{"id":24507,"date":"2021-08-24T00:01:49","date_gmt":"2021-08-23T23:01:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/intek-hifi.com\/?p=24507"},"modified":"2021-08-28T19:25:21","modified_gmt":"2021-08-28T18:25:21","slug":"atc-scm40-applause-award-stereonet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/intek-hifi.com\/en\/atc-scm40-applause-award-stereonet\/","title":{"rendered":"ATC SCM40 > Applause Award, Stereonet"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the wonderful world of loudspeakers, you don\u2019t get more hardcore than ATC. The company has ploughed its own furrow imperiously since 1974, largely avoiding the fashion-conscious world of consumer audio and focusing instead on its growing number of pro clients around the world. Unlike many speaker makers, the company doesn\u2019t update its model range every year. Indeed, its apparent disdain for stylistic trends seems to endear it to many customers \u2013 something that\u2019s buttressed by the unusually long product life of its designs.<\/p>\n

The SCM40 floorstander doesn\u2019t look or feel like any other loudspeaker in its price class for two reasons.<\/strong> First, it\u2019s a true, old school 3-way design with ATC\u2019s iconic (to speaker geeks like me, at least) 75mm dome midrange driver. Second, the cabinet is an infinite baffle type which is rare in any modern speaker these days, and last commonly seen back in the nineteen seventies!
\n<\/p>\n

THE VERDICT<\/strong>
\nATC\u2019s SCM40 will either confirm your prejudices about \u2018pro\u2019 speakers or confirm your prejudices about domestic ones. Personally, I adore it for its accuracy, speed and insight \u2013 the way it strings the rhythmic elements of the mix together, punching out the music\u2019s emotion in a marvellously unconstrained way. You might call it a monster of rock, but it conveys the power and majesty of other musical genres just as well. It\u2019s one of my favourite compact floorstanders, but as ever with loudspeakers, it is a case of \u2018different strokes for different folks\u2019 \u2013 so do audition a pair if you possibly can.
\n\u2013 David Price, Stereonet | July, 2020<\/p>\n

Link to product: ATC SCM40<\/a>
\nLint to review:\u00a0Stereonet<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the wonderful world of loudspeakers, you don\u2019t get more hardcore than ATC. The company…<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":24509,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[171,174],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nATC SCM40 > Applause Award, Stereonet - INTEK HI-FI<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"UNITED KINGDOMlogo Latest News Reviews High-End Features Classifieds Discussion Forums BrandsATC SCM40 Loudspeaker ReviewPosted on 13th July, 2021ATC SCM40 Loudspeaker ReviewDavid Price loves the live sound of this compact floorstanding monitor\u2026ATCSCM40 Loudspeaker\u00a33,990ATC SCM40 ReviewIn the wonderful world of loudspeakers, you don\u2019t get more hardcore than ATC. The company has ploughed its own furrow imperiously since 1974, largely avoiding the fashion-conscious world of consumer audio and focusing instead on its growing number of pro clients around the world. Unlike many speaker makers, the company doesn\u2019t update its model range every year. Indeed, its apparent disdain for stylistic trends seems to endear it to many customers \u2013 something that\u2019s buttressed by the unusually long product life of its designs.Yet the Gloucester-based English company\u2019s appeal is more than just about being too cool for school \u2013 it\u2019s the sound that seals the deal. It\u2019s distinctive, and \u2013 how can I put this diplomatically? \u2013 not necessarily voiced to mainstream consumer tastes. You never forget you\u2019re listening to a seriously engineered and purposeful product designed to get the job done. Some love it, and others seek solace in more vanilla sounding speakers\u2026The SCM40 floorstander doesn\u2019t look or feel like any other loudspeaker in its price class for two reasons. First, it\u2019s a true, old school 3-way design with ATC\u2019s iconic (to speaker geeks like me, at least) 75mm dome midrange driver. Second, the cabinet is an infinite baffle type which is rare in any modern speaker these days, and last commonly seen back in the nineteen seventies!ATC SCM40 ReviewDome midrange drivers are as rare as hens\u2019 teeth \u2013 and again they were last \u2018a thing\u2019 back when ABBA and the Bee Gees were storming up the charts. Yet ATC has been happy to use versions of its own bespoke driver for many years, and it gets the job done with aplomb. It uses a hand-doped acrylic diaphragm and suspension system, using a \u201csecret ATC formula\u201d, whatever that is. It mates seamlessly to the company\u2019s SH25-76 25mm dome tweeter, a relatively recent design. This has a doped polyester diaphragm and suspension, plus an alloy waveguide.With both upper drivers being domes, they have similar acoustic properties to one another, which is ideal for maintaining the correct phase relationship between the critical midband and lower treble range, where the human ear is super-sensitive \u2013 especially around this speaker\u2019s 3.5kHz upper crossover point. Several serious speakers have done this over the years, not least the Yamaha NS-1000Ms that I use as my daily reference. Most of the SCM40\u2019s price rivals are not proper 3-way designs, but, those that are, use dome tweeters with cone midband drivers. This may be a decent cost-effective solution, but ATC and others would contend that it isn\u2019t the intellectually correct one \u2013 at least for a box loudspeaker.Beneath the two domes, we find the SCM40\u2019s bass driver, which kicks in below 380Hz. It features a hand-coated paper pulp diaphragm selected for its low mass, damping and rigidity. Its modest 164mm diameter is surely a concession to the speaker\u2019s basic packaging requirements; it\u2019s designed as a relatively small footprint floorstander to appeal to modern aesthetic norms and must be a practical proposition for modern listening rooms. The woofer is as wide as will fit in its cabinet; anything bigger would mean a wider front baffle. ATC designers have minimised this compromise by making it as beefy as possible \u2013 if you pardon my technical jargon. The huge motor assembly goes some way to making up for the cone\u2019s relatively small radiating area.ATC SCM40 ReviewThe cabinet is a nice, sensible size at 980x370x305mm, and as its name suggests, has an internal volume of 40 litres. Yet, that modestly sized bass driver and infinite baffle loading drop the sensitivity of the SCM40 down a bit. Designer Billy Woodman told me that the infinite baffle loading, \u201cgets control over the bass driver across its complete operating band, and in turn reduces non-linear distortion. The 12dB per octave rollout associated with an IB also provides a fantastic transient response, resulting in a bass that sounds tight, controlled and fully representative of the audio signal.\u201dIn today\u2019s world of powerful solid-state amplifiers, the SCM40\u2019s lowish (quoted) 85dB\/1w\/1m sensitivity isn\u2019t that big a deal \u2013 especially as its nominal impedance is said to be an amp-friendly 8 ohms \u2013 but you still need muscle to really tickle this speaker\u2019s transducers. ATC recommends amplifiers between 75 to 300W per channel. Quoted frequency response is 48Hz to 22kHz (-6dB), the relative lack of bass extension being a function of both cabinet loading and woofer size. The three-element crossover \u2013 comprising a low pass filter, bandpass filter and high pass filter \u2013 is simpler than expected and achievable because the drivers are designed around it, says Billy. The 31kg cabinet comes in a choice of four finishes and is beautifully made; few speakers at this price feel anywhere near as solid to the touch.ATC SCM40 ReviewThanks to the lack of a bass port, the SCM40 is easier to position in a listening room than you might think. I ran my review pair just 30cm from my rear wall, slightly toed in. A range of amplification was used, from a gutsy NAD 3155 integrated amp to my Sony TA-E86B\/TA-N86B pre-power in Class AB mode, putting out about 100W per side. A Cyrus CD Xt Signature silver disc transport was used, feeding a Chord Hugo TT2 DAC. I found this speaker needed a little more running in than is usual and sure likes a bit of power to really sing.THE LISTENINGATC speakers sound quite distinct, and the SCM40 is no exception. Let\u2019s get away from naive notions of great speakers being \u2018open windows on to the world\u2019, shall we because they all have their own sonic fingerprints. You can\u2019t call this floorstander perfectly tonally neutral, but it does have some extremely endearing traits that are hard not to love. Indeed, it\u2019s the sort of speaker that \u2013 once you\u2019ve heard it \u2013 reminds you what all its price rivals are getting wrong. It is exceptionally good at capturing the music\u2019s natural timing \u2013 for a box speaker of this price \u2013 and the result is a gutsy, feisty and gnarly sound that\u2019s about power and poise.ATC SCM40 ReviewIt has a relatively even frequency response, with no particular areas in the bass, midband or treble that stick out at you. Even better, every bit of the spectrum works in concert with every other; there\u2019s no sense of the bass arriving a little later than the treble, for example. The result is a cohesive, all-of-a-piece sound with precise image location. The speaker is very well integrated, tight, taut and together \u2013 so much so that you almost find yourself trying to provoke it into falling apart by playing ever more complex programme material.For example, spin up Dance on a Volcano by Genesis, and this slice of mid-nineteen seventies rock absolutely hits the spot. It\u2019s a dramatic sound with firecracker dynamics coming from Phil Collins\u2019 drum kit, which he smashes the hell out of from start to finish. Overlaid is the delicate but inspired guitar work of Steve Hackett, plus washes of keyboards, bass guitar, and vocals. It\u2019s a big, complex, multi-layered prog extravaganza, and the SCM40 absolutely loved it. I heard great scale, insight and detail, but most of all, I was beguiled by the bass.I can\u2019t think of any competitor that offers its combination of articulation and precision at the bottom end. It\u2019s gutsy, visceral, powerful, yet doesn\u2019t sound in the least bit overblown; it can start and stop with great alacrity; there\u2019s no sense of overhang. Instead, it integrates perfectly with what\u2019s going on further up the scale. The result is a sensation that\u2019s hard to describe, but when you switch over to one of the SCM40\u2019s reflex-loaded rivals, it almost seems like someone has added a touch of reverb to the recording, especially lower down. You lose that crunchy, tightly etched quality that\u2019s unique to a properly executed infinite baffle box loudspeaker. This is a joy to behold, and of course, is clear to hear with every type of programme material you choose to play.ATC SCM40 ReviewThe louche seventies soul sounds of Bobby Womack\u2019s Across 110 Street are a long way from the Genesis track in mood, but I could still hear this ATC speaker working its magic. More obvious here, though, was the SCM40\u2019s integration doing its stuff \u2013 everything in the mix fitted together hand-in-glove, or so it seemed. That meant a lovely central stereo image for the vocal line, with the different instrumentalists very clearly defined behind.I\u2019ve heard tonally sweeter renditions of this song but rarely hear more involving ones \u2013 the ATC isn\u2019t a sweet-sounding speaker, being too matter-of-fact for that. It won\u2019t sugar the musical pill, yet somehow this doesn\u2019t matter because it cuts to the musical heart of the matter, time after time. Some may find its tonality a little stark, but this is due to its naturally revealing nature. I found The Jam\u2019s Smithers Jones quite an ear-opener because the SCM40 reminded me about the low-fi nature of the track, yet it seemed to uncork the energetic fizz of the band at its best. This speaker\u2019s rendition of this new wave classic was visceral and gripping. It conveyed the sense of the band\u2019s immense power \u2013 something that often manifested as a kind of coiled spring, keeping the song under tension until the band hit a dynamic climax.The ATC had headroom and bandwidth to spare. I really ramped the power up on tracks like these, and the speaker got louder and louder with no complaint \u2013 indeed, it