ATC Owners & Discussion Thread

[Nickynick]

Everything is the same apart from the bass drivers between those models…so only difference is the low end bass response. A good sub (or two) will fix that. Getting sub(s) may mean you can better tune the bass response to your room as there are more variables to play with.

I use feet under my 50ASL’s that were designed for Led dance floor panels. They conveniently have the same thread size as the stands. I can move the speakers around easily to dial it in and they sound good too.

However, I am about to pull the trigger on a set of Sound Anchors stands as the speakers really need to be higher than the supplied stands. Listening just below the midrange driver level sounds so much better which means sitting nearly at floor level.

The vertical dispersion characteristics are imho are the Achilles heel of these speakers.

 

Does anyone know what thread size Sound Anchor stands use? I’ve asked them twice and haven’t responded to that question. I’m still baulking at the $1000 shipping cost from the US…

Just my 2 cents to active users running directly from a volume controlled Dac…. Get a good preamp! I know it’s been said before but this has made an incredible difference to my setup. I used to not enjoy low volume listening very much but that has changed significantly since getting Benchmark’s HPA4 . Every aspect of the sound has improved. I never would have thought that adding a component would have made such a positive difference.

The strange thing is I can now hear  differences when I make even small adjustments to the speakers positions whereas I didn’t before the preamp arrived. It’s like everything is  more focused (like a lens perhaps).

 

Happy listening!

[Ray H]

Nice system @Nickynick

 

Which JL Audio sub/S are you using ?

 

How old are your 50’s ? do they have the latest tweeter ? I have owned the older 100’s and now the newer 150’s and vertical dispersion is definitely improved with the newer tweeter.

[delphi17]

@Nickynick 

Maybe get a thick granite slab under your speakers would be a cheaper option .

As all you want to do is lift the height.

The slab will give you a solid foundation too.

[Scratcher]

Or get some quotes from local metal fabricators to make some to your preferred size.

That's what I did for my 100's and they are great! Save a few bob too...

[Nickynick]

Thanks for the reply’s!

 

I have 2 x Jl f112 V2’s which match the Atc’s really well…previously had a 12 inch Dynaudio sub which didn’t work out at all, just made a mess of itself. 
Also have the new tweeters which are really good…like the mid and Sl bass drivers…I am a definite fan boy.

 

With regards to vertical dispersion, I think some ceiling diffusion will help (as well as getting the speakers higher on stands) but getting something that looks good in a lounge is going to be a challenge…I’ve pushed my luck getting bass traps and absorption panels in there…old pic attached.

 

Would love to hear the 150’s, did consider those to reduce the box count but in reality, I don’t think I would have got them up the stairs!

 

Slabs are a great idea, problem being that I move the speakers around a lot, and the lounge being in constant development at the moment, more cupboards coming for the rest of the cd’s. Will post another pic when finished.

Also I like to put the speakers back against the wall after a session, the feet make this quite easy to do and hence the question about thread size for the sound anchor stands.

 

Definitely considering getting stands locally made, just haven’t found anyone yet to make them.

Any recommendations appreciated!

[gat474]

31 minutes ago, Nickynick said:

Thanks for the reply’s!

 

I have 2 x Jl f112 V2’s which match the Atc’s really well…previously had a 12 inch Dynaudio sub which didn’t work out at all, just made a mess of itself. 
Also have the new tweeters which are really good…like the mid and Sl bass drivers…I am a definite fan boy.

 

With regards to vertical dispersion, I think some ceiling diffusion will help (as well as getting the speakers higher on stands) but getting something that looks good in a lounge is going to be a challenge…I’ve pushed my luck getting bass traps and absorption panels in there…old pic attached.

 

Would love to hear the 150’s, did consider those to reduce the box count but in reality, I don’t think I would have got them up the stairs!

 

Slabs are a great idea, problem being that I move the speakers around a lot, and the lounge being in constant development at the moment, more cupboards coming for the rest of the cd’s. Will post another pic when finished.

Also I like to put the speakers back against the wall after a session, the feet make this quite easy to do and hence the question about thread size for the sound anchor stands.

 

Definitely considering getting stands locally made, just haven’t found anyone yet to make them.

Any recommendations appreciated!

I’ve got some current spec scm100 asl’s and when I feel like some more oomph I have a pair of JL Fathom F113’s which I run through a Velodyne SMS1 with a 55 hz high pass cut off on the subs with a 24 db slope. I initially had them set up like yours with one slightly behind each speaker. Sounded good but I had some measurements done in my room and discovered that the sub location for the left speaker was the absolute best spot in the room for a sub and the one for the right speaker was the worst!

