Review ATC SCM 40 A floorstanders.....finally


I thought I knew.  I thought I knew all about imaging, dynamics, resolution, PRaT, all the audiophile buzz words allowing one into the coded audiophile secret society pontifications.  I got schooled.  It’s called ACTIVE.  Everthing I’ve been yearning for has been solved with my new ATCs.  They just do musical reproduction with immediacy.  The attack is instantanious.  Bad recording, bad reproduction.  Great recording, great reproduction.  Period.  Fin.  Ende.

I’ve progressed through some fairly serious talent.  Great equipment I’ve enjoyed over the decades: always the journey, never having arrived at the ultimate destination.  I do not know why it took so long to depart the traditional souce, preamp, monoblocks, cabling and transducers formula.  I hope this encourages others to at least consider leaving the world of so many pieces and cabling.

System:  Naim UnitiServe with unknown serious external PSU, Nordost Valhalla II digital cable, Mojo Audio Mystique V3 DAC, Manley Neo Classic preamp with Takatsuki 300B tubes.  Decware ICs, Patrick Cullum Crossover II PCs, Furman IT Reference 15i power conditioner.  All components sit on Quadraspire Reference X stand.  Wireworld Silver Elipse 8 RCA to XLR interconnects from Manley 300B to ATCs.  Isoacoustics Gaia II footers.  I’m really there for now.  Tchau
celtic66
@celtic66   

All pale in comparison.

My experience exactly. I have been using ATCs in various forms since 1994. I keep auditioning other speakers - most recently a top of the line Monitor Audio. Other SOTA speakers are indeed extremely good and I could happily live with a couple of the great Wilson models, top of the line Focals, KEF and Harbeth to name a few. Most other designs just don’t work for me and a few seconds of listening can confirm that all too quickly - the majority sound too much like hi-fi with over emphasis here and there and the sense you are listening to individual drivers rather than natural instruments or vocals.
They must be wonderful speakers as I heard the ATC SCM 40's V2 a few weeks ago and was very impressed.  I DIDN'T hear the powered version, however.  These were powered by expensive Mac mono amps in an all Mac setup otherwise.  They wouldn't let me use my little Nuforce Ref 9 V3 SE monos w/TDSS Level 3 upgrades.  They would have sounded much more live, transparent, with great, instead of just OK bass.  I could tell after listening, these are very special speakers for all music--fun to listen to and you hear everything with great dynamics.  All in a speaker with a 1 ft. footprint.  I can only imagine what the powered version sounds like.

If I ever downsize from my current and forever Vapor Joule Blacks--as long as they don't crap out, these will be the first speakers I compare to.
Yeah, active ATCs are just a special breed.  Nothing like'em IME.  Congrats!!!  In a perfect world I'd have a pair of JA Pearls and active 40s or 50s I could switch out at will.  Both so awesome yet so special in different ways.  Sigh. 
How do they sound at low volume?  I'm curious if the new tweeter and/or different voicing have made the active domestic speakers sound better without needing to be turned up.  I have a pair of 2012ish 110s that have the old tweeter.  They're spectacular when cranked but less so at lower volume.  Part of it is definitely the old tweeter as it is not as resolving as the other drivers.  A perfect speaker would be able to emphasize the lows and highs a little at low volume but be perfectly flat at realistic volume.