ATC SCM20 ASL Pro's - Interest check

[DSJR]

I have the mindset now to let these go. Bought from HiFi dave back in October 1999, I have owned them since 2003 having bought them from a friend. This pair come with the original Vifa derived tweeter and also the flight-cases which are no longer supplied I understand.

The sound is lively, clear and spacious with a good source and driving preamp. They're excellent with an LP source as long as it's clean and the same goes for CD too. Being monitors, they won't hide any imperfections further back in the chain.

Full specs on the pro section of www.atc.gb.net.

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q8/DSJR_photos/SCM20Prosmaller.jpg

I have no idea of their current value, but they originally sold for around £2,900pr and currently go for almost £4,000

They're off to hifi dave's place on Monday and will probably go on eBay. I'm now on a tweaky retro kick and the Crowns/Spendors have too much sentimental value at the moment.

Any interest around a grand? I can supply cables to get you going and will sell some very heavy "Something Solid" stands to go with them separately.

[joethebus]

How would I get to see these and to hear them DSJR? How strangely isolated is your strangely isolated place?

Actually probably anywhere is a tad inaccessible for me at the moment because of a mammoth house move... But then again...

I am intrigued

Joe

[DSJR]

We're on the Suffolk coast, so at the other side of the country from you. HiFi Dave is near Saffron Walden and has good courier contacts and as it's over a year since we last got together, I've arranged to take them over to him, check 'em out and put them up for sale.

Something that hasn't caught on here yet is just how good active operation can be if it's done right. I'd love for someone to attempt "activating" Marco's Tannoys for example, as even his sooper-dooper crossover is the final obstacle his amps see before the drivers themselves. Active speakers need to be designed as complete packages though and ATC used to make 16 Ohm versions of their drive units so the FET amp packs saw an easy (for them) loading.

They're good little speakers and it's taken this long to decide what to do with them because I loved them so much. The sentimentality of the BC2's (I sold these with one of the Crowns to a mate's Dad as my first "proper" sale back in late 1974) etc and the fact that the Croft didn't much like driving long runs to a low input-impedance amp has made up my mind to pass them on.

The BC2's are good, but they don't like Massive Attack kind of meaty deep bass. The passive crossover's a bit "phasey" as the BC1 is and I can't afford the current Harbeths (the HL shape is too chunky), let alone the SP1/2's. I do enjoy the laid-back balance and supremely natural tone though and sometimes this old system amazes me with musical insight I never had on 'briks or inapproprately driven NS1000's (Linn LK280/Nakamichi PA5mk2) for example...

If you've ever heard properly driven later Epos ES14's, preferably with good valve amps, you'll have a good idea of what the ATC's do :)

[joethebus]

Saffron Walden's in Essex, isn't it, which is also a major schlep from here. Hmmm.

Funny you should mention Harbeth. I too would have a pair of Harbeths like a shot if I could afford them. I have been trying to track down a pair of active M30s unsuccesssfully and wondered whether these ATCs might be a substitute.

I have a pair of Rogers JR 150s I drive with a Rogers E20a amp (16 ohm drivers - that helps the amp, does it? OK, right, that makes sense) and I love the sound I have - but I'd like something a bit more portable. I have to take a mini sound system out with me sometimes when I'm working with the bus and I dunno... Maybe these ATCs. I use my computer as a source with Monarchy upsampler and Beresford DAC - so I'd have simple to set up high fidelity I could take anywhere and run off wind and sun.

Will the trip to Hi Fi Dave mean the ATCs will get a price hike? Drat. Though, on the other hand that would probably help me, actually! Like take the decision away from me... Take them out of my reach.. Stop me worrying.

What is the money side of the equation as you see it (you can PM me if you would prefer to)?

Sorry to ramble - had a long hard day, a good meal and a glass or two with friends ... you know how it is!

Joe

[Marco]

Dave,


I'd love for someone to attempt "activating" Marco's Tannoys for example, as even his sooper-dooper crossover is the final obstacle his amps see before the drivers themselves.


