FrankHarveyHiFi:
plastic penguin:Discuss the pros and cons of both, please.Without getting into the usual room/music/system/compatibility thing, and the fact that there's no single speaker that will suit everyone, here's what I think.
Between the two mentioned, it's a little one sided. The ATC has size going for it - not only internal cabinet volume, but also a sligtly larger driver. This helps the 11's shift more air, along with the fact that the ATC's use a longer throw bass driver. Aldo, with their sealed cabinet, their bass gives a much smoother response compared to the transmission line of the DB1i's, which is going to be sensitive of room boundaries. One thing I have noticed in demonstrations, is that the ATC does produce less distortion - the DB1i's have a little mid/bass distortion - this is due to the transmission line system. Because of teh way it works, there's a panel very near to the back of the drive unit. This isnt really an issue in other PMC's as they have more cabinet volume to play with. If you're listening at lowish volumes, you'll find the PMC's sweeter and a much more lively, in comparison to the SCM11, which will come into their own at mid to higher volumes, sounding slightly duller in comparison to the PMC's at lower volumes.
My money would be on the SCM11's, but I wouldn't be able to ignore the ProAc Studio 100's and the KEF XQ20's, both with their own set of strong points.
Having said all that, the SCM11 should really be compared to the TB2i. I know there's a price difference, but these two are more comparable in physical size, and driver size. This would be a closer call, and, as always, one of preference, which will also be affected by the user's amplification.
Thanks for your opinion, David. As you know I have the RS6's, and in many areas, they are brilliant for the money. However, sometimes they can be a little heavy handed - great with film tracks.
I know what'll be my next amp, Leema Pulse. Heard it a few weeks ago and it ticks all the right boxes. Fabulous. However, the RS6's in a fairly compact room + Leema may prove too much in bass terms. So I'm just canvassing opinion.