seemed to relish the challenge. It wasn\u2019t until I was virtually blowing plaster off my ceiling that this speaker seemed to start compressing things \u2013 and that\u2019s in my largish listening room, at least by UK standards. It\u2019s this combination of clarity, precision, insight and poise \u2013 allied to a really gutsy delivery \u2013 that makes the SCM40 special, at least to my ears.ATC SCM40 ReviewSo it\u2019s all perfect, and this is the best floorstander in the world, then? Well, I wouldn\u2019t say so because if you\u2019re a lover of natural instrumental timbre then the ATC is found a little wanting. To my ears, it imbues every recording it touches with a slight dryness \u2013 it\u2019s as if the colour saturation control is edged down slightly to make it tonally somewhat more black and white. With classic rock recordings \u2013 which are often quite dry anyway \u2013 this isn\u2019t a big deal, but musical genres like soul lose a little of their warm, inviting quality. I\u2019m thinking of Marvin Gaye\u2019s What\u2019s Going On here, for example. There\u2019s just a slight sense that it\u2019s not so sweet and sumptuous as it should be. It\u2019s not a profound sensation by any means \u2013 and some might even like it that way \u2013 but this speaker\u2019s midband tonality isn\u2019t the most full-flavoured all the same.The tweeter is very good in most respects, being fast, balanced and without any unpleasant facets to put you off listening. Yet, it doesn\u2019t quite have the finesse of some speakers at this price. A delicately struck hi-hat cymbal from Rush\u2019s Different Strings, for example, is superficially impressive with an etched and tactile \u2018wooden stick on metal\u2019 sound, yet there\u2019s a subtle loss of atmosphere in the treble all the same. Again, in the SCM40\u2019s defence, this is but a trifle because the track as a whole sounds wonderfully tight, powerful, engaging and emotive. It\u2019s only when compared to the best of the rest at its price \u2013 such as Acoustic Energy\u2019s AE520 \u2013 that it is found wanting.What this all boils down to is that the ATC has a \u2018pro\u2019 sound which you may love or hate. It\u2019s more dynamic, expressive and physical than most domestic speaker designs. It has much more of a live feel and gives a good taste of that thrill you experience when actually experiencing music as it\u2019s being made. Yet it\u2019s a little less \u2018house trained\u2019 than some rivals, lacking just a touch of finesse and delicacy of more domesticated designs. This is most evident with classical music, a genre whose emotion and power is well conveyed by the SCM40, but one that loses a little of its textural purity all the same. I loved hearing my Deutsche Grammophon pressing of Beethoven\u2019s Pastoral Symphony (Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic), for example, but it was for its power, scale, passion and stereo imaging precision, rather than the sweet sound of those massed strings or the atmosphere of the concert hall.THE VERDICTATC\u2019s SCM40 will either confirm your prejudices about \u2018pro\u2019 speakers or confirm your prejudices about domestic ones. Personally, I adore it for its accuracy, speed and insight \u2013 the way it strings the rhythmic elements of the mix together, punching out the music\u2019s emotion in a marvellously unconstrained way. You might call it a monster of rock, but it conveys the power and majesty of other musical genres just as well. It\u2019s one of my favourite compact floorstanders, but as ever with loudspeakers, it is a case of \u2018different strokes for different folks\u2019 \u2013 so do audition a pair if you possibly can.Visit ATC for more informationGalleryDavid Price's avatarDavid PriceDavid started his career in 1993 writing for Hi-Fi World and went on to edit the magazine for nearly a decade. He was then made Editor of Hi-Fi Choice and continued to freelance for it and Hi-Fi News until becoming StereoNET\u2019s Editor-in-Chief.Get the latest.Sign up to discover the best news and reviews from StereoNET UK in our FREE Newsletter.Posted in: Hi-Fi Loudspeakers Floor Standing Applause Awards 2021Tags: atc THE LATEST ster-img News Dan Clark Audio Announces Stealt... 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All Rights Reserved.copyright-logo\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/intek-hifi.com\/en\/atc-scm40-applause-award-stereonet\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"ATC SCM40 > Applause Award, Stereonet - INTEK HI-FI\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"UNITED KINGDOMlogo Latest News Reviews High-End Features Classifieds Discussion Forums BrandsATC SCM40 Loudspeaker ReviewPosted on 13th July, 2021ATC SCM40 Loudspeaker ReviewDavid Price loves the live sound of this compact floorstanding monitor\u2026ATCSCM40 Loudspeaker\u00a33,990ATC SCM40 ReviewIn the wonderful world of loudspeakers, you don\u2019t get more hardcore than ATC. The company has ploughed its own furrow imperiously since 1974, largely avoiding the fashion-conscious world of consumer audio and focusing instead on its growing number of pro clients around the world. Unlike many speaker makers, the company doesn\u2019t update its model range every year. Indeed, its apparent disdain for stylistic trends seems to endear it to many customers \u2013 something that\u2019s buttressed by the unusually long product life of its designs.Yet the Gloucester-based English company\u2019s appeal is more than just about being too cool for school \u2013 it\u2019s the sound that seals the deal. It\u2019s distinctive, and \u2013 how can I put this diplomatically? \u2013 not necessarily voiced to mainstream consumer tastes. You never forget you\u2019re listening to a seriously engineered and purposeful product designed to get the job done. Some love it, and others seek solace in more vanilla sounding speakers\u2026The SCM40 floorstander doesn\u2019t look or feel like any other loudspeaker in its price class for two reasons. First, it\u2019s a true, old school 3-way design with ATC\u2019s iconic (to speaker geeks like me, at least) 75mm dome midrange driver. Second, the cabinet is an infinite baffle type which is rare in any modern speaker these days, and last commonly seen back in the nineteen seventies!ATC SCM40 ReviewDome midrange drivers are as rare as hens\u2019 teeth \u2013 and again they were last \u2018a thing\u2019 back when ABBA and the Bee Gees were storming up the charts. Yet ATC has been happy to use versions of its own bespoke driver for many years, and it gets the job done with aplomb. It uses a hand-doped acrylic diaphragm and suspension system, using a \u201csecret ATC formula\u201d, whatever that is. It mates seamlessly to the company\u2019s SH25-76 25mm dome tweeter, a relatively recent design. This has a doped polyester diaphragm and suspension, plus an alloy waveguide.With both upper drivers being domes, they have similar acoustic properties to one another, which is ideal for maintaining the correct phase relationship between the critical midband and lower treble range, where the human ear is super-sensitive \u2013 especially around this speaker\u2019s 3.5kHz upper crossover point. Several serious speakers have done this over the years, not least the Yamaha NS-1000Ms that I use as my daily reference. Most of the SCM40\u2019s price rivals are not proper 3-way designs, but, those that are, use dome tweeters with cone midband drivers. This may be a decent cost-effective solution, but ATC and others would contend that it isn\u2019t the intellectually correct one \u2013 at least for a box loudspeaker.Beneath the two domes, we find the SCM40\u2019s bass driver, which kicks in below 380Hz. It features a hand-coated paper pulp diaphragm selected for its low mass, damping and rigidity. Its modest 164mm diameter is surely a concession to the speaker\u2019s basic packaging requirements; it\u2019s designed as a relatively small footprint floorstander to appeal to modern aesthetic norms and must be a practical proposition for modern listening rooms. The woofer is as wide as will fit in its cabinet; anything bigger would mean a wider front baffle. ATC designers have minimised this compromise by making it as beefy as possible \u2013 if you pardon my technical jargon. The huge motor assembly goes some way to making up for the cone\u2019s relatively small radiating area.ATC SCM40 ReviewThe cabinet is a nice, sensible size at 980x370x305mm, and as its name suggests, has an internal volume of 40 litres. Yet, that modestly sized bass driver and infinite baffle loading drop the sensitivity of the SCM40 down a bit. Designer Billy Woodman told me that the infinite baffle loading, \u201cgets control over the bass driver across its complete operating band, and in turn reduces non-linear distortion. The 12dB per octave rollout associated with an IB also provides a fantastic transient response, resulting in a bass that sounds tight, controlled and fully representative of the audio signal.\u201dIn today\u2019s world of powerful solid-state amplifiers, the SCM40\u2019s lowish (quoted) 85dB\/1w\/1m sensitivity isn\u2019t that big a deal \u2013 especially as its nominal impedance is said to be an amp-friendly 8 ohms \u2013 but you still need muscle to really tickle this speaker\u2019s transducers. ATC recommends amplifiers between 75 to 300W per channel. Quoted frequency response is 48Hz to 22kHz (-6dB), the relative lack of bass extension being a function of both cabinet loading and woofer size. The three-element crossover \u2013 comprising a low pass filter, bandpass filter and high pass filter \u2013 is simpler than expected and achievable because the drivers are designed around it, says Billy. The 31kg cabinet comes in a choice of four finishes and is beautifully made; few speakers at this price feel anywhere near as solid to the touch.ATC SCM40 ReviewThanks to the lack of a bass port, the SCM40 is easier to position in a listening room than you might think. I ran my review pair just 30cm from my rear wall, slightly toed in. A range of amplification was used, from a gutsy NAD 3155 integrated amp to my Sony TA-E86B\/TA-N86B pre-power in Class AB mode, putting out about 100W per side. A Cyrus CD Xt Signature silver disc transport was used, feeding a Chord Hugo TT2 DAC. I found this speaker needed a little more running in than is usual and sure likes a bit of power to really sing.THE LISTENINGATC speakers sound quite distinct, and the SCM40 is no exception. Let\u2019s get away from naive notions of great speakers being \u2018open windows on to the world\u2019, shall we because they all have their own sonic fingerprints. You can\u2019t call this floorstander perfectly tonally neutral, but it does have some extremely endearing traits that are hard not to love. Indeed, it\u2019s the sort of speaker that \u2013 once you\u2019ve heard it \u2013 reminds you what all its price rivals are getting wrong. It is exceptionally good at capturing the music\u2019s natural timing \u2013 for a box speaker of this price \u2013 and the result is a gutsy, feisty and gnarly sound that\u2019s about power and poise.ATC SCM40 ReviewIt has a relatively even frequency response, with no particular areas in the bass, midband or treble that stick out at you. Even better, every bit of the spectrum works in concert with every other; there\u2019s no sense of the bass arriving a little later than the treble, for example. The result is a cohesive, all-of-a-piece sound with precise image location. The speaker is very well integrated, tight, taut and together \u2013 so much so that you almost find yourself trying to provoke it into falling apart by playing ever more complex programme material.For example, spin up Dance on a Volcano by Genesis, and this slice of mid-nineteen seventies rock absolutely hits the spot. It\u2019s a dramatic sound with firecracker dynamics coming from Phil Collins\u2019 drum kit, which he smashes the hell out of from start to finish. Overlaid is the delicate but inspired guitar work of Steve Hackett, plus washes of keyboards, bass guitar, and vocals. It\u2019s a big, complex, multi-layered prog extravaganza, and the SCM40 absolutely loved it. I heard great scale, insight and detail, but most of all, I was beguiled by the bass.I can\u2019t think of any competitor that offers its combination of articulation and precision at the bottom end. It\u2019s gutsy, visceral, powerful, yet doesn\u2019t sound in the least bit overblown; it can start and stop with great alacrity; there\u2019s no sense of overhang. Instead, it integrates perfectly with what\u2019s going on further up the scale. The result is a sensation that\u2019s