Sorry don’t understand question?
If the 20 are better than the 40, so that the medium is better, it means that the 75-150 of the 40 is useless since it is not better than the 20 without this medium…
With the price increase both 40’s and 20’s are similarly priced. Both are great speakers but I preferred the 20’s but suspect some may prefer the 40’s
Gary
I think he’s talking about the mid dome driver Gary …
1 Like
Individual components don’t determine the SQ, it is the integration of them all together that does that. Plus the ATC dome midrange unit is considered by many to be one of the best made and features in all of their bigger speakers, it is omitted in the smaller speakers. I think the smallest speaker it is used in is the SCM25 studio monitor.
How´s the top end on these speakers? Can they be tiring/hard on ear causing fatigue or they work great for long sessions with most kind of music?
1 Like
I have not had the opportunity yet to sit down for a good few hours to get a full impression and my listening room is also not optimal - it’s a medium size open plan living room and kitchen with corridor off to one side.
However my experience with ATC is that the recording is super accurately conveyed. In the low end this is really impressive and the reason I decided for ATCs. In the high end this can be double edged sword. Fatiguing high end was a concern after demoing the SCM11s - they were really fun… but could I live with them all the time.
My impression so far of the SCM20 is that the high end does draw your attention in a similar way to the SCM11, but not to the point of becoming tiring. I think the higher spec tweeter helps in this regard over the entry series. Also I believe when we get to this level of performance, the source quality will probably impact on the perceived fatiguing qualities- I’m using Tidal and Spotify…I’m not sure if a lower bit rate have a positive or negative impact in this respect.
They will be used for casual listening, TV/Movie duties and when I have the house to myself, more serious longer sessions. Time will tell, will keep you informed.
2 Likes
Thanks a lot 
Beautiful speakers. I have ATC on my list of speakers to lay my hands on in the future but not sure which model to aim for but I believe their top level stand mount would be a good start.
My active 20s on the wall, here connected to CA streamer via xlr, they play all day in front of my desk. I keep them on until night, pure pleasure.
5 Likes
On the 40A and with good recordings the treble is not at all aggressive, soft and refined but full of details…
4 Likes
I did not know this model… It sounds good compared to classic 20 models?
yes that’s right…
The active models are very interesting. Unfortunately Swedish distributors and reseller doesn’t seem to agree since they are not for sale here.
This is because they prefer to sell amps and preamps separately… It’s more profitable!
1 Like
Buy from others preloved, makes no difference, I did it several times
1 Like
Balanced is the word I would use to describe the sound of ATC speakers, certainly not fatiguing. In contrast I find most speakers from other manufacturers over emphasis the treble which can sound impressive when you audition them, but over time it becomes fatiguing. Bit like TV images in shops with the colour saturation and brightness levels set to overdrive.
I’m also increasingly convinced that many high end speakers are voiced to emphasise the treble because the average hifi buyer is at an age where they have reduced hearing of higher frequencies.
1 Like
An interesting pricing move from ATC in respect of the 40A’s, narrowing the difference between them and the 20’s…
Yes seems strange the 20’s has no price increase but all others did.
I guess if price is a yard stick for performance it maybe shows equal quality with 2 preferences catered for sound wise at the c10k level.
Gary
2 Likes
I think the 19As also remained the same price.