Pictures of your speaker system

Discussion in 'Speakers' started by Cspirou, Nov 6, 2015.

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  1. Tobes

    Tobes Acquaintance

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    I find the more 'raw' ATC mids to be ultimately more truthful, but I would agree that the Harbeths can sound more 'beautiful'. Depends whether you want to be excited by your music or soothed - this is not to say the ATCs can't sound beautiful (they definitely can) or that the Harbeths can't sound exciting (I did own them for 12 years), it's just a matter of degree and priorities. I've sampled the Harbeth sound, but now I'm attracted to ATC which I think plays a broader range of program material/genres and imposes less character on the reproduction.

    ATC bass boomy?? You must have heard them in a bad room, they offer some of the cleanest, tightest bass going IMO.
    I don't find either of the 2 ATC models I own - SCM19 and SCM100 ASLT - thin at all and the blending of the drivers is excellent. Both capable of wonderfully robust sound, especially the big SCM100s.
    Never heard ATC described as 'middling' either - clearly their huge professional client list have got it wrong.;)
    i think the SCM19's and other small ATCs are priced pretty competitively. The bigger active models are expensive, no getting around that (mitigated somewhat by saving the expense of amplifiers, cables etc).
    But hey if they don't float your boat, there are plenty of other (mostly less accurate) 'fish in the sea'.
     
  2. Psalmanazar

    Psalmanazar Most improved member; A+

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    Yeah robust sound that starts slowly rolling off at 300hz or whatever. How are those two ways priced competitively when I can buy something for less money that does more and sounds more normal?

    ATC’s three ways sound boomy in many different rooms so they are boomy. They measure boomy so they are boomy. You can get tonally flatter speakers for a few hundred bucks.

    You can use anything as a tool if you’d like. Everyone used to use horns and NS10s. Much of Thriller was done on an Auratone 5C. Hans Zimmer uses Questeds. Many indie 90s records were recorded and mixed on all Mackie gear with all Shure mics. If ATCs were really were that flat and not just detailed, then they would be more popular. That list is nothing compared to those who use Yamaha, JBL, KRK, and Adam. There’s a large amount of consumers and professionals who think they are whack despite the cool dome.

    The reason so many commercially mastered records sound funny on ATCs but fine almost everywhere else is because the speakers sound funny. Sometimes they do sound quite good but British speakers are British speakers.
     
  3. Priidik

    Priidik MOT: Estelon

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    Your descriptions of how 'ATC' sounds is useless.
    Can you dig out some specific events? Which models, what chain, your own music?

    ATC 3-ways range from 7'' woofer to 15'', there is going to be a difference in how the mids and bass work together.
    On top of that; powered vs passive.

    Perhaps a good reason why control rooms and studios don't want ATC
    is it's 2x the price of most everything else high end pro.
     
    Last edited: Jul 10, 2019
  4. Rowethren

    Rowethren Acquaintance

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    I dread to see what you think of my Monitor Audio Platinum PL100 II :Violin:
     
  5. Tobes

    Tobes Acquaintance

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    Can you provide any measurement evidence to back up this claim? Can you explain what you mean by "sounds more normal"?

    Any measurements to back this up?
    ATC considers that proper bass alignment should have a Q between 0.3 and 0.6. This is typically referred to as critically damped (0.5) to overdamped (0.3). The bass port in the bigger designs is used to control the woofer, not to provide extension per se. 'Boomy' is the opposite of what they are about. The big models do have quite extended bass though, so placement and contribution by the room will come into play (as it will with any speaker).

    I agree that any speaker can be used as a tool and results will vary accordingly - many engineers use what they are familiar with and 'work around' the sound i.e. they have a fair idea from experience of how the sound they are hearing will translate.
    ATC seem to be very highly regarded on pro/semi pro forums like Gearslutz. It would be interesting to read how your views are received over there.

    The majority of the recordings I listen to - pop, rock, electronic, blues, jazz, classical - sound excellent on the ATCs. What do you mean by "sounds funny"?
    I like to have a speaker that produces a primarily natural/realistic result with acoustic music and voice. Perhaps your goals are something else?
    Can you provide some information about the music you listen to and speakers you use, so that I can get a clearer picture of where you are coming from?
     
  6. Psalmanazar

    Psalmanazar Most improved member; A+

    Pyrate Slaytanic Cliff Clavin
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    ATC are yet more overpriced, peculiar sounding Britfi crap. Deal with it suckers.

    They just suck. Especially for what they cost. Too much one dimensional bass punch in the ones that have bass and lack of extension on even most of those for their size and being ported monitors. Distorted guitars are weird shit with a lack of presence.

