atc loudspeakers - simply the best ?

[Deleted member 188516]

Given a certain religious organisation's complicity with widespread child abuse, I suspect an modern version would not include same! (Apologies if this crosses GRAPES guidance.)

i'd ask you to elaborate but i don't think i want to know !

 

[Deleted member 188516]

Ran a pair of active ATC150s for several years great speakers but far from the worlds best

may i ask what sources were you using ?
a cd player with a volume control on it or a pre-amp, other kit etc ?

 

[plastic penguin]

it would help consumers if more loudspeaker manufacturers would team up with cd / amplifier manufacturers as regards to system matching.

having said that it would still not guarantee a perfect sound as such when you consider room acoustics listener tastes etc !

Most hi-fi manufacturers produce amps, sources and speakers, incl ATC. If they don't then some are UK/Europe distributors for Far Eastern or Canadian brands and voice their speakers to those brands.

Not sure of your point...

 

[daytona600]

may i ask what sources were you using ?
a cd player with a volume control on it or a pre-amp, other kit etc ?

Dcs dac with passive preamp

 

[Gray]

Well ATC are generally regarded as probably having the most prestigious client list in the business. Here's a pic. of a classic ATC Soft Dome Monitoring - Friends around the world (special limited edition print) poster 66/100 signed by ATC's founder and chief engineer Billy Woodman we have here on display in the store listing a selection of ATC's clients over the years. My favourite on the list is The Pope

View attachment 1454

Am I right in thinking there's no ATC dealer in Essex?
(No Hegel dealers either for that matter).
Closest ATC to Essex seems to be Hertfordshire or Kent.

 

[Deleted member 188516]

Dcs dac with passive preamp

serious kit then !

 

[Gray]

......extremely quick sounding.....speed and attack

There's my emotional involvement covered.
You're selling them to me Jez.

 

[Romulus]

Am I right in thinking there's no ATC dealer in Essex?
(No Hegel dealers either for that matter).
Closest ATC to Essex seems to be Hertfordshire or Kent.

No ATC dealer in Devon, but there is one one Cornwall, I suppose its not intentional....

 

[Al ears]

No ATC dealer in Devon, but there is one one Cornwall, I suppose its not intentional....

Perhaps something manufacturers need to consider, if they can't provide a dealership that covers all areas then they are obviously going to lose sales.
Perhaps ATC are happy with their current turnover

 

[Romulus]

Perhaps something manufacturers need to consider, if they can't provide a dealership that covers all areas then they are obviously going to lose sales.
Perhaps ATC are happy with their current turnover

Probably richer kind of retirees in Cornwall !

 

[Surly Sid]

ATCs sound dull and boring.

 

[Deleted member 188516]

ATCs sound dull and boring.

even with your naim kit ?

 

[Al ears]

Probably richer kind of retirees in Cornwall !

You know it......

 

[MUSICRAFT]

Am I right in thinking there's no ATC dealer in Essex?
(No Hegel dealers either for that matter).
Closest ATC to Essex seems to be Hertfordshire or Kent.

Pass.

 

[Gray]

Pass.

OK, thanks.

 

[MUSICRAFT]

OK, thanks.

You're welcome

 

[Simon 13th note]

Hello everyone. I didn’t think they were dull and boring. I did the video review but I get the dull and boring sentiment to the extent of the flat frequency response and the fact they are designed for perfect rooms. thats the only downside I think. But they were very good. It’s a shame ATC are not a very good firm though,

 

[Simon 13th note]

hello everyone . This was a review of the actives I did and you wouldn’t buy the passive version I don’t think. Benefit of active crossover etc

ATC designs and build monitors. They are flat and honest. They have been designed to reveal the quality of what they are fed with as effectively as possible in an uncoloured and natural manner. The only way around this look at speakers which warm up the sound. However this warmth is distortion. So that’s the choice.

Please take at ATC's Corporate brochure for a background on ATC's take on loudspeaker design -

http://atcforums.co.uk/pdf/ATC CORP BROCHURE.pdf

Page 6 -

"The aims of the forefathers of the industry seem to have been completely forgotten and many loudspeakers of today's manufacturers are described as being musically involving, having pace, rhythm and slam or as just being a musical experience, words which might have a definite subjective meaning to the originator, cause confusion and suspicion in the mind of the public, and provide the less scrupulous with a cover for rather cynical products poorly engineered."

