Half a year ago, I blindly bought those speakers and an Atoll IN100SE. For me a perfect match. Thanks to this video I could make the right decisions. Thank you very much. Great channel.
What a pleasure to stumble across a sane, well-considered, broad-ranging, and very helpful review. By chance, I own the Proac Studio 100, and was considering giving the ATC SCM7s a listen. I think maybe spending more to move up in the ATC range may be wise. Thanks to you, Tarun, for the excellent information.
Thank you Susan for watching and you kind words of support. I agree, I would look at the SCM11s or better still the 19s as a starting point. Your Proac Studio 100s are very fine speakers 😊👍
As a lifelong audiophile, I have gone through an enormous audio and speaker collection. A pair of SCM7 MK I's are perhaps the ONLY thing I would never, ever consider selling. These are great speakers with stunning mid range, smooth treble and such low distortion that I don't even care about the lower bass. I believe both the voicing and the low distortion give them a low fatigue factor. Also, the ability to discern both music and voices - especially at lower volumes - for all day every day listening. If anything even comes close to ATC, I would love to know. The only thing I might prefer is if they weren't so overbuilt and thus weighed less, I might have more pairs of them in multiple locations and multiple applications.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 My pleasure and thank you, too! The only things I might have added: I have always found it interesting that people praise ATC for LOUD. Because loud is the last thing I do, and I need things to sound good at low to moderate volumes. Also, I suspect that the sealed box is important to the clean, neutral tone I enjoy from the SCM 7s? (Thus, the port in the SCM25A gave me pause...) In any case, I suspect the SCM 20 might be the best value in their line, as it is the least expensive sealed model which incorporates their Proprietary mid/bass driver?
Good review. Thx. Always think of ATC very highly as a company. Surprised at less than stellar review. Your growth is due to you, your personality and candor.
Been thinking about your review. Deciding to go with a sealed enclosure makes sense for a couple of reasons. 1. While it doesn't go as low as a ported design, the sealed enclosure can give atc, more control over the quality of the bass by playing with QTc. 2. The slope of the bass drop off is 1/2 the slope of a ported design so while its -3db point is not as low in frequency, there is the point where the slopes intersect and the sealed is producing more bass than the ported. . 3. But the most important reason is something you touched upon. The port in a speaker must flip the phase of the back wave in the cabinet by 180 degrees to add to the front speaker output in a very short frequency range. Thats alot of change in a very short period. That change makes integrating a sub woofer very difficult. There will always be points where the phase between speakers cancel unless you cross it over much higher in frequency. A sealed enclosure, because of its 6db/octave bass drop off slope has minimal phase change, and it is gradual. This makes the integration of these speakers and a sub much easier to sound seamless. So to me, that makes this a very wise cabinet choice.
I like this channel! I like small speakers also... This speaker benifits from a highpass in the 80-120Hz range, combined with a Subwoofer. The membrane from the little woofer is on the heavy side and you can"t get around physics . But this is a good effort from ATC, You have to commend them for sticking with a closed system.
Fantastic review of the the Scm7. I've had the Responce one SC, old super tabletts and picked up a pair of these today in favour of tablett 10's and all I can say is the neutrality and detail is unbelievable. I rate the tweeter far beyond that of the Proacs and the mid is a true scaled down studio grade item. I think a lot more hi fi retailers are now favouring stocking ATC over Proac and I can see why. I feel as if I have a mini Abbey Road level of quality in my tiny bedroom as opposed to something just 'hifi' I had with the Proacs. Very happy with them in my setting above and beyond the more expensive items I've owned before them.
I've just replaced my Buchardt A500 with these SMC7 and a Music Fidelity M6Si and couldn't be happier, I also run a BK SLX200 Sub ( which you recommend ) to help with the bottom end , I only have a small room so these work perfectly
I don’t normally correct reviewers, but, I have a redundant Rega Elicit as I upgraded a couple of years ago. The Elicit retails for just under £2000 but there are 2 models above the Elicit. The Aethos, which retails at £3000 and in my opinion is not worth the additional £1000. The Rega Osiris, which retails for £6000. It is, unquestionably, superb, but there are higher performing amps, for less. I am really surprised that your Audiolab struggled with those speakers. I know it’s only rated at 50 watts, but they’re good watts and as you point out it has a substantial power supply and capacitance. Another excellent and comprehensive review. Keep up the good work.
Hi Tarun, thanks for this. You really do present clear and honest audio reviews and commentary. Us audio lovers are fortunate to have access to your reviews and audio knowledge. You do not have to respond to this but with what I've learned, the ATC SCM 11's just might be a perfect fit for me ... it's all about the budget for now along with room size etc. etc. My amplifier will be either the H95 or (if I am a good boy) its bigger brother, the H120. Your reviews are, in my opinion, the best available. Cheers and good health!!
Thank you Charles. Very much appreciated and very kind of you to say. The ATC SCM 11s and Hegel H95/H120 will work really well together. Very clean, resolving and just on the cool side of neutral. Please let me know how you get on with them. 😊👍👍
Another well produced and thorough review, Tarun. I am glad to see more ATC reviews on YT. I would be great to complete the ATC bookshelf trilogy with a review of the much more expensive ATC SCM20s.
Interesting review as usual, I have to say I'm an ATC fan, I have many pairs, including a couple of pairs of mark 1 SCM7s which I love. I did have a pair of the new SCM11s but sold them to a friend who uses them in his studio. I agree with you, build quality is stunning for the price, performance with the right amp can me wonderful in a room up to about 3x3m although can also work well in larger rooms. I think if we are buying a pair of speakers of this small an internal volume, then we have to be realistic about low frequency extension, and what they offer is excellent within their spec. .... Not sure why your audio was very distorted on this video, I checked a few others and they are all clean, albeit very "live" 😃 thanks Tarun
Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences richclips. I did change the settings on the mic but it sounded okay when I played it back on my iPad through headphones. I haven’t listened through my TV and hifi yet so that might reveal a problem? 🤔
I just watched and I was about to watch something else, but your review deserves to leaving THANK YOU comment. I would like to watch your review about amps like Naim 5si, Hegel 90, Exposure 2010 ..... Well done 👍🏻
I have the older SCM 11's and 7's. The SCM 11's make a superb centre channel speaker. Lay them on their sides tweeter to tweeter and they will match any dedicated centre speaker easily. Voices sound awesome.
In my shop we found ATCs always work superbly with more expensive amps. Having said that a MF M2si drove them very well with the M3si doing even better. Other amps did not have the current delivery.
I owned Response 1SCs 25 years ago, with the required Target R1 stands, but persuaded myself to trade them in for Naim SBLs. That is one of the biggest mistakes I have ever made in hifi. Congrats on the channel. I don't agree with all of it, but it's interesting nonetheless. If I were to make a cheeky marketing suggestion to ATC it would be to introduce a 25-30L large(ish) standmount, with slightly higher sensitivity than, er, 82db, to compete with the new Mission 770s, the Linterns and the Harbeth C7s - all very different, but all not entirely neutral.
Sitting in my spare bedroom which is attempting to be a temporary listening room are the ATC SCM 7’s, run by a Hegel 95 and I have to be honest they sound pretty damn good, certainly a lot better than when they were driven by the Quad Artera Solus, or Rega Brio, both amps struggled big time to run these speakers the Quad providing a very thin tinny sound. As soon as the Hegel was connected the speakers came alive. The Quad produced almost no bass in fact an REL sub was added and this helped but the sound still wasn’t there. With the Hegel I have lost the sub, the sound is just great in a small room, I may revisit the sub in the future but for now I am enjoying the 7’s, Hegel H95 and Audiolab’ s 6000CDT on loan.
First time watching one of your reviews. I like your matter of fact meets useful info. After demo'ing the scm11s I blind ordered scm19s expecting well, more 11ness (At that point we were Bryston BCD1 CD Player into Music First Copper Classic Passive Preamp into ATC P1 Power Amp) but hands down enjoyed the scm11s far more for similar reasons to yourself. The scm19 is a BIG performance leap over the scm11s to the point I was in both, complete awe and an OMG that's crazy resolution - maybe more than I'd bargained for. That was the first time throughout my audio journey that it sounded like actual people were playing in my room. And they were brand new out of the box. I was kinda gutted I'd let the 11s go because I enjoyed everything they did. Just so together and, far more fun. The 19s are really very serious, I could imagine recording engineer's loving them and pretty much everyone with the right recordings. They never once made anything sound unpleasant, that tweeter is the best I've encountered but I couldn't deal with the honesty I guess. We completely sold up a month later (needed the cash) and haven't owned any audio gear for a good few years but did miss it badly and constantly looked at used equipment ads and got excited over reviews. But I'm back and with an ATC BOOM! There's a CDA2 MK2 sitting behind me and it's quite a thing via every function in and out. So here I am once again in need of speakers.
I really enjoyed reading about your experiences with ATC speakers. Sorry you had to sell them but it must be nice to be in a position to rebuild your system again. Thank you for watching and good luck with hunting down a pair of speakers 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 95% sure its going to be some Acoustic Energy AE1 Actives. One box and speakers - I can't be doing with all those boxes and cables again. Best get them ordered :)
@@MrGutterbunny I was talking to their MD earlier this week and he was telling me the story behind their reason to go fully analogue. So glad they did. Make sure you get a decent DAC or preamp to connect to them. With balanced outputs if you are using long runs. 😉
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Just posted on your AE1 Actives review. Mine came today so I'll be hooking them up to the ATC CDA2 mk2 this evening. Stands and balanced cables arriving tomorrow :)
I would love to se you review the Atc scm11. Think they are the sweet spot and the most bought of their speakers. Many people rant about Atc with Naim. A rewiev where you combine these would be much appreciated by many. I have Atc scm11 with Naim Nait xs2 and beeing a beginner dont really know what to make out of it. I am happy with the sound but I think the speaker would benefit a lot from more power. Thank you for the best hifi review on youtube!
Thank you Alex. That is very kind of you to say 😊👍 I am sure I will get around to reviewing the SCM11s at one point. Naim and ATC have been traditional bedfellows for a reason. The pairing provides a fast, clean, full sound. Before you upgrade the amp (adding a Naim power amp may be a good idea) I was wondering what are you using as a source?
I've been hoping you specifically would review and have time with the ATC7s! Great information and complete details. I have been curious about these as replacements for my old school Epos ES12 speakers being run thru a Rega Mira 3 amplifier in a smallish living room. I'm even more curious to audition these now!!
Thank you Alan. Much appreciated. That is a nice system you have and will hold up well with today’s products. You should also put the Proac Tablette on your shortlist. Good luck 😊👍
Great review Tarun!! One point I couldn’t agree more: The ATCs won’t disappoint (giving the right amplification or go active), but they are unforgiving and will make good 30% of your music collection somehow disappointing.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 ATC is a pro audio company at it's core so their stuff sounds like pro audio speakers, utterly revealing and unforgiving of source materials and gear. Given quality source materials and quality gear, you'd be hard pressed to do better at the $, and I'd put the ATC active 40s up against speakers costing 5x that. The 19s are really impressive...
Hi Tarun, thanks for another very informative video. Always plenty to learn about with so much to consider when purchasing hifi equipment. Getting a set up to sound its best comes at huge odds and the small adjustments can make or brake it, most of which you have covered. As for speakers, love to get a decent audition on the proac's but for now i'm using neat sx2's happily. thanks again and all the best.
