Naim and ATC

[admin_exported]

Hi folks. I posted here before about purchasing a new cdp and amp for my ATC SCM40s.

Due to my less than great wage it is taking me a while to save up (i just bought a new 42" Phillips Ambilight which hasnt helped!)and I was wondering what you folks think the minimum requirement for running the ATCs would be.I was initially thinking Primare CD31 and i30 but after looking on the web and seeing some peoples Naim systems I was hooked on the look of them.

I know it is about how the system sounds but the Mrs has to like the look aswell as me and she was rather fond of the Naim kit too.

So long story short. How much should I spend on getting the ATCs singing in tune?

I was originally thinking £3000 on both the cdp and amp. Can it be done for half that?

Thinking CD5i and Nait5i pairing. Would this be powerful enough?

Arcam Alpha 7se.Alpha 8r,Alpha 8p.Systemdek IIX tt,ATC SCM40.Phillips 42 ambilight.Virgin V+.Sony 350 Blu ray on its way. S.N.E.S.

.

 

[Anonymous]

It's worth asking the question on the Naim forum. I've read that some models can be hard to drive,and the Nait's 50w output is at the bottom end of the SCM 40's spec.

 

[drummerman]

I had a similar question not long ago re. Naim's XS and some smaller ATC's. I remember a guy from FrankHarveyHifi replying that some of Naim's more 'powerful' pre-power products would be more suitable.

At the end of the day matching amplifier/speaker is the most important thing. You must have your reasons for wanting to build a system around your speakers but it may be worth to approach it from the opposite angle ie. try some Naim and if you like it, look for alternative speakers ...

As always, my opinion only.

 

[Frank Harvey]

Don't blame me.......

(I find that devil a little, well, not devilish enough really - any chance of a better one?)

A Nait 5i can drive them, but can struggle at higher volumes. A Nait XS does a better job, and is probably the minimum I'd recommend, which is just a little cheaper than a NAC122x/150x combination, which does the job a little better. To get the best from them you're going to be looking nearer the £3k mark really, with the minimum one box recommendations being the likes of the SuperNait and ATC's own integrated amplifier.

Drummerman is correct in saying that the amp/speaker combination is the most crucial one in the whole system, and should be researched thoroughly in order to not make costly mistakes and a waste of time and money. An improperly driven speaker will not sound it's worth, and can be a costly mistake when (and particularly in ATC's case) a driver dies due to being fed distortion.

 

[MUSICRAFT]

bobbyg81:

Hi folks. I posted here before about purchasing a new cdp and amp for my ATC SCM40s.

Due to my less than great wage it is taking me a while to save up (i just bought a new 42" Phillips Ambilight which hasnt helped!)and I was wondering what you folks think the minimum requirement for running the ATCs would be.I was initially thinking Primare CD31 and i30 but after looking on the web and seeing some peoples Naim systems I was hooked on the look of them.

I know it is about how the system sounds but the Mrs has to like the look aswell as me and she was rather fond of the Naim kit too.

So long story short. How much should I spend on getting the ATCs singing in tune?

I was originally thinking £3000 on both the cdp and amp. Can it be done for half that?

Thinking CD5i and Nait5i pairing. Would this be powerful enough?

Arcam Alpha 7se.Alpha 8r,Alpha 8p.Systemdek IIX tt,ATC SCM40.Phillips 42 ambilight.Virgin V+.Sony 350 Blu ray on its way. S.N.E.S.

.

Hi bobbyg

If by running the ATC's you mean in terms of power than there is more than enough with the Arcam amps (especially if you are bi-amping them) unless you wish to play them at very high levels for long periods.

The excellent engineering of the ATC drive units offers low distortion levels and therefore also enables the quality of the input signal to be produced in as close to it's natural form as possible even at low to moderate levels.

The Primare's will be a good upgrade both in terms of the quality of power and performance.