ATC Transducer. A precision monitoring instrument.

"Simply the best?

Wow! That's some statement. I won't for one moment knock the brand. They have a very good reputation, no question.

Whether any product is classed as "the best" comes down to many things: System synergy, personal preference, room size and acoustics... but certainly the former is the most important.

How many times on here have we all read some idiot who's lumped all 5 star products together and it sounds rubbish? Then had the balls to come on here and slag off the review?

My system as a whole is massively transparent but I wouldn't say the TB2s have the overall qualities that you described the ATC's to have. But one size doesn't fit all. Personally I would rather own Dali Rubicon 2 than ATC... for my taste anyway.

Are ATC's tricky to drive? They certainly need a ballsy amp. Rickycraft over the years has said he's heard them with a Arcam Alpha 7 (IIRC). Indeed it would sound okay, but you would never make the most of ATCs with 40 Watt £300 amp (as new costs).

For some nothing else will better the ATCs, for others, however, they are instantly forgettable.

 

[Deleted member 188516]

Hello everyone. I didn’t think they were dull and boring. I did the video review but I get the dull and boring sentiment to the extent of the flat frequency response and the fact they are designed for perfect rooms. thats the only downside I think. But they were very good. It’s a shame ATC are not a very good firm though,

welcome back quest !
cant wait for you to meet trevc !
(great review video by the way).

 

[Deleted member 188516]

Hello everyone. I didn’t think they were dull and boring. I did the video review but I get the dull and boring sentiment to the extent of the flat frequency response and the fact they are designed for perfect rooms. thats the only downside I think. But they were very good. It’s a shame ATC are not a very good firm though,

would you agree that the flat frequency response these speakers have translates to a more accurate representation of the signal sent to these speakers ?

what would your definition of a perfect room be - a studio mastering room with a lot of acoustic treatments for example ?

 

[Deleted member 188516]

ATCs sound dull and boring.

not when playing some napalm death...

 

[Simon 13th note]

I think the issue is in lay terms, is that a flat response means bass is hiked by room response. Bass traps like behind TVs etc. So thats why many speakers are designed to have dips and troughs and why getting an uncompromising speaker like the atc into living rooms can give it the impression of being a bit ‘meh’ with bass and smoothness etc. unless you room is perfect and the room Is designed around HiFi which for most is not practical.

 

[Deleted member 188516]

I think the issue is in lay terms, is that a flat response means bass is hiked by room response. Bass traps like behind TVs etc. So thats why many speakers are designed to have dips and troughs and why getting an uncompromising speaker like the atc into living rooms can give it the impression of being a bit ‘meh’ with bass and smoothness etc. unless you room is perfect and the room Is designed around HiFi which for most is not practical.

understood now and thanks for the detailed reply.

 

[insider9]

My goodness the forum is doing great even Simon is back. Welcome back buddy hope you're well.

Don't think in music or hifi you can have a brand that makes world's best product. It's too big of a statement. There are market leaders and people's favourite brands but that's it.

 

[Simon 13th note]

My goodness the forum is doing great even Simon is back. Welcome back buddy hope you're well.

Don't think in music or hifi you can have a brand that makes world's best product. It's too big of a statement. There are market leaders and people's favourite brands but that's it.

hi Luke. Thank you. hope you are well too.

i tried to make the reviews work on my website 13th note hifi reviews, but it’s failed mainly as manufacturers didn’t support me - not uncommon. Maybe I was naive but it massively improved my mental health. Some of the videos and creativity and production I’m really proud of and serious effort went in. If only it have been about a Labrador doing tricks I’d be on 100k subscribers now. Lol.

But anyway, I think you are right, but I found on my journeys you can say some are better for money. And within bounds of preference as to sonic quality you can find one is better than another. You raved/rave about Hegel I remember and I was onto the expense means better journey with Cyrus. But how wrong was I. That’s why they (Cyrus) are going. Some of the stuff given to me I’m going to sell to upgrade my HiFi. The hegel Mohican I have at the moment, albeit not mine - Anders lent it, is tremendous. As good as a hugo tt2 from what I can remember.