I recently obtained a pair of the SCM 40 V2, and can report they are outstanding speakers. I have the Devialet Expert Pro 1000, with speaker Active Matching, and this is a superb sounding combination. I actually think this setup sounds better than the Active version, mainly due to the SAM feature, as well as the increased power.
ATC SCM 40 v2 report
Hi all.
I received a lot of help when I was looking to replace vintage KEF references (thanks again -- you know who-- for aiming me at the ATCs). So I thought I owed the forum a report on my experience with them. Plus, I'm bored.
I'm driving them with a 150 watt Musical Fidelity A308 integrated, which seems like a good match, but my expertise in such things is very limited. I'm using an okay DAC, streaming from a Mac. Cables and such are ordinary. Most of this was determined by budget more than preference.
Mostly, I agree with what others say about my passive ATCs. Their sound is too compelling and detailed to use as background music (I write) unless I send them crappy low-res stuff, which kind of defeats the purpose of the deal. This is clearly a gold-plated problem, if the word "problem" applies at all. Strangely, they turned out to be pickier about placement, at least in terms of centerstage and soundstage than the rear-ported KEFs (the new ones are sealed. Perhaps that affects bass and wall placement more than what I'm talking about. I need the volume up higher to get the same effect, but never past eleven on the dial, with no hot amp.
They look fine -- nothing special in either direction, to my eyes. I would've much preferred the cherry finish but got a great deal on this site for a piano black pair. They''re not as big and imposing as I expected, so I didn't have to become big and imposing myself to handle my wife's opinion about their looks. :)
Anyway, THEY SOUND GREAT. That's the bottom line. Punchy, deep, detailed, airy, complex, powerful, beautiful. I stole some of these adjectives from other posts, but they all fit. I haven't discovered any genre they can't handle with elegant aplomb (I told you I write). I don't think they do badly with poor recordings, either. Crap is crap as far as I'm concerned. I don't expect any equipment to transform crap into gold (okay, I didn't say I was a GOOD writer).
I would agree that the ATCs don't do anything to boost low volume listening, and that's fine with me. On the other end of the spectrum, the complete lack of distortion at high volume is amazing. Like others, I've been able to listen much louder than before with no discomfort, allowing me to notice all sorts of stuff in the music.
Even when I don't care for a performer or a track, if it's well-recorded, the literal sound is often beautiful enough to capture my interest. I've never had that experience with other speakers. I listen to great variety of genres. I think the speakers like string and wind quartets and quintets the best, with women's voices and live bar bands next.
They're in a very complex, impossible to describe room and I've not employed any room treatment or testing. There is no spot in our house beside exactly where they are, and the opposing wall is all windows to capture a beautiful view. There's thick carpeting and complexly slanted high ceilings. All in all, the ATCs seem to do a good job of overcoming these obstacles. I'm sure they'd sound even better in another room, driven by more high-end equipment, but...
I can certainly grow into them, starting with my DAC. Someday...
So there you go.
Marc
I received a lot of help when I was looking to replace vintage KEF references (thanks again -- you know who-- for aiming me at the ATCs). So I thought I owed the forum a report on my experience with them. Plus, I'm bored.
I'm driving them with a 150 watt Musical Fidelity A308 integrated, which seems like a good match, but my expertise in such things is very limited. I'm using an okay DAC, streaming from a Mac. Cables and such are ordinary. Most of this was determined by budget more than preference.
Mostly, I agree with what others say about my passive ATCs. Their sound is too compelling and detailed to use as background music (I write) unless I send them crappy low-res stuff, which kind of defeats the purpose of the deal. This is clearly a gold-plated problem, if the word "problem" applies at all. Strangely, they turned out to be pickier about placement, at least in terms of centerstage and soundstage than the rear-ported KEFs (the new ones are sealed. Perhaps that affects bass and wall placement more than what I'm talking about. I need the volume up higher to get the same effect, but never past eleven on the dial, with no hot amp.
They look fine -- nothing special in either direction, to my eyes. I would've much preferred the cherry finish but got a great deal on this site for a piano black pair. They''re not as big and imposing as I expected, so I didn't have to become big and imposing myself to handle my wife's opinion about their looks. :)
Anyway, THEY SOUND GREAT. That's the bottom line. Punchy, deep, detailed, airy, complex, powerful, beautiful. I stole some of these adjectives from other posts, but they all fit. I haven't discovered any genre they can't handle with elegant aplomb (I told you I write). I don't think they do badly with poor recordings, either. Crap is crap as far as I'm concerned. I don't expect any equipment to transform crap into gold (okay, I didn't say I was a GOOD writer).