Your Arcam Alpha 7SE cdp is still good enough and personally i would carry on using it. I would also consider the following -

The NAD C375BEE amplifier + Alpha 7SE cdp

http://www.nadelectronics.com/products/hifi-amplifiers/C-375BEE-Integrated-Amplifiers/details

The ATC SIA2-150 amplifier + Alpha 7SE cdp

http://www.atc.gb.net/sia2-150.htm

If you still wish to change the 7SE than also look at the NAD C454BEE cdp to work with the C375BEE amp or the SIA2-150 amp.

http://www.nadelectronics.com/products/cd-players/C-545BEE-CD-Player/details

Another option to also consider would be the Chord Electonics Chordette Gem (to work with the NAD and ATC amps) in place of the 7SE/C545BEE or to work alongside both of them.

http://www.chordelectronics.co.uk/specs/Chordette%20GEM.pdf

Thanks

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[plastic penguin]

MUSICRAFT:bobbyg81:

Hi folks. I posted here before about purchasing a new cdp and amp for my ATC SCM40s.

Due to my less than great wage it is taking me a while to save up (i just bought a new 42" Phillips Ambilight which hasnt helped!)and I was wondering what you folks think the minimum requirement for running the ATCs would be.I was initially thinking Primare CD31 and i30 but after looking on the web and seeing some peoples Naim systems I was hooked on the look of them.

I know it is about how the system sounds but the Mrs has to like the look aswell as me and she was rather fond of the Naim kit too.

So long story short. How much should I spend on getting the ATCs singing in tune?

I was originally thinking £3000 on both the cdp and amp. Can it be done for half that?

Thinking CD5i and Nait5i pairing. Would this be powerful enough?

Arcam Alpha 7se.Alpha 8r,Alpha 8p.Systemdek IIX tt,ATC SCM40.Phillips 42 ambilight.Virgin V+.Sony 350 Blu ray on its way. S.N.E.S.

Hi bobbyg

If by running the ATC's you mean in terms of power than there is more than enough with the Arcam amps (especially if you are bi-amping them) unless you wish to play them at very high levels for long periods.

The excellent engineering of the ATC drive units offers low distortion levels and therefore also enables the quality of the input signal to be produced in as close to it's natural form as possible even at low to moderate levels.

The Primare's will be a good upgrade both in terms of the quality of power and performance.

Your Arcam Alpha 7SE cdp is still good enough and personally i would carry on using it. I would also consider the following -

The NAD C375BEE amplifier + Alpha 7SE cdp

http://www.nadelectronics.com/products/hifi-amplifiers/C-375BEE-Integrated-Amplifiers/details

The ATC SIA2-150 amplifier + Alpha 7SE cdp

http://www.atc.gb.net/sia2-150.htm

If you still wish to change the 7SE than also look at the NAD C454BEE cdp to work with the C375BEE amp or the SIA2-150 amp.

http://www.nadelectronics.com/products/cd-players/C-545BEE-CD-Player/details

Another option to also consider would be the Chord Electonics Chordette Gem (to work with the NAD and ATC amps) in place of the 7SE/C545BEE or to work alongside both of them.

http://www.chordelectronics.co.uk/specs/Chordette%20GEM.pdf

Thanks

Rick @ Musicraft

I can't agree - when I spoke to an ATC dealer before buying my RS6's, when I mentioned to him I had A65+ and was looking at entry-level monitors, poor chap almost had a seizure. He commented to the effect that due to lack of power the monitors could be damaged by a 40 watt amp.

 

[plastic penguin]

bobbyg81:

Hi folks. I posted here before about purchasing a new cdp and amp for my ATC SCM40s.

Due to my less than great wage it is taking me a while to save up (i just bought a new 42" Phillips Ambilight which hasnt helped!)and I was wondering what you folks think the minimum requirement for running the ATCs would be.I was initially thinking Primare CD31 and i30 but after looking on the web and seeing some peoples Naim systems I was hooked on the look of them.