Great review as usual, yet I do believe you should try sampling several of the stand mount PMC speakers........, as they offer to my ears a more forgiving sound.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 I demoed alongside the ATC and found the PMC really fell apart at louder volumes. Neither exactly dig low but the ATC was much more controlled. Interested to hear your thoughts
Good review, i have heard the atc scm40 driven be primare amp, it was a few years back, and I would like to think that they sounded good, for sealed box and for its size the bass was impressive could not belive that big sound coming from them, they are a little pricey, I might give them another listen when I can afford to upgrade my b&w towers that I still love, the b&w 702 s2 is also on my list of speakersto try
I have always been impressed by the 40s whenever I have heard them. Would like to get a pair in for review at some point. Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences Andreas 😊
My Pro Ac EBTs have a sound and it’s a sound I’m particularly fond. The sound of bookshelf speakers is enhanced when their excess energy is directed into tile or concrete or in combination with a sand trap. You use a sand trap beneath the speakers you have in your videos. The base of the speaker is leveled with spiked and threaded feet. Ordinarily there are four and using four is okay. Three can be used also. The bottom plate should be terminated with spikes into tile or concrete floors or used in conjunction with a sand trap. The sand trap should have compliant feet that won’t scratch hard surface floors. On carpeted floors, the sand traps need to be on leveling feet for stability. The preferred stand material is pickled in oil steel tubing with a wall thickness that supports threading. The base plate should be 3/16” steel plate. The top plate should be an 1/8”. The top plate has four threaded holes for spiking the speaker base. The speaker’s excess energy is fed through the spikes from the speaker and through to the base plate where it terminates with spikes. That’s basically it. The sand trap is made from 3/4 MDF. Simple box glued and screwed with an opening for a cover plate. Filled with sifted and very dry sand. You can enhance it further using a casting acrylic resin filled to the cover plate level. Screw on the cover plate and nearly done. Fill the stand tubing with the same sifted and very dry sand. You can enhance the performance by adding that same casting acrylic resin to the brim and install the four top plate mounting bolts. The bolts need to be sprayed with mold release agent prior to installation so you won’t have any issues. Install top plate. Cleaning the screws after is highly recommended. A metallized epoxy is used to seal the base or welded fully around the entire tube. There are two versions of bases I am familiar with. Their construction and installation aren’t complicated. The top plate should have a size that is smaller than the speaker it holds. The base plate should not be more than three times the tubing width and that is 4” square so 12” front and back dimensions with 12” or 16” front to rear both sides. 16” deep plate accommodates deeper cabinet speakers. It’s a customer preference. Great stands enhance a great speaker regardless of the quality. The key here is draining all spurious mechanical energies into the floor or sand trap depending on the case. It clears up and cleans up the sound when this is done. Even less quality speakers will shine for the better or the worse depending on how well they’re made. All factors are in play. The simple fixes are the ones that awe!
@@abritishaudiophile7314, thank you Tarun for giving us who care a forum upon which to expound on what we’ve learned over the years. There are few places where you can maybe help someone and keep them from having to spend a bleeding fortune when it isn’t necessary. Tip Toes, well made speaker stands, good wire and VPI bricks are some accessories that have been proven to improve the experience. I’ve made stands out of schedule 40 black pipe and stainless as well. You can make speaker stands out of more than what I have used. Imagination can drive your innovation. You can take a hex head or hex cap full threaded screw and machine the threaded end to form a spike and paint it black with a 45-60 degree bevel. I advise against spiking a carpeted floor for obvious reasons, even if it is concrete underneath. Spikes can be real hard on carpeting. Tip toes are aluminum spikes that fit directly under a component and whose purpose is to dissipate all mechanical energy to a solid surface like granite shelving on a shelf system or directly into concrete. Primarily this is for energy transmitters like power amps and mechanical players. Speakers also fit into the energy transmitter family. Any piece which transmits mechanical energy can benefit from that energy being removed from their use. The key is removal of that energy into solid non resonant material so that the energy is absorbed and or dispersed through that medium. The removal yields the product producing a clearer and cleaner signal because that excess energy is dissipated away. The excess energy is not reflected back or sustained internally of the product proper. Each piece can be tried or experimented with. Sometimes isolation is the answer. It requires a little time to achieve greatness in your system and increasing your enjoyment is the whole point! A lot of things may sound odd or someone’s peddling snake oil, but when things prove themselves through use in real systems in real time, that label doesn’t apply. Hello, isn’t rocket science or tom foolery. It’s real live truth. I don’t believe in humbug cures for audio ghosts. There are real phenomenons that are both perceived and felt by individual listeners. How much your system is improved depends on how resolute it is. This varies with product quality and construction. Their is no magic cures for poor quality or construction of any gear. It is what it is. No silk purses from sow’s ears. That’s not happening. You must have a resolute system first. Then you can do things that will enhance it. But experimenting can make a difference that matters even in mid fi. It is still about quality of and construction of the components and their stands and support systems. You don’t get top drawer results without smart decisions. We all make mistakes so keep them small and press on. Dwelling on failure is a recipe for problems. Glad Tarun lets me ramble. This was long! Stay safe mates!😊👍🏻😷
It's interesting what you said about the desk setup, I would very much agree with that. Basically, there best as a near field monitor and that's coming from owning a set of there predecessors in a nearfield setup. I did try them in my front room very much how you have them setup in the video and they lacked. I must say it was at that point I wish that I had a sub...
Hi Tarun, great review. Forgive me if this has already been mentioned. There's some distortion going on with your mic and a background whine. Actually the whining is probably my kids.
Once again a nice review Tarun, thanks. I'm a true speaker fan but I can't help thinking these would not be for me, I have a large room and need more from my speakers.
Thank you for another thorough and thoughtful review. I really do look forward to your videos, espicially in these times of shut-downs. Btw, I've alway really liked the sound of your ProAcs, they were always a few quid out of reach for me. I have however managed, with the help of a really good retailer (now unfortynately closed) to put together a pretty decent system for around 4000 pounds.
They are a special pair of speakers. That is why I have probably had them so long. I bet you have put together a really nice system for £4k. Thank as always for your support 😊👍
Wow that was an amazing review! I have the 150s passive and drive them with 600w monoblocks. It is pure audio heaven! I am thinking of getting the 20s as well.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thanks for replying Tarun. Design loosely based on AE-2, went with a small format tweeter from Bliesma, to group drivers in tight.
Well done once again. I had a pair some years ago before they updated the tweeter. Really liked them, the real deal. Also had the SL 20’s for awhile, also excellent...should have kept them:) thx again, please keep it up!
Heard these insensitive little tykes driven beautifully by the sumptuous Sugden a21a😀 Those 25 watts of class A produce some pure current...as you mentioned in your review of the Signature. It really surprised me i must say.
I thought this was a very interesting review. I have recently been using SCM 40’s and also found they are very power hungry and not great at low listening levels. They need to be turned up and as I live in a terraced house they didn’t really work for night time listening. The midrange though is the best I’ve ever heard but they do need a very good source. I’ve just bought a set of PMC Fact 8’s and the definitely work better at low volume and seem more suited to my Naim 135 mono blocks which are only 75W.
I have always been impressed with the 40s whenever I have heard them. Would like to get a pair in for review at some point. The PMC Twenty5.21s arrived for review yesterday. Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences Paul 😊
Compleatly the same issue I have with ATC SCM 40....because , live in apartmant and neighbours do not wish listening while I am listening. Perfect speakers for louder listening.....if you live in a house🙂👍
Thank you Stephen. I place EVA blocks under the speaker stand to raise them when needed. I also use a sound deadening sheet between the speakers and the stand 😉👍
Thank you for watching Steve. I do plan to cover some inexpensive gear soon. It may not be £50 though. This is a massive generalisation but up to about 20 years ago there was a typical “British” sound which tended to focus on the midrange, a little soft in the bass and a little rolled off in the highs. In contrast the US gear tended to be brighter, bigger speakers with much more power handling and greater bass depth. I am not sure it is the case so much today. Manufacturers produce speakers that have to appeal to many markets. One of the benefits/consequences of globalisation. Thank you for watching and your support 😊👍
Being in the USA we have access to a great amp for ATC that’s 160 Watt $1500 bucks called the Parasound A23+ I got a used one for 900!!! I use that with my ATC SCM12 pro’s on my desktop and a Parasound HPA-1 headphone amp as a preamp with a REL TZero subwoofer under the desk and a Gustard X16 DAC. Oh my good for a desktop it’s god level endgame in near field. I listen to music here more than my 20 grand YG’s hooked up to my main System and tv!
Hi there , I really like your reviews explanation is great for people who are not clued up on the correct set ups , it would be nice if you could do a review on a higher db speaker for us low wattage tube amps , I have a budget of 800 pound plus but can't seem to find many reviews for a speaker to match my icon audio 20pp I currently have q acoustic concept 20s , keep the good work up , thanks
Thank you John. Have you tried the Klipsch RP600s. I am hoping to get some tube amps or at least a hybrid in for review and also some Klipsch speakers if they are prepared to send me some. Once again, thank you for watching. I appreciate your support 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 hi . although I have reviewed them i am always a bit unsure . the kef ls50s have reviews with tube amps some good some not so good . it can be a bit of a mine field . I will take a look at the klipsh again . thanks for the reply
@Fat Rat hi thanks , I am on the klipsh again now , I am new to HiFi and trying to get to grips with component matching watts and ohms and db I have also been looking at the triangle bro 3 , I don't want a huge speaker as I live in a small flat , my concept 20s sound good but how do i know if I have not experienced other speakers , thanks again
The roll off on sealed box speakers is slower than on ported speakers. Ported speakers add the port resonance to the frequency response and that rolls off faster than the response of an unported speaker.
Tarun, that's a fair review, the 19s are on my to try list, these may be a little to small, since your a proac fan, how about the proac studio sm100, like ATC's used in recording studios the world over. I will always prefer transparency and accuracy over a warm or over rich smooth sound. How many hours did you have on the ATC's, I've heard 100hours has barely "woken" them up. That audiolab is bargain at the moment.
Thank you for watching Bhupendra. They are a review sample which are already run in. I still spend a minimum of about 50 hours running in a component or speaker before conducting series listening.
Great review and I totally agree with the notion that the amplification requirements of this speaker are the biggest obstacle to them. I am not sure how others think about this but personally I am always apprehensive about speakers that require (which is not the same as benefit) an amplifier that for all intends and purposes will have to cost mush more than the speakers them self (unless the result is outright magical).
I drive my SCM7 speakers in my bedroom system with a 60 watt per channel Adcom 535 II that I bought for $100 on EBay. Far more than adequate. These things are easy to drive with a benign load.
Hi, Love your reviews. I have been seriously considering the ATC SCM 11. I have watched your ATC 7 and the ATC SCM 19 reviews. Thoughts on the ATC SCM 11? 8 feet (2.4 meters) width x 12 feet ( 3.7 meters) long room, and Peachtree Nova 300 amp to drive them.
Thank you Bryan. I haven’t heard the SCM11s at home. I may review them at some point. It is a well regarded speaker and the Nova 300 certainly has the power to drive them properly 😉👍
Excelent review Tarun!How do you compare against Dynaudio Emit M10???And wich are the diferences in Signature Sound betwen Dynaudio and English speakers?? Thanks
Thank you MG. I haven’t tried the M10 but, generally speaking, Dynaudio have a sound that is not too dissimilar to many traditional British monitors 😊👍
I’ve to disagree with one other statement you’ve made......., yet I’m certain it’s because room sizes in the states are much larger then in most countries, but I’ve always been able to enjoy all of my mini-monitors ( of which I’ve owned Rogers LS 3/5As | Harbeth LS 3/5As and P3-ESRs | Linn Kan 2s | four variants of ProAc Tablettes and Response One SCs | DeVore Fidelity Gibbon 3s | Reference 3A Dulcet’s | Totem Model Ones and “ The One “ upscaled version | currently a pair of Fyne Audio F500’s ) where each worked very very very well placed between 8.4” - 11.5’ apart.
I suspect a narrow dispersion small peaked will work better in a large room than a wider dispersion speaker. The ratio of direct vs reverberated sound is probably the issue with SCM7s.
I really don’t have golden ears. I went to an ATC AD as I was interested in the SCM11s. I took my weak Audiolab 6000A with me and also tried them with the 150w ATC integrated amplifier (too see what I would be losing) and, much to my surprise, at my moderate listening levels, there wasn‘t much in it. Only turning up the volume I could sense some more authority and control on the 150w ATC. But I won’t take advantage of that in my apartment, I’m afraid.
Try the Amphion One18. Worth the extra money. ATC is really nice but treble rolled off a bit on the crossover. The Amphions sound amazing! Super flat, detailed and great timing. The ATC mids are really open and pronounced and if you like them they may be the best speakers in their price range,
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Oh nice, I really liked the One18s I heard, really good. Like the ATCs but the Amphions are really something! You can really drive them and they love it! ATC bit fussy.
