Same. My ATC SCM50ASLTs are 9' away and completely coherent.
@celtic66 is correct. The very low levels of distortion of these active speakers can at first be confusing to the uninitiated.
Active ATC vs Spendor / Pass Labs
I had a lovely demo. of a Pass INT 60/ Spendor D9.2.
Had all the musical flow, engagement at all volume levels that I could ever want. A truly impressive demo.
But……. I have always wanted an active ATC SCM50A is what I always dreamed of owning with say a Benchmark LA4 Pre. about the same $$$ where I am for either combo.
I have heard the ATC - different room and gear. But I didn’t do the all listening levels demo. like I did with the Pass / Spendor. Just at a medium / loud level and was so very impressed. I can’t demo the ATC again, my dealer only orders them as someone wants one from ATC direct due to the current economical environment.
So… will I be unimpressed ordering the ATC at all level listening levels or will it not have the Pass / Spendor engagement factor that we quite frankly very addictive ?
I am really at a crossroad as which way to go.
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I am the US importer of ATC, so know first that I am terribly biased. I won’t disagree with much said in this thread because opinions seem to ring true except @celtic66 - which makes me think he heard them in a terrible room. (They don’t sound like that to anyone I’ve ever demo’d to and I’ve demo’d to a huge cross section of people, skilled and unskilled, at listening). I do think they are clean, which is what low distortion sounds like, but the closer I get to people who actually write, mix or master recordings or are gear reviewers, typically the more they like the ATC sound (which is actually lack of sound of its own). Look up a review done by Neil Gader - passive vs active 50s- its interesting. BUT the thing I can add to the comments above is 50As can do one thing differently than most speakers: reveal more details about what is front of them. I have never heard more difference in cables, DACs, footers, preamps, streamers, turntables etc as I have with ATC 50A-150A. Tube vs solid state preamps are MASSIVELY different. I think active 50s improve the hobby, make a better platform for experimenting as these little changes become even bigger and easier to identify. I don’t miss changing amps when changing anything else before the ATC 50A is such a significant change. I think 50 Actives are a blast to own over time for this very reason! Brad |
@lonemountain Isn't language interesting? What I obviously failed to convey is that others who have listened to my ATC SCM 50 actives have found them scary GOOD! The immediacy, sound stage, dynamics and slam are astonishing. I see them as my end game transducer. Period. |
@celtic66 Well Im so sorry to jump to the wrong conclusion. Im glad you like them! brad |
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