hard to describe, but when you switch over to one of the SCM40\u2019s reflex-loaded rivals, it almost seems like someone has added a touch of reverb to the recording, especially lower down. You lose that crunchy, tightly etched quality that\u2019s unique to a properly executed infinite baffle box loudspeaker. This is a joy to behold, and of course, is clear to hear with every type of programme material you choose to play.ATC SCM40 ReviewThe louche seventies soul sounds of Bobby Womack\u2019s Across 110 Street are a long way from the Genesis track in mood, but I could still hear this ATC speaker working its magic. More obvious here, though, was the SCM40\u2019s integration doing its stuff \u2013 everything in the mix fitted together hand-in-glove, or so it seemed. That meant a lovely central stereo image for the vocal line, with the different instrumentalists very clearly defined behind.I\u2019ve heard tonally sweeter renditions of this song but rarely hear more involving ones \u2013 the ATC isn\u2019t a sweet-sounding speaker, being too matter-of-fact for that. It won\u2019t sugar the musical pill, yet somehow this doesn\u2019t matter because it cuts to the musical heart of the matter, time after time. Some may find its tonality a little stark, but this is due to its naturally revealing nature. I found The Jam\u2019s Smithers Jones quite an ear-opener because the SCM40 reminded me about the low-fi nature of the track, yet it seemed to uncork the energetic fizz of the band at its best. This speaker\u2019s rendition of this new wave classic was visceral and gripping. It conveyed the sense of the band\u2019s immense power \u2013 something that often manifested as a kind of coiled spring, keeping the song under tension until the band hit a dynamic climax.The ATC had headroom and bandwidth to spare. I really ramped the power up on tracks like these, and the speaker got louder and louder with no complaint \u2013 indeed, it seemed to relish the challenge. It wasn\u2019t until I was virtually blowing plaster off my ceiling that this speaker seemed to start compressing things \u2013 and that\u2019s in my largish listening room, at least by UK standards. It\u2019s this combination of clarity, precision, insight and poise \u2013 allied to a really gutsy delivery \u2013 that makes the SCM40 special, at least to my ears.ATC SCM40 ReviewSo it\u2019s all perfect, and this is the best floorstander in the world, then? Well, I wouldn\u2019t say so because if you\u2019re a lover of natural instrumental timbre then the ATC is found a little wanting. To my ears, it imbues every recording it touches with a slight dryness \u2013 it\u2019s as if the colour saturation control is edged down slightly to make it tonally somewhat more black and white. With classic rock recordings \u2013 which are often quite dry anyway \u2013 this isn\u2019t a big deal, but musical genres like soul lose a little of their warm, inviting quality. I\u2019m thinking of Marvin Gaye\u2019s What\u2019s Going On here, for example. There\u2019s just a slight sense that it\u2019s not so sweet and sumptuous as it should be. It\u2019s not a profound sensation by any means \u2013 and some might even like it that way \u2013 but this speaker\u2019s midband tonality isn\u2019t the most full-flavoured all the same.The tweeter is very good in most respects, being fast, balanced and without any unpleasant facets to put you off listening. Yet, it doesn\u2019t quite have the finesse of some speakers at this price. A delicately struck hi-hat cymbal from Rush\u2019s Different Strings, for example, is superficially impressive with an etched and tactile \u2018wooden stick on metal\u2019 sound, yet there\u2019s a subtle loss of atmosphere in the treble all the same. Again, in the SCM40\u2019s defence, this is but a trifle because the track as a whole sounds wonderfully tight, powerful, engaging and emotive. It\u2019s only when compared to the best of the rest at its price \u2013 such as Acoustic Energy\u2019s AE520 \u2013 that it is found wanting.What this all boils down to is that the ATC has a \u2018pro\u2019 sound which you may love or hate. It\u2019s more dynamic, expressive and physical than most domestic speaker designs. It has much more of a live feel and gives a good taste of that thrill you experience when actually experiencing music as it\u2019s being made. Yet it\u2019s a little less \u2018house trained\u2019 than some rivals, lacking just a touch of finesse and delicacy of more domesticated designs. This is most evident with classical music, a genre whose emotion and power is well conveyed by the SCM40, but one that loses a little of its textural purity all the same. I loved hearing my Deutsche Grammophon pressing of Beethoven\u2019s Pastoral Symphony (Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic), for example, but it was for its power, scale, passion and stereo imaging precision, rather than the sweet sound of those massed strings or the atmosphere of the concert hall.THE VERDICTATC\u2019s SCM40 will either confirm your prejudices about \u2018pro\u2019 speakers or confirm your prejudices about domestic ones. Personally, I adore it for its accuracy, speed and insight \u2013 the way it strings the rhythmic elements of the mix together, punching out the music\u2019s emotion in a marvellously unconstrained way. You might call it a monster of rock, but it conveys the power and majesty of other musical genres just as well. It\u2019s one of my favourite compact floorstanders, but as ever with loudspeakers, it is a case of \u2018different strokes for different folks\u2019 \u2013 so do audition a pair if you possibly can.Visit ATC for more informationGalleryDavid Price's avatarDavid PriceDavid started his career in 1993 writing for Hi-Fi World and went on to edit the magazine for nearly a decade. He was then made Editor of Hi-Fi Choice and continued to freelance for it and Hi-Fi News until becoming StereoNET\u2019s Editor-in-Chief.Get the latest.Sign up to discover the best news and reviews from StereoNET UK in our FREE Newsletter.Posted in: Hi-Fi Loudspeakers Floor Standing Applause Awards 2021Tags: atc THE LATEST ster-img News Dan Clark Audio Announces Stealt... Dan Clark Audio Stealth closed-back headphones announced after four years in the making ster-img News Gold Note Unveils A6 and A3 EVO ... Gold Note A3 EVO II and A6 EVO II loudspeakers launched by the Italian high-end brand ster-img News Neat Acoustics Majistra Loudspea... Neat Acoustic's Majistra is a larger standmounter than the Ministra and uses the Orkestra floorstander's... ster-img News Q Acoustics M20 HD Wireless Musi... Q Acoustics M20 offers powered bookshelf speakers for hi-res music streaming, gaming, and more ster-img News Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 Wirel... Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 Bluetooth headphones boast 50 hours battery life and LDAC compatibilityPOPULAR NOW ster-img Reviews Simaudio MOON 280D Streaming DAC... Jay Garrett samples this freshly updated Canadian designed and built streaming DAC... ster-img Reviews Sendy Audio Peacock Headphone Re... Jay Garrett auditions some luxurious-looking cans from a new name in headphones\u2026 ster-img News Latest Denon and Marantz AV Rece... Denon and Marantz 4K 120Hz HDMI issue bug banished by new HDMI 2.1 chips ster-img Reviews Hana Umami Red MC Phono Cartridg... David Price takes this intriguing new high end moving coil cartridge for a spin\u2026 ster-img Reviews Bergmann Audio Magne Turntable S... James Michael Hughes samples this sophisticated air-powered vinyl spinner\u202600003130Subscribe to our NewsletterSubmit Main menu News Reviews Features Brands Distributors Opinions Follow us Facebook Twitter Instagram International Australia \/ New Zealand North America Asiacopyright-logoStereoNET (United Kingdom) is part of an international network of publications owned wholly by Sound Media International Pty Ltd Privacy Policy Website Guidelines Contact Us Advertising\u00a9 Sound Media International Pty Ltd. All Rights Reserved.copyright-logo\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/intek-hifi.com\/en\/atc-scm40-applause-award-stereonet\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"INTEK HI-FI\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-08-23T23:01:49+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-08-28T18:25:21+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/intek-hifi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/atc-scm-40v2-1280x720-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"720\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"darko\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/intek-hifi.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/intek-hifi.com\/\",\"name\":\"INTEK HI-FI\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/intek-hifi.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/intek-hifi.com\/en\/atc-scm40-applause-award-stereonet\/#primaryimage\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/intek-hifi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/atc-scm-40v2-1280x720-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/intek-hifi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/atc-scm-40v2-1280x720-1.jpg\",\"width\":1280,\"height\":720,\"caption\":\"ATC SCM 40 V2\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/intek-hifi.com\/en\/atc-scm40-applause-award-stereonet\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/intek-hifi.com\/en\/atc-scm40-applause-award-stereonet\/\",\"name\":\"ATC SCM40 > Applause Award, Stereonet - INTEK HI-FI\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/intek-hifi.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/intek-hifi.com\/en\/atc-scm40-applause-award-stereonet\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2021-08-23T23:01:49+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-08-28T18:25:21+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/intek-hifi.com\/#\/schema\/person\/02fa1742be92272c2fe50f2579f320e7\"},\"description\":\"UNITED KINGDOMlogo Latest News Reviews High-End Features Classifieds Discussion Forums BrandsATC SCM40 Loudspeaker ReviewPosted on 13th July, 2021ATC SCM40 Loudspeaker ReviewDavid Price loves the live sound of this compact floorstanding monitor\\u2026ATCSCM40 Loudspeaker\\u00a33,990ATC SCM40 ReviewIn the wonderful world of loudspeakers, you don\\u2019t get more hardcore than ATC. The company has ploughed its own furrow imperiously since 1974, largely avoiding the fashion-conscious world of consumer audio and focusing instead on its growing number of pro clients around the world. Unlike many speaker makers, the company doesn\\u2019t update its model range every year. Indeed, its apparent disdain for stylistic trends seems to endear it to many customers \\u2013 something that\\u2019s buttressed by the unusually long product life of its designs.Yet the Gloucester-based English company\\u2019s appeal is more than just about being too cool for school \\u2013 it\\u2019s the sound that seals the deal. It\\u2019s distinctive, and \\u2013 how can I put this diplomatically? \\u2013 not necessarily voiced to mainstream consumer tastes. You never forget you\\u2019re listening to a seriously engineered and purposeful product designed to get the job done. Some love it, and others seek solace in more vanilla sounding speakers\\u2026The SCM40 floorstander doesn\\u2019t look or feel like any other loudspeaker in its price class for two reasons. First, it\\u2019s a true, old school 3-way design with ATC\\u2019s iconic (to speaker geeks like me, at least) 75mm dome midrange driver. Second, the cabinet is an infinite baffle type which is rare in any modern speaker these days, and last commonly seen back in the nineteen seventies!ATC SCM40 ReviewDome midrange drivers are as rare as hens\\u2019 teeth \\u2013 and again they were last \\u2018a thing\\u2019 back when ABBA and the Bee Gees were storming up the charts. Yet ATC has been happy to use versions of its own bespoke driver for many years, and it gets the job done with aplomb. It uses a hand-doped acrylic diaphragm and suspension system, using a \\u201csecret ATC formula\\u201d, whatever that is. It mates seamlessly to the company\\u2019s SH25-76 25mm dome tweeter, a relatively recent design. This has a doped polyester diaphragm and suspension, plus an alloy waveguide.With both upper drivers being domes, they have similar acoustic properties to one another, which is ideal for maintaining the correct phase relationship between the critical midband and lower treble range, where the human ear is super-sensitive \\u2013 especially around this speaker\\u2019s 3.5kHz upper crossover point. Several serious speakers have done this over the years, not least the Yamaha NS-1000Ms that I use as my daily reference. Most of the SCM40\\u2019s price rivals are not proper 3-way designs, but, those that are, use dome tweeters with cone midband drivers. This may be a decent cost-effective solution, but ATC and others would contend that it isn\\u2019t the intellectually correct one \\u2013 at least for a box loudspeaker.Beneath the two domes, we find the SCM40\\u2019s bass driver, which kicks in below 380Hz. It features a hand-coated paper pulp diaphragm selected for its low mass, damping and rigidity. Its modest 164mm diameter is surely a concession to the speaker\\u2019s basic packaging requirements; it\\u2019s designed as a relatively small footprint floorstander to appeal to modern aesthetic norms and must be a practical proposition for modern listening rooms. The woofer is as wide as will fit in its cabinet; anything bigger would mean a wider front baffle. ATC designers have minimised this compromise by making it as beefy as possible \\u2013 if you pardon my technical jargon. The huge motor assembly goes some way to making up for the cone\\u2019s relatively small radiating area.ATC SCM40 ReviewThe cabinet is a nice, sensible size at 980x370x305mm, and as its name suggests, has an internal volume of 40 litres. Yet, that modestly sized bass driver and infinite baffle loading drop the sensitivity of the SCM40 down a bit. Designer Billy Woodman told me that the infinite baffle loading, \\u201cgets control over the bass driver across its complete operating band, and in turn reduces non-linear distortion. The 12dB per octave rollout associated with an IB also provides a fantastic transient response, resulting in a bass that sounds tight, controlled and fully representative of the audio signal.