ATC SCM100 Anniversary?

I don't have the Anniversary but I have the SCM100's (older non SL version). I have heard the SCM100ASL towers and several others in the ATC line. I am not familiar with your gear with ATC but many people use EMMLabs stuff with ATC and your gear is probably on par with this (mine most defintely is not).

In essence the strength of this design is the midrange clarity (close to being on par with the best electrostatics but not better), overwhelmingly powerful and dynamic response (extremely loud with no hint of effort) and very wide even dispersion (sounds the same from almost anywhere - very large sweetspot - but you do lose image outside of the sweetspot like with any speaker). They image very well but not in a remarkable way. Bass is very tight, clean and articulate - also quite remarkable about the speaker - bass will appear understated to most audiophiles who are normally exposed to audio reproduction which is much richer in the bass (more popular/enjoyable/impressive and sells better). They play so cleanly that you will find yourself playing music much louder than you have ever done before (WAF may not be happy about this as well as their ugly boxy look - also if you live in a condo then you may regret it).

If you have heard them then you know what I mean - if you have not then you might be in for a surprise (not necessarily a happy surprise - not everyones "cup of tea") There is a downside to how loudly and cleanly they play - you can't crank it with many modern pop recordings as they really sound too harsh/fatiguing (compressed) - the relatively forward midrange does have a down side in this sense.

You can PM me with more questions - I'll try to shoot straight with honest answers. Remember I have them so I like them - but I am not blind as to pretend that they are suitable for the majority of listeners for which they are honestly overkill in terms of loudness/dynamics.

Shadorne,

I'm afraid a little from the midrange driver.
Dont you find it radiate to much sound presure?

Thanks,

Tomer

I have some reduced experience with active ATC speakers (ATCSCM-50 ASL ). Although I did not like their own matching preamp, when used with a top preamplifier such as ARC ref3 they sounded very good and represented good value for money in Europe.
Proac, a speaker brand I like very much, used the ATC medium dome unit in the top models – I still own a pair of response 5 in my attic AV system. Currently uses these medium units are used only the impressive D100 speakers. Unhappily I can not even imagine how Proac’s sound with MBL electronics.

Dont you find it radiate to much sound presure?

No. I find it is quite flat. But I understand why you might think so - many people do. And if you do then I think ATC is the wrong choice for you.

Basically it is not your more typical "scooped midrange" sound - so relatively speaking flat sounds "forward" compared to the norm these days (which is for an impressive bass with a dip in the midrange).

Speaker manufacturers well know that bass and treble sells (they have had fifty years to discover this)...so a scooped midrange has become the norm in order to meet customer preferences (and win in a shop floor demo). This also just happens to be the way the most common form of speaker on the planet nearly always will sound - I am referring to a two way with a woofer and a small tweeter (pretty common I think you will agree). Anyway, beaming on the large woofer causes an off axis dip in the upper mids. This sound is so prevalent as to have become what many people regard as the norm. It may be part of the reason why some complain that reproduced music never sounds real - I believe that somehow we can tell if the on axis and off axis response reaching our ears is not the same...we sense something not natural about the sound field (even if it is beautiful sounding)...it might be why MBL speakers are so impressive: they generate a fully balanced or convincing sound field.

Anyway - a technical explanation for what people like or don't like will not change the fact that the ATC midrange may well be much too forward relative to your preferences. In which case, a PMC three way might be a better choice for you - another good speaker of very similar design but more bass and a tad less midrange.

Shadorne,

I don't have any prejudice about the midrange driver, I will listen to the SCM 50ASL next week.

Thanks,

Tomer

What are the differences between the ATC SCM100 Anniversary and the ATC SCM100SL AT?

Is it only aesthetics/veneer?

Thanks,

Tomer

Tomer- I think the amps on the anniversary are different ,as well as the upgraded casing-