ATC SCM 40 mk2 vs Salk Song3 Encore

Wow @b_limo Are you for real? With your attitude, you’ve just lost all credibility.

whoops! I just read some of K’s posts, And I get where you are coming from! Not worth any of our time.

jjss49 is correct in assessment of the two brands and obviously a bit of a cheerleader for the active ATCs.  So am I, but then it's not my system to listen to.  I've the ATC SCM 40A and have unabashedly touted their talents of immediacy, dynamics and accuracy.

If you go with the ATC passive, jjss49 is completely correct that upstream is particularly salient.  You need lots and lots of clean strong stable current to hold them together.

@m669326

the musical fidelity a308 should be fine in terms of power output, it should also match well with the atc scm40 sonically as the a308 treble is slightly rolled off with no grain... with atc’s what one is most afraid of is 'classic' solid state sonic artifacts of sibilance, grain and leanness of tone, which the atc’s will neither hide or beautify

the importance of source quality feeding the atc’s is high as well, not just the amp... digital distortion artifacts will also be played through... i don’t know that $400 dac you have... there are good ones and there are bad ones... generally speaking, one of the slightly warmer sounding dacs would mate better with the a308 ---> atc 40 system you are assembling...

good luck have fun

Thanks!

I've listened to both extensively, and I've had the Song 3 Encores in my room. (a friends pair).

I also really like both ATC and Salk Speakers.  I've not owned ATC's, though I would consider them.

I've owned Salk SS8's, and now own Salk SS12's.

Both are going to measure pretty darn flat and neutral.  

I feel the Encores will actually play a bit lower and give you a little more bottom end.  They also MIGHT have a little more top end sparkle with that Be tweeter (I normally do not like Be tweeters, but Jim Salk, along with Revel are the two companies that I've heard where they managed to tame the brightness).

Midrange - both are quite good and accurate. Neither speaker is going to be super forgiving.

Ironically, they are more alike than different IMO.  If you don't have/use a subwoofer, I would point towards the Salks.  Both have really nice cabinets, though with Salk you will get a custom cabinet that you can pick.

My note would be the following, and as mentioned before.  IF I were to get ATC's, I really think their active speakers would be the way to go.  I've heard the 50's at a show both active and passive with a nice amp.  The actives had a crazy amount of "jump".  I really liked them.

I like bass and I do not like subwoofers with 2 channel if I can avoid it.  

If I could afford them, I would be really tempeted to get the 100's or 150's in active form.  

If you like changing and trying new amps and pre-amp's out, want a custom finish etc I would highly recommend Salk.

IF you want active speakers, it's hard to go wrong with the ATC's.