haha... Just stumbled across this thread to read the comments on the ATC Active 20s I just bought. I know something that is certain is that these speakers are very far from sharp, in fact it kinda sound laid back on many recordings and forward on just as many recordings which goes to show how transparent and neutral they are. I for one am very okay with rising treble response ermm.... take for example I have many B&O active loudspeakers and kinda like their crisp voicing. The ATCs may sound very light weight on most recordings but it sure doesn't mean that it has a shallow bass response- sometimes when I watch movies with them, they surprise me with their strength and speed in the deep bass region. They managed to add lots of texture to the bass region and that says a lot about the quality of the bass.
With those being said, I think the ATCs are not perfect- they are just not as fun and enjoyable as normal hifi speakers.
With those being said, I think the ATCs are not perfect- they are just not as fun and enjoyable as normal hifi speakers.