Your thoughts about ATC loudspeakers

@shadorne
Thanks for your warm welcome and your good suggestions about potential causes of harshness. I am very excited to be a part of this community and looking forward to learn from all the good people here.

Whilst I do not want to open the can of worms and start another controversial topic - I would like to share that with my old speaker cable (MOGAMI), I never had this issue of harshness (maybe I was not getting the full dynamic spectrum). The speaker cables I am using currently are relatively new (very revealing) and may get better with some burn in. (Yes, I do believe in burn-in phenomenon). With professionally fitted connectors in this new cable, I am getting a lot better sound-staging, better gain (and some harshness). When I contacted the cable company, they also suggested to look into the source (as you also mentioned). All the tracks in question were downloaded from HDTracks, and one would expect 'quality'. I would know more in few days time. 


Thanks again!

itzhak1969
I guess you could say ATC speakers like power, as greater dynamic range with low end = the need for higher system gain. However, last I looked, there are plenty of used Brystons and used PASS Labs and other excellent larger amplifiers available at very nice prices.

At low SPL levels they can function just fine on a smaller amplifier. Your perception of efficiency depends on the expected playback SPL level plus the amp you already own?

A small amp drives driver/horns quite loud but then there are the off axis response problems of this design as frequency goes up-a clear trade offs. Horns can have 90 degrees horizontal dispersion at 1.5K but collapse to 2 degrees or less horizontal at 15K. This makes for some very different reflections compared to the direct (on axis) sound and this can present some real challenges to imaging.

12/octave rolloff below useable LF is the preferred "performance goal" of an ATC loudspeaker design. If rolloff starts at 80Hz, its down -12 at 40Hz- (this is roughly what a SCM 19 does). Many bass reflex or other bass boost designs can have a big boost at 80Hz- which sounds like lots of bass- but then be down - 48dB at 40Hz. So the deep bass trade off is clearly obvious in this case.

So perhaps the awareness of the trade off is sufficient and then we get to choose the trade off we prefer?  It's not all good one way and not good the other as we all have different "wants".   

Brad

My guess is -12 at 40Hz would match my small room reinforcement somewhat perfectly.. thanks for the comments. I will put these on my short list..

@ dragon_vibe

Can I just ask you what Quested monitors you have some experience from. I’m very tempted to bring the v3110 to my collection but maybe I should go for a bigger passive? Have the H108 since a year and would also say it presents music slightly different from the ATC SCM12 I compare it to (nearfield system with added subs). The term organic, whatever it stands for, seems to suite the H108 very well. They’re a joy to listen too. My main system is the ATC 150 ASL, sometimes only used for the basses in combination with different monitors.

@sedgewick...with KXR and MXR Twenty, any ATC you pick, I would love to hear....you will be fine. Have fun. We run an Ayre in the studio and a Bryston in the mobile rack...all fun.
Jim