I ended up shifting the right one to sit near the left one. They’re about a metre away from each other and sit 90 degrees to each other as they both sit in opposite sides of a corner. I think being so close they both benefit from the increase in output that comes with subs being close together. They are running summed mono with one running in slave mode from the other. This set up sounds superior to having them accompany each speaker running in stereo. Below 55 hz especially on a 24 db slope would negate any audible effect from stereo subs. 
I’ve even experimented with them facing the wall (driver towards the wall) and in some respects it’s a superior sound. I think it might be that the wall is providing more reinforcement of the sound coming from the driver. Not dissimilar to how cars run subs facing towards the back of the car. It had a more tactile feel to the sound, something felt through the chair. It did take away a touch of the ‘slam’ from a drum hit though. This discovery came by accident. One sub suffers from a noisy transformer and needs a DC blocker (I think). The hum which oscillates comes through the front of the driver and can be heard when they system is idling. By turning the subs backwards it masked the hum. I still run the noisy sub backwards. 

I have the luxury of remote volume on the subs via the SMS1 and after lots of testing can attest that adding subs does not detract from the sound of the 100’s. All the subs do is add a little bottom end, something that can be heard but moreso so felt in the chair. I don’t always run the subs. Some music has enough bass to just let the atc’s do their thing. 
There are some tracks such as Lorde’s ‘Royals’ which do show the roll off of the 100’s. The JL’s really fill the bottom end in here. I don’t think even the larger 150’s would get away without subs at times.

[Guest deanB]

@Nickynick, I use acacia chopping blocks under my 19 actives. Purchased online from Everten's (who are cheaper than the competition). These blocks are 60mm thick, 480mm × 360mm.

 

 

 

[Scratcher]

On 16/06/2021 at 7:58 AM, Nickynick said:

Just my 2 cents to active users running directly from a volume controlled Dac…. Get a good preamp!

 

Hey Nickynick, out of interest... what dacs with volume control have you tried with your ATC's?

 

[Ray H]

In the process of trying to find a spike/footer or other solution for use under my ATC’s, I decided to try a relatively cheap solution at first. All of the Isoacoustics specials were hard to ignore at the moment, but.

 

They are the Soundcare Superspikes. Which are available in M8 thread which is what the 150’s use. Price is around $120 for a pack of 4.
 

They have certainly made an appreciable difference to the sound, which is more clarity in the mids and top and significantly reduced bass bloom (ie tighter bass, which could be construed as bass reduction depending on your perspective).

 

Not sure how much of the mids and top are because the speaker height is raised by around 4 cm, which has changed the vertical relationship between the mid driver to my seated ear height, ie the mid is pretty much at ear height where as before the tweeter was closer to ear height.

 

Regardless the result is well worth the $ spend for me.

 

 

[Nickynick]

2 hours ago, Ray H said:

In the process of trying to find a spike/footer or other solution for use under my ATC’s, I decided to try a relatively cheap solution at first. All of the Isoacoustics specials were hard to ignore at the moment, but.

 

They are the Soundcare Superspikes. Which are available in M8 thread which is what the 150’s use. Price is around $120 for a pack of 4.
 

They have certainly made an appreciable difference to the sound, which is more clarity in the mids and top and significantly reduced bass bloom (ie tighter bass, which could be construed as bass reduction depending on your perspective).

 

Not sure how much of the mids and top are because the speaker height is raised by around 4 cm, which has changed the vertical relationship between the mid driver to my seated ear height, ie the mid is pretty much at ear height where as before the tweeter was closer to ear height.

 

Regardless the result is well worth the $ spend for me.

 

 

Those look like a good solution Ray… Can you move the speakers around with those or do they grip the floor like the Gaia’s? 
Atc really should supply their own feet… one’s that work on wood floors. 

 

19 hours ago, Conch said:

Hey Nickynick, out of interest... what dacs with volume control have you tried with your ATC's?

 

I have the Benchmark Dac3 Hgc… plays very well with the Hpa4 (as you would expect). Had the Dac1 Pre prior to that.

 

I suppose not all volume control dacs are the same… however, the Dac 3 seems to at its optimum running in HT bypass mode which then means you need another means of controlling the volume.

Hence the preamp.

