Floorstanding Speakers: ATC, Spendor, Dynaudio

[admin_exported]

Am in the market for some new floorstanders to replace my PMC TB2s + sub. Gave the PMC FB1i's a listen the other day and was unimpressed (surprisingly), really liked the Dynaudio Focus 220 IIs and now am curious about the ATC SCM40 and Spendor A6. Spoke at length to Rick @ Musicraft this morning as am curious about whether the ATCs will work well with the Cyrus PreVs2 / Xpower combo - couldn't really draw much of a conclusion from the conversation or from reading the massive "Why ATC?" threads, so if anyone has any experience of ATC with Cyrus I'd be grateful for the insight.

Anything else I should be thinking about at this price range?

Thanks in advance

ddias

 

[plastic penguin]

I know Igglebert and others highly recommend the Spendors. You could also do a lot worse than look at WHFI S&V £2,000 group test in the July edition. If you are looking at spending that sort of dough, demos are essential.

I know from personal experience Dynaudio marry well with Cyrus - just to reiterate, you must audition before parting your hard earned cash.

 

[Clare Newsome]

Our feathered, flightless friend is spot-on - auditioning is the way forward; at this price-point (and this economic situ) you should be able to get a home trial of speakers to try out with your Cyrus system.

I've heard Cyrus and ATC kit work marvellously together - an incredibly revealing combination. However, one person's 'revealing' is another's 'ruthless', so trying before you buy, with a selection of recordings (including any of your favourites you know/suspect aren't the best-produced), is crucal.

 

[Anonymous]

Clare Newsome:
Our feathered, flightless friend is spot-on - auditioning is the way forward; at this price-point (and this economic situ) you should be able to get a home trial of speakers to try out with your Cyrus system.

I've heard Cyrus and ATC kit work marvellously together - an incredibly revealing combination. However, one person's 'revealing' is another's 'ruthless', so trying before you buy, with a selection of recordings (including any of your favourites you know/suspect aren't the best-produced), is crucal.

Totally agree home trial is way forward at this sort of price, but very few dealers seem to offer this, or allow you to purchase on spec with the option to return if it doesn't fit after a home audtion. Bartletts (London) and Musicraft (Derby) are two dealers that won't do either.

 

[mikeinbrum]

As a newly converted fan I would urge you not to rule out Dali from your auditions.....especially as the outgoing Helicon Mk 1 series is available at a great price (and many Dali fans will tell you the Mk 1s have a more pleasing sound than their replacements)

 

[plastic penguin]

ddias:Clare Newsome:

Our feathered, flightless friend is spot-on - auditioning is the way forward; at this price-point (and this economic situ) you should be able to get a home trial of speakers to try out with your Cyrus system.

I've heard Cyrus and ATC kit work marvellously together - an incredibly revealing combination. However, one person's 'revealing' is another's 'ruthless', so trying before you buy, with a selection of recordings (including any of your favourites you know/suspect aren't the best-produced), is crucal.

Totally agree home trial is way forward at this sort of price, but very few dealers seem to offer this, or allow you to purchase on spec with the option to return if it doesn't fit after a home audtion. Bartletts (London) and Musicraft (Derby) are two dealers that won't do either.

If you are genuine and pledge to buy one of those speakers, i am sure, with a small deposite, they can arrange a home trial - after all it's a buyers market. Ask the question; the worst thing they can say is 'no'.

 

[Anonymous]

hi ddias,

was in the same boat as you a few months ago looking out for suitable speakers to pair my yamaha AS2000 and CD 2000.

After reading various post and auditioning i had a chance to speak to Rick(Musicraft) who stocks ATC,Dynaudio,Yamaha,Monitor Audio to name a few.

The long and short of it was after speaking to him and listening to ATC i know i made the right choice as he could have sold me another product other than ATC but he felt my yamahas will blend well with the ATC.

ATC are doing what almost no other speaker manufacturer are able to do; make a speaker from the ground and up!This ensures the special high quality, narrow tolerances, good communication, great flexibility and unique products with function intact.

