ATC SCM 20 ASL Classic - The new 2-way active stand-mount loudspeaker

£6495

ATC SCM 20 ASL (Active)

Following up on his review of the passive SCM 20 SL back in January, Tarun Sharma - A British Audiophile - has reviewed the new active SCM20ASL on his You Tube channel.
The review was overwhelmingly positive and the SCM 20 ASL has been graded as 'Outstanding': ATC SCM 20 ASL Review by A British Audiophile
ATC have just launched the SCM 20 active stand mounts but without the uber fancy finishes of the 50th anniversary model they're a lot cheaper than the floor standing version as well despite having essentially the same parts
the SB75-150SL midwoofer is one of the finest transducers in existence the 150 mm 6-in driver contributes to about 40% of the weight of this speaker i go into details about the underhung voice coil massive superlinear motor structure and decoupling central 3-in dome in my review of the passive SCM 20s so I won't repeat it here
the SCM 20 ASLs are the cheapest active speakers to feature ATC's S-spec 25mm 1-in tweeter: the same SH25-76S driver is used right up to the range topping SCM 300 ASL T's that sell for £52,000 a pair
there is the ability to adjust the bass from - 2 to + 3 dB and alter the input sensitivity each driver has its own dedicated amplifier with a 200 W MOSFET class AB amp driving the midwoofer and a 50W one for the tweeter; the crossover is at 2,200 hertz with a second order Linquitz Riley slope
Sound quality: what I loved about the passive ATC SCM 20s that I reviewed at the beginning of this year was the mid-range presentation: the combination of detail body and texture is the best that I've heard up till now
the active versions of the SCM 20s are maybe just a tiny bit cleaner in the mids -it's hard to say without having them both here at the same time because it's a close call. but what the self-powered versions definitely have going for them is a more dynamic tighter bass and airier top end. it's nice that you can fine-tune the bass to suit your tastes and room as well
the fact that sealed boxes roll off more slowly than ported designs, all help to get more bass extension than the stated 55 Hz at - 6dB: I suspect the SCM 20s were digging down to the mid-40s in my room
the passive version of the SCM 20s retail for 4K and that leaves you 2 and a half K to spend on a power amp, not an integrated. there are some power amps that may get you close such as ATC's own P1 power amp that's similar to the one used in the Actives to power the midwoofer
I doubt you'll get the same fidelity and control through any passive combination I can think of for 6 grand. that's the benefit of a proper active solution there's just significantly less loss through the crossover
if you want to hear clarity sound stage and imaging get them well away from room boundaries, as you can see behind me. I wound up with a fairly conventional position with regards to towin the speakers pointing just wide of my shoulders
in terms of grip control and overall fidelity, especially in the mid-range, I don't think you're going to get there for 6 1/2 grand for speakers and amplification, even with the Synergy god smiling, and that's why the ATC SCM 20 ASLs get an "outstanding" from this channel

SCM 20 ASL Classic

The new SCM 20 ASL Classic is a 2-way active stand-mount loudspeaker and is the ideal choice in modestly sized rooms where outstanding musical reproduction is the goal.

Its sealed cabinet design ensures exceptionally well controlled bass, even in smaller spaces and/or when located close to walls. The bass driver, HF driver and amplifier are all designed and manufactured in-house by ATC and to the highest standards to form a system that can’t be matched by equivalent passive systems.

ATC SCM 20 ASL Classic cherry pair - side and back view

The bass driver is a 6”/150mm part with large 3”/75mm voice coil and short-coil (long-gap) motor assembly featuring ATC’s proprietary ‘SL’ motor technology which, reduces distortion in the upper bass and mid-range. High frequency reproduction is handled by an ATC 1”/25mm soft-dome part featuring a dual-suspension and very high energy 2.1 tesla motor.

ATC SCM 20 ASL Classic satin rosewood finish

rosewood satin finish

Integrating the two drive units is a precision active crossover which feeds a pair of class A/B MOSFET power amplifiers. The crossover operates at line-level maximising efficiency, plus the inclusion of an all-pass-filter results in improved timing and tonal balance through the crossover region.

One power amplifier is dedicated to each drive unit and their performance and power output is carefully tailored to the driver demands and the musical elements they reproduce.