Good review as it included two comparable. I like to hear 15-20 seconds of anything I look at for 15 minutes. Can you please review Lejonklou INT $4k retail? Swedish. $100 side bet you keep it.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Nobody is familiar. Oddly enough a local retailer picked it up and has sold several of INT model already. Take a look at the website.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Distributor for the UK: Fine Sounds. Thank you for your reviews, Tarun. The best audio reviews on You Tube by far. Love to see your review of a Sonus faber Olympica Nova 1 or Sonus faber Minima Amator 2. Kind regards from The Netherlands! 😊
Enjoy the channel, found it by chance. I feel very invested in it, as I still own an Exposure xxv rc and Exposure CD player from the nineties myself. A few years back got interested in ATC and purchased the 11s and quickly bounced onto the 19s. They’re coupled with a Roksan M2 pre, power and CD set up which I really like. I noticed the speaker was sat on a dense foam pad, do you recommend this and why ? Isolation ?
Thank you Darren. I still have my Exposure CD player and also had the XXV integrated before changing it for the XXI Pre and XVIII Super monoblocks 22 years ago. I doubt I will ever get rid of them but never say never. It is a soundproof mat that I use for a little extra isolation. Every little helps. Thank you for watching 😊👍
Hi, thanks for your most insightful review. I'm pretty much sold on the ProAc DB3 as a replacement for my old KEF Concerto One's. I have a Primare I21 and a Rega Saturn CD player. I'm fearful of overly bright speakers and listening fatigue. Any advice on those speakers would be most welcome and could you recommend some good stands for them?
Thank you James. I would look for stands with a heavy construction, 60 to 70 cms high (depending on listening height) and fillable to add mass and reduce vibrations 😊👍
They are nice little speakers. I had a pair in my place and was able to compare them along side the Harbeth P3ESR and Rogers LS3/5a Classic. They all sound different. But the SCM7 is nice. I love the cherry finish. Nice grain. Just make sure that pets stay clear of the speakers.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 I work for a HiFi store in London, UK and I contacted the UK MANAGER for DALI and provided him with your channel, my comments (positive ones) and what type of speakers you review. I think you might love the DALI MENUET OR MENUET SE. Also the beefier RUBICON 2 standmount which details for £1699 in the UK. Phenomenal speakers. I own an Audiolab 6000A, Rubicon 5, Audioquest Rocket 33 and soon will add an Audiolab 8300XP stereo power amp. Speaking of Audiolab, their 8300CDQ (Pre-Amp/DAC/CD) paired with the 8300XP power amp would be a nice combination to review. Perhaps even a QUAD ARTERA SOLUS (all in one). I simply love your reviews and your take on them.
Hi Michael, they are a good speaker at the price for people wanting something neutral in presentation and substantially build, just not ground breaking in performance. Thank you for watching 😊
Great review. I am an ATC 7 mk3 owner. You review is very precise and objective. I am thinking of getting a Rel t7i subwoofer to add more base. Would this be a comparable result to ATC 19 without the sub?
Hi Li, I think adding the sub would be a good idea. It almost always is. The SCM19 are a different league of performance than the SCM 7s though but also almost 3 times the price. Thank you for watching 😊👍
To be honest I felt the same way with the ATC SCM11 offering. I simply didn't understand the value and use case. The speaker was amazing when paired with much higher tier amps, but there was not clean and powerful amp that made a sensible match in terms of pricing. Eventually I ran it with a Rega Elex-r which did not produce any dynamics and also with a class D amp that simply eliminated the SCM11 strengths. So I don't understand the offering besides introducing ppl to the brand and their higher tier speakers (which are truly amazing). Maybe the idea was to match the SCM11 with the C1 sub and Sia amp, but for that price you might as well go with the 40's (Active/separates) or north.
I love large bookshelf speakers and ATC is my kind of speaker for Jazz. Somehow i enjoy the sound over some floor standers. Not quite sure why. But the prices🥴 So i wonder what your opinion will be on used older generation speakers like Castle. They are cheap on the used market. I run a newer pair of Avon 2. Thank you for this review.
It has been a while since I have head Castle speakers so can really say. I hope to review some vintage gear going forward but getting hold of it is always the issue. Thank you for watching 😊👍
@ekim andersom When a nice pair come up I probably will. Quite happy with my current speakers though. They would probably be for a second system one day 👍🏻
Even with acoustic instrument recording, one has to be familiar with where and how it was recorded and how it was handled on the desk. If not, the mind fills in the blanks all too quickly. That's why, 'neutral sounding' can mean anything. Get an App and read the response of a frequency sweep. (Invest in proper equipment for this, if you wish). Or just listen to a frequency sweep from the listening position or the 1m in room and note the frequencies and perceived SPL. You'd be surprised how even with neutral speaker response, when an SPL meter remains fairly steady, your perception and hearing might not reflect reality. Now play music. Some speakers with disturbed responses might sound more even than a real neutral speaker which might sound 'unnatural'.
On these stands, the SCM7s look like an interim solution before there's budget to upgrade. They already take up the same space as needed for floorstanders.
Hi Tarun. Thanks for sharing the detailed review on SCM7 speakers. I am planning to purchase SCM7 for my desktop setup. Is this compatible with the Desktop setup for music listening. If yes, twhat DAC+Amp or integrated amp + cables you will recommend as a combination ?.
It is suitable for a desktop. They like amps that can deliver plenty of power. Atoll IN200. Signature, Yamaha AS1200, Hegel H190, Exposure 3510, etc. 😊
I drive them with a tiny class D amp lol. It pushes them to about 60% excursion. Which is fine since they are at 1m distance so they don’t get that loud unless I’m doing bass tests
Hi, thanks for the nice review. You mentioned you had tried 3 amps. My query is, if someone is realy not listening to higher volumes, would it make a difference in audiolab 6000 amp and your hegel amp?
Oh yes a lot of difference. Watts relates to loudness but a more substantial amplifier will have a beefier power supply and be able to deliver more current in those transient peaks. It is all about grip and control of the speaker regardless of volume level. Thank you for watching 😊👍
I forgot to mention looking into a more custom made pair of speaker stand, I use Sound Anchors 3 Post Monitor Signature Stands ( $975 ) but made to measure 6.5” w x 9.5” deep and stand overall at 33.5” high as to place my ears on axis with the middle of any given mini-monitors tweeter.
Hi kscal, I don’t have an echo in my room. I did have problems in earlier videos due to a 3.5mm to USB C mic conversion. I now have a new USB C lav mic and the SQ is much better so I am not sure what you are pick up. Still looking for a decent quality USB C mic, if you know of one, please let me know 😊
Enjoyed this, particularly because of your organization and use of terms. I have a large room to drive, so speakers smaller than my Klipsch 600M's don't qualify. But I have a larger question, and probably a more difficult one. In your intro, you speak of loudspeakers that seemingly *expose poor recordings.* I experience this too often, with a collection of carefully kept vintage fully analog vinyl (MC cart.), CD's of various vintages, and "ultra HD" streaming, alike. Basically, older recordings are pretty annoying -- most especially violin sections playing loudly. There is a grittiness and harshness there that I haven't heard in live symphonic concerts (pre March 2020). What's going on? So far, my efforts to tone down this effect include reducing one preamp treble control (-2 dB), and using a Schiit Loki equalizer to regulate (downward) the treble (flat @ 20 and 400 Hz) about -2 dB @ 2kHz and -4 dB @ 8kHz). This helps greatly to reduce the annoying sound, but newer, good recordings lose a bit of their clarity. I've tested this with a Denon (45 wpc), an Emotiva stack (150 wpc) and with some Polk (less effect) and Pioneer (even less) towers as well as the 600M's. I'm starting to suspect my hearing no longer loves violins! What is known about this effect? It might be a subject for a future vlog. [Sorry about the comment length, but I wanted to provide hardware information.]
Hi Jim, violins are difficult to reproduce accurately. It could be a shortcoming in your recording but if you are experiencing the same issues with many recording that would point to a problem with the system. I would try to see if you can borrow another pair of speakers and see if the problem persists. If it does then try an amplifier swop next, then preamp, phone amp then source, effectively working your way back down the signal path until you find the culprit. Good luck and thank you for watching 😊👍
Jim, I understand exactly what you're describing. I would say less than half of my CDs and LPS are perfect modern recordings. Like everybody else I love the resolution and clarity of so much modern hifi, but there's no doubt about it that the flipside is that the very same equipment often exposes the quality of many of one's favourite recordings in a pretty unpleasant way. Violin... yes definitely, also female vocals - historic sopranos can be very problematic! You haven't said anything about cabling. In the past I had pair of Ruark Talismans which were very revealing - they could be piercingly sharp - also a pair of Sonus Faber Concertos which sounded very similar, the same tweeter iirc. In both cases I cured the problem with Van den Hul i/cs. Nowadays I muck about with all the cabling, oh dear. I still have my doubts about silver in i/cs, s/cs - and in mains cables - I'm not dogmatic about it, but I do want everything to sound as natural as possible. For yourself, one change of cable could save much expense and disappointment down the line. If you buy cables secondhand, it's usually pretty easy to just sell them on again. Experiment. Don't take any notice of the flat earth brigade, the trained "electronic engineers", the anti cable brigade. There are aspects of sound which have very little to do with hardware and measurements. It isn't just about rolling off the treble etc, if only it were that easy! It's more to do with the tonal nature of the sound, the timbre, the correct colours. You obviously know how a violin should sound, so don't lose sight of that. At least you can hear that something is wrong, that's good really.
@@legrandmaitre7112 Thanks for that. I AM an electrical engineer (BSEE Purdue) with a minor in music, no less. I have tried a couple of cable changes, but I have to say that, while a new cable might sound *different,* I cannot say it is better. It's just a bit different. Given the L's and C's and R's that change, that's logical. Those L's, C's, and R's can *substantially change* the amplifier operating point and interact with the crossovers. Point taken. What I DO hear, very plainly and repeatedly, are the differences between digitally captured recordings pre about 2000 versus those after. Could that be the crude sampling in the 80's and 90's? Could it be the failings of the 'brick wall' filters that are supposed to keep the high harmonics away from the sampling frequency? As to analog capture, I tend to hear analog reach a peak in quality after about 1970 or so -- back when the Ampexes got outgunned by the Studers. I am suspicious -- but I cannot get audio 'engineers' to admit it -- that symphonic music suffers hugely from multiple microphones. Especially on violin sections and choirs. I'm inclined to suspect rampant phase interference due to placements. But I can't prove it. Maybe I'm just cranky.... but yes, as you say, I know what a solo violin and an entire string section sound like from the mezzanine of a concert hall. And it isn't all screechy.
@@jimshaw899 That's very very interesting Jim. There's no doubt that many early CDs were pretty disappointing. In my experience the sound quality on vinyl really started to decline when the dreaded "DDD" appeared on the sleeve somewhere. For my ears - and listening beyond classical music - recordings on vinyl were at their pinnacle in the early to mid 60s. There's no doubt that as you continue to upgrade one's hifi equipment you will definitely accentuate the variations in sound quality - this is equally true for both CDs and vinyl. I trained as an artist and have very little understanding of the science involved, however like many artists I am highly attuned to nuance, to those very subtle things that we hear, see and sense. I'm now 64 and I accept that this defines the way I experience the world as much as logic does. As you know, on many forums there are now people getting very upset and angry regarding hifi cables, mostly because they can't understand how the science might work. Please forgive my snipe at electronics engineers, but it has to be said that in many cases their posts start "I'm a trained electronics engineer" and then they insult the many audiophiles and music lovers who believe what they're hearing, who trust their ears. That's not good. My take on this subject is that these naysayers have lost touch with the human aspect of music - from the musicians in the studio or concert hall, to the people behind the mixing desk, hifi designers and manufacturers, salesmen - right through to the experience of a living being listening to music at home. If you think it through, it only takes one person who can't hear or appreciate how music ought to sound, then things can go very wrong. I could sit here and name endless recordings where it's clear that somebody somewhere didn't know better or didn't care. There are countless legendary recordings which have taken multiple attempts over the last few decades to be remastered properly. Or to put it bluntly, for the remastering to be entrusted to somebody with the ability and sensitivity to actually hear what really sounds the most natural - and is instinctively "right". That's human judgement. I'm sure you're aware of EMI's rather disappointing (mostly disastrous!) A.R.T. remasters of the early noughties. But how did that happen? Put simply, because somebody who thought they were being very clever was let loose on EMI's precious classical catalogue with some daft new software. Result? Umpteen remastered recordings which then sounded dry, thin, grainy, lacking in bloom, tonally bleached, lacking ambiance etc, etc. Walter Legge must have been rolling in his grave. For some weeks now I've been having a really interesting email conversation with an Indian doctor that I bought some mains cables from. We were able to swap notes about each cable's characteristics and were in almost total agreement in terms of what we heard. In some cases we used slightly different terminology to describe the same thing, but there was no doubt whatsoever that we were both able to hear the same characteristics. Did one cable sound better than another? Well, they all sounded far better than the basic kettle leads that's for certain. After that, like all hifi cabling, it was a case of listening, careful judgement and personal taste.
