2. speakers
  3. 1255583637

ATC Speakers...Do you use them with Grill On/Off

Hi,
I recently bought a pair of ATC SCM40 speakers. I am using it in a room of about 180sqft. Listening distance is about 8 ft.
I use a Symphonic Line Power Amp with them. The Power amp is very revealing and extended on both ends. Paired with ATC, I am getting very high resolution tones but I also feel that when I listen with the Grills off, here are some issues I see:

1. I get some direct sounds from the Tweeter and Midrange (its a three way speaker) which doesnt allow the speaker to dissappear completely

2. Even though I hear more detail with the grills off, I also find sometimes the sound is not relaxed, its a bit sharp

With Grills On...problem (1) is almost solved.
Problem (2) is solved to a good extent if not fully but it happens at the cost of a little loss in resolution. The leading edges are slightly less prominent. But surprisingly I find it more musically right when its playing with the Grills On. I am wondering what ATC recommends and what other ATC owners have experienced in this regard.

Is it that, since I use a very revealing amp along with a very revealing speaker I am facing this situation ?
What kind of cables are generally preferred with ATC ?
pani

Showing 1 response by ryder

ryder
1,742 posts
 
I concur with Gregm. In order for the speaker to disappear(which is one of the more important aspects in any system), speaker placement is usually crucial. Since speaker placement is governed by the room in most cases, the size of the room will play a part. You have mentioned in another thread that the size of your room is 13.5' x 13.5' and mentioned here your listening distance is 8' away. With the size of your SCM40 I presume the speakers are close to wall boundaries especially the front wall, and your chair is close to the rear wall. Did you try pushing the speakers further away from the front wall and your listening chair further into the room so as the listening distance to the speakers is reduced to 6' or 7'? Speakers often disappear easier if they are placed further away from room boundaries ie. in a large room. If limited by the size of the room, some room treatments will help. Setting up considerably huge speakers in a relatively small to mid-sized room is often trickier and needs careful planning and attention.

Cables will help *only slightly* in reducing shrill or sharp sound from high-frequencies(electronics to a larger degree) but will not make the speakers disappear. Speaker placement and room treatments will.

I am not sure whether ATC speakers are best set up with little or no toe-in, and perhaps current ATC owners can advise. If sound is little direct, you may want to try as little toe-in as possible.

Happy listening.
More to discover