I suspect that people either love ATC or hate them although most people have probably not heard them (it is extremely rare to walk into a hi-end store and see a pair of SCM100's (lets face it - they are old school ugly box speakers). Also ATC do not advertise in audio magazines and their sweetspot is really in professional circles (not consumer audio) where audio engineers want the truth (no candy coating) and sales are by word of mouth (have you heard so-and-so's great setup).
I first heard ATC in 1996 and while there are many comparable speakers for sound quality at lower SPL levels there is very little (if anything) that can touch ATC's clean low distortion delivery at higher SPL's. Listening to these speakers is like having the drum set with you in the room (if you so desire and I understand not many people care for this kind of adrenaline rush and assault on the ears).
In a nutshell, I think ATC brings the commonly available great soundstage, imaging, natural, wide dispersion, clean, neutral, detailed and low distortion sound (that you find in very many good quality audiophile speakers) but with the added benefit of realistic concert live instrument SPL's and extreme dynamics. ATC build some of the largest voice coils and drive motors available in the world.
I first heard ATC in 1996 and while there are many comparable speakers for sound quality at lower SPL levels there is very little (if anything) that can touch ATC's clean low distortion delivery at higher SPL's. Listening to these speakers is like having the drum set with you in the room (if you so desire and I understand not many people care for this kind of adrenaline rush and assault on the ears).
In a nutshell, I think ATC brings the commonly available great soundstage, imaging, natural, wide dispersion, clean, neutral, detailed and low distortion sound (that you find in very many good quality audiophile speakers) but with the added benefit of realistic concert live instrument SPL's and extreme dynamics. ATC build some of the largest voice coils and drive motors available in the world.