@@legrandmaitre7112 Interesting, and I appreciate your answer. Don't be put off by 'engineers' who have no deep experience with audio and music. Without musical and audio experience, handbook engineers, or those with other disciplines, have great trouble appreciating what they cannot measure. It's an occupational hazard, and even one to be respected. Measurements are important to engineering stuff that works and is safe. I just watched a manned spacecraft launch, entirely accomplished by real engineers who employed measurements and physical theories and laws to succeed. That launch was no scientific wonder. It was an engineering feat. Back to sound... The human ear, working in conjunction with the brain, and with a peculiar load of experience, is capable of detecting and qualifying minute detail. How else, for example, can we detect and qualify the breaking of a twig, behind us, at 30 meters, and rig for battle? Yet it will someday take measurement meters two sigmas better than what we have to quantify it. An engineer who doesn't have the experience may simply declare that the twig doesn't matter, and be done with it. There are similarities between the twig and the tangle of unnatural harmonics that can come from a violin (for example) when it is not linearly reproduced. To a listener who has never or rarely heard a violin or a string section, that reproduced grainy, gritty sound may sound sort of like it should, coming from catgut and wood and glue and fingers and horsehair. Here is where an 'engineer' comes in, and says something like "it's less than 1%, so it doesn't matter." Or worse, "I think that drummer sounds better through that Peavey speaker than in this studio." There are those few 'engineers' who do get it. I suspect you'll not hear Nelson Pass or Bent Holter strongly denying that cables *can* make a difference. But, what exact kind of difference? *There's the rub.* Was that a dead twig or an alive one? Was that a struck triangle or a high plucked harp string?
hello Tarun, I have a query for you: looking at the ATC website, I think the only CLD drive unit that ATC make is the one used in the SCM11, the SB45-150, a fine speaker in its own right. I think the SCM7 driver, SB45-125 SC, is more closely related to the SCM19/SCM20 driver, SB75-150 SL, with its soft dome. In fact, isn't that driver actually a SCALED UP SCM10(later evolving into the SCM7) driver, later upgraded with SL technology? I already own the Mk3 SCM7's and really like them, for me truly prodigious performance in such a small package....
Thank you ambisonic. That did come to light after the video in a discussion I had with Ben at ATC. It was a misconception I had that did not get flushed out at the time of the review. The mid/bass cone on the 7 is more closely related to the 19 (without the SL motor structure or chassis) and not related to the CLD cone in the 11.
Hi Tarun - Another brilliant review. At first I thought you were perhaps a little lukewarm on these speakers. But after another viewing I can see that's not so. I think perhaps I was imposing my own bias on yours. I had an opportunity to hear them at an audio show. I liked them but came away with an impression that perhaps they're better suited in a recording studio. I think I still prefer my Falcon Acoustics LS3/5a pair. Any chance you'll be turning to those at some point?
Thank you Gary. I would like to get a pair of the Falcon LS3/5a’s for review at some point. I like the 7’s, there are a decent speaker at their price point. Thank you for watching and you kind words of support 😊👍
Hi Tarun, i always enjoyed your review. I wished you tried this speaker with Hegel H95. I have hegel H120, im curious if SCM7 can be driven well with this amp. How is this speaker compared to amphion argon 1 with both driven by your hegel h160, if you still remembered.
Hi Tarun, Recently came across your channel and really enjoy your clear and informative reviews. I recently purchased a NAD C368 & paired it with my existing B&W CM1 speakers. Now looking to upgrade them, so do you think the ATC SCM7 would be a good match? Any suggestions for alternatives in the £1k- £1200 range. Many thanks
Hi gcb, I haven’t tried that combo but I suspect even the NAD C368 may struggle with the ATCs. You have to ask yourself a few questions... What are you hoping to achieve by upgrading the CM1s? How far apart will the speakers be and how for from you? What tonal balance do you want warm, neutral or cool? If you let me know, I am happy to give you a steer.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Hi Tarun, Thank you for the prompt reply. I bought the CM1s originally to go with my Arcam Alpha 8 amp & Arcam SE CD player and my budget at the time was only £500. I then traded the units for an Arcam Solo Mini. Due to a change in personal circumstances, I had the opportunity to change with hifi and wanted to move away from the messy Arcam setup with its separate Arcam RDac & phono stage. Hence I purchased the C368 integrated amp to include the BluOs module (I stream via Tidal, listen to vinyl & have converted all my CDs to FLAC). I now have additional budget available, so the thinking is to move up to a higher level with the speakers. The speakers will be 150-180cm apart and I generally sit 3-4m away, although could easily move closer. The room is only 5m by 5m and I live in a flat, so can't ramp the volume up too much! I'm used to the Arcam sound, so really a warm tonal balance. Any advice welcome and thanks for your time. Regards, Graham
Hi Graham, thank you for the clarification. B&W and Arcam are a good combination. The Arcam being warm and the B&Ws being cool. They have traditionally been used to produce a balanced system. The NAD I suspect won’t have the same warmth as the Arcam. As you have a reasonable sized room and sit quite far away. I would take a look at some ProAc DT8s. If you want to stick with stand mounts, something like the Buchardt S400 may work well. They will have more warmth and be an upgrade in performance over the CM1s. They will also have much more effortless dynamics in your space. It is not about playing loud, necessarily. They will just pressurise your room more easily. Good luck 😉
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Hi Tarun, That's really helpful and I'll check out your suggestions. I'm not in an immediate rushes plenty of time to investigate properly I always regretted selling my original Arcam kit, but never mind. Thanks again for your prompt responses. Regards, Graham
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Hi Tarun, Just a follow up. I’m still considering my options, but as it’s very difficult to demo speakers during current lockdown restrictions, I contacted Proac directly and they’re going to send me their demo pair of the Tablette 10 Signature speakers so I can try them at home for 7 days. Be interesting to hear how they sound with my NAD 368. Excellent service from them.
If I didn't have ProAc then I would probably go ATC, I have demo'd the SCM 7's. They did sound appealing. But I find ProAc's more involving. Did think about going for an all ATC setup. Does the mid bass dust cap act like a mid range dome?
Half a year ago, I blindly bought those speakers and an Atoll IN100SE. For me a perfect match. Thanks to this video I could make the right decisions. Thank you very much. Great channel.
Thank you. Much appreciated 😊👍
What a pleasure to stumble across a sane, well-considered, broad-ranging, and very helpful review. By chance, I own the Proac Studio 100, and was considering giving the ATC SCM7s a listen. I think maybe spending more to move up in the ATC range may be wise. Thanks to you, Tarun, for the excellent information.
Thank you Susan for watching and you kind words of support. I agree, I would look at the SCM11s or better still the 19s as a starting point. Your Proac Studio 100s are very fine speakers 😊👍
i have a small room and the 7's are perfect. the 11's would be overkill. looking for a sub to use with the 7's
@@xstensl8823what sub are you considering?
As a lifelong audiophile, I have gone through an enormous audio and speaker collection. A pair of SCM7 MK I's are perhaps the ONLY thing I would never, ever consider selling. These are great speakers with stunning mid range, smooth treble and such low distortion that I don't even care about the lower bass. I believe both the voicing and the low distortion give them a low fatigue factor. Also, the ability to discern both music and voices - especially at lower volumes - for all day every day listening. If anything even comes close to ATC, I would love to know. The only thing I might prefer is if they weren't so overbuilt and thus weighed less, I might have more pairs of them in multiple locations and multiple applications.
Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences Carlton 😉
@@abritishaudiophile7314 My pleasure and thank you, too! The only things I might have added: I have always found it interesting that people praise ATC for LOUD. Because loud is the last thing I do, and I need things to sound good at low to moderate volumes. Also, I suspect that the sealed box is important to the clean, neutral tone I enjoy from the SCM 7s? (Thus, the port in the SCM25A gave me pause...) In any case, I suspect the SCM 20 might be the best value in their line, as it is the least expensive sealed model which incorporates their Proprietary mid/bass driver?
@@carltoncotter2614and S spec too.
Thank you Tarun, that was a great review. I own the ATC SCM19 and I agree with you 100%. With those speakers the amplification is also critical.
Thank you 😊
Good review. Thx. Always think of ATC very highly as a company. Surprised at less than stellar review. Your growth is due to you, your personality and candor.
Thank you J Ked. That is very kind of you to say 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 not kind, just the truth
Been thinking about your review. Deciding to go with a sealed enclosure makes sense for a couple of reasons.
1. While it doesn't go as low as a ported design, the sealed enclosure can give atc, more control over the quality of the bass by playing with QTc.
2. The slope of the bass drop off is 1/2 the slope of a ported design so while its -3db point is not as low in frequency, there is the point where the slopes intersect and the sealed is producing more bass than the ported. .
3. But the most important reason is something you touched upon. The port in a speaker must flip the phase of the back wave in the cabinet by 180 degrees to add to the front speaker output in a very short frequency range. Thats alot of change in a very short period. That change makes integrating a sub woofer very difficult. There will always be points where the phase between speakers cancel unless you cross it over much higher in frequency. A sealed enclosure, because of its 6db/octave bass drop off slope has minimal phase change, and it is gradual. This makes the integration of these speakers and a sub much easier to sound seamless.
So to me, that makes this a very wise cabinet choice.
I like this channel! I like small speakers also... This speaker benifits from a highpass in the 80-120Hz range, combined with a Subwoofer. The membrane from the little woofer is on the heavy side and you can"t get around physics . But this is a good effort from ATC, You have to commend them for sticking with a closed system.
Thank you Frank 😊👍
Fantastic review of the the Scm7. I've had the Responce one SC, old super tabletts and picked up a pair of these today in favour of tablett 10's and all I can say is the neutrality and detail is unbelievable. I rate the tweeter far beyond that of the Proacs and the mid is a true scaled down studio grade item. I think a lot more hi fi retailers are now favouring stocking ATC over Proac and I can see why. I feel as if I have a mini Abbey Road level of quality in my tiny bedroom as opposed to something just 'hifi' I had with the Proacs. Very happy with them in my setting above and beyond the more expensive items I've owned before them.
Thank you Aldo. I appreciate you watching and sharing your experiences 😊👍
Another enjoyable no-nonsense review. I'm a big fan of smallish speakers like these 'cause they make sense for so many environments.
Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences 😉👍
I've just replaced my Buchardt A500 with these SMC7 and a Music Fidelity M6Si and couldn't be happier, I also run a BK SLX200 Sub ( which you recommend ) to help with the bottom end , I only have a small room so these work perfectly
That is a very nice system you have put together 😊
Bravo - your reviews are always informative and helpful 👍😊
Thank you kindly 😊👍
I don’t normally correct reviewers, but, I have a redundant Rega Elicit as I upgraded a couple of years ago. The Elicit retails for just under £2000 but there are 2 models above the Elicit. The Aethos, which retails at £3000 and in my opinion is not worth the additional £1000. The Rega Osiris, which retails for £6000. It is, unquestionably, superb, but there are higher performing amps, for less. I am really surprised that your Audiolab struggled with those speakers. I know it’s only rated at 50 watts, but they’re good watts and as you point out it has a substantial power supply and capacitance.