Studio Control Monitor speakers dont need to be sexy nor are they fancy to look at. they are loudspeakers!

Jose Gonzalez's fabulous Veneer is a good example of a very poor recording of beautiful music, so you want to listen to it but a softer speaker will make less of the problems. On the other hand it is unfair to ask a speaker to be true, resolute and accommodating of poor quality source material

With ATC you can expect honest reproduction and a honest product well worth the money,

This is not a 'fast' loudspeaker but give it some spirited music and it will deliver a very tidy result that is precise yet fluent.

While I don't listen to a lot of classical music myself I do appreciate a bit of dynamic range and space alongside the all-important bone-crunching bass, and I can't help but enjoy the results am gonna get with this speaker.

If it's the sound of music you are after look no further than ATC's.

Enough said.

 

[Anonymous]

Well, obviously you need to try some speakers to see what you like but Spendor voice their speakers using Cyrus (as well as others I'm sure). They've always made intimate bedfellows. I think some A6s will work well with the XPower.

 

[MUSICRAFT]

We can allow for home demonstrations on several products however there will be times and on certain products when it is not appropiate for us to have this option on. This is one of them as (without wishing this to come across as an ad - sorry if it does WHF - please delete if this is not ok) a certain pair of our display speakers which have hardly been used have a significant saving on them and therefore are priced to sell.

I do not wish to go into too many details but the situation has been explained with a demo to be done at our store in due course.

Thanks

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[Anonymous]

MUSICRAFT:
This is one of them as (without wishing this to come across as an ad - sorry if it does WHF - please delete if this is not ok) a certain pair of our display speakers which have hardly been used have a significant saving on them and therefore are priced to sell.

Fair point.

 

[plastic penguin]

ddias:MUSICRAFT:

This is one of them as (without wishing this to come across as an ad - sorry if it does WHF - please delete if this is not ok) a certain pair of our display speakers which have hardly been used have a significant saving on them and therefore are priced to sell.

Fair point.

That doesn't solve the problem. There's no point in buying an item ad hoc and finding that room shape or acoustics - or even allowing for personal taste, the speakers fall flat, or don't meet your expectations.

 

[Anonymous]

plastic penguin:ddias:MUSICRAFT:

This is one of them as (without wishing this to come across as an ad - sorry if it does WHF - please delete if this is not ok) a certain pair of our display speakers which have hardly been used have a significant saving on them and therefore are priced to sell.

Fair point.

That doesn't solve the problem. There's no point in buying an item ad hoc and finding that room shape or acoustics - or even allowing for personal taste, the speakers fall flat, or don't meet your expectations.

Fair point also! Hence why I'm currently edging towards the Dynaudio's as:

- I've listened to them with Cyrus electronics

- if I buy from the right dealer I'd be probably be able to return them if it sounded awful at home.

That said, I'm still going to try and pass through Derby next Sunday to listen to the ATC's if only to meet the infamous Rick @ Musicraft...

Happy Sunday and thanks for all the info guys, the sun's shining so no music/computer for rest of the day...

 

[MUSICRAFT]

benharlley:

hi ddias,

was in the same boat as you a few months ago looking out for suitable speakers to pair my yamaha AS2000 and CD 2000.

After reading various post and auditioning i had a chance to speak to Rick(Musicraft) who stocks ATC,Dynaudio,Yamaha,Monitor Audio to name a few.

The long and short of it was after speaking to him and listening to ATC i know i made the right choice as he could have sold me another product other than ATC but he felt my yamahas will blend well with the ATC.

ATC are doing what almost no other speaker manufacturer are able to do; make a speaker from the ground and up!This ensures the special high quality, narrow tolerances, good communication, great flexibility and unique products with function intact.

Studio Control Monitor speakers dont need to be sexy nor are they fancy to look at. they are loudspeakers!

Jose Gonzalez's fabulous Veneer is a good example of a very poor recording of beautiful music, so you want to listen to it but a softer speaker will make less of the problems. On the other hand it is unfair to ask a speaker to be true, resolute and accommodating of poor quality source material

With ATC you can expect honest reproduction and a honest product well worth the money,

This is not a 'fast' loudspeaker but give it some spirited music and it will deliver a very tidy result that is precise yet fluent.

