needlerunner Posted August 14, 2022 Posted August 14, 2022 Been thinking of upgrading from my PMC twenty 23 speakers for awhile now. Over the last couple of months, the itch has steadily got worse. I did have a short list drawn up, but have whittled them down, well to nothing. Basically, because l can not audition most of them in WA for the most part. Also l don't think others l have choosen are not necessarily an upgrade, more a sideways movement. As these are my final speakers, l want them to blow my little cotton socks off. I think the above mentioned in the title, might just be the ones. I'm sure there is something better out there (there always is), but not in my budget. I have been having discussions with a lovely gentleman on the East coast, who PMd me regarding these speakers, being fully aware of the sound l am chasing, what l listen to, room size; and all the other variables that come into play here. He's been great and very informative, and not pushing me in the least, re: buying them. But thought l would do my own research, as we do. Gone as far as l can through online reviews/blogs, etc. So yes, I'm sold on these speakers, but l just can't quite make... the decision. The looks of the speakers can be quite polarising. But l quite like them. Not so much the grills. What were they thinking. And l am a grills on kind of guy. But this is not a deal breaker. The main thing is, that l can not audition these speakers. But am still willing to take the plunge. And I'm close. Just need a little nudge (aka, reassuring). So thought l would get people who have these speakers reach out and give me some feedback. I don't want people asking me what speakers l have considered, or telling me, that other speakers are more relevant/bette, etc. Maybe there are, but at what cost Also, you can spend forever looking, and at some stage you have to arrive at a decision. And l have. I believe the feedback when people say that these speakers are the best speakers at around $10k mark. I did hear some ATC standmounts several years ago, and l liked them. These will be several notches up on those, I'm thinking. So back on point. A minor concern l am hearing, is that these speakers can be very amp specific. That they need not so much good current, but heaps of watts. Both ideally. I believe my Plinius Hautonga, has both of them in spades. So l don't think that it's an issue. I think my MoFi TT and Emotiva CDP are also up for the job. I keep reading repeatedly that these speakers will only play as good as what's in the chain. Also, l hear if the recording is not so great, they will highlight that too. But l believe most good speakers will do that as well. And let's face it, there is plenty of dud recordings out there. And we all have them...don't we. So anyone out there with said speaker/amp combination, or even just the speakers. I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you in advance. KInd Regards, Ken.
Al.M Posted August 24, 2022 Posted August 24, 2022 (edited) On 14/8/2022 at 1:54 PM, needlerunner said: anyone If you didn’t notice there are some similar post discussions could search for in this forum and others in different web forums, such as Edited August 24, 2022 by Al.M 1
Cafad Posted August 24, 2022 Posted August 24, 2022 I don't have a pair yet, but they are on the way so I will have them by the end of the year. I liked them enough when I heard them to take the plunge and order a pair. I really did want to listen to them more beforehand but the chance to do that evaporated so I'm just holding on to my expectations and hurrying up and waiting. Eventually they are going to be mine. I agree they are an excellent speaker for the price and that price is only going to increase in the not to distant future (as has everything else over the last few years). If you are definite in your intent to buy then ordering a pair before the next price rise would be a smart thing to do. 1
THOMO Posted August 28, 2022 Posted August 28, 2022 (edited) Well they have a couple of things I like- Sealed bass. A dedicated midrange driver [and a really good one].Many consider it THE best you can buy. I have heard them.My impression is that they sound quite like Gale 401s .I know Gale owners who also own ATC SCM40s. I actually prefer them to the bigger ported ATCs. They are high resolution so suspect source/preamp/power amp and even cable matching will be critical to getting them sounding their best. If you do buy a pair you can buy them through a Perth distributor [JD at Sublime Hi Fi] Edited August 28, 2022 by THOMO 1
dcathro Posted August 28, 2022 Posted August 28, 2022 Don't know the 40s, but I have used active 50s and 100s in the past and always liked them. 1
Al.M Posted August 28, 2022 Posted August 28, 2022 I had good experience listening to them in another persons house, has the midrange clarity that is up in the top 5 in its class and better than most cone midrange drivers. The treble unit is also very good and doesn’t let it down, integrates perfectly with the dome midrange. The bass also kicks nicely for a smallish woofer and very tuneful. I have the ATC midrange unit separately that I occasionally pull out and do an active amp and crossover in three way design, plenty of detail and images nicely. A legendary beast of a midrange unit been around for 30+ years. 1 1
maxspl Posted August 30, 2022 Posted August 30, 2022 (edited) The SCM40 are part of ATCs entry level series. The mid dome , bass driver and tweeter are of lesser quality than the top of the range S spec and SL drivers used in the SCM50 and above. Due to the sealed box design of the 40s they are probably easier to integrate into smaller rooms or in less than ideal closer to the front wall positions though. Edited August 30, 2022 by MarkT Typo 1
needlerunner Posted August 30, 2022 Author Posted August 30, 2022 On 28/08/2022 at 8:47 PM, Al.M said: I had good experience listening to them in another persons house, has the midrange clarity that is up in the top 5 in its class and better than most cone midrange drivers. The treble unit is also very good and doesn’t let it down, integrates perfectly with the dome midrange. The bass also kicks nicely for a smallish woofer and very tuneful. I have the ATC midrange unit separately that I occasionally pull out and do an active amp and crossover in three way design, plenty of detail and images nicely. A legendary beast of a midrange unit been around for 30+ years. Thank you. Great info from everyone. It's been good fun trying to identify my next speaker upgrade. So just been doing the research thing over the last several months (can't rush these things can you). I'm in no great rush, and l do like my PMCs. But pretty much sold on these speakers now. In theory they tick all the boxes. The price is over my initial budget, but they do seem to be worth the money. They are a lot cheaper than say, the equivalent PMC model. I guess my next step is to try and listen to a pair.