Another excellent and comprehensive review. Keep up the good work.
Thank you Howard. Great to learn about your experiences 😊👍
Hi Tarun, thanks for this. You really do present clear and honest audio reviews and commentary.
Us audio lovers are fortunate to have access to your reviews and audio knowledge. You do not
have to respond to this but with what I've learned, the ATC SCM 11's just might be a perfect fit
for me ... it's all about the budget for now along with room size etc. etc. My amplifier will be either
the H95 or (if I am a good boy) its bigger brother, the H120. Your reviews are, in my opinion, the best
available. Cheers and good health!!
Thank you Charles. Very much appreciated and very kind of you to say. The ATC SCM 11s and Hegel H95/H120 will work really well together. Very clean, resolving and just on the cool side of neutral. Please let me know how you get on with them. 😊👍👍
Another well produced and thorough review, Tarun. I am glad to see more ATC reviews on YT. I would be great to complete the ATC bookshelf trilogy with a review of the much more expensive ATC SCM20s.
Thank you Will. I do plan to review more ATC products as I think they generally deliver a lot of performance 😊
Interesting review as usual, I have to say I'm an ATC fan, I have many pairs, including a couple of pairs of mark 1 SCM7s which I love. I did have a pair of the new SCM11s but sold them to a friend who uses them in his studio. I agree with you, build quality is stunning for the price, performance with the right amp can me wonderful in a room up to about 3x3m although can also work well in larger rooms. I think if we are buying a pair of speakers of this small an internal volume, then we have to be realistic about low frequency extension, and what they offer is excellent within their spec. .... Not sure why your audio was very distorted on this video, I checked a few others and they are all clean, albeit very "live" 😃 thanks Tarun
Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences richclips. I did change the settings on the mic but it sounded okay when I played it back on my iPad through headphones. I haven’t listened through my TV and hifi yet so that might reveal a problem? 🤔
Another well informed video Tarun.
I've had standmount speakers in the past but have now moved to floor standing speakers.
Thank you for watching and your support filofilo. There are advantages and disadvantages to both types of speakers 😊👍
I just watched and I was about to watch something else, but your review deserves to leaving THANK YOU comment. I would like to watch your review about amps like Naim 5si, Hegel 90, Exposure 2010 .....
Well done 👍🏻
Thank you Michael. I do plan to review those amplifiers. Thank you for taking the time to comment. I appreciate your support 😊👍
Always enjoy your reviews Tarun. Nice to get exposure to equipment that is in more limited distribution here on my side of the pond.
Thank you Richard. I appreciate you watching 😊👍
I have the older SCM 11's and 7's. The SCM 11's make a superb centre channel speaker. Lay them on their sides tweeter to tweeter and they will match any dedicated centre speaker easily. Voices sound awesome.
Cool 😎
@@abritishaudiophile7314 👌
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Just bought some perfect condition used SCM 11's for £750.. Can't go wrong with used hifi gear.
In my shop we found ATCs always work superbly with more expensive amps. Having said that a MF M2si drove them very well with the M3si doing even better. Other amps did not have the current delivery.
Thank you Ivor 😊
I owned Response 1SCs 25 years ago, with the required Target R1 stands, but persuaded myself to trade them in for Naim SBLs. That is one of the biggest mistakes I have ever made in hifi. Congrats on the channel. I don't agree with all of it, but it's interesting nonetheless.
If I were to make a cheeky marketing suggestion to ATC it would be to introduce a 25-30L large(ish) standmount, with slightly higher sensitivity than, er, 82db, to compete with the new Mission 770s, the Linterns and the Harbeth C7s - all very different, but all not entirely neutral.
Thank you 😊
Sitting in my spare bedroom which is attempting to be a temporary listening room are the ATC SCM 7’s, run by a Hegel 95 and I have to be honest they sound pretty damn good, certainly a lot better than when they were driven by the Quad Artera Solus, or Rega Brio, both amps struggled big time to run these speakers the Quad providing a very thin tinny sound. As soon as the Hegel was connected the speakers came alive. The Quad produced almost no bass in fact an REL sub was added and this helped but the sound still wasn’t there. With the Hegel I have lost the sub, the sound is just great in a small room, I may revisit the sub in the future but for now I am enjoying the 7’s, Hegel H95 and Audiolab’ s 6000CDT on loan.
Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences Martin 😊
First time watching one of your reviews. I like your matter of fact meets useful info.
After demo'ing the scm11s I blind ordered scm19s expecting well, more 11ness (At that point we were Bryston BCD1 CD Player into Music First Copper Classic Passive Preamp into ATC P1 Power Amp) but hands down enjoyed the scm11s far more for similar reasons to yourself. The scm19 is a BIG performance leap over the scm11s to the point I was in both, complete awe and an OMG that's crazy resolution - maybe more than I'd bargained for. That was the first time throughout my audio journey that it sounded like actual people were playing in my room. And they were brand new out of the box.
I was kinda gutted I'd let the 11s go because I enjoyed everything they did. Just so together and, far more fun. The 19s are really very serious, I could imagine recording engineer's loving them and pretty much everyone with the right recordings. They never once made anything sound unpleasant, that tweeter is the best I've encountered but I couldn't deal with the honesty I guess.
We completely sold up a month later (needed the cash) and haven't owned any audio gear for a good few years but did miss it badly and constantly looked at used equipment ads and got excited over reviews.
But I'm back and with an ATC BOOM! There's a CDA2 MK2 sitting behind me and it's quite a thing via every function in and out. So here I am once again in need of speakers.
I really enjoyed reading about your experiences with ATC speakers. Sorry you had to sell them but it must be nice to be in a position to rebuild your system again. Thank you for watching and good luck with hunting down a pair of speakers 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314
95% sure its going to be some Acoustic Energy AE1 Actives. One box and speakers - I can't be doing with all those boxes and cables again. Best get them ordered :)
@@MrGutterbunny I was talking to their MD earlier this week and he was telling me the story behind their reason to go fully analogue. So glad they did. Make sure you get a decent DAC or preamp to connect to them. With balanced outputs if you are using long runs. 😉
@@abritishaudiophile7314
Just posted on your AE1 Actives review. Mine came today so I'll be hooking them up to the ATC CDA2 mk2 this evening.
Stands and balanced cables arriving tomorrow :)
Lovely review cheers and a lovely looking speaker. Your vid is smashing .... well shot, clear, to the point good good stuff thank you.
Thank you for watching and commenting Daniel. I appreciate your support 😊👍
I would love to se you review the Atc scm11. Think they are the sweet spot and the most bought of their speakers.
Many people rant about Atc with Naim. A rewiev where you combine these would be much appreciated by many.
I have Atc scm11 with Naim Nait xs2 and beeing a beginner dont really know what to make out of it. I am happy with the sound but I think the speaker would benefit a lot from more power.
Thank you for the best hifi review on youtube!
Thank you Alex. That is very kind of you to say 😊👍
I am sure I will get around to reviewing the SCM11s at one point. Naim and ATC have been traditional bedfellows for a reason. The pairing provides a fast, clean, full sound. Before you upgrade the amp (adding a Naim power amp may be a good idea) I was wondering what are you using as a source?
I've been hoping you specifically would review and have time with the ATC7s! Great information and complete details. I have been curious about these as replacements for my old school Epos ES12 speakers being run thru a Rega Mira 3 amplifier in a smallish living room. I'm even more curious to audition these now!!
Thank you Alan. Much appreciated. That is a nice system you have and will hold up well with today’s products. You should also put the Proac Tablette on your shortlist. Good luck 😊👍
Great review Tarun!! One point I couldn’t agree more: The ATCs won’t disappoint (giving the right amplification or go active), but they are unforgiving and will make good 30% of your music collection somehow disappointing.
Thank you William 😊👍
And the other 30% of your collection sound better than ever!
@@willbrink I agree with you on both accounts. It is like they are saying “look what it could sound like if you had great recording!” 😊
@@abritishaudiophile7314 ATC is a pro audio company at it's core so their stuff sounds like pro audio speakers, utterly revealing and unforgiving of source materials and gear. Given quality source materials and quality gear, you'd be hard pressed to do better at the $, and I'd put the ATC active 40s up against speakers costing 5x that. The 19s are really impressive...
With so many great reviews from you on bookshelf speakers. Perhaps it’s only logical to expect a decent review of speaker stands pretty soon. 😉
Hi Tarun, thanks for another very informative video. Always plenty to learn about with so much to consider when purchasing hifi equipment. Getting a set up to sound its best comes at huge odds and the small adjustments can make or brake it, most of which you have covered. As for speakers, love to get a decent audition on the proac's but for now i'm using neat sx2's happily. thanks again and all the best.
Thank you Terry. I appreciate you watching and sharing your experiences 😊👍
Great review as usual, yet I do believe you should try sampling several of the stand mount PMC speakers........, as they offer to my ears a more forgiving sound.
Good timing. The baby PMC Twenty5 21’s arrived yesterday 😉
@@abritishaudiophile7314 I demoed alongside the ATC and found the PMC really fell apart at louder volumes. Neither exactly dig low but the ATC was much more controlled. Interested to hear your thoughts
Good review, i have heard the atc scm40 driven be primare amp, it was a few years back, and I would like to think that they sounded good, for sealed box and for its size the bass was impressive could not belive that big sound coming from them, they are a little pricey, I might give them another listen when I can afford to upgrade my b&w towers that I still love, the b&w 702 s2 is also on my list of speakersto try
I have always been impressed by the 40s whenever I have heard them. Would like to get a pair in for review at some point. Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences Andreas 😊
My Pro Ac EBTs have a sound and it’s a sound I’m particularly fond. The sound of bookshelf speakers is enhanced when their excess energy is directed into tile or concrete or in combination with a sand trap. You use a sand trap beneath the speakers you have in your videos. The base of the speaker is leveled with spiked and threaded feet. Ordinarily there are four and using four is okay. Three can be used also. The bottom plate should be terminated with spikes into tile or concrete floors or used in conjunction with a sand trap. The sand trap should have compliant feet that won’t scratch hard surface floors. On carpeted floors, the sand traps need to be on leveling feet for stability. The preferred stand material is pickled in oil steel tubing with a wall thickness that supports threading. The base plate should be 3/16” steel plate. The top plate should be an 1/8”. The top plate has four threaded holes for spiking the speaker base. The speaker’s excess energy is fed through the spikes from the speaker and through to the base plate where it terminates with spikes. That’s basically it. The sand trap is made from 3/4 MDF. Simple box glued and screwed with an opening for a cover plate. Filled with sifted and very dry sand. You can enhance it further using a casting acrylic resin filled to the cover plate level. Screw on the cover plate and nearly done. Fill the stand tubing with the same sifted and very dry sand. You can enhance the performance by adding that same casting acrylic resin to the brim and install the four top plate mounting bolts. The bolts need to be sprayed with mold release agent prior to installation so you won’t have any issues. Install top plate. Cleaning the screws after is highly recommended. A metallized epoxy is used to seal the base or welded fully around the entire tube. There are two versions of bases I am familiar with. Their construction and installation aren’t complicated. The top plate should have a size that is smaller than the speaker it holds. The base plate should not be more than three times the tubing width and that is 4” square so 12” front and back dimensions with 12” or 16” front to rear both sides. 16” deep plate accommodates deeper cabinet speakers. It’s a customer preference. Great stands enhance a great speaker regardless of the quality. The key here is draining all spurious mechanical energies into the floor or sand trap depending on the case. It clears up and cleans up the sound when this is done. Even less quality speakers will shine for the better or the worse depending on how well they’re made. All factors are in play. The simple fixes are the ones that awe!
