Another positive vote from me in favour of the ATC grilles. I would never consider removing them. Our teenage granddaughter also gave them an unsolicited thumbs up 
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I have had both, and I can assure you, the 20’s are in a different league. Bass quality is so tight clean and detailed, and the midrange is very special indeed. That is no ordinary bass driver in the 20!
The bass in the 40 is really ploddy and slow in comparison.
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Thanks… someone that’s heard both 
The very few reviews out there for the 20’s do say they’re very good. One comment, over on the ATC forum, was from someone with a similar room size commenting how they were on the edge coping with this size room.
Of course, I am certainly not saying the 40’s are bad - i loved mine, but the 20’s are just so much better. And they look beautiful with their grills on or off too!
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May I ask room size?
Its aprox 15X13 foot, not huge but not small. My 20’s perform brilliantly even backed up to the wall if i needed to, but they are around 18" from back of speaker to wall.
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Then again, metal grilles offer more robust protection against those sticky little fingers trying to poke the elements. 50’s have fabric grilles and yes, they offer better visual protection but you could poke through the fabric or maybe throw a toy towards the speaker which could do some damage through the fabric.
I have a 9-month old crawling around the household and when she crawls towards the speakers my stress level and heart rate immediately goes up. Power cables seem to be her main interest at the moment. I’ve kept the grilles always on when she’s around so I think se doesn’t have a clue about the lovely midrange and tweeter elements behind the grilles which basically scream to be poked in. Luckily the classic series is voiced to sound best with the grilles on. With pro-models ATC doesn’t even supply grilles.
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I found a review from 2013 and it said that, with the 20’s, they’re designed to be used avec the grills which helps tame the trable. Also they’re better pushed closer to the rear walls which, in the typical domestic environment, is a plus. At our last house, siting the 40’s was a compromise between audio quality and domestic bliss (if you know what I mean?).
Yes, they had a Tweeter upgrade to the better in-house made ATC unit at some point in time. Mine have the latest tweeters, smooth as a babys bum
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One of the best speakers I have had in my system. You just need plenty of room for them.
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The problem I found there is that the grilles on my dealers demo SCM40s had very weak magnets and a toddler, once curious, would have no problem grabbing hold of them, and they would then fall off.
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You mean the Naim forum is not the only forum?!! 
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Thanks, granite slabs and Soundcare Superspikes worked the best too here on the 50’s active. Will see how the Gaia2 behave on the Scm40A, else will keep the Soundcare.
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After having tried the Scm50A which were too big for my room, I’ve placed an order for the Scm40A in white.
As there are long delays, the shop offered me the loan of their demonstration model. Just had the time to install them
I had the Auralic Altair G2.1 on loan, but wasn’t satisfied with it’s sound and presentation.
Now having the Atc CDA2 on loan to go with the actives :
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An excellent choice in my totally biased opinion 
Please tell more about Auralic with the ATC’s? What didn’t you like about it? I’ve considered to audition the Vega G2.1 with the 50’s.
I’ve only seen up to 100’s in the flesh which were getting up there on the imposing scale so the 150’s must be something else .
Did you try the Passive version with your 500 or the Active ?
I used Vega G2 with active SCM 40s for about 3 years. Recently I got tempted by Linn’s new Organik DAC and ended up with an upgraded Klimax DSM. That was after a shootout between the Auralic and the very much pricier Linn, in which the Vega acquitted itself remarkably well. I certainly preferred the Vega to 272/XPSDR into the active ATCs. How it would compare with an Akurate level DSM I’ve no idea.
Do let us know if/when you do a comparative audition.
Roger
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I had the passive version on the end of my 500, I have also heard the active versions in the ATC demo room. Very accurate and true to life, they reproduce perfectly.
If I would have had a bigger room at the time I could have lived with a pair.
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