Looking for nearfield passive speakers that are warm and rich


I really like my ATC Scm7s that I use at my desk but I want something warmer, richer more bassy. Something that does well with vocals and jazz.

 

Budget is $5000.  They are being driven by arc ref5se and pass x350.8, dac is denafrips terminator. Thanks.

smodtactical

Showing 3 responses by lonemountain

Might I ask which era ATC SCM7’s you own that sound too hot on the top end? Older SCM 7s using pre 2000 VIFA tweeters can indeed sound bright. THose older tweeters can bite back and sound harsh. Post 2001 SEAS tweeter versions of SCM 7s are less "harsh" but all eras of these OEM tweeters are ferrofluid cooled. Most 10 year old ferrofluid tweeters have lost their ferrofluid long ago. You might look into restoring this ferrofluid and seeing how this changes the tweeter behavior. ATCs built since the new ATC tweeters were implemented are definitely not overly bright unless the source electronics are.

Brad -ATC USA Importer

 

 

Okay, these SCM7V3’s are not inherently bright. BUT they can be under certain conditions that would also affect any speaker.  The SCM7 V3 speaker is spectrally well balanced and measures very low in distortion. 

This is a case where experimenting with EQ would be a useful avenue to try, for what it shows you. If rolling off the HF manually does not help, and you can experiment with at what frequency [and above] gives you results, you can find the thing in the room that emphasizes this band. This is how we do it in the studio business, find what (in the room) causes the artifact and fix it. These kind of problems are often an interaction of the speaker with something else. Room acoustics, materials in the room or a unique signal chain can cause such issues. Changing speakers is sometimes equivalent to treating the symptom not the cause.

There is something you are sensitive to behind this, the question is what? My vote, knowing a lot about the speaker, is it’s not the speaker but one of these

1) a HF boosted acoustical environment,

2) bright signal chain,

3) bright cables,

4) source material (such as older recordings) that lacks low end and creates the perception of "thin" or bright.

These kind of problems are best solved through a process of elimination. Find out what it isn’t, then keep going until you find something that changes your perception. If I was there, I would, in the following order: 1) move the speakers, 2) move your listening position, 3) switch cables, 4) try a different source you know is excellent, (like Fleetwood Mac, Rumours), 5) try a different signal chain (even a cheap one). Usually, such a list of tests will give you information that will lead to a solution.

Brad

 

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OK, understood.  If you want to stick with ATC, the SCM 11 would definitely be perceived as "warmer" than a SCM 7.  I think it's the warmest speaker ATC makes and is very pleasant at all times.  The SCM 19 would not judged as warmer, but would have more LF extension and more resolution.

Brad