\\u201dIn today\\u2019s world of powerful solid-state amplifiers, the SCM40\\u2019s lowish (quoted) 85dB\/1w\/1m sensitivity isn\\u2019t that big a deal \\u2013 especially as its nominal impedance is said to be an amp-friendly 8 ohms \\u2013 but you still need muscle to really tickle this speaker\\u2019s transducers. ATC recommends amplifiers between 75 to 300W per channel. Quoted frequency response is 48Hz to 22kHz (-6dB), the relative lack of bass extension being a function of both cabinet loading and woofer size. The three-element crossover \\u2013 comprising a low pass filter, bandpass filter and high pass filter \\u2013 is simpler than expected and achievable because the drivers are designed around it, says Billy. The 31kg cabinet comes in a choice of four finishes and is beautifully made; few speakers at this price feel anywhere near as solid to the touch.ATC SCM40 ReviewThanks to the lack of a bass port, the SCM40 is easier to position in a listening room than you might think. I ran my review pair just 30cm from my rear wall, slightly toed in. A range of amplification was used, from a gutsy NAD 3155 integrated amp to my Sony TA-E86B\/TA-N86B pre-power in Class AB mode, putting out about 100W per side. A Cyrus CD Xt Signature silver disc transport was used, feeding a Chord Hugo TT2 DAC. I found this speaker needed a little more running in than is usual and sure likes a bit of power to really sing.THE LISTENINGATC speakers sound quite distinct, and the SCM40 is no exception. Let\\u2019s get away from naive notions of great speakers being \\u2018open windows on to the world\\u2019, shall we because they all have their own sonic fingerprints. You can\\u2019t call this floorstander perfectly tonally neutral, but it does have some extremely endearing traits that are hard not to love. Indeed, it\\u2019s the sort of speaker that \\u2013 once you\\u2019ve heard it \\u2013 reminds you what all its price rivals are getting wrong. It is exceptionally good at capturing the music\\u2019s natural timing \\u2013 for a box speaker of this price \\u2013 and the result is a gutsy, feisty and gnarly sound that\\u2019s about power and poise.ATC SCM40 ReviewIt has a relatively even frequency response, with no particular areas in the bass, midband or treble that stick out at you. Even better, every bit of the spectrum works in concert with every other; there\\u2019s no sense of the bass arriving a little later than the treble, for example. The result is a cohesive, all-of-a-piece sound with precise image location. The speaker is very well integrated, tight, taut and together \\u2013 so much so that you almost find yourself trying to provoke it into falling apart by playing ever more complex programme material.For example, spin up Dance on a Volcano by Genesis, and this slice of mid-nineteen seventies rock absolutely hits the spot. It\\u2019s a dramatic sound with firecracker dynamics coming from Phil Collins\\u2019 drum kit, which he smashes the hell out of from start to finish. Overlaid is the delicate but inspired guitar work of Steve Hackett, plus washes of keyboards, bass guitar, and vocals. It\\u2019s a big, complex, multi-layered prog extravaganza, and the SCM40 absolutely loved it. I heard great scale, insight and detail, but most of all, I was beguiled by the bass.I can\\u2019t think of any competitor that offers its combination of articulation and precision at the bottom end. It\\u2019s gutsy, visceral, powerful, yet doesn\\u2019t sound in the least bit overblown; it can start and stop with great alacrity; there\\u2019s no sense of overhang. Instead, it integrates perfectly with what\\u2019s going on further up the scale. The result is a sensation that\\u2019s hard to describe, but when you switch over to one of the SCM40\\u2019s reflex-loaded rivals, it almost seems like someone has added a touch of reverb to the recording, especially lower down. You lose that crunchy, tightly etched quality that\\u2019s unique to a properly executed infinite baffle box loudspeaker. This is a joy to behold, and of course, is clear to hear with every type of programme material you choose to play.ATC SCM40 ReviewThe louche seventies soul sounds of Bobby Womack\\u2019s Across 110 Street are a long way from the Genesis track in mood, but I could still hear this ATC speaker working its magic. More obvious here, though, was the SCM40\\u2019s integration doing its stuff \\u2013 everything in the mix fitted together hand-in-glove, or so it seemed. That meant a lovely central stereo image for the vocal line, with the different instrumentalists very clearly defined behind.I\\u2019ve heard tonally sweeter renditions of this song but rarely hear more involving ones \\u2013 the ATC isn\\u2019t a sweet-sounding speaker, being too matter-of-fact for that. It won\\u2019t sugar the musical pill, yet somehow this doesn\\u2019t matter because it cuts to the musical heart of the matter, time after time. Some may find its tonality a little stark, but this is due to its naturally revealing nature. I found The Jam\\u2019s Smithers Jones quite an ear-opener because the SCM40 reminded me about the low-fi nature of the track, yet it seemed to uncork the energetic fizz of the band at its best. This speaker\\u2019s rendition of this new wave classic was visceral and gripping. It conveyed the sense of the band\\u2019s immense power \\u2013 something that often manifested as a kind of coiled spring, keeping the song under tension until the band hit a dynamic climax.The ATC had headroom and bandwidth to spare. I really ramped the power up on tracks like these, and the speaker got louder and louder with no complaint \\u2013 indeed, it seemed to relish the challenge. It wasn\\u2019t until I was virtually blowing plaster off my ceiling that this speaker seemed to start compressing things \\u2013 and that\\u2019s in my largish listening room, at least by UK standards. It\\u2019s this combination of clarity, precision, insight and poise \\u2013 allied to a really gutsy delivery \\u2013 that makes the SCM40 special, at least to my ears.ATC SCM40 ReviewSo it\\u2019s all perfect, and this is the best floorstander in the world, then? Well, I wouldn\\u2019t say so because if you\\u2019re a lover of natural instrumental timbre then the ATC is found a little wanting. To my ears, it imbues every recording it touches with a slight dryness \\u2013 it\\u2019s as if the colour saturation control is edged down slightly to make it tonally somewhat more black and white. With classic rock recordings \\u2013 which are often quite dry anyway \\u2013 this isn\\u2019t a big deal, but musical genres like soul lose a little of their warm, inviting quality. I\\u2019m thinking of Marvin Gaye\\u2019s What\\u2019s Going On here, for example. There\\u2019s just a slight sense that it\\u2019s not so sweet and sumptuous as it should be. It\\u2019s not a profound sensation by any means \\u2013 and some might even like it that way \\u2013 but this speaker\\u2019s midband tonality isn\\u2019t the most full-flavoured all the same.The tweeter is very good in most respects, being fast, balanced and without any unpleasant facets to put you off listening. Yet, it doesn\\u2019t quite have the finesse of some speakers at this price. A delicately struck hi-hat cymbal from Rush\\u2019s Different Strings, for example, is superficially impressive with an etched and tactile \\u2018wooden stick on metal\\u2019 sound, yet there\\u2019s a subtle loss of atmosphere in the treble all the same. Again, in the SCM40\\u2019s defence, this is but a trifle because the track as a whole sounds wonderfully tight, powerful, engaging and emotive. It\\u2019s only when compared to the best of the rest at its price \\u2013 such as Acoustic Energy\\u2019s AE520 \\u2013 that it is found wanting.What this all boils down to is that the ATC has a \\u2018pro\\u2019 sound which you may love or hate. It\\u2019s more dynamic, expressive and physical than most domestic speaker designs. It has much more of a live feel and gives a good taste of that thrill you experience when actually experiencing music as it\\u2019s being made. Yet it\\u2019s a little less \\u2018house trained\\u2019 than some rivals, lacking just a touch of finesse and delicacy of more domesticated designs. This is most evident with classical music, a genre whose emotion and power is well conveyed by the SCM40, but one that loses a little of its textural purity all the same. I loved hearing my Deutsche Grammophon pressing of Beethoven\\u2019s Pastoral Symphony (Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic), for example, but it was for its power, scale, passion and stereo imaging precision, rather than the sweet sound of those massed strings or the atmosphere of the concert hall.THE VERDICTATC\\u2019s SCM40 will either confirm your prejudices about \\u2018pro\\u2019 speakers or confirm your prejudices about domestic ones. Personally, I adore it for its accuracy, speed and insight \\u2013 the way it strings the rhythmic elements of the mix together, punching out the music\\u2019s emotion in a marvellously unconstrained way. You might call it a monster of rock, but it conveys the power and majesty of other musical genres just as well. It\\u2019s one of my favourite compact floorstanders, but as ever with loudspeakers, it is a case of \\u2018different strokes for different folks\\u2019 \\u2013 so do audition a pair if you possibly can.Visit ATC for more informationGalleryDavid Price's avatarDavid PriceDavid started his career in 1993 writing for Hi-Fi World and went on to edit the magazine for nearly a decade. He was then made Editor of Hi-Fi Choice and continued to freelance for it and Hi-Fi News until becoming StereoNET\\u2019s Editor-in-Chief.Get the latest.Sign up to discover the best news and reviews from StereoNET UK in our FREE Newsletter.Posted in: Hi-Fi Loudspeakers Floor Standing Applause Awards 2021Tags: atc THE LATEST ster-img News Dan Clark Audio Announces Stealt... Dan Clark Audio Stealth closed-back headphones announced after four years in the making ster-img News Gold Note Unveils A6 and A3 EVO ... Gold Note A3 EVO II and A6 EVO II loudspeakers launched by the Italian high-end brand ster-img News Neat Acoustics Majistra Loudspea... Neat Acoustic's Majistra is a larger standmounter than the Ministra and uses the Orkestra floorstander's... ster-img News Q Acoustics M20 HD Wireless Musi... Q Acoustics M20 offers powered bookshelf speakers for hi-res music streaming, gaming, and more ster-img News Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 Wirel... Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 Bluetooth headphones boast 50 hours battery life and LDAC compatibilityPOPULAR NOW ster-img Reviews Simaudio MOON 280D Streaming DAC... Jay Garrett samples this freshly updated Canadian designed and built streaming DAC... ster-img Reviews Sendy Audio Peacock Headphone Re... Jay Garrett auditions some luxurious-looking cans from a new name in headphones\\u2026 ster-img News Latest Denon and Marantz AV Rece... Denon and Marantz 4K 120Hz HDMI issue bug banished by new HDMI 2.1 chips ster-img Reviews Hana Umami Red MC Phono Cartridg... David Price takes this intriguing new high end moving coil cartridge for a spin\\u2026 ster-img Reviews Bergmann Audio Magne Turntable S... James Michael Hughes samples this sophisticated air-powered vinyl spinner\\u202600003130Subscribe to our NewsletterSubmit Main menu News Reviews Features Brands Distributors Opinions Follow us Facebook Twitter Instagram International Australia \/ New Zealand North America Asiacopyright-logoStereoNET (United Kingdom) is part of an international network of publications owned wholly by Sound Media International Pty Ltd Privacy Policy Website Guidelines Contact Us Advertising\\u00a9 Sound Media International Pty Ltd. All Rights Reserved.copyright-logo\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/intek-hifi.com\/en\/atc-scm40-applause-award-stereonet\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/intek-hifi.com\/en\/atc-scm40-applause-award-stereonet\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/intek-hifi.com\/en\/atc-scm40-applause-award-stereonet\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/intek-hifi.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"ATC SCM40 > Applause Award, Stereonet\"}]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/intek-hifi.com\/#\/schema\/person\/02fa1742be92272c2fe50f2579f320e7\",\"name\":\"darko\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/intek-hifi.com\/#personlogo\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d3b6149fb1fb06b36083b7009dbff0af?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d3b6149fb1fb06b36083b7009dbff0af?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"darko\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/intek-hifi.com\/en\/author\/darko\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"ATC SCM40 > Applause Award, Stereonet - INTEK HI-FI","description":"UNITED KINGDOMlogo Latest News Reviews High-End Features Classifieds Discussion Forums BrandsATC SCM40 Loudspeaker ReviewPosted on 13th July, 2021ATC SCM40 Loudspeaker ReviewDavid Price loves the live sound of this compact floorstanding monitor\u2026ATCSCM40 Loudspeaker\u00a33,990ATC SCM40 ReviewIn the wonderful world of loudspeakers, you don\u2019t get more hardcore than ATC. The company has ploughed its own furrow imperiously since 1974, largely avoiding the fashion-conscious world of consumer audio and focusing instead on its growing number of pro clients around the world. Unlike many speaker makers, the company doesn\u2019t update its model range every year. Indeed, its apparent disdain for stylistic trends seems to endear it to many customers \u2013 something that\u2019s buttressed by the unusually long product life of its designs.Yet the Gloucester-based English company\u2019s appeal is more than just about being too cool for school \u2013 it\u2019s the sound that seals the deal. It\u2019s distinctive, and \u2013 how can I put this diplomatically? \u2013 not necessarily voiced to mainstream consumer tastes. You never forget you\u2019re listening to a seriously engineered and purposeful product designed to get the job done. Some love it, and others seek solace in more vanilla sounding speakers\u2026The SCM40 floorstander doesn\u2019t look or feel like any other loudspeaker in its price class for two reasons. First, it\u2019s a true, old school 3-way design with ATC\u2019s iconic (to speaker geeks like me, at least) 75mm dome midrange driver. Second, the cabinet is an infinite baffle type which is rare in any modern speaker these days, and last commonly seen back in the nineteen seventies!ATC SCM40 ReviewDome midrange drivers are as rare as hens\u2019 teeth \u2013 and again they were last \u2018a thing\u2019 back when ABBA and the Bee Gees were storming up the charts. Yet ATC has been happy to use versions of its own bespoke driver for many years, and it gets the job done with aplomb. It uses a hand-doped acrylic diaphragm and suspension system, using a \u201csecret ATC formula\u201d, whatever that is. It mates seamlessly to the company\u2019s SH25-76 25mm dome tweeter, a relatively recent design. This has a doped polyester diaphragm and suspension, plus an alloy waveguide.With both upper drivers being domes, they have similar acoustic properties to one another, which is ideal for maintaining the correct phase relationship between the critical midband and lower treble range, where the human ear is super-sensitive \u2013 especially around this speaker\u2019s 3.5kHz upper crossover point. Several serious speakers have done this over the years, not least the Yamaha NS-1000Ms that I use as my daily reference. Most of the SCM40\u2019s price rivals are not proper 3-way designs, but, those that are, use dome tweeters with cone midband drivers. This may be a decent cost-effective solution, but ATC and others would contend that it isn\u2019t the intellectually correct one \u2013 at least for a box loudspeaker.Beneath the two domes, we find the SCM40\u2019s bass driver, which kicks in below 380Hz. It features a hand-coated paper pulp diaphragm selected for its low mass, damping and rigidity. Its modest 164mm diameter is surely a concession to the speaker\u2019s basic packaging requirements; it\u2019s designed as a relatively small footprint floorstander to appeal to modern aesthetic norms and must be a practical proposition for modern listening rooms. The woofer is as wide as will fit in its cabinet; anything bigger would mean a wider front baffle. ATC designers have minimised this compromise by making it as beefy as possible \u2013 if you pardon my technical jargon. The huge motor assembly goes some way to making up for the cone\u2019s relatively small radiating area.ATC SCM40 ReviewThe cabinet is a nice, sensible size at 980x370x305mm, and as its name suggests, has an internal volume of 40 litres. Yet, that modestly sized bass driver and infinite baffle loading drop the sensitivity of the SCM40 down a bit. Designer Billy Woodman told me that the infinite baffle loading, \u201cgets control over the bass driver across its complete operating band, and in turn reduces non-linear distortion. The 12dB per octave rollout associated with an IB also provides a fantastic transient response, resulting in a bass that sounds tight, controlled and fully representative of the audio signal.\u201dIn today\u2019s world of powerful solid-state amplifiers, the SCM40\u2019s lowish (quoted) 85dB\/1w\/1m sensitivity isn\u2019t that big a deal \u2013 especially as its nominal impedance is said to be an amp-friendly 8 ohms \u2013 but you still need muscle to really tickle this speaker\u2019s transducers. ATC recommends amplifiers between 75 to 300W per channel. Quoted frequency response is 48Hz to 22kHz (-6dB), the relative lack of bass extension being a function of both cabinet loading and woofer size. The three-element crossover \u2013 comprising a low pass filter, bandpass filter and high pass filter \u2013 is simpler than expected and achievable because the drivers are designed around it, says Billy. The 31kg cabinet comes in a choice of four finishes and is beautifully made; few speakers at this price feel anywhere near as solid to the touch.ATC SCM40 ReviewThanks to the lack of a bass port, the SCM40 is easier to position in a listening room than you might think. I ran my review pair just 30cm from my rear wall, slightly toed in. A range of amplification was used, from a gutsy NAD 3155 integrated amp to my Sony TA-E86B\/TA-N86B pre-power in Class AB mode, putting out about 100W per side. A Cyrus CD Xt Signature silver disc transport was used, feeding a Chord Hugo TT2 DAC. I found this speaker needed a little more running in than is usual and sure likes a bit of power to really sing.THE LISTENINGATC speakers sound quite distinct, and the SCM40 is no exception. Let\u2019s get away from naive notions of great speakers being \u2018open windows on to the world\u2019, shall we because they all have their own sonic fingerprints. You can\u2019t call this floorstander perfectly tonally neutral, but it does have some extremely endearing traits that are hard not to love. Indeed, it\u2019s the sort of speaker that \u2013 once you\u2019ve heard it \u2013 reminds you what all its price rivals are getting wrong. It is exceptionally good at capturing the music\u2019s natural timing \u2013 for a box speaker of this price \u2013 and the result is a gutsy, feisty and gnarly sound that\u2019s about power and poise.ATC SCM40 ReviewIt has a relatively even frequency response, with no particular areas in the bass, midband or treble that stick out at you. Even better, every bit of the spectrum works in concert with every other; there\u2019s no sense of the bass arriving a little later than the treble, for example. The result is a cohesive, all-of-a-piece sound with precise image location. The speaker is very well integrated, tight, taut and together \u2013 so much so that you almost find yourself trying to provoke it into falling apart by playing ever more complex programme material.For example, spin up Dance on a Volcano by Genesis, and this slice of mid-nineteen seventies rock absolutely hits the spot. It\u2019s a dramatic sound with firecracker dynamics coming from Phil Collins\u2019 drum kit, which he smashes the hell out of from start to finish. Overlaid is the delicate but inspired guitar work of Steve Hackett, plus washes of keyboards, bass guitar, and vocals. It\u2019s a big, complex, multi-layered prog extravaganza, and the SCM40 absolutely loved it. I heard great scale, insight and detail, but most of all, I was beguiled by the bass.I can\u2019t think of any competitor that offers its combination of articulation and precision at the bottom end. It\u2019s gutsy, visceral, powerful, yet doesn\u2019t sound in the least bit overblown; it can start and stop with great alacrity; there\u2019s no sense of overhang. Instead, it integrates perfectly with what\u2019s going on further up the scale. The result is a sensation that\u2019s hard to describe, but when you switch over to one of the SCM40\u2019s reflex-loaded rivals, it almost seems like someone has added a touch of reverb to the recording, especially lower down. You lose that crunchy, tightly etched quality that\u2019s unique to a properly executed infinite baffle box loudspeaker. This is a joy to behold, and of course, is clear to hear with every type of programme material you choose to play.ATC SCM40 ReviewThe louche seventies soul sounds of Bobby Womack\u2019s Across 110 Street are a long way from the Genesis track in mood, but I could still hear this ATC speaker working its magic. More obvious here, though, was the SCM40\u2019s integration doing its stuff \u2013 everything in the mix fitted together hand-in-glove, or so it seemed. That meant a lovely central stereo image for the vocal line, with the different instrumentalists very clearly defined behind.I\u2019ve heard tonally sweeter renditions of this song but rarely hear more involving ones \u2013 the ATC isn\u2019t a sweet-sounding speaker, being too matter-of-fact for that. It won\u2019t sugar the musical pill, yet somehow this doesn\u2019t matter because it cuts to the musical heart of the matter, time after time. Some may find its tonality a little stark, but this is due to its naturally revealing nature. I found The Jam\u2019s Smithers Jones quite an ear-opener because the SCM40 reminded me about the low-fi nature of the track, yet it seemed to uncork the energetic fizz of the band at its best. This speaker\u2019s rendition of this new wave classic was visceral and gripping. It conveyed the sense of the band\u2019s immense power \u2013 something that often manifested as a kind of coiled spring, keeping the song under tension until the band hit a dynamic climax.The ATC had headroom and bandwidth to spare. I really ramped the power up on tracks like these, and the speaker got louder and louder with no complaint \u2013 indeed, it seemed to relish the challenge. It wasn\u2019t until I was virtually blowing plaster off my ceiling that this speaker seemed to start compressing things \u2013 and that\u2019s in my largish listening room, at least by UK standards. It\u2019s this combination of clarity, precision, insight and poise \u2013 allied to a really gutsy delivery \u2013 that makes the SCM40 special, at least to my ears.ATC SCM40 ReviewSo it\u2019s all perfect, and this is the best floorstander in the world, then? Well, I wouldn\u2019t say so because if you\u2019re a lover of