ATC SCM40A speakers

Ran ATC SCM 40A for 3 years, then gifted them to a friend.  They are fabulous and reveal each improvement made in front of and to them (Gaia ll footers).  
They provide immediacy of attack, space around vocals and instruments, are dynamic and sound stage well.  

They do not like tube preamps IME.  Tubes were too slow.  They can be a bit merciless with bad recordings.  They are not aggressive.  Only revealing.

Replaced them with ATC SCM 50A.  Best of luck.

Could I be your friend  celtic? 

Pick me! Pick me!

I run my SCM40V2’s with a Cary SLP05 with ultimate upgrade and Raytheon VT231’s and CBS Hytron 5692’s (latter in input buffer). I have a hard disagree with use of the passive or active versions with a tube preamp. I replaced my otherwise excellent but hard sounding SCM35’s with these speakers, so 22 years of living with ATC speakers. I think my setup (with a SST Son smp) sounds better than any combo driving these speakers (including ATC electronics). I haven’t heard anything below $10K that matches the passive version, and IMHO if you get the active version, a tube preamp will slightly soften the edge on the sound but will give a better spatial sense of air around the instruments and make the sound more lifelike.

I add that my amplification setup sounds better than any that I have heard, not better than any available! I bet the Gryphon 333 Diablo would sound amazing if one wanted only solid state amplification (or its little brother), and I bet that an Audio Research Ref 6se and Reference 80S amp would be wonderful for an all tube route!