While I don't listen to a lot of classical music myself I do appreciate a bit of dynamic range and space alongside the all-important bone-crunching bass, and I can't help but enjoy the results am gonna get with this speaker.

If it's the sound of music you are after look no further than ATC's.

Enough said.

Hi Ben

Thanks for your kind words and for your support.

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[Frank Harvey]

ddias

Do also try the Proac D18's along with the ATC's and Spendors - we feel these are the three best speakers at this price point - so at least one should suit you. Personally, I prefer all three to the Dynaudios, and feel their standmounts ofer a better all round balance. We've done God knows how many demos of speakers around this price point this year, and thos are the main three that are chosen, even though we keep KEF XQ, Dynaudio, MA Gold, Dali Ikon and Mentor and PMC in the same price bracket.

As mentioned, a demo (and comparison) is the only way to decide what you prefer.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks.

Listened to Spendor A6s the other day, felt they were better the Dynaudio Focus 220 (not the Mark II), but not quite what I was looking for.

David@FrankHarveyHifi> can you offer any insight into the ATC and Cyrus, combo, given that your dealership stocks both?

 

[Anonymous]

Why not try a Toy Tower?

 

[Frank Harvey]

ddias:david@frankharveyhifi> can you offer any insight into the ATC and Cyrus, combo, given that your dealership stocks both?Basing this on the SCM40's, ideally you'd be looking at a pre/power combo, at least something like an X-Power - an 8 power would be ok for those who listen at a sensible listening level. But one of the abilities of the 40's, and there are many, is that they will just get better and better with the system. You could probably put them in a £20k system and they wouldn't disgrace themselves. Ideally, Mono X's should be the long term aim if you want to drive the SCM40's properly.

The (basic) way I describe Cyrus is quite a forward in the treble and mid, with a 'fatter' bass than the likes of Naim. This tends to make smaller speakers sound a bit bigger than they are, and for those that like bass, along with dance, techno, electronica etc, will probably prefer Cyrus over Naim - Naim's strengths lie elsewhere.

 

[crusaderlord]

''Naim's strengths lie elsewhere'' - to wrap this up how would you describe the Naim then - i love my Arcam's but am still keen one day to at least try a Naim amplifier. Some people love them and some really dont which can be confusing.

 

[Frank Harvey]

I was having a chat with someone in the industry earlier this year, and he said he never really got on with Naim equipment, but he had recently spent some time somewhere and auditioned some. Whoever he spoke to explained the rythym and timing aspect of the Naim equipment, something which he suddenly noticed and came to appreciate in this demo. Some people can pick up on it, some can't, it's a weird thing to explain. Even he said himself, it's hard to describe and even harder to notice and appreciate, but those that 'get it' tend to stick with Naim.

That aside, I would describe the Naim as more forgiving compared to it's olive coloured predecessors. The older stuff was quite forward sounding, to the point of making Cyrus sound smooth, and it really wasn't recommended for any 'dirty' music like rock or grunge for example. Fast forward to the newer Naim, and it's now a little more tame in the top end, widening it's compatibility with more speakers. Whereas it was hard to find a good selection of speakers that suited the old Naims, it's now pretty hard to find any that don't match well. This has widened Naim's appeal and customer base. It definitely has something about it, but can be hard to explain.

 

[Anonymous]

This is a good topic and I think the focus on how electronics differ in character is an important one given that IME ATC's just present you exactly what you feed them so are highly revealing of the source recording as well as how your 'boxes' sound.

I noticed a marked difference when I had Mono X's feeding ATC's to when I moved over to Bryston:

The Cyrus Mono X was very forthright and exciting, if a bit showy - trying too hard to please. Overall a good match.

Bryston - wider and more precise soundstage from left to right, and foreground/ background differentiation. Superior balance and a great deal more neutral as a result.

When you audition the 40's remember you're really auditioning the kit that's plugged into them - if possible take your own or what you intend to upgrade to.