I would agree that the ATCs don't do anything to boost low volume listening, and that's fine with me. On the other end of the spectrum, the complete lack of distortion at high volume is amazing. Like others, I've been able to listen much louder than before with no discomfort, allowing me to notice all sorts of stuff in the music.
Even when I don't care for a performer or a track, if it's well-recorded, the literal sound is often beautiful enough to capture my interest. I've never had that experience with other speakers. I listen to great variety of genres. I think the speakers like string and wind quartets and quintets the best, with women's voices and live bar bands next.
They're in a very complex, impossible to describe room and I've not employed any room treatment or testing. There is no spot in our house beside exactly where they are, and the opposing wall is all windows to capture a beautiful view. There's thick carpeting and complexly slanted high ceilings. All in all, the ATCs seem to do a good job of overcoming these obstacles. I'm sure they'd sound even better in another room, driven by more high-end equipment, but...
I can certainly grow into them, starting with my DAC. Someday...
So there you go.
Marc
27 responses Add your response
HI I’m the importer for ATC to the US. Craig that tri wire panel isn’t my favorite either, but many users of ours in the past have requested bi wire and tri wire connections. It could be said that in 99% of the cases, amplifiers and cables lend a much bigger difference than the wiring panel itself. The associated gear in the chain would normally be the place to look for improvements. However, if you have settled on all the associated gear, changing a connector in the signal path could make a difference. Nearly all items in the physical and electrical signal chain affect sonics in some way. I have no doubt you heard a difference as careful listening can reveal differences between banana plugs and bare wire. For many investigating better cables, better preamplifiers, amplifiers or for the biggest difference, by switching to active versions, would yield a larger difference than the connector panel. Happy Listening Brad, |
Hi, I realize this is an old thread but just wanted to get it out there that the ATC, in my case, sound a ton better when the crazy tri amp brass (it seemed to me they were) binding posts set up (with jumpers used in most photos I have seen) are removed entirely by simply unscrewing the binding post cup and removing the tri-wire rig then bringing the three positive and the three negative hookup wires (take a couple of pics with your cell phone in case you forget which goes on which side because there are a lot of different colored wires) then cut them, strip, twist together and solder onto a length of hookup wire (I used Neotech solid strand) slid on some heat shrink. Hit that with the heat gun or hair dryer, then soldered each of the resulting pair to to a Cards binding post after having pulled each wire through the mounting bracket. You have to remove the nuts from the Cardas before soldering because they are otherwise heat sinks, put down some rosin that comes in a small little tub. Hook the lead wire into the hole at end of BP and get a nice mechanical connection and then. And this is critical. Use a gun style or whatever type of very high voltage soldering iron and use the Cardas solder and the solder will near instantaneously turn into the consistency of water. Cover the the four remaining holes in the BP cover. (Used some carbon fiber sheet, but aluminum with JB Weld or maybe just JB Weld would work). Now you have removed a few ounces of brass and 8 x 2 push on connectors and 2 x 2 jumpers out of the signal path. The heat gun soldering iron will likely stop working after the first use. Don’t send it back because the same thing will happen to the next one. Instead just tighten the screws that secure the tip to the gun. Again, I know this is an old thread I just wanted to use it to get this out there. |
If I try to read or write or carry on a conversation while music is playing on the speakers, it’s hard to concentrate because the music keeps pulling my attention to it. I haven’t experienced this with other speakers. There is something compelling that penetrates me if I try to do something simultaneously. I’m describing the phenomenon more dramatically than I need to to make my point. It is perfectly possible to put on certain pieces and still focus on work or whatever. It’s just a bit of a challenge sometimes.The speakers you named would be my dream speakers. I don’t think you can get anything much better than those without selling a few houses or something. They need a pretty big room, though. That’s my understanding. |
ATC is a very respected brand one of the best in England for sure. I do not blame you for liking them so much. The studios use them a lot to mix and master on as well as other British brands like Spendor, Harbeth, Stirling Broadcast, Chartwell, Rogers, KEF, and B&W. They all have their own sounds but you picked a good one for sure. |
When you say you do not think they are not for background music what exactly do you mean? I am seriously interested in active pair (maybe 50s) which, I am aware yorus are not, but I have to start somewhere. Can you elaborate? Most of the time do not sit to listen which, I guess, would be background music for some. |