I know it is about how the system sounds but the Mrs has to like the look aswell as me and she was rather fond of the Naim kit too.

So long story short. How much should I spend on getting the ATCs singing in tune?

I was originally thinking £3000 on both the cdp and amp. Can it be done for half that?

Thinking CD5i and Nait5i pairing. Would this be powerful enough?

Arcam Alpha 7se.Alpha 8r,Alpha 8p.Systemdek IIX tt,ATC SCM40.Phillips 42 ambilight.Virgin V+.Sony 350 Blu ray on its way. S.N.E.S.

Thinking about it (very rare) see my thread 'Why ATC's?'

 

[jaxwired]

plastic penguin:

I can't agree - when I spoke to an ATC dealer before buying my RS6's, when I mentioned to him I had A65+ and was looking at entry-level monitors, poor chap almost had a seizure. He commented to the effect that due to lack of power the monitors could be damaged by a 40 watt amp.

I suspect that way too much emphasis is placed on having enough power for so called "hard to drive" speakers. I mean, people think 50 watts is grossly underpowering the ATC SCM 11s, but 100 watts would be fine. Yet 100 watts only adds 3db over a 50 watt amp. This is not a big difference.

 

[chebby]

Well at least Frank Harvey knows what he is talking about, so ATM SCM11's are back off the upgrade shortlist now.

 

[Frank Harvey]

jaxwired:plastic penguin:

I can't agree - when I spoke to an ATC dealer before buying my RS6's, when I mentioned to him I had A65+ and was looking at entry-level monitors, poor chap almost had a seizure. He commented to the effect that due to lack of power the monitors could be damaged by a 40 watt amp.

I suspect that way too much emphasis is placed on having enough power for so called "hard to drive" speakers. I mean, people think 50 watts is grossly underpowering the ATC SCM 11s, but 100 watts would be fine. Yet 100 watts only adds 3db over a 50 watt amp. This is not a big difference.

Like I said, it's more to do with current rather than watts.

As Rick states, the Arcam will drive the SCM11's, but to a point. The Arcams may take a little of the top edge off the ATC's, but from a personal point of view, I don't think they quite have enough current behind them to bring the 11's to life like some other (admittedly more expensive amps) can do. As I've just said in another thread, for those with neighbours, they may not even reach the sort of levels that will become a problem.

 

[MUSICRAFT]

plastic penguin:MUSICRAFT:bobbyg81:

Hi folks. I posted here before about purchasing a new cdp and amp for my ATC SCM40s.

Due to my less than great wage it is taking me a while to save up (i just bought a new 42" Phillips Ambilight which hasnt helped!)and I was wondering what you folks think the minimum requirement for running the ATCs would be.I was initially thinking Primare CD31 and i30 but after looking on the web and seeing some peoples Naim systems I was hooked on the look of them.

I know it is about how the system sounds but the Mrs has to like the look aswell as me and she was rather fond of the Naim kit too.

So long story short. How much should I spend on getting the ATCs singing in tune?

I was originally thinking £3000 on both the cdp and amp. Can it be done for half that?

Thinking CD5i and Nait5i pairing. Would this be powerful enough?

Arcam Alpha 7se.Alpha 8r,Alpha 8p.Systemdek IIX tt,ATC SCM40.Phillips 42 ambilight.Virgin V+.Sony 350 Blu ray on its way. S.N.E.S.

Hi bobbyg

If by running the ATC's you mean in terms of power than there is more than enough with the Arcam amps (especially if you are bi-amping them) unless you wish to play them at very high levels for long periods.

The excellent engineering of the ATC drive units offers low distortion levels and therefore also enables the quality of the input signal to be produced in as close to it's natural form as possible even at low to moderate levels.

The Primare's will be a good upgrade both in terms of the quality of power and performance.

