hcl wrote:ThomasOK wrote:hcl wrote:
ATC have the power amps also as stand alone units. If you are correct in your judgements they should be better than Solos or maybe it is the active configuration that compensates for the lower performance of the ATC amps?
Possibly, but there can be a significant difference between a general purpose amp and one designed to drive a specific driver with a limited bandwidth.
Are the amps different for each driver (apart from the filters ...)? The built in amps may share a common PSU. Anyone keen to share some knowledge?
I'm glad this got split off as we were way off topic.
I have a couple more comments about the ATC amps. First of all the three amps in the ATC active speakers are different. The bass amp is 200 watts, the midrange amp is 100 watts and the tweeter amp is 50 watts (in their monster speakers with two bass drivers it is 375, 200 and 100 and they have a different tweeter that handles more power). Unlike Linn where the 55 watt amp is not of the same quality as the 110 watt amp (rated at 8 ohms) the three ATC amps are supposed to be of the same quality and the same design but just with the power output tailored to the driver. They are all driven from the same power supply (as are the amps in Linn Aktiv speakers although some models use two or three PS units to cover the current needed). I am not aware of any other optimization of the amps for the individual drivers except for protection circuits but ATC doesn't go into design specs a whole lot.
The other question I avoided earlier is the quality of ATCs separate power amps. I have never heard one so I don't know how good they are - they might be really good. But, again, you do have to design a full range am that needs to drive a wide range of speakers differently than what you might do for an amp that drives a limited range when you know the characteristics (impedance, power handling, phase characteristics, etc.) of the drivers it will drive. I am not saying that this is what they do but others have made limited range amps that they say could not be made if they had to be full range.
Bottom line, whatever they are doing it sounds really good to me. But I certainly would be glad to try a Lejonklou crossover and a six pack of Tundra Monos! I sent Fredrik the crossover characteristics but I'm not holding my breath.