    There are differences from model to model among the three ways but they all very similar sounding. They’re all still too pleasant sounding British speakers that cost way too much. Brit fi is Brit fi.

    Most commercially recorded, mixed, and mastered popular music from the last 40 years or so sounds and has always sounded okay even if you can pick out errors and discrepancies. Off, disconnected sounding speakers destroy competent enough productions as they are weirdly disconnected, not that the productions themselves are.

    The only thing more outrageous is PMC, which costs 4x as much as ATC, who are double the price of Quested if we’re gonna stick to talking about Brit fi crap for pretentious snobs.
     
  7. Tobes

    Tobes Acquaintance

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    Ok. Not much point in continuing this dialogue then. Have a nice day.
     
  8. Psalmanazar

    Psalmanazar Most improved member; A+

    Pyrate Slaytanic Cliff Clavin
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    Cool get some cochlear implants and Ritalin. Then you can both hear and actually pay attention to the bad teeth too sensitive for anything but boiled food. Maybe you’ll notice the uncomfortable bowel obstruction that is the stick up your ass.
     
  9. GoodEnoughGear

    GoodEnoughGear Evil Dr. Shultz‎

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    @Psalmanazar pontifications feel to me like more of a Basil Fawlty rant than sincere truth. At least I take them that way.
     
  10. Tobes

    Tobes Acquaintance

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    Nice. Someone forgotten to take their meds?
     
  11. Psalmanazar

    Psalmanazar Most improved member; A+

    Pyrate Slaytanic Cliff Clavin
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    This is America. You’re not allowed to have an edge in the UK.

    [​IMG]
     
  12. Tobes

    Tobes Acquaintance

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    Sorry, didn't realise you were the forum comedian - carry on.:rolleyes:
     
  13. elmoe

    elmoe Friend

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    You all need to let @Psalmanazar crank up Manowar on his KRKs and have a cupatea.

    [​IMG]
     
  14. msommers

    msommers High on Epipens

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    I've heard ATCs a few times now and never once did 'boomy bass' come to mind. Frankly, they always seemed a bit bass shy to me. Things I would complain about ATC are lacking any slam or impact factor, there is just no visceral energy coming out of them (even the active SCM40A I heard).

    ATC does timbre right though. Like really right! But in the end they lack boogey-factor for me. I could care less how flat they measure or whatever.

    Psalm is right about one thing though, they are hella expensive and by no means represent good value. But if it's that timbre you crave, I can't think of anything that does it better.
     
  15. murphythecat

    murphythecat GRU-powered uniformed trumpkin

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    ATC are not boomy.

    with ATC you either go with their SCM20 or at least go up to ATC SCM45a or SCM50a. SCM40a use a 7 inch woofer, never heard slam out of a 7" inch woofer lol

    if you want slam, you gotta go big, with atc scm100 or scm150 but they are money. Same with any top active speakers like Geithain RL901 or big Genelec or big passive from JBL 4367. The JBL 4429 could be a hell of a deal at 5k, never heard them though.
     
  16. msommers

    msommers High on Epipens

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    Both the 4367 and 4429 beamed like mother porkers. I never really experienced what that meant when I read it online but it was readily apparent as I was sitting down while the music was playing. It was all the sudden I was "in the zone". I'd like to hear the 4429 more but after a 30-45 minute audition in-store, it didn't really impress me much. The 4367 on the other hand, I'd love to have that thing in my house. Just forward enough to be engaging but not attention seeking, big and low bass, incredible stage depth. It was first time I heard that Bubbles song with the balls coming literally towards me, it was a "woah wtf!" moment for sure.

    I'd have to listen to both speakers with my own gear to really decide what I thought but once I heard the 4367 right after the SCM40A, it was obvious which direction I wanted to go. The JBL was just a hell of a lot more fun to listen to.
     
  17. Forza AudioWorks

    Forza AudioWorks MOT: Forza AudioWorks

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    I can easily agree with this too. More punch, vigor and 'readability' (ATC) versus saturation, pleasure and density (Harbeths). Had one of ACT's bookshelf a good while ago for a brief moment and in nearfield setup it was better than LS50 I used back then.
     
  18. ohhgourami

    ohhgourami Friend

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    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]


    Haven't getting my desktop attached so it's not running on dreaded USB. Already enjoying the sound so far. Not much I can complain about and balance is great. Imaging is superb and everything is nice and clean. Got the settings right so I get the dynamics I want.
     
  19. winders

    winders boomer

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    That's a lot of toe in! Is a chair better suited to long listening session something you are looking at?
     
  20. elmoe

    elmoe Friend

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    Makes me wonder how you took that first picture @ohhgourami were you hanging from the chandelier? :D
     

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