Thank you Mark. Always a pleasure to read your insightful comments 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314, thank you Tarun for giving us who care a forum upon which to expound on what we’ve learned over the years. There are few places where you can maybe help someone and keep them from having to spend a bleeding fortune when it isn’t necessary. Tip Toes, well made speaker stands, good wire and VPI bricks are some accessories that have been proven to improve the experience. I’ve made stands out of schedule 40 black pipe and stainless as well. You can make speaker stands out of more than what I have used. Imagination can drive your innovation. You can take a hex head or hex cap full threaded screw and machine the threaded end to form a spike and paint it black with a 45-60 degree bevel. I advise against spiking a carpeted floor for obvious reasons, even if it is concrete underneath. Spikes can be real hard on carpeting. Tip toes are aluminum spikes that fit directly under a component and whose purpose is to dissipate all mechanical energy to a solid surface like granite shelving on a shelf system or directly into concrete. Primarily this is for energy transmitters like power amps and mechanical players. Speakers also fit into the energy transmitter family. Any piece which transmits mechanical energy can benefit from that energy being removed from their use. The key is removal of that energy into solid non resonant material so that the energy is absorbed and or dispersed through that medium. The removal yields the product producing a clearer and cleaner signal because that excess energy is dissipated away. The excess energy is not reflected back or sustained internally of the product proper. Each piece can be tried or experimented with. Sometimes isolation is the answer. It requires a little time to achieve greatness in your system and increasing your enjoyment is the whole point! A lot of things may sound odd or someone’s peddling snake oil, but when things prove themselves through use in real systems in real time, that label doesn’t apply. Hello, isn’t rocket science or tom foolery. It’s real live truth. I don’t believe in humbug cures for audio ghosts. There are real phenomenons that are both perceived and felt by individual listeners. How much your system is improved depends on how resolute it is. This varies with product quality and construction. Their is no magic cures for poor quality or construction of any gear. It is what it is. No silk purses from sow’s ears. That’s not happening. You must have a resolute system first. Then you can do things that will enhance it. But experimenting can make a difference that matters even in mid fi. It is still about quality of and construction of the components and their stands and support systems. You don’t get top drawer results without smart decisions. We all make mistakes so keep them small and press on. Dwelling on failure is a recipe for problems. Glad Tarun lets me ramble. This was long! Stay safe mates!😊👍🏻😷
@@markphilpot4981 thank you buddy. I agree totally 😊👍
Again Brilliant Review Tarun , wish you and your family a very Happy Diwali 🪔
Thank you Atri. Happy Diwali to you and your loved ones too buddy 😊👍
Thank you and keep up the good work, sir.👍😁
Thank you for watching and your support Sam 😊👍
Hello I had a pair of ATC SCM35Ss bloody hell best speakers I've owed.
Cool 😎
It's interesting what you said about the desk setup, I would very much agree with that. Basically, there best as a near field monitor and that's coming from owning a set of there predecessors in a nearfield setup. I did try them in my front room very much how you have them setup in the video and they lacked. I must say it was at that point I wish that I had a sub...
Thank you Simon. My experiences as very similar to yours 😊
Great expertise beautifully prepared and presented;thanks very much.
Thank you for watching and your support Henry. Much appreciated 😉👍
Hi Tarun, great review.
Forgive me if this has already been mentioned. There's some distortion going on with your mic and a background whine. Actually the whining is probably my kids.
I need to use a USB mic with my iPad Pro. There is limited options and no that I have tried so far sound great. Thank you for bearing with me 😉
Once again a nice review Tarun, thanks. I'm a true speaker fan but I can't help thinking these would not be for me, I have a large room and need more from my speakers.
Thank you Keith. You are right, these won’t work in a big room. Thank you for watching and your support 😊👍
Thank you for another thorough and thoughtful review. I really do look forward to your videos, espicially in these times of shut-downs.
Btw, I've alway really liked the sound of your ProAcs, they were always a few quid out of reach for me. I have however managed, with the help of a really good retailer (now unfortynately closed) to put together a pretty decent system for around 4000 pounds.
They are a special pair of speakers. That is why I have probably had them so long. I bet you have put together a really nice system for £4k. Thank as always for your support 😊👍
Wow that was an amazing review! I have the 150s passive and drive them with 600w monoblocks. It is pure audio heaven! I am thinking of getting the 20s as well.
Thank you GS. Much appreciated. I am just putting together the review for the ATC SCM19A. Should be out this weekend 😊👍
Thanks for reviewing various sealed designs. I'm building a revelator based sealed standmount MTM atm
Thank your or watching Will. Good luck with the build. Great mid/woofer! What are you going to use as a tweeter ? 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thanks for replying Tarun. Design loosely based on AE-2, went with a small format tweeter from Bliesma, to group drivers in tight.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 yes great midbass! With slightly lossy inductor, seeing an f5 of 45hz.. not bad
@@willmac5642 I am not familiar with that tweeter. Looks like a fun project. Good luck and please let me know how you get on 👍
Well done once again. I had a pair some years ago before they updated the tweeter. Really liked them, the real deal. Also had the SL 20’s for awhile, also excellent...should have kept them:) thx again, please keep it up!
Thank you Rob. I appreciate you watching and your support 😊👍
As always - well done review!
Thank you Raymondey 😊👍
Heard these insensitive little tykes driven beautifully by the sumptuous Sugden a21a😀 Those 25 watts of class A produce some pure current...as you mentioned in your review of the Signature. It really surprised me i must say.
Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences mag 😊
I thought this was a very interesting review.
I have recently been using SCM 40’s and also found they are very power hungry and not great at low listening levels. They need to be turned up and as I live in a terraced house they didn’t really work for night time listening.
The midrange though is the best I’ve ever heard but they do need a very good source.
I’ve just bought a set of PMC Fact 8’s and the definitely work better at low volume and seem more suited to my Naim 135 mono blocks which are only 75W.
I have always been impressed with the 40s whenever I have heard them. Would like to get a pair in for review at some point. The PMC Twenty5.21s arrived for review yesterday. Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences Paul 😊
I have no issues tot listen at low listening levels without nu Leven CS600. A have chosen the amp in comparison with a Naim, Accuphase and Spec amp.
@@musicenthiousiast look like you have put together a very nice system 😊
Compleatly the same issue I have with ATC SCM 40....because , live in apartmant and neighbours do not wish listening while I am listening.
Perfect speakers for louder listening.....if you live in a house🙂👍
Once again, thank you Tarun. I am interested in the 'cloth' between the speaker and stand. And the 'blocks' that the stands are placed on.
Thank you Stephen. I place EVA blocks under the speaker stand to raise them when needed. I also use a sound deadening sheet between the speakers and the stand 😉👍
Any chance a review of dali rubicon 6
@@neilnewby1041 I haven’t spoken to Dali as yet. But I am sure I will get to them at some point. Thank you for watching and your suggestion 😊
@@abritishaudiophile7314 great. love the videos.
I have two subjects I'd love to see you cover. Firstly, the cheap Chinese amplifiers on eBay, specifically the
Thank you for watching Steve. I do plan to cover some inexpensive gear soon. It may not be £50 though.
This is a massive generalisation but up to about 20 years ago there was a typical “British” sound which tended to focus on the midrange, a little soft in the bass and a little rolled off in the highs. In contrast the US gear tended to be brighter, bigger speakers with much more power handling and greater bass depth. I am not sure it is the case so much today. Manufacturers produce speakers that have to appeal to many markets. One of the benefits/consequences of globalisation. Thank you for watching and your support 😊👍
Being in the USA we have access to a great amp for ATC that’s 160 Watt $1500 bucks called the Parasound A23+ I got a used one for 900!!! I use that with my ATC SCM12 pro’s on my desktop and a Parasound HPA-1 headphone amp as a preamp with a REL TZero subwoofer under the desk and a Gustard X16 DAC. Oh my good for a desktop it’s god level endgame in near field. I listen to music here more than my 20 grand YG’s hooked up to my main System and tv!
I can see how that would work 😊
Hi there , I really like your reviews explanation is great for people who are not clued up on the correct set ups , it would be nice if you could do a review on a higher db speaker for us low wattage tube amps , I have a budget of 800 pound plus but can't seem to find many reviews for a speaker to match my icon audio 20pp I currently have q acoustic concept 20s , keep the good work up , thanks
Thank you John. Have you tried the Klipsch RP600s. I am hoping to get some tube amps or at least a hybrid in for review and also some Klipsch speakers if they are prepared to send me some. Once again, thank you for watching. I appreciate your support 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 hi . although I have reviewed them i am always a bit unsure . the kef ls50s have reviews with tube amps some good some not so good . it can be a bit of a mine field . I will take a look at the klipsh again . thanks for the reply
@Fat Rat hi thanks , I am on the klipsh again now , I am new to HiFi and trying to get to grips with component matching watts and ohms and db I have also been looking at the triangle bro 3 , I don't want a huge speaker as I live in a small flat , my concept 20s sound good but how do i know if I have not experienced other speakers , thanks again
Amazing as always
Thank you Pėter 😉👍
Well made and engineered loudspeakers and pretty good crossovers. On my list!
Thank you for watching 😊👍
Great review, I’m looking at this speaker and a couples of others, wonder if this would be suitable with a
Naim Nova at 80watts per channel.?
Thx. Worth a try 😊
The roll off on sealed box speakers is slower than on ported speakers. Ported speakers add the port resonance to the frequency response and that rolls off faster than the response of an unported speaker.
Indeed. Thank you Christopher 😊
Tarun, that's a fair review, the 19s are on my to try list, these may be a little to small, since your a proac fan, how about the proac studio sm100, like ATC's used in recording studios the world over. I will always prefer transparency and accuracy over a warm or over rich smooth sound. How many hours did you have on the ATC's, I've heard 100hours has barely "woken" them up. That audiolab is bargain at the moment.
Thank you for watching Bhupendra. They are a review sample which are already run in. I still spend a minimum of about 50 hours running in a component or speaker before conducting series listening.
Another very well done video. Thank you. Have you heard the Warfdale Linton Heritage and if so do you have an opinion?
Only at a show. My initial impression was very favourable. Thank you for watching 😊👍
Great review and I totally agree with the notion that the amplification requirements of this speaker are the biggest obstacle to them. I am not sure how others think about this but personally I am always apprehensive about speakers that require (which is not the same as benefit) an amplifier that for all intends and purposes will have to cost mush more than the speakers them self (unless the result is outright magical).
I agree with you totally Hugo. That is the Achilles heel of passive ATC speakers. Thank you for watching and commenting 😊👍
@steven whicher thank you for sharing Steven. I once owner those speakers. I have very fond memories of them 😊
I drive my SCM7 speakers in my bedroom system with a 60 watt per channel Adcom 535 II that I bought for $100 on EBay. Far more than adequate. These things are easy to drive with a benign load.
Fab review ! looking forward to the PMC twenty 1's Review
Thank you Anand 😊👍
gr research danny ATC SCM 7 upgrade mod easy to do crossover upgrade kit
Hi, Love your reviews. I have been seriously considering the ATC SCM 11. I have watched your ATC 7 and the ATC SCM 19 reviews. Thoughts on the ATC SCM 11? 8 feet (2.4 meters) width x 12 feet ( 3.7 meters) long room, and Peachtree Nova 300 amp to drive them.
Thank you Bryan. I haven’t heard the SCM11s at home. I may review them at some point. It is a well regarded speaker and the Nova 300 certainly has the power to drive them properly 😉👍
Excelent review Tarun!How do you compare against Dynaudio Emit M10???And wich are the diferences in Signature Sound betwen Dynaudio and English speakers?? Thanks
Thank you MG. I haven’t tried the M10 but, generally speaking, Dynaudio have a sound that is not too dissimilar to many traditional British monitors 😊👍
Good review Tarun
Thank you Joey 😊👍
Brilliant review.
Thank you JP 😊👍
I’ve to disagree with one other statement you’ve made......., yet I’m certain it’s because room sizes in the states are much larger then in most countries, but I’ve always been able to enjoy all of my mini-monitors ( of which I’ve owned Rogers LS 3/5As | Harbeth LS 3/5As and P3-ESRs | Linn Kan 2s | four variants of ProAc Tablettes and Response One SCs | DeVore Fidelity Gibbon 3s | Reference 3A Dulcet’s | Totem Model Ones and “ The One “ upscaled version | currently a pair of Fyne Audio F500’s ) where each worked very very very well placed between 8.4” - 11.5’ apart.