natural instrumental timbre then the ATC is found a little wanting. To my ears, it imbues every recording it touches with a slight dryness \u2013 it\u2019s as if the colour saturation control is edged down slightly to make it tonally somewhat more black and white. With classic rock recordings \u2013 which are often quite dry anyway \u2013 this isn\u2019t a big deal, but musical genres like soul lose a little of their warm, inviting quality. I\u2019m thinking of Marvin Gaye\u2019s What\u2019s Going On here, for example. There\u2019s just a slight sense that it\u2019s not so sweet and sumptuous as it should be. It\u2019s not a profound sensation by any means \u2013 and some might even like it that way \u2013 but this speaker\u2019s midband tonality isn\u2019t the most full-flavoured all the same.The tweeter is very good in most respects, being fast, balanced and without any unpleasant facets to put you off listening. Yet, it doesn\u2019t quite have the finesse of some speakers at this price. A delicately struck hi-hat cymbal from Rush\u2019s Different Strings, for example, is superficially impressive with an etched and tactile \u2018wooden stick on metal\u2019 sound, yet there\u2019s a subtle loss of atmosphere in the treble all the same. Again, in the SCM40\u2019s defence, this is but a trifle because the track as a whole sounds wonderfully tight, powerful, engaging and emotive. It\u2019s only when compared to the best of the rest at its price \u2013 such as Acoustic Energy\u2019s AE520 \u2013 that it is found wanting.What this all boils down to is that the ATC has a \u2018pro\u2019 sound which you may love or hate. It\u2019s more dynamic, expressive and physical than most domestic speaker designs. It has much more of a live feel and gives a good taste of that thrill you experience when actually experiencing music as it\u2019s being made. Yet it\u2019s a little less \u2018house trained\u2019 than some rivals, lacking just a touch of finesse and delicacy of more domesticated designs. This is most evident with classical music, a genre whose emotion and power is well conveyed by the SCM40, but one that loses a little of its textural purity all the same. I loved hearing my Deutsche Grammophon pressing of Beethoven\u2019s Pastoral Symphony (Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic), for example, but it was for its power, scale, passion and stereo imaging precision, rather than the sweet sound of those massed strings or the atmosphere of the concert hall.THE VERDICTATC\u2019s SCM40 will either confirm your prejudices about \u2018pro\u2019 speakers or confirm your prejudices about domestic ones. Personally, I adore it for its accuracy, speed and insight \u2013 the way it strings the rhythmic elements of the mix together, punching out the music\u2019s emotion in a marvellously unconstrained way. You might call it a monster of rock, but it conveys the power and majesty of other musical genres just as well. It\u2019s one of my favourite compact floorstanders, but as ever with loudspeakers, it is a case of \u2018different strokes for different folks\u2019 \u2013 so do audition a pair if you possibly can.Visit ATC for more informationGalleryDavid Price's avatarDavid PriceDavid started his career in 1993 writing for Hi-Fi World and went on to edit the magazine for nearly a decade. He was then made Editor of Hi-Fi Choice and continued to freelance for it and Hi-Fi News until becoming StereoNET\u2019s Editor-in-Chief.Get the latest.Sign up to discover the best news and reviews from StereoNET UK in our FREE Newsletter.Posted in: Hi-Fi Loudspeakers Floor Standing Applause Awards 2021Tags: atc THE LATEST ster-img News Dan Clark Audio Announces Stealt... Dan Clark Audio Stealth closed-back headphones announced after four years in the making ster-img News Gold Note Unveils A6 and A3 EVO ... Gold Note A3 EVO II and A6 EVO II loudspeakers launched by the Italian high-end brand ster-img News Neat Acoustics Majistra Loudspea... Neat Acoustic's Majistra is a larger standmounter than the Ministra and uses the Orkestra floorstander's... ster-img News Q Acoustics M20 HD Wireless Musi... Q Acoustics M20 offers powered bookshelf speakers for hi-res music streaming, gaming, and more ster-img News Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 Wirel... Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 Bluetooth headphones boast 50 hours battery life and LDAC compatibilityPOPULAR NOW ster-img Reviews Simaudio MOON 280D Streaming DAC... Jay Garrett samples this freshly updated Canadian designed and built streaming DAC... ster-img Reviews Sendy Audio Peacock Headphone Re... Jay Garrett auditions some luxurious-looking cans from a new name in headphones\u2026 ster-img News Latest Denon and Marantz AV Rece... Denon and Marantz 4K 120Hz HDMI issue bug banished by new HDMI 2.1 chips ster-img Reviews Hana Umami Red MC Phono Cartridg... David Price takes this intriguing new high end moving coil cartridge for a spin\u2026 ster-img Reviews Bergmann Audio Magne Turntable S... James Michael Hughes samples this sophisticated air-powered vinyl spinner\u202600003130Subscribe to our NewsletterSubmit Main menu News Reviews Features Brands Distributors Opinions Follow us Facebook Twitter Instagram International Australia \/ New Zealand North America Asiacopyright-logoStereoNET (United Kingdom) is part of an international network of publications owned wholly by Sound Media International Pty Ltd Privacy Policy Website Guidelines Contact Us Advertising\u00a9 Sound Media International Pty Ltd. All Rights Reserved.copyright-logo","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/intek-hifi.com\/en\/atc-scm40-applause-award-stereonet\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"ATC SCM40 > Applause Award, Stereonet - INTEK HI-FI","og_description":"UNITED KINGDOMlogo Latest News Reviews High-End Features Classifieds Discussion Forums BrandsATC SCM40 Loudspeaker ReviewPosted on 13th July, 2021ATC SCM40 Loudspeaker ReviewDavid Price loves the live sound of this compact floorstanding monitor\u2026ATCSCM40 Loudspeaker\u00a33,990ATC SCM40 ReviewIn the wonderful world of loudspeakers, you don\u2019t get more hardcore than ATC. The company has ploughed its own furrow imperiously since 1974, largely avoiding the fashion-conscious world of consumer audio and focusing instead on its growing number of pro clients around the world. Unlike many speaker makers, the company doesn\u2019t update its model range every year. Indeed, its apparent disdain for stylistic trends seems to endear it to many customers \u2013 something that\u2019s buttressed by the unusually long product life of its designs.Yet the Gloucester-based English company\u2019s appeal is more than just about being too cool for school \u2013 it\u2019s the sound that seals the deal. It\u2019s distinctive, and \u2013 how can I put this diplomatically? \u2013 not necessarily voiced to mainstream consumer tastes. You never forget you\u2019re listening to a seriously engineered and purposeful product designed to get the job done. Some love it, and others seek solace in more vanilla sounding speakers\u2026The SCM40 floorstander doesn\u2019t look or feel like any other loudspeaker in its price class for two reasons. First, it\u2019s a true, old school 3-way design with ATC\u2019s iconic (to speaker geeks like me, at least) 75mm dome midrange driver. Second, the cabinet is an infinite baffle type which is rare in any modern speaker these days, and last commonly seen back in the nineteen seventies!ATC SCM40 ReviewDome midrange drivers are as rare as hens\u2019 teeth \u2013 and again they were last \u2018a thing\u2019 back when ABBA and the Bee Gees were storming up the charts. Yet ATC has been happy to use versions of its own bespoke driver for many years, and it gets the job done with aplomb. It uses a hand-doped acrylic diaphragm and suspension system, using a \u201csecret ATC formula\u201d, whatever that is. It mates seamlessly to the company\u2019s SH25-76 25mm dome tweeter, a relatively recent design. This has a doped polyester diaphragm and suspension, plus an alloy waveguide.With both upper drivers being domes, they have similar acoustic properties to one another, which is ideal for maintaining the correct phase relationship between the critical midband and lower treble range, where the human ear is super-sensitive \u2013 especially around this speaker\u2019s 3.5kHz upper crossover point. Several serious speakers have done this over the years, not least the Yamaha NS-1000Ms that I use as my daily reference. Most of the SCM40\u2019s price rivals are not proper 3-way designs, but, those that are, use dome tweeters with cone midband drivers. This may be a decent cost-effective solution, but ATC and others would contend that it isn\u2019t the intellectually correct one \u2013 at least for a box loudspeaker.Beneath the two domes, we find the SCM40\u2019s bass driver, which kicks in below 380Hz. It features a hand-coated paper pulp diaphragm selected for its low mass, damping and rigidity. Its modest 164mm diameter is surely a concession to the speaker\u2019s basic packaging requirements; it\u2019s designed as a relatively small footprint floorstander to appeal to modern aesthetic norms and must be a practical proposition for modern listening rooms. The woofer is as wide as will fit in its cabinet; anything bigger would mean a wider front baffle. ATC designers have minimised this compromise by making it as beefy as possible \u2013 if you pardon my technical jargon. The huge motor assembly goes some way to making up for the cone\u2019s relatively small radiating area.ATC SCM40 ReviewThe cabinet is a nice, sensible size at 980x370x305mm, and as its name suggests, has an internal volume of 40 litres. Yet, that modestly sized bass driver and infinite baffle loading drop the sensitivity of the SCM40 down a bit. Designer Billy Woodman told me that the infinite baffle loading, \u201cgets control over the bass driver across its complete operating band, and in turn reduces non-linear distortion. The 12dB per octave rollout associated with an IB also provides a fantastic transient response, resulting in a bass that sounds tight, controlled and fully representative of the audio signal.\u201dIn today\u2019s world of powerful solid-state amplifiers, the SCM40\u2019s lowish (quoted) 85dB\/1w\/1m sensitivity isn\u2019t that big a deal \u2013 especially as its nominal impedance is said to be an amp-friendly 8 ohms \u2013 but you still need muscle to really tickle this speaker\u2019s transducers. ATC recommends amplifiers between 75 to 300W per channel. Quoted frequency response is 48Hz to 22kHz (-6dB), the relative lack of bass extension being a function of both cabinet loading and woofer size. The three-element crossover \u2013 comprising a low pass filter, bandpass filter and high pass filter \u2013 is simpler than expected and achievable because the drivers are designed around it, says Billy. The 31kg cabinet comes in a choice of four finishes and is beautifully made; few speakers at this price feel anywhere near as solid to the touch.ATC SCM40 ReviewThanks to the lack of a bass port, the SCM40 is easier to position in a listening room than you might think. I ran my review pair just 30cm from my rear wall, slightly toed in. A range of amplification was used, from a gutsy NAD 3155 integrated amp to my Sony TA-E86B\/TA-N86B pre-power in Class AB mode, putting out about 100W per side. A Cyrus CD Xt Signature silver disc transport was used, feeding a Chord Hugo TT2 DAC. I found this speaker needed a little more running in than is usual and sure likes a bit of power to really sing.THE LISTENINGATC speakers sound quite distinct, and the SCM40 is no exception. Let\u2019s get away from naive notions of great speakers being \u2018open windows on to the world\u2019, shall we because they all have their own sonic fingerprints. You can\u2019t call this floorstander perfectly tonally neutral, but it does have some extremely endearing traits that are hard not to love. Indeed, it\u2019s the sort of speaker that \u2013 once you\u2019ve heard it \u2013 reminds you what all its price rivals are getting wrong. It is exceptionally good at capturing the music\u2019s natural timing \u2013 for a box speaker of this price \u2013 and the result is a gutsy, feisty and gnarly sound that\u2019s about power and poise.ATC SCM40 ReviewIt has a relatively even frequency response, with no particular areas in the bass, midband or treble that stick out at you. Even better, every bit of the spectrum works in concert with every other; there\u2019s no sense of the bass arriving a little later than the treble, for example. The result is a cohesive, all-of-a-piece