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zarquon's ATC System |
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| Last Update: July 05, 2003 at 03:47:09 | IP Address: 217.39.98.253 |
| Amplifier: | Power amp: ATC SPA2-150 200W/channel into 8 ohms |
| Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): | ATC SCA-2. Good connectivity - 8 inputs, some balanced. Uses mostly discrete components and is very transparent. Includes phono stage option. |
| Speakers: | ATC SCM35 - floorstanders, new July 2003. Cherry veneer finish, 35 litres. Tri-wirable 3 way, with crossovers at 380Hz and 2.8kHz. 85dB/W at 1m. Max SPL 112dB. Relatively smooth output in my room 25Hz-20kHz, with output to below 20Hz. Very low distortion and good dispersion. These are true monitor-quality speakers. They use the famous ATC mid-range soft dome transducer. Bass is tight and tuneful - I can't stand boomy bass. |
| Sources: | |
| CD Player/DAC: | Densen B400XS. Dynamic and musical |
| Turntable/Phono Stage: | Michell Orbe with Helius arm and Lyra Lydian beta cartridge |
| Other Source(s): | Revox B760 FM tuner - old, but one of the best. HHB CDR830 CDR-R/W burner/player - excellent copies on computer CDR blanks. Pioneer CTS610 - so I can still play my old tapes |
| Other Accessories/Room/Misc.: | |
| Speaker Cables/Interconnects: | Speaker cables - Nordost Red Dawn rev2 biwire. Interconnects CD-Pre = Nordost Valhalla. Other interconnects: various including Nordost Red Dawn and Blue Heaven, and DIY made using silver wire loose in PTFE tubing, twisted pair, Eichmann Bullet plugs |
| Other (Power Conditioner, Racks etc.): | Equipment stands - Target beta with glass shelves. Mains cables: DIY solid core copper in PTFE, braided - clean and dynamic across the spectrum - some of the best I have heard, and at relatively low cost (£10 materials cost per unit). Also 2 metal-clad 6-way power blocks, wired as above. |
| Tweaks: | Nordost Ti pulsar points under CD player. DIY rollerballs (Tungsten carbide in aluminium alloy cups) under speakers and pre-amp. DIY pulsar point clones under power amp. |
| Room Size (LxWxH): | 8m x 5m x 2.5m |
| Room Comments/Treatments: | Well furnished living room with thick carpet, sofas, bookcases etc, rug on one wall to reduce reflections. |
| Music Preferences and Comments: | |
| Music Used (Genre/Selections): | About 1000CDs, 200LPs, 70% classical, from Bach to Stockhausen. Main preference for 20C music, especially Shostakovich, Messiaen, but also love Bach. Non-classical is a good mixture: Rock / pop / dance / jazz / blues / electronic. I have fairly broad tastes! |
| System Goals/Comments: | High fidelity - in the strict sense. Too many systems, in my opinion, have components selected to offset one set of colourations with another. ATC is a UK company that is best known for studio monitors, and supplies both the pro and domestic markets. The ATC SCM35s are a bargain, IMO, at £2000. |
| System Strengths: | Clarity, dynamics, neutrality, realism. The ATC amps and speakers are a perfect match. This is not a warm cosy system - it tells you what is in the recording without adding much of its own character. |
| System Weaknesses: | The equipment supports are the weakest part at present. Two 4-shelf Target beta stands. I am currently thinking about an upgrade here, including DIY, but there are so many options! |
| Video/HT System: Separate | |
| TV/Projector: | Old Sony 4x3 TV, 25 inch |
| Sources (DVD/VCR): | Pioneer DV444 DVD multi-region player Sony SLV-SE710 VCR |
| Comments on HT System: | As you can see, I am not really into fancy HT yet. I am waiting for good flat displays to become available at reasonable prices (ha!). |
| Other Interests/Hobbies/Occupation: | Science and technology (I am a semi-retired UK-based physicist and spent all my working life in optical fibre communications and optoelectronics research). Audio tweaks and DIY, photography, computing, reading sci-fi and crime novels, walking, travelling abroad. |