ATC speakers / Monitors

[goat76]

Beneath the fancy wood veneer, the scm50 is a thoroughbred studio monitor. It was created and conceived as a studio monitor from its very beginning, since 1986.
Until 2000, it was not widely known outside of pro audio.
In 2000, j.gordon holt, founder of stereophile magazine, reviewed the scm50A. He was so taken with the speaker that he bought a tested pair and kept for the rest of his life.
Probably from that moment the scm50 slowly began its parallel life as a home speaker.
Classic and pro version are completely identical speakers, with identical sound, there is no "voicing" or "fine tunning" for home or studio.

While the SCM40 is geared towards the HiFi market, I don't think it's any more "forgiving", less "revealing", or anything audiophile nonsense like that. I'm sure it's voiced very similarly to the larger speakers, just like the SCM50 is scaled down in its dynamic capacity compared to the SCM100, and so on.
Just as @574stereo said, the SCM40 is basically the HiFi version of the studio monitor SCM25.

ATC doesn't make any "forgiving" speakers.

 

[dfuller]

Close but not identical. The passives have different slopes from the actives (active 3 ways are all 4th order, passives vary).

 

[RexrothPigeon]

Atc is not a speaker that will appeal to everyone

You acknowledge this, and yet you spend your time feverishly defending them against all comers here

 

[Atc4ever]

When I said identical, I meant the scm50psl classic and the scm50psl pro. They are identical.
As scm50asl classic and scm50asl pro are identical.

I believe that atc does not make "forgiving" speakers in any series. That is not their sound philosophy.
I have used scm10 and scm20 for years. These are revealing speakers, but in a positive way. Bad recordings don't make them unlistenable, they just reveal them for what they are.

 

[Atc4ever]

I would really like to see the opposite opinions on the subject (atc)
But only from the people who actualy had them and used them.
If there are any, please join the discussion.
No argue, no pressure, no persuasion...just personal impressions.
For all of us who have come to love atc through decades of use, it would be an opportunity to learn a little more about them.

 

[Ultrasonic]

I suspect that absolute majority of those who writes on this forum cannot afford ATC products

Their cheapest SCM7 model costs £1095 in the UK? This is buying new too, whereas lots will buy ATC speakers used. I did mine.

 

[Ultrasonic]

The SCM50 upwards (and SCM20) have a higher spec amplifier pack with the same circuits used in the P1 and P2 amplifiers.

I take it from that the SCM40 active uses something lower spec? Do you know any more details on the amps in the SCM40 actives?

As per my signature, I'm currently using Hypex Nilai Monos into SCM40 passives and am curious how the performance of this combination might compare to the SCM40 actives. I was guessing the actives should still have the edge but your above comment slightly makes me wonder.

 

[RexrothPigeon]

just personal impressions.

"Please post more subjectivity," he posts on the Audio Science Review forum

 

[Atc4ever]

By the way, this particular thread is not about measuremets.
Not solely.

Pearljam started this discussion years ago with words : "I must ask. ATC monitors are considered to be one of the best if not the best monitors on the planet, it's also a consensus on Gearslutz But around here they're not very popular I must understand why"

Anyone who wishes to comment on this topic is free to do so from the angle that interests them.

 

[AdrianusG]

By the way, this particular thread is not about measuremets.
Not solely.

Pearljam started this discussion years ago with words : "I must ask. ATC monitors are considered to be one of the best if not the best monitors on the planet, it's also a consensus on Gearslutz But around here they're not very popular I must understand why"

Anyone who wishes to comment on this topic is free to do so from the angle that interests them.

Hi

I have ATC SCM 40's (passives)
Since late 2018
And I'm quite happy with them.
With my setup, in my room, to my ears
They sound pretty good with Almost all source material, nothing stands out negative or positive, i don't find them lacking in bass,
When it's in the source, it's there.

Are there better speakers for this price point, very likely!

Mind you, i had or have no way of measuring them, i can only give you my SUBJECTIVE impressions.

I bought them before i joined this forum.
Would I have made a different choice otherwise?.. Perhaps.
I should add, separate from some gained insight into measurements, At current price i would definitely not buy again, price went up pretty steep since i bought them.


At that time i auditioned them against a couple of other speakers in roughly the same price category, both at the dealer and at home, they came out winning.

Again, knowing what i know now about measurements, (through this forum) i might make different choices.

Unfortunately i have no means of comparing them with (better measuring?) speakers, nor do i currently have the money at hand to make a switch yet again

It is what it is

 

[goat76]

Hi

I have ATC SCM 40's (passives)
Since late 2018
And I'm quite happy with them.
With my setup, in my room, to my ears
They sound pretty good with Almost all source material, nothing stands out negative or positive, i don't find them lacking in bass,
When it's in the source, it's there.

Are there better speakers for this price point, very likely!

Mind you, i had or have no way of measuring them, i can only give you my SUBJECTIVE impressions.

I bought them before i joined this forum.
Would I have made a different choice otherwise?.. Perhaps.
I should add, separate from some gained insight into measurements, At current price i would definitely not buy again, price went up pretty steep since i bought them.


