My speaker upgrade journey - and a few questions

@jcs01 What would you say are the characteristics of sound from the ATC’s that you like? And, what are the characteristics of sound that you heard from the ATC’s that you didn’t hear from the other brands you mentioned?

I ask because I may be having an experience similar to yours. I was at an audio event recently and got to hear some of the recent 800 series B&W towers. I currently use run B&W CM9S2’s, and I feel like the 800 towers are more of what I’m already getting--big soundstadge, great imaging and space between the instruments, high resolution and transparency, great tamber especially with percussion. I talked to one of the other attendees who didn’t like the B&W sound because he felt the B&W’s didn’t have enough "impact," and this attendee runs ATC active speakers.

I’ve also listened to some of the speaker brands you mentioned in your post and have largely walked away thinking they sounded so similar to what I’m already hearing and that I wanted to hear something different. I haven’t heard any ATC speakers yet, but I recently heard the Macintosh ML1 Mk 2s, and I was smitten by their sound. The ML1’s prioritize mid range and upper bass frequencies, and they have lots of impact. And, I didn’t understand how important impact was to me until I heard the ML1’s.

I would say that the ML1’s are imperfectly great. I immediately realized that they didn’t provide the insight into the music that B&W, Focal, Wilson, Sonus Faber, et al provided. But the ML1’s provided a fun factor that I hadn’t heard before, and that’s a compromise I’m willing to make. Also, the ML1’s are a sealed enclosure, which I attribute to the bass qualities that I love in Magico’s.

I heard the ML1’s with a guy who owns Zu’s, and he greatly preferred the ML1 sound to his Zu’s. Another guy recommended that I look into some models by Harbeth, Spendor, and Tannoy to hear some other variations on the ML1 sound. But, I believe ATC is a brand I have to hear before I make a purchase decision.

From what I understand the OP listened to older R&R music which typically are poorly recorded.  If that is true, then the ATC speaker probably did float his boat.  That would explain a lot to me.

So here is an update. I am a bargain/cheap/value oriented audiophile (pick one) and just could not get there on the cost of the ATCs and the associated equipment John recommended. I have heard such great things about the Arendal speakers that I am going to give them a shot. They are mail order only and you get a 60 day in-house trial and a 10 year warranty. I have ordered the 1723 Monitor S speakers. If I like them I will order the center channel to go with them.  If not, they will go back.

I also ordered the Wiim Pro Plus (another value pick) to stream Qobuz . Not sure if I will use the DAC in the Wiim or the Hegel as they appear to be comparable. I have two Wiim Minis on other systems so wanted to stay with the same app. I also have a Rhythmik sub that is hooked to the Hegel and helps fill in the low end.

And the Hegel is hooked to my Yamaha AVR via XLR cables and serves as power for the front channel in HT bypass mode when watching movies. I love the flexibility of being able to watch movies in surround or have high quality 2 channel with the same system.

Regarding the sound of the ATCs, I thought they did it all - nice refined tweeter, very present mid-range and fantastic low-end.  I think the actives sound better than the passive version, perhaps due to the three built in amps (one for each driver) that are perfectly matched to the drivers.  

However, I have been very excited about speakers before after auditioning in the store and then disappointed after getting them home.  I bought and returned a pair of Gershman Acoustic Studio IIs a few year ago.  

I will report back on the Arendals after I spend some time with them.

I have a feeling that when all is said and done, that you're gonna miss those Linns.

…bargain/cheap/value oriented audiophile…

@jcs01 

Better speakers often use more expensive parts and costlier construction.  Even buying used would only drive the price down to a certain point.  Often, high-end components have a similar sonic signature “voicing” within a brand.  Also, speaker sonic preferences are highly subjective.  Generally finding a speaker/brand that resonates with you is a very good thing, but can be at odds with one’s budget in this niche often expensive hobby.

As you may have already surmised, speakers are only a part of the audio chain.  You could upgrade to the ATCs then upgrade the rest of the audio chain as budget allows, but if it’s just the speaker then the rest of your audio chain would be the sonic bottleneck.

As suggested above, you could take your electronics to try on the ATC to see if satisfying enough, otherwise it usually wiser to lift your audio chain in a more balance way.

Good luck