Graham, how have you set up the crossover point ? 40, 30 or 20hz cut off ?
Because I will be experimenting using my
n-SUB with my soon to arrive 40A actives.
Just to see what works best. I am real unsure just how deep / punchy the bass will be with the 40A’s in my room. I had the 40 passive at home for a week & it was OK bass, but not what I would call very deep , room shaking bass. Obviously the 40A is a very different animal and I cannot wait to see how much better it is.
Cheers
According to the specs, the roll-off if the active version is the same as the passive - hardly surprising as it is the bass driver and cabinet that limit the bass, 6dB down at 48Hz.
]post deleted as I put something here intended for another thread!]
Yes but poweramp also affects the bass performance. In theory, active version reaches the absolute limit of 40’s. When I had the passive version driven with SN2 + HCDR, it didn’t come even close to the power and depth of bass which the active version is capable of.
I have just had a look at the setting on the crossover knob scale, and it’s around 50 hz or a little less .it was easy to set up, unlike. linn Siezmik I had many years ago, With Linn speakers, I was always messing around trying to get it right. I never need to do that now, Set it up June 2018 when new, and not altered since, it just sounds sublime.if I turn it off it just sounds a little “lighter” ,exact same character, put it back on and the bottom end is filled in nicely. I have the gain only around a third on if that.
I would play the 40A,s on there own initially to run in, and get used to the sound, before trying the sub.hours of fun.The ATC!s take many weeks if not months to fully run in.BTW.
Good luck, happy listening, let me know how you get on.
The spec of the passive version will of course be as powered by an amp capable of driving it fully, so on that score is the same as the spec for the active version limited only by the crossover - however indeed in reality if the amp isn’t capable of driving fully, and perhaps that is the case with SN2, then the real life performance of the passive wouldn’t be as good, so might curtail the bass more, or be less well controlled.
50 hz or just below fits with the 40s roll off, so that makes sense.
What you say makes sense, but there’s more to it than that. As with , I guess, all active systems, the power amps inside the ATC 40,s, 1 per driver , are tuned, trimmed etc to be a perfect match for each driver frequency, so won’t be doing as much work as say, a passive power amp.
There really is a huge difference in ATC 40 passives and actives, it’s night and day.!
I think it’s one of those,situations that once you’ve heard them it’s very hard to resist , !
And, as a committed user of an active system, fully appreciating the benefit of active vs passive, I didn’t suggest otherwise!
Excellent !
Nice write up, thanks.
My active SBLs are in storage temporarily and I reverted to Epos ES14s - interestingly the main thing I noticed about the SBLs when I originally got them was maybe a missing octave at the lower end compared to the Epos, though in reality the SBLS could go loud/deep enough and more if you weren’t aware of this.
I also hada projector and used my SBLs as front speakers, with a cheap KEF centre speaker and the ES14s as rears which added extra oomph all round when partying loud or watching films, so I never felt the need for a subwoofer.
For stereo music NAC 72/NAP 250x2/HI-CAPx2, for TV/movies the other channels would be driven by various AV amps the last being a nice Pioneer xxx57 (the model number eludes me SCX maybe).
I’m hoping the SBLs will be ok when I extract them from storage but must admit I’ve been considering an upgrade to great to hear about these speakers, but not really sure what.
One thing I wondered (SBLs were black veneer) with your AV setup (or mine) is whether or not black might be better suited to the experience. At least you have a screen - I’ve always projected onto the wall which surprisingly worked very well, but I also have light walls elsewhere in the rooom and engineered oak boards over a suspended floor, so my room is hardly pitch black!
I compared 40 passives + P1 power amp with actives and agree the actives edge it but I never felt the difference was night and day. Both incredible speakers.
More perceived, more accurate, and better controlled bass on actives.
Not tried the actives but I found a definite increase bottom bass when going from SN2 to P1 with the passives. Now I have two P1’s and it’s even better… before, single P1, it was very good (a step up, IMHO, than the SN2) but it somehow sounds like the soundstage has got more depth with two power amps. It’s like there an extra bass drive unit extending the lower range.
Of course only extending within the speaker’s capability, as opposed to an inadequate amp achieving that (and the manufacturer’s soec will have been with amplification getting the best out of it).
Any sign of the 50’s yet Chris? What are they like?
I wish I had the room for 50’s… I’d sell the wife’s car to buy them!!!
Yes, they’ve safely arrived but are still boxed while we do a bit of decorating. The boxes are huge and were met with disapproval by my wife but having seen the size (and finish) of the actual speakers inside she’s ok…
I took the plunge and ordered a Fraim so by the time that arrives we should be all sorted and I’ll report back with pictures then, can’t wait
If I had the room for the 50’s… I’d be tempted to sell the wife!! (Its a good job she doesn’t look at this forum!)
Chris - Nice one, I look forward to seeing some pictures and hearing your initial impressions.
I bought a pair of (brilliant) SD Acoustics SD1’s some years ago…
As the delivery chaps from Grahams were carrying one of the boxes into my living room my wife said “There better be two in there…”
Not only was there only one but they had to stand a metre out into the room, so we’re not unobtrusive.
They only lasted a year or so before they were changed and I was shunted into the dining room. Wish I still had them, great speakers.
Tony
I’m already in the dining room so may just have a chance of getting away with this one…