AlmaataKZ:FrankHarveyHiFi: I've not found the SCM40's to be comparable to the best at the £4,000/5,000 price point, an a sub wouldn't really change that as it's not the sub bass area I'm referring to.
On the basis that you must have tried many more speakers than me I woudl not challenge that!
I did another quick comparison yesterday afternoon while I had the chance, where I compared the SCM40's to the Reference 203/2's (not my favourite, but I thought I'd be kind to the 40's and not put on the 205/2's
) on the Bryston BP26/4Bsst2 pre/power with the Bryston BCD1 CD player. As far as treble is concerned - the KEF just seems to have far more finesse in this area, with better transparency. Mid was a closer affair, although both sounded different due to the differences in the driver type. I do usually find the SCM40's mid driver a little too forward or too revealing, I'm not sure which, but I think think the addition of this loses the easier listenability that it's little brothers possess. Bass was probably the biggest difference. The KEF definitely sounded fuller, with the ATC being leaner, although you'd argue that it was the ATC's being more even across the frequency range. I definitely think the sealed cabinets of the ATC help with the leading edge of bass notes, but I think many would hear a 'lack of warmth' in this area which people would find less listenable. Having said that, I didn't play about with the KEF's room boundary compensation controls, which would've cut LF by 2dB, and bring things a little closer to the SCM40's as far as balance is concerned (I wish I'd have thought about that when it was set up!) Overall, i would prefer the bass of the SCM40's (I prefer the bass of the 205's rather than the 203's - huge difference), but I felt that higher up the frequency range the KEF was far more listenable, especially with lesser recorded music, which again for this I used RHCP's Blood Sugar Sex Magic. I also used Rage Against The Machine's self titled album, which I find sounds very rough, sometimes harsh on less capable systems but sounds more and more like an audiophile recording the better the system gets. I also tried the better recordings of Mandalay's Empathy from their Instinct album, and Darkness from Phutureprimitive's Sub Conscious album.