives them.  All control.  The ATCs are really quick, image well without completely disappearing and have controlled slam.  Nicely extended highs, beautiful midrange and tight bass easily revealing acoustic bass timbre.  One can easily differentiate between Eddie Gomez, Edgar Meyer and Charnett Moffett.

She is having great fun with it even if Bon Jovi recordings mostly sound, well, marginal to be honest.  Heresy I say, but it's her system.

Zavfino Prima power cables, Decware ICs, Mojo Mystique 3 DAC, Duelund speaker cables, Decware ZLC power conditioner.

celtic66
veroguy
138 posts
 

Thanks for sharing, @celtic66 

Does your wife listen to these near-field?  How big is the room. 

I'm shopping ATC speakers now, and I've always wondered how the pro monitors would sound in a more traditional audiophile configuration.

 

 

celtic66 OP
1,651 posts
 

Room is a decently sized bedroom, so would say 12X20.  I’m on the road currently or I would measure it.  Strongly recommend really solid high current power and respectable front end.  The ATCs will chew up weaker offerings of unstable power. Enjoy.

dz13
232 posts
 

Does your wife have an identical twin sister with the same interests? 😉

celtic66 OP
1,651 posts
 

dz13    No.  Same interests in mentioned artists or really good equipment?  I've difficulties meshing the two.

Ag insider logo xs@2x
lonemountain
448 posts
 

Pro models sonically behave the same as consumer models.  However, pro models are in a different cabinet- an MDF cabinet painted black.  This usually leaves consumers unhappy as it will have multiple visible flaws.   We've had an audiophile try to buy a pro 20 to save money over the classic 20 and sent all three pairs back over a cosmetics (turning them all into B stock although they were all perfectly normal).  Pros don't care about tiny nicks or irregularities in paint.  Pros want the cheapest possible cabinet because it will get banged up anyway after a few years of use.  Most audiophiles do not understand this and think they should all be "assembly line perfect" even though ATC is small production handmade product. 

Consumer product has nice finishes and carefully built cabinets.

Brad   

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