sound with precise image location. The speaker is very well integrated, tight, taut and together \u2013 so much so that you almost find yourself trying to provoke it into falling apart by playing ever more complex programme material.For example, spin up Dance on a Volcano by Genesis, and this slice of mid-nineteen seventies rock absolutely hits the spot. It\u2019s a dramatic sound with firecracker dynamics coming from Phil Collins\u2019 drum kit, which he smashes the hell out of from start to finish. Overlaid is the delicate but inspired guitar work of Steve Hackett, plus washes of keyboards, bass guitar, and vocals. It\u2019s a big, complex, multi-layered prog extravaganza, and the SCM40 absolutely loved it. I heard great scale, insight and detail, but most of all, I was beguiled by the bass.I can\u2019t think of any competitor that offers its combination of articulation and precision at the bottom end. It\u2019s gutsy, visceral, powerful, yet doesn\u2019t sound in the least bit overblown; it can start and stop with great alacrity; there\u2019s no sense of overhang. Instead, it integrates perfectly with what\u2019s going on further up the scale. The result is a sensation that\u2019s hard to describe, but when you switch over to one of the SCM40\u2019s reflex-loaded rivals, it almost seems like someone has added a touch of reverb to the recording, especially lower down. You lose that crunchy, tightly etched quality that\u2019s unique to a properly executed infinite baffle box loudspeaker. This is a joy to behold, and of course, is clear to hear with every type of programme material you choose to play.ATC SCM40 ReviewThe louche seventies soul sounds of Bobby Womack\u2019s Across 110 Street are a long way from the Genesis track in mood, but I could still hear this ATC speaker working its magic. More obvious here, though, was the SCM40\u2019s integration doing its stuff \u2013 everything in the mix fitted together hand-in-glove, or so it seemed. That meant a lovely central stereo image for the vocal line, with the different instrumentalists very clearly defined behind.I\u2019ve heard tonally sweeter renditions of this song but rarely hear more involving ones \u2013 the ATC isn\u2019t a sweet-sounding speaker, being too matter-of-fact for that. It won\u2019t sugar the musical pill, yet somehow this doesn\u2019t matter because it cuts to the musical heart of the matter, time after time. Some may find its tonality a little stark, but this is due to its naturally revealing nature. I found The Jam\u2019s Smithers Jones quite an ear-opener because the SCM40 reminded me about the low-fi nature of the track, yet it seemed to uncork the energetic fizz of the band at its best. This speaker\u2019s rendition of this new wave classic was visceral and gripping. It conveyed the sense of the band\u2019s immense power \u2013 something that often manifested as a kind of coiled spring, keeping the song under tension until the band hit a dynamic climax.The ATC had headroom and bandwidth to spare. I really ramped the power up on tracks like these, and the speaker got louder and louder with no complaint \u2013 indeed, it seemed to relish the challenge. It wasn\u2019t until I was virtually blowing plaster off my ceiling that this speaker seemed to start compressing things \u2013 and that\u2019s in my largish listening room, at least by UK standards. It\u2019s this combination of clarity, precision, insight and poise \u2013 allied to a really gutsy delivery \u2013 that makes the SCM40 special, at least to my ears.ATC SCM40 ReviewSo it\u2019s all perfect, and this is the best floorstander in the world, then? Well, I wouldn\u2019t say so because if you\u2019re a lover of natural instrumental timbre then the ATC is found a little wanting. To my ears, it imbues every recording it touches with a slight dryness \u2013 it\u2019s as if the colour saturation control is edged down slightly to make it tonally somewhat more black and white. With classic rock recordings \u2013 which are often quite dry anyway \u2013 this isn\u2019t a big deal, but musical genres like soul lose a little of their warm, inviting quality. I\u2019m thinking of Marvin Gaye\u2019s What\u2019s Going On here, for example. There\u2019s just a slight sense that it\u2019s not so sweet and sumptuous as it should be. It\u2019s not a profound sensation by any means \u2013 and some might even like it that way \u2013 but this speaker\u2019s midband tonality isn\u2019t the most full-flavoured all the same.The tweeter is very good in most respects, being fast, balanced and without any unpleasant facets to put you off listening. Yet, it doesn\u2019t quite have the finesse of some speakers at this price. A delicately struck hi-hat cymbal from Rush\u2019s Different Strings, for example, is superficially impressive with an etched and tactile \u2018wooden stick on metal\u2019 sound, yet there\u2019s a subtle loss of atmosphere in the treble all the same. Again, in the SCM40\u2019s defence, this is but a trifle because the track as a whole sounds wonderfully tight, powerful, engaging and emotive. It\u2019s only when compared to the best of the rest at its price \u2013 such as Acoustic Energy\u2019s AE520 \u2013 that it is found wanting.What this all boils down to is that the ATC has a \u2018pro\u2019 sound which you may love or hate. It\u2019s more dynamic, expressive and physical than most domestic speaker designs. It has much more of a live feel and gives a good taste of that thrill you experience when actually experiencing music as it\u2019s being made. Yet it\u2019s a little less \u2018house trained\u2019 than some rivals, lacking just a touch of finesse and delicacy of more domesticated designs. This is most evident with classical music, a genre whose emotion and power is well conveyed by the SCM40, but one that loses a little of its textural purity all the same. I loved hearing my Deutsche Grammophon pressing of Beethoven\u2019s Pastoral Symphony (Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic), for example, but it was for its power, scale, passion and stereo imaging precision, rather than the sweet sound of those massed strings or the atmosphere of the concert hall.THE VERDICTATC\u2019s SCM40 will either confirm your prejudices about \u2018pro\u2019 speakers or confirm your prejudices about domestic ones. Personally, I adore it for its accuracy, speed and insight \u2013 the way it strings the rhythmic elements of the mix together, punching out the music\u2019s emotion in a marvellously unconstrained way. You might call it a monster of rock, but it conveys the power and majesty of other musical genres just as well. It\u2019s one of my favourite compact floorstanders, but as ever with loudspeakers, it is a case of \u2018different strokes for different folks\u2019 \u2013 so do audition a pair if you possibly can.Visit ATC for more informationGalleryDavid Price's avatarDavid PriceDavid started his career in 1993 writing for Hi-Fi World and went on to edit the magazine for nearly a decade. He was then made Editor of Hi-Fi Choice and continued to freelance for it and Hi-Fi News until becoming StereoNET\u2019s Editor-in-Chief.Get the latest.Sign up to discover the best news and reviews from StereoNET UK in our FREE Newsletter.Posted in: Hi-Fi Loudspeakers Floor Standing Applause Awards 2021Tags: atc THE LATEST ster-img News Dan Clark Audio Announces Stealt... Dan Clark Audio Stealth closed-back headphones announced after four years in the making ster-img News Gold Note Unveils A6 and A3 EVO ... Gold Note A3 EVO II and A6 EVO II loudspeakers launched by the Italian high-end brand ster-img News Neat Acoustics Majistra Loudspea... Neat Acoustic's Majistra is a larger standmounter than the Ministra and uses the Orkestra floorstander's... ster-img News Q Acoustics M20 HD Wireless Musi... Q Acoustics M20 offers powered bookshelf speakers for hi-res music streaming, gaming, and more ster-img News Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 Wirel... Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 Bluetooth headphones boast 50 hours battery life and LDAC compatibilityPOPULAR NOW ster-img Reviews Simaudio MOON 280D Streaming DAC... Jay Garrett samples this freshly updated Canadian designed and built streaming DAC... ster-img Reviews Sendy Audio Peacock Headphone Re... Jay Garrett auditions some luxurious-looking cans from a new name in headphones\u2026 ster-img News Latest Denon and Marantz AV Rece... Denon and Marantz 4K 120Hz HDMI issue bug banished by new HDMI 2.1 chips ster-img Reviews Hana Umami Red MC Phono Cartridg... David Price takes this intriguing new high end moving coil cartridge for a spin\u2026 ster-img Reviews Bergmann Audio Magne Turntable S... James Michael Hughes samples this sophisticated air-powered vinyl spinner\u202600003130Subscribe to our NewsletterSubmit Main menu News Reviews Features Brands Distributors Opinions Follow us Facebook Twitter Instagram International Australia \/ New Zealand North America Asiacopyright-logoStereoNET (United Kingdom) is part of an international network of publications owned wholly by Sound Media International Pty Ltd Privacy Policy Website Guidelines Contact Us Advertising\u00a9 Sound Media International Pty Ltd. All Rights Reserved.copyright-logo","og_url":"https:\/\/intek-hifi.com\/en\/atc-scm40-applause-award-stereonet\/","og_site_name":"INTEK HI-FI","article_published_time":"2021-08-23T23:01:49+00:00","article_modified_time":"2021-08-28T18:25:21+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1280,"height":720,"url":"https:\/\/intek-hifi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/atc-scm-40v2-1280x720-1.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"darko","Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/intek-hifi.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/intek-hifi.com\/","name":"INTEK HI-FI","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/intek-hifi.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/intek-hifi.com\/en\/atc-scm40-applause-award-stereonet\/#primaryimage","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https:\/\/intek-hifi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/atc-scm-40v2-1280x720-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/intek-hifi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/atc-scm-40v2-1280x720-1.jpg","width":1280,"height":720,"caption":"ATC SCM 40 V2"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/intek-hifi.com\/en\/atc-scm40-applause-award-stereonet\/#webpage","url":"https:\/\/intek-hifi.com\/en\/atc-scm40-applause-award-stereonet\/","name":"ATC SCM40 > Applause Award, Stereonet - INTEK HI-FI","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/intek-hifi.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/intek-hifi.com\/en\/atc-scm40-applause-award-stereonet\/#primaryimage"},"datePublished":"2021-08-23T23:01:49+00:00","dateModified":"2021-08-28T18:25:21+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/intek-hifi.com\/#\/schema\/person\/02fa1742be92272c2fe50f2579f320e7"},"description":"UNITED KINGDOMlogo Latest News Reviews High-End Features Classifieds Discussion Forums BrandsATC SCM40 Loudspeaker ReviewPosted on 13th July, 2021ATC SCM40 Loudspeaker ReviewDavid Price loves the live sound of this compact floorstanding monitor\u2026ATCSCM40 Loudspeaker\u00a33,990ATC SCM40 ReviewIn the wonderful world of loudspeakers, you don\u2019t get more hardcore than ATC. The company has ploughed its own furrow imperiously since 1974, largely avoiding the fashion-conscious world of consumer audio and focusing instead on its growing number of pro clients around the world. Unlike many speaker makers, the company doesn\u2019t update its model range every year. Indeed, its apparent disdain for stylistic trends seems to endear it to many customers \u2013 something that\u2019s buttressed by the unusually long product life of its designs.Yet the Gloucester-based English company\u2019s appeal is more than just about being too cool for school \u2013 it\u2019s the sound that seals the deal. It\u2019s distinctive, and \u2013 how can I put this diplomatically? \u2013 not necessarily voiced to mainstream consumer tastes. You never forget you\u2019re listening to a seriously engineered and purposeful product designed to get the job done. Some love it, and others seek solace in more vanilla sounding speakers\u2026The SCM40 floorstander doesn\u2019t look or feel like any other loudspeaker in its price class for two reasons. First, it\u2019s a true, old school 3-way design with ATC\u2019s iconic (to speaker geeks like me, at least) 75mm dome midrange driver. Second, the cabinet is an infinite baffle type which is rare in any modern