 

On 17/06/2021 at 8:20 PM, gat474 said:

I’ve got some current spec scm100 asl’s and when I feel like some more oomph I have a pair of JL Fathom F113’s which I run through a Velodyne SMS1 with a 55 hz high pass cut off on the subs with a 24 db slope. I initially had them set up like yours with one slightly behind each speaker. Sounded good but I had some measurements done in my room and discovered that the sub location for the left speaker was the absolute best spot in the room for a sub and the one for the right speaker was the worst!

I ended up shifting the right one to sit near the left one. They’re about a metre away from each other and sit 90 degrees to each other as they both sit in opposite sides of a corner. I think being so close they both benefit from the increase in output that comes with subs being close together. They are running summed mono with one running in slave mode from the other. This set up sounds superior to having them accompany each speaker running in stereo. Below 55 hz especially on a 24 db slope would negate any audible effect from stereo subs. 
I’ve even experimented with them facing the wall (driver towards the wall) and in some respects it’s a superior sound. I think it might be that the wall is providing more reinforcement of the sound coming from the driver. Not dissimilar to how cars run subs facing towards the back of the car. It had a more tactile feel to the sound, something felt through the chair. It did take away a touch of the ‘slam’ from a drum hit though. This discovery came by accident. One sub suffers from a noisy transformer and needs a DC blocker (I think). The hum which oscillates comes through the front of the driver and can be heard when they system is idling. By turning the subs backwards it masked the hum. I still run the noisy sub backwards. 

I have the luxury of remote volume on the subs via the SMS1 and after lots of testing can attest that adding subs does not detract from the sound of the 100’s. All the subs do is add a little bottom end, something that can be heard but moreso so felt in the chair. I don’t always run the subs. Some music has enough bass to just let the atc’s do their thing. 
There are some tracks such as Lorde’s ‘Royals’ which do show the roll off of the 100’s. The JL’s really fill the bottom end in here. I don’t think even the larger 150’s would get away without subs at times.

You have got me thinking again about moving the subs around…lol! One is definitely in the right spot  (the left one) and the other…not so good.

My back is already twitching at the thought of it.

I ran the subs flat for quite a while to see how they were doing in the room but after running the Daro (built in 18 band room digital equaliser), I was quite impressed at what a good job it did especially to the right hand not so good sub. 

Running them in stereo to my ears definitely makes big hall reverbs sound more impressive than mono but it’s been a while since I had a mono sub setup. I might try the two together in the good position… when my partner goes away for a while!
You are welcome to borrow my Dc blocker sometime.

[Ray H]

Hi @Nickynick

 

Yes, they do slide, they come with soft felt like stickers for the bottom, so very easy to move on polished timber.

 

Just out of interest too, for any potential new ATC owners. The Sonic Purity website has adjusted ATC pricing. The Towers are now virtually the same price as the classic stand mount versions, which was not the case a month or two back.

 

I would guess you would pay more for an upmarket veneer on the tower however.

Edited June 19, 2021 by Ray H

[gat474]

1 hour ago, Nickynick said:

Those look like a good solution Ray… Can you move the speakers around with those or do they grip the floor like the Gaia’s? 
Atc really should supply their own feet… one’s that work on wood floors. 

 

I have the Benchmark Dac3 Hgc… plays very well with the Hpa4 (as you would expect). Had the Dac1 Pre prior to that.

 

I suppose not all volume control dacs are the same… however, the Dac 3 seems to at its optimum running in HT bypass mode which then means you need another means of controlling the volume.

Hence the preamp.

 

You have got me thinking again about moving the subs around…lol! One is definitely in the right spot  (the left one) and the other…not so good.

My back is already twitching at the thought of it.

I ran the subs flat for quite a while to see how they were doing in the room but after running the Daro (built in 18 band room digital equaliser), I was quite impressed at what a good job it did especially to the right hand not so good sub. 

Running them in stereo to my ears definitely makes big hall reverbs sound more impressive than mono but it’s been a while since I had a mono sub setup. I might try the two together in the good position… when my partner goes away for a while!
You are welcome to borrow my Dc blocker sometime.

I forgot about our pre covid lockdown conversation last year re your DC blocker. I would like to try one out if that’s okay.

My V1 SMS only have a single band DARO. I don’t think I’ve tuned the subs for years. I generally use the SMS1 but don’t remember doing that since I moved them. A good reminder to pull my finger our.

I avoid moving the subs like the plague. They’re small but so damned heavy they are a right PITA to move. I’d like to try mine stacked one on to of the other one day but not sure how the bottom sub would cope with the weight.

[Ray H]

6 minutes ago, gat474 said:

I forgot about our pre covid lockdown conversation last year re your DC blocker. I would like to try one out if that’s okay.

