ATC SCM-11 owners

[DaveyBoy1980]

Hi Guys,

I was wondering who of you out there are using ATC SCM11 speakers and what are you using them with? What are your thoughts? and how do you have them positioned?

I purchased these after demo'ing them at Frank Harvey and love them to bits. I went a bit mad actually, it was my 30th birthday and after 12 years of being into music and hifi I used it as an excuse to go all out! I run them with a MF A5 integrated, NAD C520 CD player and Roku Soundbridge (Both are running through a Beresford Caiman DAC)

I do feel that my cables are letting the system down a bit. Using QED Qunex 2 IC and some old QED speaker cable unterminated.

 

[Anonymous]

Davey (welcome by the way)

I think your source may be letting you down a bit, those speakers are capable of presenting more detail than they are currently getting. Nice amp though, plenty of power in reserve (can I have it to use as a power amp please?!!).

Probably worth demoing an interconnect or two, but the speaker cable is fine (IMHO).

My kit as below.

Graham.

 

[Frank Harvey]

Hi Daveyboy

You can use cables to 'fine tune' your system. Is there any area you feel the system is lacking? Slightly bright? Slightly dull?

 

[DaveyBoy1980]

Graham,

I did think that the source would be letting me down. The reason I bought the DAC was to try and get the best out of my current sources (NAD C520 and the Roku) until I can save for a better source. Also, a lot of my music is saved as FLAC and I know over the next year or so there will be a big advance on DACs and digital format players so I am holding out.

I am currently very happy with the sound but I do know there is much more I can do to get the potential out of my kit! The upgrades are going to have to wait a while. I started this thread just to get an idea of what other people out there are using with their SCM-11.

I do think the QED qunex II is probably strangling a lot of the quality. I read the review on the Atlas Equator Superior IC and wondered if that would be a good match for my system.

David,

I do know there is a lack of separation and not much airiness to the tracks that I play. I've heard decent setups before and if I close my eyes it feels as though the band are right in front of me and not coming out of speakers! Can this be achieved with the kit I have?

 

[Frank Harvey]

DaveyBoy1980:David,

I do know there is a lack of separation and not much airiness to the tracks that I play. I've heard decent setups before and if I close my eyes it feels as though the band are right in front of me and not coming out of speakers! Can this be achieved with the kit I have?

Firstly it'll be down to the type of music you play. If the style of music isn't well recorded, your system cannot make up for that, and can only produce it to the best of it's abilities. What type of music is it? Can you offer a couple of examples?

I find that even speakers that are designed to be used again st walls can sound more three dimensional when moved away a little, and keeping them away from side walls helps too. Also, if you are sitting against the back wall, this tends to squash any sort of front to back soundstaging the system is producing, and tends to muddy things as far as the bass goes, which in turn ruins detail and separation. So the first thing to do is take a look at your seating position when listening to music.

I also find that having lights on or listening during the day affects how you hear a system. If you can see the speakers, your brain immediately thinks that's where the sound is coming from. Closing your eyes helps in that you can no longer see the speakers, but if you're imagining your room in your head, that's no good. The best thing to do is totally clear your mind of your room, and completely ignore that you're surrounded by four walls. If you can imagine you're in a wide open space with no speakers, it's surprising how different your system can sound. I've found some systems seem to be able to project sound right up within a foot or two of my face - close enough to touch - but that's only when I can close my eyes and forget the restrictions of a room.

I hope that makes some sense!

 

[MUSICRAFT]

DaveyBoy1980:

Hi Guys,

I was wondering who of you out there are using ATC SCM11 speakers and what are you using them with? What are your thoughts? and how do you have them positioned?

I purchased these after demo'ing them at Frank Harvey and love them to bits. I went a bit mad actually, it was my 30th birthday and after 12 years of being into music and hifi I used it as an excuse to go all out! I run them with a MF A5 integrated, NAD C520 CD player and Roku Soundbridge (Both are running through a Beresford Caiman DAC)

I do feel that my cables are letting the system down a bit. Using QED Qunex 2 IC and some old QED speaker cable unterminated.

Hi DaveyBoy1980

The SCM11's have a massive performance potential. On some occassions i have used the SCM11's with amplification and sources that costs ten of thousands and yet i have never really felt the speakers were letting the electronics down. The main reason for this level of performance is down to the superb studio CLD mid/bass unit which is also used in their SCM16 professional speakers.