Oh, I forgot. My handle was a hastily chosen thing I could remember. I didn't realize I'd continue being on here when I went on to ask a question. It's an old employee number I remember easily from when i worked for a big HMO. I was a car guy back in the day. I had a used 1963 Jaguar 3.8 MK 2 and then a 1971 XJ6 with a Corvette motor and transmission. What a car. I did pick out a BMWX3 for my wife, though. Great car with crappy audio (We got it used for too little to resist). |
Low volume first: Folks discuss this phenomenon on other threads and forums. Basically, some brands--even Harbeth--boost the mid-bass and treble when the volume goes low. This lets us hear it the way we would if it were louder, given some basic physics/audio science elements in the equation that I don't remember. So when a mfg like ATC doesn't do that, and folks are used to it, low volume can seem lacking. I don't experience it as a deficit--just a difference. Basically, do you want the literal recording represented as is with no changes regardless of the volume, or do you appreciate the boosted sound. Certainly, on good speakers, the effect is subtle, but noticeable. Unless someone mostly or solely listens at low volume, I wouldn't think this would be a reason to eschew ATCs. Next, BLimo: yes, I've made significant progress in my efforts to get the center centered, and yet expand the soundstage equally and widely. Trial and error with toe-in and placement of everything have yielded good results. With no toe-in, one speaker exactly equidistant from the other and the listener, while the other is 6" farther away from the listener seems to compensate for the very uneven wall/glass across from each. I also bought stuff to dissolve the earwax that might be involved, but despite putting using the stuff on daily to-do lists, I haven't yet. Maybe today... I don't think there are any spots for panels. every bit of wall space is either a picture window (floor length), a doorway, a hall, an open area, or filled in with furniture. Sometimes I think the whole schmeer counterbalances itself and ends up with something reasonable--there are so many angles and objects to break up reflections, if not absorb them. Perhaps my ears can't tell when something's too bright or out of whack. Other times, I just try to accept the limitations. It's a wonderful house if you put aside audio considerations (something I'm sure is difficult for a lot of people on here). It's like a treehouse with a view of the Monterey Bay in Northern Ca. |
Thanks for the update! Its always nice to hear about someone enjoying there setup and also having something that sounds the best they’ve had. Hows the center image? Were you able to make some progress there? Small adjustments to the speakers may dial that in a bit better for you. Also, Gik Acoustics new foam panels from there impression series really aren’t bad looking at all! Might want to see if the better half green lights a couple that she picks out. Lastly, are you a BMW guy? Your moniker is M6. I love M cars. Had 2 different M3’s and my brother has had 3 M3’s and now had an M2... |
You are right, of course. I misremembered the number of my KEFs. I’ll look back on my posts and give you the right model number right after this post. I think there are several reasons why people talk about the ATC‘s being too harsh or too bright or too revealing. First of all, the first version of my speakers had a different tweeter Which was which was apparently kind of harsh and bright. Also, the reputation as a company that makes monitors in order to reveal what’s wrong with music instead of what’s right tends to bias the way people listen, I think. And then, of course, because of what they are accustomed to from American speakers, which often color or process the sound just a bit to make it softer, some listeners simply don’t care for the ATC sound or find it fatiguing. To each his own. There’s plenty of room in the audio universe for all of us and our tastes. |
I asked about ATC on here before and was surprised to find people saying it is either brutally detailed and sterile or dull and rolled in the treble (like what streaky said). Your report is more in line with a lot of veteran guys on the sonic visions discord who report ATC as being among the best in the world. I look forward to hearing the SCM150 one day. |
Mofojo, the kefs were less clear, boomier, and mine in particular didn’t do well with piano. I mean all of this relative to the atcs. I think the 103.2 kefs were 20 y.o., which makes for an unfair comparison. Also, less punch- more veiled or muted. If I hadn’t heard The atcs, i would’ve described the kefs much more positively. I bought the new ones without ever hearing them. No regrets. |
I think the speakers like string and wind quartets and quintets the best, with women's voices and live bar bands next.I always liked ATCs with good, well-recorded rock n roll. Crank up Tin Pan Alley from Stevie Ray Vaughn’s Couldn’t Stand the Weather (if you haven’t already) and see what you think. And congrats on a great pair of speakers! |
Been following your travels on this. Happy that it's worked out. If you haven't done so already, you might consider reworking the connections on the connection block to use wire rather than the bars. https://img.canuckaudiomart.com/uploads/large/1937676-8feb570f-atc-scm40-v2-in-cherry.jpg |