speaker these days, and last commonly seen back in the nineteen seventies!ATC SCM40 ReviewDome midrange drivers are as rare as hens\u2019 teeth \u2013 and again they were last \u2018a thing\u2019 back when ABBA and the Bee Gees were storming up the charts. Yet ATC has been happy to use versions of its own bespoke driver for many years, and it gets the job done with aplomb. It uses a hand-doped acrylic diaphragm and suspension system, using a \u201csecret ATC formula\u201d, whatever that is. It mates seamlessly to the company\u2019s SH25-76 25mm dome tweeter, a relatively recent design. This has a doped polyester diaphragm and suspension, plus an alloy waveguide.With both upper drivers being domes, they have similar acoustic properties to one another, which is ideal for maintaining the correct phase relationship between the critical midband and lower treble range, where the human ear is super-sensitive \u2013 especially around this speaker\u2019s 3.5kHz upper crossover point. Several serious speakers have done this over the years, not least the Yamaha NS-1000Ms that I use as my daily reference. Most of the SCM40\u2019s price rivals are not proper 3-way designs, but, those that are, use dome tweeters with cone midband drivers. This may be a decent cost-effective solution, but ATC and others would contend that it isn\u2019t the intellectually correct one \u2013 at least for a box loudspeaker.Beneath the two domes, we find the SCM40\u2019s bass driver, which kicks in below 380Hz. It features a hand-coated paper pulp diaphragm selected for its low mass, damping and rigidity. Its modest 164mm diameter is surely a concession to the speaker\u2019s basic packaging requirements; it\u2019s designed as a relatively small footprint floorstander to appeal to modern aesthetic norms and must be a practical proposition for modern listening rooms. The woofer is as wide as will fit in its cabinet; anything bigger would mean a wider front baffle. ATC designers have minimised this compromise by making it as beefy as possible \u2013 if you pardon my technical jargon. The huge motor assembly goes some way to making up for the cone\u2019s relatively small radiating area.ATC SCM40 ReviewThe cabinet is a nice, sensible size at 980x370x305mm, and as its name suggests, has an internal volume of 40 litres. Yet, that modestly sized bass driver and infinite baffle loading drop the sensitivity of the SCM40 down a bit. Designer Billy Woodman told me that the infinite baffle loading, \u201cgets control over the bass driver across its complete operating band, and in turn reduces non-linear distortion. The 12dB per octave rollout associated with an IB also provides a fantastic transient response, resulting in a bass that sounds tight, controlled and fully representative of the audio signal.\u201dIn today\u2019s world of powerful solid-state amplifiers, the SCM40\u2019s lowish (quoted) 85dB\/1w\/1m sensitivity isn\u2019t that big a deal \u2013 especially as its nominal impedance is said to be an amp-friendly 8 ohms \u2013 but you still need muscle to really tickle this speaker\u2019s transducers. ATC recommends amplifiers between 75 to 300W per channel. Quoted frequency response is 48Hz to 22kHz (-6dB), the relative lack of bass extension being a function of both cabinet loading and woofer size. The three-element crossover \u2013 comprising a low pass filter, bandpass filter and high pass filter \u2013 is simpler than expected and achievable because the drivers are designed around it, says Billy. The 31kg cabinet comes in a choice of four finishes and is beautifully made; few speakers at this price feel anywhere near as solid to the touch.ATC SCM40 ReviewThanks to the lack of a bass port, the SCM40 is easier to position in a listening room than you might think. I ran my review pair just 30cm from my rear wall, slightly toed in. A range of amplification was used, from a gutsy NAD 3155 integrated amp to my Sony TA-E86B\/TA-N86B pre-power in Class AB mode, putting out about 100W per side. A Cyrus CD Xt Signature silver disc transport was used, feeding a Chord Hugo TT2 DAC. I found this speaker needed a little more running in than is usual and sure likes a bit of power to really sing.THE LISTENINGATC speakers sound quite distinct, and the SCM40 is no exception. Let\u2019s get away from naive notions of great speakers being \u2018open windows on to the world\u2019, shall we because they all have their own sonic fingerprints. You can\u2019t call this floorstander perfectly tonally neutral, but it does have some extremely endearing traits that are hard not to love. Indeed, it\u2019s the sort of speaker that \u2013 once you\u2019ve heard it \u2013 reminds you what all its price rivals are getting wrong. It is exceptionally good at capturing the music\u2019s natural timing \u2013 for a box speaker of this price \u2013 and the result is a gutsy, feisty and gnarly sound that\u2019s about power and poise.ATC SCM40 ReviewIt has a relatively even frequency response, with no particular areas in the bass, midband or treble that stick out at you. Even better, every bit of the spectrum works in concert with every other; there\u2019s no sense of the bass arriving a little later than the treble, for example. The result is a cohesive, all-of-a-piece sound with precise image location. The speaker is very well integrated, tight, taut and together \u2013 so much so that you almost find yourself trying to provoke it into falling apart by playing ever more complex programme material.For example, spin up Dance on a Volcano by Genesis, and this slice of mid-nineteen seventies rock absolutely hits the spot. It\u2019s a dramatic sound with firecracker dynamics coming from Phil Collins\u2019 drum kit, which he smashes the hell out of from start to finish. Overlaid is the delicate but inspired guitar work of Steve Hackett, plus washes of keyboards, bass guitar, and vocals. It\u2019s a big, complex, multi-layered prog extravaganza, and the SCM40 absolutely loved it. I heard great scale, insight and detail, but most of all, I was beguiled by the bass.I can\u2019t think of any competitor that offers its combination of articulation and precision at the bottom end. It\u2019s gutsy, visceral, powerful, yet doesn\u2019t sound in the least bit overblown; it can start and stop with great alacrity; there\u2019s no sense of overhang. Instead, it integrates perfectly with what\u2019s going on further up the scale. The result is a sensation that\u2019s hard to describe, but when you switch over to one of the SCM40\u2019s reflex-loaded rivals, it almost seems like someone has added a touch of reverb to the recording, especially lower down. You lose that crunchy, tightly etched quality that\u2019s unique to a properly executed infinite baffle box loudspeaker. This is a joy to behold, and of course, is clear to hear with every type of programme material you choose to play.ATC SCM40 ReviewThe louche seventies soul sounds of Bobby Womack\u2019s Across 110 Street are a long way from the Genesis track in mood, but I could still hear this ATC speaker working its magic. More obvious here, though, was the SCM40\u2019s integration doing its stuff \u2013 everything in the mix fitted together hand-in-glove, or so it seemed. That meant a lovely central stereo image for the vocal line, with the different instrumentalists very clearly defined behind.I\u2019ve heard tonally sweeter renditions of this song but rarely hear more involving ones \u2013 the ATC isn\u2019t a sweet-sounding speaker, being too matter-of-fact for that. It won\u2019t sugar the musical pill, yet somehow this doesn\u2019t matter because it cuts to the musical heart of the matter, time after time. Some may find its tonality a little stark, but this is due to its naturally revealing nature. I found The Jam\u2019s Smithers Jones quite an ear-opener because the SCM40 reminded me about the low-fi nature of the track, yet it seemed to uncork the energetic fizz of the band at its best. This speaker\u2019s rendition of this new wave classic was visceral and gripping. It conveyed the sense of the band\u2019s immense power \u2013 something that often manifested as a kind of coiled spring, keeping the song under tension until the band hit a dynamic climax.The ATC had headroom and bandwidth to spare. I really ramped the power up on tracks like these, and the speaker got louder and louder with no complaint \u2013 indeed, it seemed to relish the challenge. It wasn\u2019t until I was virtually blowing plaster off my ceiling that this speaker seemed to start compressing things \u2013 and that\u2019s in my largish listening room, at least by UK standards. It\u2019s this combination of clarity, precision, insight and poise \u2013 allied to a really gutsy delivery \u2013 that makes the SCM40 special, at least to my ears.ATC SCM40 ReviewSo it\u2019s all perfect, and this is the best floorstander in the world, then? Well, I wouldn\u2019t say so because if you\u2019re a lover of natural instrumental timbre then the ATC is found a little wanting. To my ears, it imbues every recording it touches with a slight dryness \u2013 it\u2019s as if the colour saturation control is edged down slightly to make it tonally somewhat more black and white. With classic rock recordings \u2013 which are often quite dry anyway \u2013 this isn\u2019t a big deal, but musical genres like soul lose a little of their warm, inviting quality. I\u2019m thinking of Marvin Gaye\u2019s What\u2019s Going On here, for example. There\u2019s just a slight sense that it\u2019s not so sweet and sumptuous as it should be. It\u2019s not a profound sensation by any means \u2013 and some might even like it that way \u2013 but this speaker\u2019s midband tonality isn\u2019t the most full-flavoured all the same.The tweeter is very good in most respects, being fast, balanced and without any unpleasant facets to put you off listening. Yet, it doesn\u2019t quite have the finesse of some speakers at this price. A delicately struck hi-hat cymbal from Rush\u2019s Different Strings, for example, is superficially impressive with an etched and tactile \u2018wooden stick on metal\u2019 sound, yet there\u2019s a subtle loss of atmosphere in the treble all the same. Again, in the SCM40\u2019s defence, this is but a trifle because the track as a whole sounds wonderfully tight, powerful, engaging and emotive. It\u2019s only when compared to the best of the rest at its price \u2013 such as Acoustic Energy\u2019s AE520 \u2013 that it is found wanting.What this all boils down to is that the ATC has a \u2018pro\u2019 sound which you may love or hate. It\u2019s more dynamic, expressive and physical than most domestic speaker designs. It has much more of a live feel and gives a good taste of that thrill you experience when actually experiencing music as it\u2019s being made. Yet it\u2019s a little less \u2018house trained\u2019 than some rivals, lacking just a touch of finesse and delicacy of more domesticated designs. This is most evident with classical music, a genre whose emotion and power is well conveyed by the SCM40, but one that loses a little of its textural purity all the same. I loved hearing my Deutsche Grammophon pressing of Beethoven\u2019s Pastoral Symphony (Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic), for example, but it was for its power, scale, passion and stereo imaging precision, rather than the sweet sound of those massed strings or the atmosphere of the concert hall.THE VERDICTATC\u2019s SCM40 will either confirm your prejudices about \u2018pro\u2019 speakers or confirm your prejudices about domestic ones. Personally, I adore it for its accuracy, speed and insight \u2013 the way it strings the rhythmic elements of the mix together, punching out the music\u2019s emotion in a marvellously unconstrained way. You might call it a monster of rock, but it conveys the power and majesty of other musical genres just as well. It\u2019s one of my favourite compact floorstanders, but as ever with loudspeakers, it is a case of \u2018different strokes for different folks\u2019 \u2013 so do audition a pair if you possibly can.Visit ATC for more informationGalleryDavid Price's avatarDavid PriceDavid started his career in 1993 writing for Hi-Fi World and went on to edit the magazine for nearly a decade. He was then made Editor of Hi-Fi Choice and continued to freelance for it and Hi-Fi News until becoming StereoNET\u2019s Editor-in-Chief.Get the latest.Sign up to discover the best news and reviews from StereoNET UK in our FREE Newsletter.Posted in: Hi-Fi Loudspeakers Floor Standing Applause Awards 2021Tags: atc THE LATEST ster-img News Dan Clark Audio Announces Stealt... 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