Atc scm40 a magical 50s better and don’t seem bigger
Superb room - glorious vinyl collection and frankly the SCM50’s are the best loudspeakers I have ever had in the house!
Glad you are enjoying them!
JonathanG
Thanks Jonathan,
I read your excellent review of active vs passive on the ATC website and I think my experience so far is pretty similar. They are amazing speakers, but I do find them a touch dry and matter of fact at times and I’m also a bit concerned that they need to be played quite loud to get the drive units matched up optimally. I fear for my long term hearing if I were to buy them!
Reading ATC’s thoughts on passive operation they highlight that inconsistent amplifier/crossover response with variation in music program demands is why they prefer active operation. I’m attracted to the fact that if I could get them more consistent in their response it would be good, but also aware that the NAP500 may be a key part part of what I’m liking about the sound. Dilemma!
Hi KJC, I’m glad you enjoyed the review and that it concurs with your own impressions. I hadn’t realised that the review was on the ATC website actually so you learn something everyday! Purely for background you may enjoy my SCM40 review I wrote which I see is also up there as there’s a very distinctive ‘house sound’ to ATC loudspeakers which seems to carry right across the range. What differs is essentially bass extension and SPL.
As you say they’re loudspeakers which really open up when you feed them some volume and in my experience they are pleasant but unexceptional at hotel lobby levels. But boy oh boy do they astound you when the listening level rises. You’re absolutely right about them being “matter of fact” but it’s their ability to transplant you from your lounge into the recording session that made me fall in love with them. They’re simply the most “honest” loudspeakers I have ever heard with simply staggering levels of transparency. Those old cliches about veils being lifted are absolutely bang on and you really do feel one step closer to the musicians in their space than with other loudspeakers. As a result they delineate the different tracks/musical strands and you start to hear more of everything that is going on. They also excel at piano which is something few speakers ever manage to reproduce properly imho. A favourite track of mine to show this is by Chantal Chamberland and the track “Beautiful life”. It’s probably got the very best recorded piano I have ever heard - put that on and be prepared to have shivers up your spine!!!
The bit I am struggling to relate to is your feeling that they are inconsistent in their response with the NAP500. I drove the 50’s with my NAP250 (not man enough for the job) and the NAP300 which was good and I didn’t feel they were ever inconsistent but it could be that your even more elite system is revealing something mine did not.
The actives are even more revealing but then you lose some of the “theatre” that the Naim amps are giving you. It is as you say a dilemma, but a nice one to have!
JonathanG
Thanks Jonathan,
My intention here was to try (inadequately of course!) to paraphrase ATC’s comments on the problems of Passive Crossovers which, however well designed, by their nature will always present the amp with a constantly changing set of electrical properties in the crossover (impedance is the main issue I believe) all of which have to be dealt with on the fly and at high voltages by the power amp. I guess it’s the same argument that Kudos, Linn and many others would cite as the reason why they think Active is the way to go.
I’ll be interested in how you find the 606s, although 707s might be more appropriate for your room size ?
After mentioning the humming 350s yesterday, they’ve been on best behaviour since !
Looking good James! Maybe you need to try my Obelisks if you listen from that position on a regular basis
707’s might be an option, but might push the boundaries of WAF.
I hadn’t realised that my wife really doesn’t like the way the Ob’s look and it seems the wood colour is the bugbear for her. They have aged to a quite yellow-orange hue as old Oak often does. She’ll forgive the size of the ATC’s because of the beautiful and more acceptable wood.
That could be a barrier with Kudos too, but I think the Walnut (as your pair?) might just get a pass grade🤞
At the risk of appearing (or exposing myself as) dumb - what is that item to the left of the table?
The walnut on the Kudos may look a bit grayish just out of the box, but in my experience they gain in warmth and depth of colour in a few months’ time
Edit: I quoted the wrong bit in your post, apologies
Good evening Dr.
It is a horn. For a compression driver.
Please tell us about the bike…
Hi Kevin - It’s not my normal position but it’s quite nice sat off to the side at times. I know what you mean about the Shahinian Oak, my spare pair of Compasses have done the same. I must say the Walnut is very nice on the Titans although you may want to look at the Liquid Amber finish, given how lovely the finish is on those demo ATCs.
I thought i’d seen this finish on the forum before and here are @Lowdene 's Titans from the Show us your Kudos thread.
Very nice.
Oh they’re mine!
They look amazing! In some ways they look better as one piece vs 808s. How do they sound?
Hi Dan
I moved from Obelisks so they are very different in character! They took a while to come on song. I felt they were a bit bass light to begin with but this is now deep, well-articulated and tuneful.
I’m glad the change worked out so well!