I suspect a narrow dispersion small peaked will work better in a large room than a wider dispersion speaker. The ratio of direct vs reverberated sound is probably the issue with SCM7s.
I really don’t have golden ears. I went to an ATC AD as I was interested in the SCM11s. I took my weak Audiolab 6000A with me and also tried them with the 150w ATC integrated amplifier (too see what I would be losing) and, much to my surprise, at my moderate listening levels, there wasn‘t much in it. Only turning up the volume I could sense some more authority and control on the 150w ATC. But I won’t take advantage of that in my apartment, I’m afraid.
Hi Luis, if it works for you then that is all that matters. Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences 😉
Try the Amphion One18. Worth the extra money. ATC is really nice but treble rolled off a bit on the crossover. The Amphions sound amazing! Super flat, detailed and great timing. The ATC mids are really open and pronounced and if you like them they may be the best speakers in their price range,
I have some Amphion speakers arriving in the next couple of weeks 😉
@@abritishaudiophile7314 What model?
@@SlinkiestTortoise23 The Argon 1 😉
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Oh nice, I really liked the One18s I heard, really good. Like the ATCs but the Amphions are really something! You can really drive them and they love it! ATC bit fussy.
@@SlinkiestTortoise23 thank you. I heard them at the Bristol show and they peaked my interest. It will be interesting to see how I get on with them 😉
Good review as it included two comparable. I like to hear 15-20 seconds of anything I look at for 15 minutes.
Can you please review Lejonklou INT $4k retail? Swedish. $100 side bet you keep it.
Thank you for watching Jeff. I am not familiar with that brand. Thank you for the suggestion 😊
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Nobody is familiar. Oddly enough a local retailer picked it up and has sold several of INT model already.
Take a look at the website.
@@jeffkalina7727 interestingly their website only seems to show electronics 🤔
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Small company. They made a $40k phono stage.
Thank you for this review, Tarun. I am curious if you can do a review of a Sonus faber speaker and your opinion about this brand.
It has been a while since I have heard a Sonus Faber speaker. I wonder who distributes them in the U.K.? Thank you for watching and your suggestion 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Distributor for the UK: Fine Sounds. Thank you for your reviews, Tarun. The best audio reviews on You Tube by far. Love to see your review of a Sonus faber Olympica Nova 1 or Sonus faber Minima Amator 2. Kind regards from The Netherlands! 😊
Thank you Peter. Much appreciated. I will reach out to them. Thank you for your kind words of support 😊👍👍
Enjoy the channel, found it by chance. I feel very invested in it, as I still own an Exposure xxv rc and Exposure CD player from the nineties myself. A few years back got interested in ATC and purchased the 11s and quickly bounced onto the 19s. They’re coupled with a Roksan M2 pre, power and CD set up which I really like. I noticed the speaker was sat on a dense foam pad, do you recommend this and why ? Isolation ?
Thank you Darren. I still have my Exposure CD player and also had the XXV integrated before changing it for the XXI Pre and XVIII Super monoblocks 22 years ago. I doubt I will ever get rid of them but never say never. It is a soundproof mat that I use for a little extra isolation. Every little helps. Thank you for watching 😊👍
I own a roksan attessa amplifier and I’m considering buying a pair of SCM11’s. How do the m2 drive the ATC’s, do they have enough power?
Awesome review and maybe try run tube amplifiers or class A
Thank you imo. I am working on trying to get both of those in 😊👍
Have you considered getting hold of a pair of these Sound Artist LS35/a that people seem to be losing their mind over?
I know. I haven’t got round to it as yet but thanks for the heads up 😉
Ive seen these speakers advertised with the Roksan k3 integrated as a pair . 150 watts into 8 ohm .
That should do the job 😉
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️👍
Thank you Tarun
Thank you Roque ☀️☀️☀️👍
82 dB.. Oh.. I use KEF LS50s nearfield
Cool 😎
Hi, thanks for your most insightful review. I'm pretty much sold on the ProAc DB3 as a replacement for my old KEF Concerto One's. I have a Primare I21 and a Rega Saturn CD player. I'm fearful of overly bright speakers and listening fatigue. Any advice on those speakers would be most welcome and could you recommend some good stands for them?
Thank you James. I would look for stands with a heavy construction, 60 to 70 cms high (depending on listening height) and fillable to add mass and reduce vibrations 😊👍
They are nice little speakers. I had a pair in my place and was able to compare them along side the Harbeth P3ESR and Rogers LS3/5a Classic. They all sound different. But the SCM7 is nice.
I love the cherry finish. Nice grain. Just make sure that pets stay clear of the speakers.
Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences hushpuppykl 😉
As a mini/small monitor comparison I recommend you try the DALI Menuet.
Thank you for the suggestion 😉
@@abritishaudiophile7314 I work for a HiFi store in London, UK and I contacted the UK MANAGER for DALI and provided him with your channel, my comments (positive ones) and what type of speakers you review. I think you might love the DALI MENUET OR MENUET SE. Also the beefier RUBICON 2 standmount which details for £1699 in the UK. Phenomenal speakers.
I own an Audiolab 6000A, Rubicon 5, Audioquest Rocket 33 and soon will add an Audiolab 8300XP stereo power amp.
Speaking of Audiolab, their 8300CDQ (Pre-Amp/DAC/CD) paired with the 8300XP power amp would be a nice combination to review.
Perhaps even a QUAD ARTERA SOLUS (all in one).
I simply love your reviews and your take on them.
Thanks buddy. Good review. Just bought Auna floorstanders. Very cheap but I'm impressed with the performance. 😊🏴🐙🎱
Thank you Paz. I am not familiar with those speakers but I glad you are enjoying them 😊👍
Thanks for an interesting post on a nice bookshelf speaker, but sound a little disappointing considering the price
Hi Michael, they are a good speaker at the price for people wanting something neutral in presentation and substantially build, just not ground breaking in performance. Thank you for watching 😊
Great review. I am an ATC 7 mk3 owner. You review is very precise and objective. I am thinking of getting a Rel t7i subwoofer to add more base. Would this be a comparable result to ATC 19 without the sub?
Hi Li, I think adding the sub would be a good idea. It almost always is. The SCM19 are a different league of performance than the SCM 7s though but also almost 3 times the price. Thank you for watching 😊👍
To be honest I felt the same way with the ATC SCM11 offering. I simply didn't understand the value and use case. The speaker was amazing when paired with much higher tier amps, but there was not clean and powerful amp that made a sensible match in terms of pricing. Eventually I ran it with a Rega Elex-r which did not produce any dynamics and also with a class D amp that simply eliminated the SCM11 strengths. So I don't understand the offering besides introducing ppl to the brand and their higher tier speakers (which are truly amazing). Maybe the idea was to match the SCM11 with the C1 sub and Sia amp, but for that price you might as well go with the 40's (Active/separates) or north.
Great to learn about your experiences. I suspect you have to go for the SCM19 or above to get into the ribs of the ATC sound 😊👍
I love large bookshelf speakers and ATC is my kind of speaker for Jazz. Somehow i enjoy the sound over some floor standers. Not quite sure why. But the prices🥴 So i wonder what your opinion will be on used older generation speakers like Castle. They are cheap on the used market. I run a newer pair of Avon 2. Thank you for this review.
It has been a while since I have head Castle speakers so can really say. I hope to review some vintage gear going forward but getting hold of it is always the issue. Thank you for watching 😊👍
I’ve had two pairs of 1sc’s cracking little speakers. Kind of regretted selling the second pair.
Thank you for watching and sharing 😊
@ekim andersom When a nice pair come up I probably will. Quite happy with my current speakers though. They would probably be for a second system one day 👍🏻
Even with acoustic instrument recording, one has to be familiar with where and how it was recorded and how it was handled on the desk. If not, the mind fills in the blanks all too quickly. That's why, 'neutral sounding' can mean anything. Get an App and read the response of a frequency sweep. (Invest in proper equipment for this, if you wish). Or just listen to a frequency sweep from the listening position or the 1m in room and note the frequencies and perceived SPL. You'd be surprised how even with neutral speaker response, when an SPL meter remains fairly steady, your perception and hearing might not reflect reality. Now play music. Some speakers with disturbed responses might sound more even than a real neutral speaker which might sound 'unnatural'.
Thank you for watching and sharing 😊
what is the difference between ATC 11 v1 and version v2..they also look different ???
On these stands, the SCM7s look like an interim solution before there's budget to upgrade. They already take up the same space as needed for floorstanders.
True 😉
Wonder how these would do as a desktop speaker with a sub for a computer system.
They are good for nearfield applications 🙂
They look beautiful! Bet the official stands are a few bob though.
I haven’t seen any official stands either 🤔
I will really appreciate a review of golden ear Brx !! I guess they are similarly priced and i am really confused between them! Thanks in advance
They are not so readily available in the U.K. Thank you for the suggestion Ajit 😊
@@abritishaudiophile7314 oh..ohk! But looking forward for this review when they are available in UK! Thanks and appreciate your work!
Hi Tarun. Thanks for sharing the detailed review on SCM7 speakers. I am planning to purchase SCM7 for my desktop setup. Is this compatible with the Desktop setup for music listening. If yes, twhat DAC+Amp or integrated amp + cables you will recommend as a combination ?.
It is suitable for a desktop. They like amps that can deliver plenty of power. Atoll IN200. Signature, Yamaha AS1200, Hegel H190, Exposure 3510, etc. 😊
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thanks for the update. Tarun is there any way to contact you through private email for having the queries clarified?
I drive them with a tiny class D amp lol. It pushes them to about 60% excursion. Which is fine since they are at 1m distance so they don’t get that loud unless I’m doing bass tests
Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences Rennie 😊
Hi, thanks for the nice review. You mentioned you had tried 3 amps. My query is, if someone is realy not listening to higher volumes, would it make a difference in audiolab 6000 amp and your hegel amp?
Oh yes a lot of difference. Watts relates to loudness but a more substantial amplifier will have a beefier power supply and be able to deliver more current in those transient peaks. It is all about grip and control of the speaker regardless of volume level. Thank you for watching 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thanks a lot.. sometime pls do also try to review audio solutions speakers...just a wish list!!
@@amitgombi1620 Thank you Amit 😊👍
i am using these with my new Rega Elex mk4 and rarely turn the volume up beyond 10 o'clock
Inquiring minds want to know if you do your evaluations under the influence of the wine in that rack on the left? Is a warning label called for?
You should count yourselves lucky that it is just wine 🍷 Cheers 😊👍
I forgot to mention looking into a more custom made pair of speaker stand, I use Sound Anchors 3 Post Monitor Signature Stands ( $975 ) but made to measure 6.5” w x 9.5” deep and stand overall at 33.5” high as to place my ears on axis with the middle of any given mini-monitors tweeter.
Thank you for sharing 😊
You gotta do something about all that room echo.
Hi kscal, I don’t have an echo in my room. I did have problems in earlier videos due to a 3.5mm to USB C mic conversion. I now have a new USB C lav mic and the SQ is much better so I am not sure what you are pick up. Still looking for a decent quality USB C mic, if you know of one, please let me know 😊
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Ok thats just what it sounds like to me. I do really enjoy your content. Cheers
Enjoyed this, particularly because of your organization and use of terms. I have a large room to drive, so speakers smaller than my Klipsch 600M's don't qualify.
But I have a larger question, and probably a more difficult one. In your intro, you speak of loudspeakers that seemingly *expose poor recordings.* I experience this too often, with a collection of carefully kept vintage fully analog vinyl (MC cart.), CD's of various vintages, and "ultra HD" streaming, alike. Basically, older recordings are pretty annoying -- most especially violin sections playing loudly. There is a grittiness and harshness there that I haven't heard in live symphonic concerts (pre March 2020). What's going on?
So far, my efforts to tone down this effect include reducing one preamp treble control (-2 dB), and using a Schiit Loki equalizer to regulate (downward) the treble (flat @ 20 and 400 Hz) about -2 dB @ 2kHz and -4 dB @ 8kHz). This helps greatly to reduce the annoying sound, but newer, good recordings lose a bit of their clarity. I've tested this with a Denon (45 wpc), an Emotiva stack (150 wpc) and with some Polk (less effect) and Pioneer (even less) towers as well as the 600M's. I'm starting to suspect my hearing no longer loves violins!