needlerunner Posted August 30, 2022 Author Posted August 30, 2022 4 hours ago, MarkT said: The SCM40 are part of ATCs entry level series. The mid dome , bass driver and tweeter are of lesser quality than the top of the range S spec and SL drivers used in the SCM50 and above. Due to the sealed box design of the 40s they are probably easier to integrate into smaller rooms or in less than ideal closer to the front wall positions though. Exactly. Because of my setup, l have to have them close to the front wall. Pretty much why l got the PMCs in the first place. But the price of PMCs are through the roof now. Too rich for this little black duck.
Al.M Posted August 31, 2022 Posted August 31, 2022 (edited) If you are patient used atc40 sell for around $3-4k depending on the mk 1 or 2 versions, several come up in gumtree and sna classified annually. I heard them in a 4x6m room about 1m out into the room and was surprised the bass filled the room. There is currently a used active pair of large ATC monitors in QLD gumtree for $12k, valued at $38k rrp. Edited August 31, 2022 by Al.M 1
Toeknee Posted September 2, 2022 Posted September 2, 2022 (edited) I own a passive pair of Mk 1 (driven by Michi P5/S5 combo). A few weeks ago I went to the ATC dealer in Melbourne and did a two hour session with the new 40's (active) and 50's (active). Hand on heart, the Mk 1's sound absolutely equal to the latest 40's and even better than the ported 50's (in my opinion). If you go passive get a quality sub (portless) that you can easily adjust, it just compliments the amazing speakers (I use the SVS2000 SB that you adjust with your phone). ATC 40's are end game if you have a great listening room. Of my 40 odd hifi purchases over the past 30 years these speakers come in number one. I suggest if you can get a pair of Mk1's (or Mk2's) for under 4k, don't hesitate, get them! They are bullet proof and incredible sounding, you have to pay 30k to find the same sound. Edited September 2, 2022 by Toeknee
needlerunner Posted September 4, 2022 Author Posted September 4, 2022 On 02/09/2022 at 5:30 PM, Toeknee said: I own a passive pair of Mk 1 (driven by Michi P5/S5 combo). A few weeks ago I went to the ATC dealer in Melbourne and did a two hour session with the new 40's (active) and 50's (active). Hand on heart, the Mk 1's sound absolutely equal to the latest 40's and even better than the ported 50's (in my opinion). If you go passive get a quality sub (portless) that you can easily adjust, it just compliments the amazing speakers (I use the SVS2000 SB that you adjust with your phone). ATC 40's are end game if you have a great listening room. Of my 40 odd hifi purchases over the past 30 years these speakers come in number one. I suggest if you can get a pair of Mk1's (or Mk2's) for under 4k, don't hesitate, get them! They are bullet proof and incredible sounding, you have to pay 30k to find the same sound. Thanks Toeknee. That's why l will end up with them. Nobody has a bad thing to say about them. I keep reading stories like yours...all the time. They will be driven by my Plinius Hautonga amp (200 wpc). Have not come across a review with that same setup. I know the 40s like grunt. This amp make my PMCs sing. So pretty confident in that regard. Now...Just got to find a pair to listen to. Cheers.
