SBL v ATC SCM40

I’ll post pictures and thoughts when i have them in place, the room isn’t huge but when I’ve heard these a few times over the years I have never failed to leave the room with huge smile on my face, the 40As have always sounded superb, tight and sooooo fast but the big brothers are the ones I’ve thought would be just the ticket so am looking forward to hearing what they can do

1 Like

I’ve just realised, the SCM50 is the classic series and the ASLT50 is the Tower series! Look forward to seeing some pictures and reading your thoughts. How big is your room chris?

Actually the SLT is on the end - the distinguishing mark is the T, with in fact the full name of the classics having SL on the end. The tower series passives also include a P in place of the A for active to denote that, where the classic passive simply misses out the A:

SCM50SL and SCM50PSLT
SCM50ASL and SCM50ASLT

If you abbreviate to SCM50 or SCM50A it is indeed unclear whether or not the tower version.

Apologies, yes, I’ve not made that clear however this does give me a reason to include a gratuitous pic of the speakers which are active classic series in a gloss walnut finish…

Our main room is 8m x 5m but as that is also where the children watch tv the hifi is in a room which is 5x3 and will fire down the longer length, maybe in time I’ll get the bigger room back but I think I will be more than happy for now

6 Likes

Absolutely stunning looking veneer on those speakers Chris and I love the very purposeful looks!!! Out of interest how far from a back wall are they given they are ported?

Jonathan

Cheers, purposeful is certainly appropriate and it remains to be seen what my other half thinks of them, thankfully they are designed to be used with the grilles in place…

not sure of spacing yet, they should arrive next so will be fun working out how they work with the room…

Thanks for the audition tracks - all very impressive. The Corrs unplugged was new territory for me. It was fantastic. What positioning do the ATCs need?

Glad you enjoyed the Corrs - the DVD of the same concert is well worth buying too.

ATC SCM40’s recommeded positioning is 30 degrees toe in and equidistant from listening position to speaker separation. I’m using a little less toe in right now.

J

I’ve done some playing/testing and settled for perhaps 15 degrees in. I found that too much toe in (I mean the 30 degrees) gave great imagery BUT meant you had to be sat at a quite precise position to appreciate it. If you were out by a foot of so then it went screwy. Also the bass changed with 30 degrees. So sat at the point of an equilateral triangle the bass went a bit overpowering. I settled on the speakers firing a little off each ear… if you see what I mean :wink:

1 Like

Thanks SolwiseSteve,

I think I have ended up with a similar level of toe in actually and they’re working well. I’m trying to figure out which colour appeals most given most of the furniture in the room is beech/birch Ikea with just one white circular glossy coffee table. White would be a bold move but suspect the cherry wood would be easiest to accomodate if the most boring colour! I have to say I prefer the veneer on the SBL.

J

The satin black is gorgeous, it’s the one colour which, IMHO, the industrial black metal grills look fab. Our room/floor/furniture are VERY blonde; I’m talking which walls and furniture and silver birch flooring. The black looks fantastic in that setting. NOT child friendly though… finger prints are a so-and-so. I cleaned mine with window spray cleaner (as recommended by ATC) after they were installed and orientated and now we (myself and wife) make a point to NEVER touch them… no kids in the house so lucky there and I watch anyone visiting like a hawk to ensure they’re not tempted to put their mitts near them :wink: tbh I was warned by the dealer before hand so I knew what to expect :slight_smile:

BTW, black is not a colour, but the absence of colour!,

wow, that is one stunning looking pair of loudspeakers. They look like they would blast the opposite wall away if you misjudged the volume control.

I’m sure they would, better be careful there when I set them up.

Each time I’ve heard them it hasn’t been the volume they produce that has impressed me, its more the insistence that you are required to hear what they have to say, if that makes sense?

Yes, I’ve heard various ATC’s and as you say, they’re not what you would use for a bit of background music.

When you have a had a chance to listen more, I’d love to know if they disappear? Sonically that is, be a shame if you couldn’t see them.

really interesting review - weirdly, I’d read that the ATCs were slightly weak on bass, so it’s interesting to hear your experiences.

Xcentric,

Absolutely no shortage of bass at all, indeed when I played Michael Jackson beat it I was astonished how visceral it was. You didn’t just hear it but you really feel it too. I can only assume though that those who think the ATC lack bass are used to the boomy overhang of poorly designed ported speakers.

The SCM40 have the precise bass of a naim speaker, tuneful, superbly timed but with all the extension and gravitas you could ever want - almost DBL like in fact!

Jon

4 Likes

I think the limitation of the 40s on bass is the very bottom end, not their ability down to their roll-off point, which is why they have the 50, 100 and 150 bigger brothers, alternatively the C1 sub…

Whether any individual finds the bass extension to be limiting will depend on the music, and what they are used to.

2 Likes

Interesting comment, especially since the DBL uses an ATC bass driver!

1 Like

I agree, that is why I have a REL S5, with my 40A,s, just for the bottom octave. No change in sound profile, except added weight , which I find very natural, and to my ears, makes the 40A an almost perfect speaker ( I know there isn’t such a th8ng), but it’s the closest I have heard.
Plus a huge “smile on face” sound.