What is known about this effect? It might be a subject for a future vlog.
[Sorry about the comment length, but I wanted to provide hardware information.]
Hi Jim, violins are difficult to reproduce accurately. It could be a shortcoming in your recording but if you are experiencing the same issues with many recording that would point to a problem with the system. I would try to see if you can borrow another pair of speakers and see if the problem persists. If it does then try an amplifier swop next, then preamp, phone amp then source, effectively working your way back down the signal path until you find the culprit. Good luck and thank you for watching 😊👍
Jim, I understand exactly what you're describing. I would say less than half of my CDs and LPS are perfect modern recordings. Like everybody else I love the resolution and clarity of so much modern hifi, but there's no doubt about it that the flipside is that the very same equipment often exposes the quality of many of one's favourite recordings in a pretty unpleasant way. Violin... yes definitely, also female vocals - historic sopranos can be very problematic!
You haven't said anything about cabling. In the past I had pair of Ruark Talismans which were very revealing - they could be piercingly sharp - also a pair of Sonus Faber Concertos which sounded very similar, the same tweeter iirc. In both cases I cured the problem with Van den Hul i/cs. Nowadays I muck about with all the cabling, oh dear. I still have my doubts about silver in i/cs, s/cs - and in mains cables - I'm not dogmatic about it, but I do want everything to sound as natural as possible. For yourself, one change of cable could save much expense and disappointment down the line. If you buy cables secondhand, it's usually pretty easy to just sell them on again. Experiment.
Don't take any notice of the flat earth brigade, the trained "electronic engineers", the anti cable brigade. There are aspects of sound which have very little to do with hardware and measurements. It isn't just about rolling off the treble etc, if only it were that easy! It's more to do with the tonal nature of the sound, the timbre, the correct colours. You obviously know how a violin should sound, so don't lose sight of that. At least you can hear that something is wrong, that's good really.
@@legrandmaitre7112 Thanks for that. I AM an electrical engineer (BSEE Purdue) with a minor in music, no less. I have tried a couple of cable changes, but I have to say that, while a new cable might sound *different,* I cannot say it is better. It's just a bit different. Given the L's and C's and R's that change, that's logical. Those L's, C's, and R's can *substantially change* the amplifier operating point and interact with the crossovers. Point taken.
What I DO hear, very plainly and repeatedly, are the differences between digitally captured recordings pre about 2000 versus those after. Could that be the crude sampling in the 80's and 90's? Could it be the failings of the 'brick wall' filters that are supposed to keep the high harmonics away from the sampling frequency? As to analog capture, I tend to hear analog reach a peak in quality after about 1970 or so -- back when the Ampexes got outgunned by the Studers.
I am suspicious -- but I cannot get audio 'engineers' to admit it -- that symphonic music suffers hugely from multiple microphones. Especially on violin sections and choirs. I'm inclined to suspect rampant phase interference due to placements. But I can't prove it.
Maybe I'm just cranky.... but yes, as you say, I know what a solo violin and an entire string section sound like from the mezzanine of a concert hall. And it isn't all screechy.
@@jimshaw899 That's very very interesting Jim. There's no doubt that many early CDs were pretty disappointing. In my experience the sound quality on vinyl really started to decline when the dreaded "DDD" appeared on the sleeve somewhere. For my ears - and listening beyond classical music - recordings on vinyl were at their pinnacle in the early to mid 60s.
There's no doubt that as you continue to upgrade one's hifi equipment you will definitely accentuate the variations in sound quality - this is equally true for both CDs and vinyl. I trained as an artist and have very little understanding of the science involved, however like many artists I am highly attuned to nuance, to those very subtle things that we hear, see and sense. I'm now 64 and I accept that this defines the way I experience the world as much as logic does.
As you know, on many forums there are now people getting very upset and angry regarding hifi cables, mostly because they can't understand how the science might work. Please forgive my snipe at electronics engineers, but it has to be said that in many cases their posts start "I'm a trained electronics engineer" and then they insult the many audiophiles and music lovers who believe what they're hearing, who trust their ears. That's not good.
My take on this subject is that these naysayers have lost touch with the human aspect of music - from the musicians in the studio or concert hall, to the people behind the mixing desk, hifi designers and manufacturers, salesmen - right through to the experience of a living being listening to music at home. If you think it through, it only takes one person who can't hear or appreciate how music ought to sound, then things can go very wrong. I could sit here and name endless recordings where it's clear that somebody somewhere didn't know better or didn't care. There are countless legendary recordings which have taken multiple attempts over the last few decades to be remastered properly. Or to put it bluntly, for the remastering to be entrusted to somebody with the ability and sensitivity to actually hear what really sounds the most natural - and is instinctively "right". That's human judgement.
I'm sure you're aware of EMI's rather disappointing (mostly disastrous!) A.R.T. remasters of the early noughties. But how did that happen? Put simply, because somebody who thought they were being very clever was let loose on EMI's precious classical catalogue with some daft new software. Result? Umpteen remastered recordings which then sounded dry, thin, grainy, lacking in bloom, tonally bleached, lacking ambiance etc, etc. Walter Legge must have been rolling in his grave.
For some weeks now I've been having a really interesting email conversation with an Indian doctor that I bought some mains cables from. We were able to swap notes about each cable's characteristics and were in almost total agreement in terms of what we heard. In some cases we used slightly different terminology to describe the same thing, but there was no doubt whatsoever that we were both able to hear the same characteristics. Did one cable sound better than another? Well, they all sounded far better than the basic kettle leads that's for certain. After that, like all hifi cabling, it was a case of listening, careful judgement and personal taste.
@@legrandmaitre7112 Interesting, and I appreciate your answer. Don't be put off by 'engineers' who have no deep experience with audio and music. Without musical and audio experience, handbook engineers, or those with other disciplines, have great trouble appreciating what they cannot measure. It's an occupational hazard, and even one to be respected. Measurements are important to engineering stuff that works and is safe. I just watched a manned spacecraft launch, entirely accomplished by real engineers who employed measurements and physical theories and laws to succeed. That launch was no scientific wonder. It was an engineering feat.
Back to sound...
The human ear, working in conjunction with the brain, and with a peculiar load of experience, is capable of detecting and qualifying minute detail. How else, for example, can we detect and qualify the breaking of a twig, behind us, at 30 meters, and rig for battle? Yet it will someday take measurement meters two sigmas better than what we have to quantify it. An engineer who doesn't have the experience may simply declare that the twig doesn't matter, and be done with it.
There are similarities between the twig and the tangle of unnatural harmonics that can come from a violin (for example) when it is not linearly reproduced. To a listener who has never or rarely heard a violin or a string section, that reproduced grainy, gritty sound may sound sort of like it should, coming from catgut and wood and glue and fingers and horsehair. Here is where an 'engineer' comes in, and says something like "it's less than 1%, so it doesn't matter." Or worse, "I think that drummer sounds better through that Peavey speaker than in this studio."
There are those few 'engineers' who do get it. I suspect you'll not hear Nelson Pass or Bent Holter strongly denying that cables *can* make a difference. But, what exact kind of difference? *There's the rub.*
Was that a dead twig or an alive one? Was that a struck triangle or a high plucked harp string?
hello Tarun, I have a query for you:
looking at the ATC website, I think the only CLD drive unit that ATC make is the one used in the SCM11, the SB45-150, a fine speaker in its own right.
I think the SCM7 driver, SB45-125 SC, is more closely related to the SCM19/SCM20 driver, SB75-150 SL, with its soft dome. In fact, isn't that driver actually a SCALED UP SCM10(later evolving into the SCM7) driver, later upgraded with SL technology?
I already own the Mk3 SCM7's and really like them, for me truly prodigious performance in such a small package....
Thank you ambisonic. That did come to light after the video in a discussion I had with Ben at ATC. It was a misconception I had that did not get flushed out at the time of the review. The mid/bass cone on the 7 is more closely related to the 19 (without the SL motor structure or chassis) and not related to the CLD cone in the 11.
Hi Tarun - Another brilliant review. At first I thought you were perhaps a little lukewarm on these speakers. But after another viewing I can see that's not so. I think perhaps I was imposing my own bias on yours. I had an opportunity to hear them at an audio show. I liked them but came away with an impression that perhaps they're better suited in a recording studio. I think I still prefer my Falcon Acoustics LS3/5a pair. Any chance you'll be turning to those at some point?
Thank you Gary. I would like to get a pair of the Falcon LS3/5a’s for review at some point. I like the 7’s, there are a decent speaker at their price point. Thank you for watching and you kind words of support 😊👍
Hi Tarun, i always enjoyed your review. I wished you tried this speaker with Hegel H95. I have hegel H120, im curious if SCM7 can be driven well with this amp. How is this speaker compared to amphion argon 1 with both driven by your hegel h160, if you still remembered.
My H160 will drive both speakers. The Amphion Argon 1 is cleaner, more dynamic, has better bass extension and is easier to drive than the SCM7 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 which one is the most neutral sounding of the two? My main points are vocal and accoustic instrument sound.
@@ramasuharman7962 the SCM7 are more neutral 😊
Hi Tarun,
Recently came across your channel and really enjoy your clear and informative reviews. I recently purchased a NAD C368 & paired it with my existing B&W CM1 speakers. Now looking to upgrade them, so do you think the ATC SCM7 would be a good match? Any suggestions for alternatives in the £1k- £1200 range. Many thanks
Hi gcb, I haven’t tried that combo but I suspect even the NAD C368 may struggle with the ATCs. You have to ask yourself a few questions...
What are you hoping to achieve by upgrading the CM1s?
How far apart will the speakers be and how for from you?
What tonal balance do you want warm, neutral or cool?
If you let me know, I am happy to give you a steer.
@@abritishaudiophile7314
Hi Tarun, Thank you for the prompt reply. I bought the CM1s originally to go with my Arcam Alpha 8 amp & Arcam SE CD player and my budget at the time was only £500. I then traded the units for an Arcam Solo Mini. Due to a change in personal circumstances, I had the opportunity to change with hifi and wanted to move away from the messy Arcam setup with its separate Arcam RDac & phono stage. Hence I purchased the C368 integrated amp to include the BluOs module (I stream via Tidal, listen to vinyl & have converted all my CDs to FLAC). I now have additional budget available, so the thinking is to move up to a higher level with the speakers. The speakers will be 150-180cm apart and I generally sit 3-4m away, although could easily move closer. The room is only 5m by 5m and I live in a flat, so can't ramp the volume up too much!
I'm used to the Arcam sound, so really a warm tonal balance.
Any advice welcome and thanks for your time.
Regards,
Graham
Hi Graham, thank you for the clarification. B&W and Arcam are a good combination. The Arcam being warm and the B&Ws being cool. They have traditionally been used to produce a balanced system. The NAD I suspect won’t have the same warmth as the Arcam. As you have a reasonable sized room and sit quite far away. I would take a look at some ProAc DT8s. If you want to stick with stand mounts, something like the Buchardt S400 may work well. They will have more warmth and be an upgrade in performance over the CM1s. They will also have much more effortless dynamics in your space. It is not about playing loud, necessarily. They will just pressurise your room more easily. Good luck 😉
@@abritishaudiophile7314
Hi Tarun,
That's really helpful and I'll check out your suggestions. I'm not in an immediate rushes plenty of time to investigate properly I always regretted selling my original Arcam kit, but never mind.
Thanks again for your prompt responses.
Regards,
Graham
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Hi Tarun, Just a follow up. I’m still considering my options, but as it’s very difficult to demo speakers during current lockdown restrictions, I contacted Proac directly and they’re going to send me their demo pair of the Tablette 10 Signature speakers so I can try them at home for 7 days. Be interesting to hear how they sound with my NAD 368. Excellent service from them.
If I didn't have ProAc then I would probably go ATC, I have demo'd the SCM 7's. They did sound appealing. But I find ProAc's more involving. Did think about going for an all ATC setup. Does the mid bass dust cap act like a mid range dome?
It does on the 19s and I suspect it has a similar function on the 7s as it looks similar.