My V1 SMS only have a single band DARO. I don’t think I’ve tuned the subs for years. I generally use the SMS1 but don’t remember doing that since I moved them. A good reminder to pull my finger our.

I avoid moving the subs like the plague. They’re small but so damned heavy they are a right PITA to move. I’d like to try mine stacked one on to of the other one day but not sure how the bottom sub would cope with the weight.

 

im wanting to try stacking too, but with SCM150’s……..

[gat474]

8 minutes ago, Ray H said:

 

im wanting to try stacking too, but with SCM150’s……..

How good would that be? Some rave about stacked NS1000 and Quads. Stacked Atc’s would be huge.

[Nickynick]

You would need a forklift to stack them lol! But yeah I’m sure they’d sound good!

 

Happy to drop the the Dc blocker(s) over to you soon… you are quite local aren’t you? Drop me a pm and we’ll sort it out.

[Tobes]

One of the best versions of the 'brow' on an SE model I've seen.

I want!:

 

Probably wouldn't kick these out either:

[Xecuter]

Can only dream of owning an LE on day!

 

[Xecuter]

Joined the club today.

 

Thanks for the advice over DM guys.

 

Getting these in the room was a bit of a mission but it was done unscathed.

 

Loving them already, I have got a new ground loop on one channel but that's probably because of the XLR cable.

 

Hopefully got new cables arriving early next week which will resolve it.

 

Got a lot of work to do on this room treatment wise but the journey is the fun bit right?

[Tobes]

39 minutes ago, Xecuter said:

Joined the club today.

 

Thanks for the advice over DM guys.

 

Getting these in the room was a bit of a mission but it was done unscathed.

 

Loving them already, I have got a new ground loop on one channel but that's probably because of the XLR cable.

 

Hopefully got new cables arriving early next week which will resolve it.

 

Got a lot of work to do on this room treatment wise but the journey is the fun bit right?

Nice!

You've certainly gone big with 150aslt's!

I can recommend Canare L-4e6s star quad for XLR connections.

XLR set-ups are usually hum resistant as ground is separate from signal, but having all equipment on a common ac circuit can avoid problems with non balanced equipment.

[Xecuter]

1 hour ago, Tobes said:

Nice!

You've certainly gone big with 150aslt's!

I can recommend Canare L-4e6s star quad for XLR connections.

XLR set-ups are usually hum resistant as ground is separate from signal, but having all equipment on a common ac circuit can avoid problems with non balanced equipment.

I've got Bill making me some Van Damme Classic XKE Starquad with Amphenol XLR connectors because the run I need to make is much longer now.

 

I heard the 100s and found them to be lacking a tiny bit of bass extension so that's why I ended up deciding on the 150s. Even though they do look a bit monsterous  in this room.

 

I am curious as to why I'm getting such bad hum from just the one speaker. I'm sure it's something simple but it's always annoying when the new toy is misbehaving in what was a stable system.

 

edit: I just sorted it, it was the XLR, one ground was not working properly. Found a make do replacement...

Edited August 6, 2021 by Xecuter

[Xecuter]

Does anyone have any experience with high end pre-amps with Atc 50 and above? Like Nagra classic, Boulder 2110, mola mola etc. Starting to wonder what I will work towards for the pre-amp long term.

 

I'm in no rush. The sound straight from my DAC despite digital volume control is incredible. So the pre-amp must be the perfect marriage. It's just so hard to demo stuff in your own system in Australia and so few high end hifi stores in QLD!

 

System is cd-t transport > rockna wavdream signature balanced > atc 150aslt

Budget would be around 15-20k, don't mind buying second hand. Thoughts?

 

 

[gat474]

There is the Atc sca2 pre amp. I haven’t heard of any being in Aus though. 

[Xecuter]

3 minutes ago, gat474 said:

There is the Atc sca2 pre amp. I haven’t heard of any being in Aus though. 

 

Yep, I've got a WTB on that one and keeping an eye out on Asian market to see if I can get one.

[Tobes]

There's the Goldmund Mimesis 37S for sale in the SNA classifieds at $14K.

No experience with the preamp but it has features and performance specs that I'd expect in an expensive high end pre.

 

[gat474]

17 minutes ago, Xecuter said:

 

Yep, I've got a WTB on that one and keeping an eye out on Asian market to see if I can get one.

If you find one and don't like it put me down as a taker.

I have had a CA2 mk2 and whilst it was very good the Benchmark HPA4 is definitely better.