Input to the loudspeaker is via rear panel mounted balanced XLR (but the input can be driven from an un-balanced output if needed). There are user controls for input sensitivity and low frequency shelf cut/boost. The input sensitivity control allows the user to tailor the input gain to suit their source/pre-amplifier combination, reducing noise and optimising volume control operation. The low frequency shelf control gives the user the option to subtly adjust the bass response to suit their room, loudspeaker postion, and/or their personal taste.

The new SCM 20 ASL Classic cabinet features a combination of bracing for stiffness and damping to supress resonance and is available in a wide range of real wood veneers, satin black or white painted finishes and high gloss lacquers.

burr magnolia glossy finish

Retail Prices (per pair inc. VAT):
Standard veneers/finishes, £6495: black ash, cherry, walnut, oak, satin black, satin white.
Premium veneers, £7295: rosewood, burr magnolia, pippy oak, european crown cut.
Add high gloss lacquer over veneer, £1595.
Piano black/white, £7845.

glossy finishes

satin premium finishes

satin standard finishes

ATC SCM 20 ASL Classic Features:

2-way active system within a compact 20-litre sealed cabinet.
ATC 195mm Super Linear midbass driver loaded in a compact sealed cabinet.
ATC 25mm Dual Suspension ‘S-Spec’ tweeter.
On-board ATC active 250W ‘Amp Pack’ module.
Balanced input and 2nd order Linkwitz-Riley active crossovers.
User adjustable input sensitivity and bass shelf controls.
2 x class A/B MOSFET power amplifiers, 200W Mid/Bass and 50W high frequency.
Hand-built in England.
6-year warranty.


`25mm Dual Suspension ‘S-Spec’ Tweeter`	`195mm 'SL' Super Linear Mid/Bass`

Specifications

Acoustic Specifications
o Drivers: LF ATC 195mm Super Linear (SB75-150SL 8Ω), HF ATC 25mm Dual-Suspension ‘S-Spec’ tweeter (SH25-76S 6Ω)
o Low Frequency Cut-off: 55Hz (-6dB, anechoic)
o High Frequency Cut-off: 25kHz (-6dB)
o Crossover Point: 2.2kHz
o MaxSPL: 108dB continuous, 114dB peak (per pair, IEC Weighted Pink Noise, 1m, anechoic)
o Sensitivity: +4dBu rev 95dBC (Bass Boost 0dB, Input Sensitivity 1V, Pink noise)

Electronic Specifications
o Balanced Input: 1 x Rear Panel Mounted Female XLR, pin 2 hot
o Input Impedance: 20kΩ (differential)
o Input CMRR: >60dB (10kHz)
o Input Sensitivity: 2.2dBu/1Vrms for full powerInput Sensitivity Control: -6dB switchable, -6dB variable. Total adjustment 2.2dBu/1Vrms to 14.2dBu/4Vrms
o Bass Shelf: -2dB to +3dB, switchable in 1dB steps
o Crossover Filters: 2nd Order Linkwitz Riley
o All-pass filter stage included in order to optimise the Phase response through the crossover region, resulting in superior tonal balance and imaging
o Amplifier type: Grounded Source MOSFET, class A/B, convection cooled
o Output Power: Bass 200W (8Ω), H.F. 50W (8Ω)
o THD+N: <0.0017%/-95dB (1kHz, 1dB below rated power, 90kHz BW)
o Frequency Response: <2Hz to >200kHz (-3dB)
o Limiter: ATC Active FET Momentary Gain Reduction
o Electronic amp protection: Amplifier d.c. offset and over-temperature (both indicated by rear panel LED)
o Mains Input: 220-230V or 115V, factory set. Please observe rear panel markings and labels!
o Power Consumption: Idle 26W/41VA, 1/8th Power 116W/161VA, Full Power 312W/398VA
o Heat Output: Idle 89BTU/hr, 1/8th Power 311BTU/hr, Full Power 382BTU/hr

Physical Specifications
o Dimensions: 450 x 250 x 361mm. Handles add an additional 50mm to depth (see diagram)
o Weight: 24.3kg (per cabinet)


Datasheet	Manual


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ATC SCM 20 ASL Classic NEW!

ATC SCM 20 ASL (Active)