Toeknee Posted September 4, 2022 Posted September 4, 2022 If you were in Melbourne I could help you out there. Bunbury is over 3000km away!
a.dent Posted September 4, 2022 Posted September 4, 2022 4 hours ago, needlerunner said: Now...Just got to find a pair to listen to. Have you spoken to John Daly at Sublime HiFi. I think he still has a pair that you will be able to listen to if you can make the trip to Perth. https://www.sublimehifi.com.au
Jaba Posted September 19, 2022 Posted September 19, 2022 Hi Ken, I own a pair of ATC SCM40 (mark 1) and I am based in Perth’s northern suburbs. You are welcomed to pop in to listen to them if it helps you to make a decision. I use Anthem A2 and it seems to deliver sufficient power to drive them. I also use a sub which works well to balance the sealed box design. The ATC’s philosophy of no gimmicks design just gels with me and after trying different products, I found this to be a well balanced setup for my room. Regards Mike
audiohifiaudio Posted August 31, 2023 Posted August 31, 2023 (edited) Ive heard the SCM 40 V1 and was not IMPRESSED. I hope the v2 version sound better. If Im not mistaken they stop making the SCM40 V2. Edited August 31, 2023 by audiohifiaudio
gat474 Posted August 31, 2023 Posted August 31, 2023 46 minutes ago, audiohifiaudio said: Ive heard the SCM 40 V1 and was not IMPRESSED. I hope the v2 version sound better. If Im not mistaken they stop making the SCM40 V2. They still make the V2. 1
needlerunner Posted September 4, 2023 Author Posted September 4, 2023 On 19/09/2022 at 8:25 AM, Jaba said: Hi Ken, I own a pair of ATC SCM40 (mark 1) and I am based in Perth’s northern suburbs. You are welcomed to pop in to listen to them if it helps you to make a decision. I use Anthem A2 and it seems to deliver sufficient power to drive them. I also use a sub which works well to balance the sealed box design. The ATC’s philosophy of no gimmicks design just gels with me and after trying different products, I found this to be a well balanced setup for my room. Regards Mike Hi Mike, Thank you for your kind offer. Just saw this new recent post from audiohifiaudio. So just seen your post. Can't believe it's been a whole year since l made enquiries. And yep, still fathing about. Still concerned if my room is too small to accommodate these speakers (room is approx 21' X 13). I really need to hear them in my room, l think. 'Tis a lot of moolah to part with, if the room dynamics aren't compliant. Also l couldn't find a buyer for my PMCs. But you know what. These PMCs do a great job. It's not life or death for me (just a huge itch). Spent a long time playing around with placement and toe in this last year. And l think l have them now dialled in to their best sounding position. So, long story short, l decided to put it on the backburner. It all got too hard. Then l got sick and decided to can the idea for 12 months. Interesting, I've just started looking at it again, this last week actually. But seeing what other speakers are still out there. Some Focal Aria K2 936s LA, have now gained my interest. Read some great reviews. And they are significant cheaper than the SCM 40s. But again...are they also too big for my room??? Because of furniture constraints, l have to have the speakers close to the front wall (20" from wall to front baffle). That only leaves me 7' my listening chair. But it's not critical as l mainly listen from my dinning room table chair most times. As I honestly can't hear a significant difference in sound quality anyway. So l could bring other speakers in maybe another 6"? But not sure. Anyway have enclosed a pic of room. So open to any advice or suggestions. Would also be interested in hearing what the difference is between V1 vs V2. Wouldn't be that significant, would it? Cheers, Ken 1
needlerunner Posted September 4, 2023 Author Posted September 4, 2023 On 31/08/2023 at 1:15 PM, audiohifiaudio said: Ive heard the SCM 40 V1 and was not IMPRESSED. I hope the v2 version sound better. If Im not mistaken they stop making the SCM40 V2. Hi audiohifiaudio. Can you please tell us why you didn't rate these speakers. I have only ever read great reviews. Ken 1
audiohifiaudio Posted September 4, 2023 Posted September 4, 2023 2 hours ago, needlerunner said: Hi audiohifiaudio. Can you please tell us why you didn't rate these speakers. I have only ever read great reviews. Ken I was so looking forward to these speakers as I love uk English speakers. It sounded harsh and the tweeter made things sound fake. The mid was ok and I prefer ported bass. It had some good things ok but not my cup of tea. Maybe the new ones might be a winner. That's why I asked if any one has compared the two.
JohnL Posted September 4, 2023 Posted September 4, 2023 2 hours ago, audiohifiaudio said: I was so looking forward to these speakers as I love uk English speakers. It sounded harsh and the tweeter made things sound fake. The mid was ok and I prefer ported bass. It had some good things ok but not my cup of tea. Maybe the new ones might be a winner. That's why I asked if any one has compared the two. One of the major differences between the SCM 40 MK1 and MK2 is the tweeter. MK2 sports a new, very well regarded, in house ATC design. 1 1
audiohifiaudio Posted September 4, 2023 Posted September 4, 2023 14 minutes ago, JohnL said: One of the major differences between the SCM 40 MK1 and MK2 is the tweeter. MK2 sports a new, very well regarded, in house ATC design. So the SCM 40 v2 are the way to go? Can one just change the tweeter or is there more to it?
needlerunner Posted September 4, 2023 Author Posted September 4, 2023 I always thought that the big thing with this speaker was...the mid range? 1
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