Your main components are just fine so i would not think about them for a while yet. Your cabling could do with a change though. I would highly recommend Van Den Hul's Integration Hybrid interconnect and a generic speaker cable which i use that costs around £3/m. I use these cables with modestly priced electronics (which i often use with ATC speakers). These cables are also the ones which i'll often use with (as i initially mentioned) amplification and sources that cost ten of thousands.

Since dealing with ATC the Integration Hybrid and the generic speaker cable are the ones which i have often used with their products for years. With your NAD cdp and MF amplifier these cables will give you a subtle but worthwhlie improvement (more detailed and balanced presentation) and will also still hold their own with future upgrades.

Once the cabling has been addressed than look at finding an ideal room position. ATC speakers are not too fussy in this respect due to their closed box design and more importantly flat and honest presentation. However over the years (if possible) i have generally positioned them about a foot from rear walls and facing almost straight out.

Thanks

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[Anonymous]

Rick, great advice and you've probably saved Davey a significant sum there.

FrankHarveyHiFi:I also find that having lights on or listening during the day affects how you hear a system. If you can see the speakers, your brain immediately thinks that's where the sound is coming from. Closing your eyes helps in that you can no longer see the speakers, but if you're imagining your room in your head, that's no good. The best thing to do is totally clear your mind of your room, and completely ignore that you're surrounded by four walls. If you can imagine you're in a wide open space with no speakers, it's surprising how different your system can sound. I've found some systems seem to be able to project sound right up within a foot or two of my face - close enough to touch - but that's only when I can close my eyes and forget the restrictions of a room.

David

Nice post. I've experienced that myself with my timed lighting goes out at midnight and I'm listening away......

 

[DaveyBoy1980]

David/Rick

Thanks for both of your detailed responses. I have taken into account what you have both said about the placement of the speakers. I had tried moving them around but nowhere near as far from the wall as 1ft away as they do stick out into the room quite a bit! I've experimented tonight and have found that 1ft away gives a massive difference in the way I hear the music!

It now sounds a lot more 3 dimensional and less directional. The vocals are now separate to the instruments and each instrument now has its own space out in front of me somewhere!

David: What you say about closing you eyes and clearing your head of anything that is around you is something I've done for years and it really is the only way to get the most from the music you love. You don't hear it mentioned a lot in the forums but I'm really into trance, euphoria and chillout music and have been since I was 17 and I'm now 30. The feeling you get after a hard weeks work when you dim the lights, sit back with a frosty glass of something and let the ambient beats take you to some place else! Like all of the guys on here, music is one of my biggest passions and I love all music from U2, Stereophonics, nirvana etc.... to classical.

Rick: I'm glad that you have said that my source is decent enough for now as I can't afford anything else at the moment really. I did think I'd probably have to spend just over the £100+ mark on the IC and on your recommendation I will save for the Van Den Hull Integration Hybrid.

One other thing I will try is filling my broadsides with kiln dried sand to see if I can get anything extra out of those bad boys! ha ha.

Anyway guys thanks for all your help and I hope that this thread will help others out there too!

 

[MUSICRAFT]

DaveyBoy1980:

David/Rick

Thanks for both of your detailed responses. I have taken into account what you have both said about the placement of the speakers. I had tried moving them around but nowhere near as far from the wall as 1ft away as they do stick out into the room quite a bit! I've experimented tonight and have found that 1ft away gives a massive difference in the way I hear the music!

It now sounds a lot more 3 dimensional and less directional. The vocals are now separate to the instruments and each instrument now has its own space out in front of me somewhere!

David: What you say about closing you eyes and clearing your head of anything that is around you is something I've done for years and it really is the only way to get the most from the music you love. You don't hear it mentioned a lot in the forums but I'm really into trance, euphoria and chillout music and have been since I was 17 and I'm now 30. The feeling you get after a hard weeks work when you dim the lights, sit back with a frosty glass of something and let the ambient beats take you to some place else! Like all of the guys on here, music is one of my biggest passions and I love all music from U2, Stereophonics, nirvana etc.... to classical.

Rick: I'm glad that you have said that my source is decent enough for now as I can't afford anything else at the moment really. I did think I'd probably have to spend just over the £100+ mark on the IC and on your recommendation I will save for the Van Den Hull Integration Hybrid.

One other thing I will try is filling my broadsides with kiln dried sand to see if I can get anything extra out of those bad boys! ha ha.

