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ATC buying advice

Hi everyone,

I am planning on buying new speakers for a music room I am setting up, and would like some advice from people with experience with ATC--which is the brand I would like to buy the speakers from. I do like to buy extras like an additional preamp and sub from the same brand if possible.

The room is around 48 m2 and 3m high and has no soundproofing, bass traps or anything. I just want to start with a setup that is simple for a starting enthusiast and will be appropriate for the size of the room. That's why I am leaning towards active speakers, such as the ATC SCM40A. Budget isn't really an issue but I do want to keep it relatively simple to start with.

So, I have a few things to figure out, taking the ATC SCM40A as a starting point:
- Pre-amp. The setup will also include a Rega P10/Aphelion2, and I've been looking at the Rega Aura preamp too. But I have no experience with this and don't know if a ATC SCA2 or CDA2 might be a better option (I do like the integrated cd-player of the CDA2);
- ATC SCM40A vs SCM50ASL (Pro) / ATC SCM50ASLT or higher. I understand I will have to listen to multiple speakers and audition preferably in my room, but purely based on your experience and the fact I will use the speakers for home listening. What's your take? I do like the look of the 40 towers in satin black, and know the pro's are less-refined looking. But ultimately it's the sound that matters most. If that means I have to go for the 100's or 150's, so be it.
- Subwoofer. Based on whether I will go for an 40A or up, do you think it would be preferable to go for a subwoofer? I read a lot and the opinions vary and it comes down to personal preference. I do like some bass, but I mostly listen to rock, classical and soundtracks. If I'd go for a sub, would single C1 Sub Mk2 suffice, or would you opt for 2/3 or the C4?
- Cables. What cables do you recommend for my DAP, TT and the rest? Again, I am inexperienced in this and open to suggestions.

All advise is welcome!

n777
ohlala
1,233 posts
 

Not as an owner but my experience is the SCM50 is a more special representation of ATC then the SCM40. There is big difference.

celtic66
1,615 posts
 

Owner of both ATC 40A and ATC 50A.  ATC 40A is wonderful.  Lived with them for 3 years.  ATC 50A is a whole 'nother beast....in all of the right ways.  ATC 50A floor stander is more dynamic, throws a larger sound stage and of course deeper bass with a larger woofer and a ported enclosure.  You see deeper into the music.

I've run several preamps and settled on the Luxman 900u.  I've also run the Sugden LA 4 to great affect.  My experience is that very good tube preamps were not fast enough, so I have stayed with solid state.  I do have the ATC SCA2 preamp which is quite good, but not as refined as the other two mentioned.

As far as cabling, the system took a big leap with Chris Romeo cables he custom built for me.  XLR to XLR from preamp to speakers.  The speakers also benefit from Townshend Podiums.

This speaker is my endgame speaker for the foreseeable future.  Hope this helps.

 

 

gregm
3,396 posts
 

Hi @n777 

The 100 give a much larger sound and, in so doing, require subwoofers to be really full-range on a grand scale. In a reasonably sized room, the 50s will probably end up being a more full-range sounding proposition -- i.e. the low end does not seem to be lacking in weight vs the rest of the FR. Regards

asvjerry's avatar
asvjerry
4,327 posts
 

...a shout-out to @erik_squires ; thanks for the AM Acoustics RMSim comment...Nifty....👍

n777 OP
3 posts
 

Thank you all for taking the time to share your experiences and advice! I am going to audition the 40A and 50A and see if I can test the Sugden and Luxman with both speakers. Any other preamps I absolutely should hear in combination with the ATCs? I will upgrade my Pro-Ject turntable too to a Rega but still have to listen to the P8/P10 and possibly the Naia. Since I will need a phono stage for this, am I right to assume a preamp like the Luxman will do well in this setup as well?

@soix As for your question about the kind of sound I prefer, I find it difficult to put this clearly into words. I did end up at ATC because I want to hear the music as it’s intended to sound. I listen a lot to classical music, jazz and electronic orchestral (like Hans Zimmer, Nicholas Britell and Johann Johannsson), but also r&b, soft rock and pop from the 70-90’s. I would say I aim more for ’warmer’ more musical experience than a clinically clear one. If that makes any sense?

I do like the look of the towers of both 40 and 50 in satin black, even considering they are around 10k more expensive than the pro 40 and 50. From what I understand it is mostly the hand finishing (inside and out veneer) of the consumer hifi and cabinet for the towers that differs from the pro’s, correct? The sound should be about the same since they share the same internals?

@erik_squires Thank you. Will definitely look into this and like @jimboman suggested look at room treatment at a later point in time.

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