At that time i auditioned them against a couple of other speakers in roughly the same price category, both at the dealer and at home, they came out winning.

Again, knowing what i know now about measurements, (through this forum) i might make different choices.

Unfortunately i have no means of comparing them with (better measuring?) speakers, nor do i currently have the money at hand to make a switch yet again

It is what it is

I have measured my SCM40, on-axis and the directivity in steps of 10 degrees up to 90 degrees off-axis. They measure fine with an even off-axis response, but with a bit of a mismatch at the crossover point between the mid-dome driver and the tweeter. The level of distortion is very low, as usual with ATC loudspeakers.



ATC SCM40 v2 Horizontal Directivity 0 to 90 degrees. Gated measurements.

The same measurements, but spread out to make it easier to see the individual measurements.

The average directivity response Looks like this.

Distortion measurements.

 

[Gregm]

I would really like to see the opposite opinions on the subject (atc)
But only from the people who actualy had them and used them.
If there are any, please join the discussion.
No argue, no pressure, no persuasion...just personal impressions.
For all of us who have come to love atc through decades of use, it would be an opportunity to learn a little more about them.

I had ATC 50s for a while, many years ago -- which means they still had the 3rd party sourced tweeters (Vifa I think).
I liked the sound in my living room, and they went loud without a hitch -- albeit, I found them lacking somewhat in bass extension compared to the rest (probably the result of mediocre speaker placement at the time and /or my TT & phono equaliser).
Forgiving / "revealing": I take this term to correlate to linear, flat mid to high frequency reponse, with controlled, narrow-ish, directivity: I don't remember any complaints here. As mentioned above, I too want to hear sonic details contained in the recording; it usually makes the experience more enjoyable. Furthermore, nowadays, if we hit an "unlistenable" mastering (recording, whatever), there is always the option of tinkering with the file to make it listenable...

 

[Ultrasonic]

@goat76 would be helpful to clarify in your last post if your first graph shows the horizontal or vertical angular response. I think it's the former?

 

[AdrianusG]

I have measured my SCM40, on-axis and the directivity in steps of 10 degrees up to 90 degrees off-axis. They measure fine with an even off-axis response, but with a bit of a mismatch at the crossover point between the mid-dome driver and the tweeter. The level of distortion is very low, as usual with ATC loudspeakers.



ATC SCM40 v2 Directivity 0 to 90 degrees. Gated measurements.

View attachment 537885



The same measurements, but spread out to make it easier to see the individual measurements.

View attachment 537886



The average directivity response Looks like this.

View attachment 537888



Distortion measurements.

View attachment 537889

Thanks for providing these measurements

Like i said, i'm happy with them non-withstanding the fact that there are (probably) better choices, especially price-wise.
They were already expensive (ish!) in 2018, but the current price is just crazy.
on top of that, some very attractive new brands have arrived since, for instance Ascilab.
So yeah, if i had to decide right now i would look likely in another direction.

 

[Ultrasonic]

They were already expensive (ish!) in 2018, but the current price is just crazy.

They have gone up a lot in price in 8 years but sadly so have the prices of a lot of alternatives too.

 

[goat76]

@goat76 would be helpful to clarify in your last post if your first graph shows the horizontal or vertical angular response. I think it's the former?

I updated the post. Yes, the directivity measurements are horizontal.

 

[AdrianusG]

They have gone up a lot in price in 8 years but sadly so have the prices of a lot of alternatives too.

Yes that sounds logical,

Unfortunately prices will ever only go up

However luckily we see more and more brands that are measurements based, perhaps partly because of ASR

 

[DSJR]

While the SCM40 is geared towards the HiFi market, I don't think it's any more "forgiving", less "revealing", or anything audiophile nonsense like that. I'm sure it's voiced very similarly to the larger speakers, just like the SCM50 is scaled down in its dynamic capacity compared to the SCM100, and so on.
Just as @574stereo said, the SCM40 is basically the HiFi version of the studio monitor SCM25.

ATC doesn't make any "forgiving" speakers.

The passives aren't quite as clear, the subjective window adding a slight haze

By the way, the 50A converted to 50ASL spec using the same later amps with chunky handles, balanced very differently, the tubby 'BBC' mid-bass tones eliminated once the SL drivers were fitted and port tubes updated.

 

[thewas]

They have gone up a lot in price in 8 years but sadly so have the prices of a lot of alternatives too.

Here in Germany for example the ATC SCM 40 has approximately doubled in price in the last 10 years or so (pair used to be around 3.5k€ and now it 6.6k€), don't know of any other non UK medium priced loudspeakers with such an increase. For their old price I used to find them good value for money, now not anymore.

 

[DSJR]

I would really like to see the opposite opinions on the subject (atc)
But only from the people who actualy had them and used them.
If there are any, please join the discussion.
No argue, no pressure, no persuasion...just personal impressions.
For all of us who have come to love atc through decades of use, it would be an opportunity to learn a little more about them.

I sold them too and have tried to be fair in earlier posts!

Just get some KH420s, as they're so very much cheaper...