Your Arcam Alpha 7SE cdp is still good enough and personally i would carry on using it. I would also consider the following -

The NAD C375BEE amplifier + Alpha 7SE cdp

http://www.nadelectronics.com/products/hifi-amplifiers/C-375BEE-Integrated-Amplifiers/details

The ATC SIA2-150 amplifier + Alpha 7SE cdp

http://www.atc.gb.net/sia2-150.htm

If you still wish to change the 7SE than also look at the NAD C454BEE cdp to work with the C375BEE amp or the SIA2-150 amp.

http://www.nadelectronics.com/products/cd-players/C-545BEE-CD-Player/details

Another option to also consider would be the Chord Electonics Chordette Gem (to work with the NAD and ATC amps) in place of the 7SE/C545BEE or to work alongside both of them.

http://www.chordelectronics.co.uk/specs/Chordette%20GEM.pdf

Thanks

Rick @ Musicraft

I can't agree - when I spoke to an ATC dealer before buying my RS6's, when I mentioned to him I had A65+ and was looking at entry-level monitors, poor chap almost had a seizure. He commented to the effect that due to lack of power the monitors could be damaged by a 40 watt amp.

Hi PlasticP.

Thanks for your post.

As you have spoken to another dealer to form your this view i too would appreciate it if we could speak. Therefore i would appreciate it if you could call me as it would make it far easier and quicker to get certain points across. I think many (if not all) views will be altered.

I am at work at most days until 9.30pm and i hope to hear from you.

Btw, this offer is also extended to Taylor and is still open to Chebby.

Thanks

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[SteveR750]

You could always contact ATC directly - I havent but a friend who is a big fan of their stuff and has been in direct contact with ATC a few times, and he is an approachable chappie by all accounts. I don't want to dismiss or in anyway diminsh expert retailers comments, but they have a job to do, i.e. shift units and frankly if any of them disagree then they are in the (not in?) wrong business.

 

[JoelSim]

bobbyg81:
Hi folks. I posted here before about purchasing a new cdp and amp for my ATC SCM40s.

Due to my less than great wage it is taking me a while to save up (i just bought a new 42" Phillips Ambilight which hasnt helped!)and I was wondering what you folks think the minimum requirement for running the ATCs would be.I was initially thinking Primare CD31 and i30 but after looking on the web and seeing some peoples Naim systems I was hooked on the look of them.

I know it is about how the system sounds but the Mrs has to like the look aswell as me and she was rather fond of the Naim kit too.

ÿ

So long story short. How much should I spend on getting the ATCs singing in tune?

ÿ

I was originally thinking £3000 on both the cdp and amp. Can it be done for half that?

Thinking CD5i and Nait5i pairing. Would this be powerful enough?

ÿ

ÿ

ÿ

Arcam Alpha 7se.Alpha 8r,Alpha 8p.Systemdek IIX tt,ATC SCM40.Phillips 42 ambilight.Virgin V+.Sony 350 Blu ray on its way. S.N.E.S.

ÿ

.

For £500 you could upgrade your old Arcams for newer, much better versions ie A85/P85. Or spend a little more on A32/P35. I had the same CD and amp as you have now and there's no comparison.

ÿ

 

[MUSICRAFT]

SteveR750:You could always contact ATC directly - I havent but a friend who is a big fan of their stuff and has been in direct contact with ATC a few times, and he is an approachable chappie by all accounts. I don't want to dismiss or in anyway diminsh expert retailers comments, but they have a job to do, i.e. shift units and frankly if any of them disagree then they are in the (not in?) wrong business.

Hi Steve, Chebby and Taylor

Thanks for your post.

I came across your post (how could i forget) after i posted this http://community.whathifi.com/forums/5/258033/ShowThread.aspx#258033 today. I hope this help to clarify things further.

Btw, please feel free to contact ATC. The ideal person to contact is Bob Polley (bob@atc.gb.net) who is a Director and an engineer (and a very clever one at that).

Thanks

Rick @ Musicraft