Active ATC vs Spendor / Pass Labs

You will only know in your room. I would first purchase an active ATC speaker. Run it in for several hundred hours. Then audition what would proceed them. Your best best for synergy would be the ATC CDA2mkII (includes DAC and CD transport) or ATC CA2mkII (preamp only). Several folks I know use the Weiss DAC501 much like you would use the Hugo TT2 and are very happy. I have no experience with the Benchmark LA4. I'm currently using Audio Note DAC 4.1x DAC and L5 Mentor preamp with a highly optimized streaming system.

my two sets of active atc’s are somewhat older models but i doubt the company has significantly altered the tonality of their speakers

when i was using those speakers, my trying any top solid state pre made the atc’s too biting in the treble and thinned out the midrange a touch too much to my ears --  so i found happiness in time with the lovely audio research reference 3 balanced tube linestage... it was one of the very best at the time, now surpassed by successor models in the arc reference line

as such, i personally would advise against using benchmark or chord tt2 (which i have currently) to drive active atc’s, as i think this would most likely result in ’negative synergy’ in all but the most dead listening rooms

Greetings, Yes the ARC pre amps are superb as a way more affordable pairing. we are running Swiss Made Merason Frerot Dac a Rotel S14 as the Pre amp to the ATC SCM 40 As from a musical standpoint I would not want to change a thing Jethro Tull Aqualung sounds incredibly satisfying Try Steve Wilsons Album To the Bone when these speakers have been properly placed the power response timber and clarity are addictive and great at all volumes.

JohnnyR ATC dealer NJ

I'm actually happy when listeners find their balance.  I tired some very good tube preamplifiers with first the ATC SCM 40As and now my ATC SCM 50As.  My personal experience was that the preamps were too slow for the active setup. 

When I converted to different solid state pre-amplification, Sugden, ATC and now Luxman, the pace seemed to pick up substantially affecting the attack speed.  I do not experience aggressive or thin sound.  Your mileage may vary.

Ive heard many different preamps with ATC and like I said earlier, it seems their differences are magnified on an active system/low distortion driver arrangement.  I've tried EveAnna Manley's stuff and thought -hmm too dark me?- but shortly later met an ATC user who used exactly that and found it to be his favorite combo. 

Brad