Could it be done using valve amps, though? ;)

For me, as soon as ss amps are in the chain (particularly the insipid sounding variety normally employed in active speakers), you lose more than you gain, even when taking into consideration the (apparent) sonic advantages of active speaker amplification, compared to something like the utterly exquisite sounding Copper valve amp I use passively with my Tannoys :)

It's all 'swings and roundabouts', Dave! You choose your compromises with hi-fi - there is no 'perfect' solution. I know which way I prefer doing things, though. Sorry for 'crapping' a little on your ad, but you brought up the subject and so I have to be honest.

Marco.

[DSJR]

I don't think Dave would add anything (I owe him shedloads anyway ;)). It's just that he has a tame courier able to send these things out (they're pretty heavy for a 20 litre speaker).

The ONLY active Harbeth I know of is a custom model 40. Alan hates losing control of his babies once they've left the factory and he's even all but abandoned bi-wiring as well, feeling that the crossovers are now properly integrated. Having the four terminals on the back caused nothing but aggro in the audiophool community anyway and he didn't want any part in it.

Asd far as Harbeths are concerned, the latest Compact 7 varient is more up to date than the Monitor 30, which is really a drop-in replacement for the not-much-loved LS5/9's. The same for the new P3 compared to the Monitor 20. For the sizes of each box, I'd suggest that the Harbeths are one of the very best passive speakers currently available for truthful reproduction of a good recording, the bass having been sorted out and, according to Dave, the treble too :) I can't speak for Spendor, as all they *seem* to be doing these days is tinkering with models established over twenty years ago, rather than using modern cone materials, crossover thinking and CAD as well as ears to design and tune modern implementations of the BBC ideas.

I should get the chance to compare these ATC's with the Harbeths tomorrow and will attempt to give a blow-by-blow account and possibly with some pics too (with permission). I may have to take the AVI preamp with me, which I know will drive long interconnects, as I'm not sure how the Croft or baby EAR (now SO expensive by comparison) will cope. I'm expecting the ATC's to be a touch "ruthless" by comparison, although the solid cast case with heavy MDF baffle should hopefully give similar levels of colouration...

So much to do tomorrow, so little time (Rega R200 wiring, ATC's to put up, TD125 to fettle, Quad II's to resurrect :cool: and boxes of old mags to go through and all the while, some loverly new kit to play with (Croft, new Rega CD and mucho Harbeths), as well as a Techie SL110 to drool over once again.........

Marco, if you knew exactly what the Tannoy crossover slopes are and the phase relationship between the two drivers, it should be readily possible to create a decent active crossover for them. I'm sure Tannoy used to make one for themselves for their bigger studio models, although I'm not sure on this. Anthony TD could fabricate a good valve based active crossover I'm sure, as well as making a good amp to drive the tweeters with (shouldn't need to be identical to the main amp your using, as long as the rise-time and phase relationships are the same).......

[Sailnet18666]

Have you got any idea of it's current price, yet?
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[Alex_UK]

Go on then, I'll give you a grand for them Dave...

(Having just watched the end of the ebay auction, I'm guessing you'll be quite happy no one did take you up on the offer here!)

[DSJR]

A first-time buyer in Germany apparently. Hope it turns out alright. It's not over till it's over.....:beer:




Here ya go - dust an all...

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q8/DSJR_photos/ATCsrear.jpg

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q8/DSJR_photos/ATCsFlightcases.jpg

[Alex_UK]

A first-time buyer in Germany apparently. Hope it turns out alright. It's not over till it's over.....:beer:

Fingers crossed for you, then. Mind you, 4 other bidders went over the grand, so you should still be fine with a second-chance offer, or putting them on again, if it comes to it.

Cheers, enjoy the beer! (red wine & X-factor for us!)

:cool:

[DSJR]

Jamie to win, but I fear it'll either be Jedward (:eek:) or "The Tonsils..."

[Alex_UK]

Don't get me started on the twin tw@ts... I must be getting old, I don't even see them as funny, just infuriating little f...ers... I love Stacey just because she's so daft, though I expect the industry would exploit and destroy her... Jamie did great tonight, his best performance so far, he could well be back in the game...

I know it's cheesy as hell, but X-factor is definitely one of my guilty pleasures! ;)