Anyway guys thanks for all your help and I hope that this thread will help others out there too!

Hi DaveyBoy1980

Your welcome.

The VDH Integration is a superb cable and has been my overall reference for ten years.

Btw, don't also forget to change the speaker cable. It is very modestly priced at around £3/m. With ATC speakers in particular this speaker cable is good enough.

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[DaveyBoy1980]

Rick,

I'm intrigued

What is this generic speaker cable you speak of? Is that the make or is it just generic stuff? Where can I get some and should it be terminated? and if so, how, where and how much?

 

[MUSICRAFT]

DaveyBoy1980:

Rick,

I'm intrigued

What is this generic speaker cable you speak of? Is that the make or is it just generic stuff? Where can I get some and should it be terminated? and if so, how, where and how much?



Hi DaveyBoy1980

I am not too sure of the rules here so i think it would be probably be best if you contact me and i'll point you in the right direction. If you wish to do so than please email me (details are in my bio).

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[chebby]

MUSICRAFT:I am not too sure of the rules here...

It is only a bit of cheap speaker cable. You regularly recommend thousands of quids worth of speakers/ATC amps/Chord DACs etc (that you actually stock) so why not put a name to a £3 a metre bit of cable or tell us where to get it?

 

[Frank Harvey]

Graham_Thomas:David Nice post. I've experienced that myself with my timed lighting goes out at midnight and I'm listening away......

 

[Frank Harvey]

DaveyBoy1980:I have taken into account what you have both said about the placement of the speakers. I had tried moving them around but nowhere near as far from the wall as 1ft away as they do stick out into the room quite a bit! I've experimented tonight and have found that 1ft away gives a massive difference in the way I hear the music!

It now sounds a lot more 3 dimensional and less directional. The vocals are now separate to the instruments and each instrument now has its own space out in front of me somewhere! Like I said, even speakers that are designed to be used against a wall generally sound more three dimensional when moved away, even if it does affect their tonal balance.

If you know how different a system sounds when you're sitting against the back wall to how it sounds when you sit clear of it, it's that sort of difference when you move your speakers clear of the wall - only a little more subtle.

David: What you say about closing you eyes and clearing your head of anything that is around you is something I've done for years and it really is the only way to get the most from the music you love. You don't hear it mentioned a lot in the forums but I'm really into trance, euphoria and chillout music and have been since I was 17 and I'm now 30. The feeling you get after a hard weeks work when you dim the lights, sit back with a frosty glass of something and let the ambient beats take you to some place else! Like all of the guys on here, music is one of my biggest passions and I love all music from U2, Stereophonics, nirvana etc.... to classical.

I listen to a lot of chilout/trance as well, and some of it can sound phenomenal on a good system as most of it is pretty well recorded. You should get in touch and swap recommendations....

For the past 2/3 weeks we've been using a Bryston system in our demo room with various speakers (soon to be partnered with the matching DAC). For this sort of music, I find the KEF Reference 205/2's excel, and are a fantastic match for the Bryston too. Stuff like Phutureprimitive sounds gorgeous on it.....

 

[DaveyBoy1980]

David/Rick,

I've sent you both an email

 

[Frank Harvey]

Hi Daveyboy

I'm not at work today, so I'll reply to you in the morning.

Regards

David

 

[Anonymous]

chebby:
MUSICRAFT:I am not too sure of the rules here...

It is only a bit of cheap speaker cable. You regularly recommend thousands of quids worth of speakers/ATC amps/Chord DACs etc (that you actually stock) so why not put a name to a £3 a metre bit of cable or tell us where to get it?

C'mon Rick, just whisper it on here........we will not tell anyone chebby and I? shhhhh

 

[MUSICRAFT]

Graham_Thomas:chebby:

MUSICRAFT:I am not too sure of the rules here...

It is only a bit of cheap speaker cable. You regularly recommend thousands of quids worth of speakers/ATC amps/Chord DACs etc (that you actually stock) so why not put a name to a £3 a metre bit of cable or tell us where to get it?

C'mon Rick, just whisper it on here........we will not tell anyone chebby and I? shhhhh

Hi chebby and Graham_Thomas

The speaker cable has no name. It is a simple design and one that works superbly with all the equipment which i have used the cable with from budget to high end amplification and speakers.

At the moment i don't stock/sell another speaker cable until £100/m!

Thanks

Rick @ Musicraft