Passive vs Active ATC Pro Monitors in a Lejonklou system

We use the Tune Method to evaluate performance

Moderator: Staff

Post Reply
snatex
Active Member
Active Member
Posts: 64
Joined: 2020-04-29 18:53

Passive vs Active ATC Pro Monitors in a Lejonklou system

Post by snatex »

Any opinions on how the Tundra Monos do with ATC passive speakers? ATC recommends 75-300w of amplification, input sensitivity is listed at 85, and most people seem to think they perform better with significant power. Has anyone tried the Tundra Monos with SCM20PSL Pro or other ATC passive monitors? Anyone compared them to other well liked passive monitors like Harbeth, Graham, and Linn?

Most people seem to greatly prefer the active ATC’s like the SCM20ASL. Though most are probably not using great amps like the Tundra Mono with their passives. Any thoughts on how going directly from Sagatun Monos to active ATC’s would be vs using Tundra Monos with Passive ATCs? Anyone compare the active ATC SCM20ASL to the JBL 708’s?
LP12 / Entity / Sagatun Monos / Tundra Monos / Harbeth M30.1 / Rythmik E22's
lindsayt
Active member
Active member
Posts: 146
Joined: 2010-08-30 19:06
Location: UK

Re: Passive vs Active ATC Pro Monitors in a Lejonklou system

Post by lindsayt »

ATC speakers start to get good from the 50's upwards. Their smaller speakers sound pants - relatively speaking.

ATC SCM50's are the sort of speakers where many owners are happy with them, but they are not everyone's cup of tea.

Using tune demo, they are OK, but not that good compared to other large or huge speakers you can get for less money.
The 50's are good for detail retrieval in the midrange, but their bass isn't tuneful when compared, for example to speakers with high quality 12" woofers in large sealed boxes. And the midrange of the 50's lacks the dynamic freedom of well engineered high efficiency speakers - which detracts from the ATC tunefulness.

ATC 50's appeal to left brain listeners. The people that like to sit there and analyse the music. How it was recorded, what instruments are being used etc.
Tunedem is a left and right brain listening activity. The logical half of the brain and the emotional half of brain.

I've not found any speakers of the tiny size of the ATC 20's that I'd rate as good (on my demanding scale) from a tunedem point of view.
Small speakers should be bought on the basis of needing something small for domestic harmony. And from there it's a case of getting something listenable.

Harbeth speakers are even more let brain than the ATC's. There's a joke about Harbeths:
If you've got Harbeths, throw them on the bonfire... On second thoughts don't do that, as they'll suck the life out of the bonfire.
matthias
Very active member
Very active member
Posts: 2092
Joined: 2007-12-25 16:47
Location: Germany

Re: Passive vs Active ATC Pro Monitors in a Lejonklou system

Post by matthias »

snatex wrote: 2022-01-08 06:55 Any opinions on how the Tundra Monos do with ATC passive speakers?
ThomasOK compared his active ATC100s to passive ones with TM and found the later combo superior.
I am sure he will chime in, if not send him a PM.
Matt

MBP / Exposure pre + power (both modified) / JBL3677
matthias
Very active member
Very active member
Posts: 2092
Joined: 2007-12-25 16:47
Location: Germany

Re: Passive vs Active ATC Pro Monitors in a Lejonklou system

Post by matthias »

snatex wrote: 2022-01-08 06:55 Anyone compare the active ATC SCM20ASL to the JBL 708’s?
Some logical conclusions:
1,) IIUC, jajo preferred 708Ps to JBL3677
2.)ThomasOK preferred JBL3677 to ATC100 active
3.)ATC100A might be superior to ATC20A

>>>708P are much superior to ATC20A :-)
Matt

MBP / Exposure pre + power (both modified) / JBL3677
User avatar
ThomasOK
Very active member
Very active member
Posts: 4358
Joined: 2007-02-02 18:41
Location: United States
Contact:

Re: Passive vs Active ATC Pro Monitors in a Lejonklou system

Post by ThomasOK »

matthias wrote: 2022-01-08 23:41
snatex wrote: 2022-01-08 06:55 Any opinions on how the Tundra Monos do with ATC passive speakers?
ThomasOK compared his active ATC100s to passive ones with TM and found the later combo superior.
I am sure he will chime in, if not send him a PM.
I did own the ATC SCM100ASL for some time and overall was quite happy with them (this was before the new tweeter which I never heard with them). But I wondered for some time about how good the ATC amps in the active speakers could be compared to Lejonklou. After some searching I found a used pair of perfect condition ATC 100 passive crossovers with the back panels, binding posts and links. I purchased them and swapped them in for the ATC amp/crossover pack to find that the passive version with Tundra Monos was easily musically superior. I also found that the TMs could play as loud as I needed to in my smallish living room. From that point on I ran them passive until I bought the JBL 3677s, which I felt were musically superior, if lacking the deep bass power of the ATCs. I popped the active amp packs back in and had no problem selling the ATC 100s. I then ran the 3677s for several years until I stumbled upon the Quad ESL speakers I now use. I did have a pair of the 308P mk1s (now owned by another forum member) and thought they were very good. I did not like them as well as my Quads but they surprised me how close they were to the Quads musically - probably closer than the 3677s but it is not a comparison I was ever able to make. So I think matthias' extrapolation likely makes perfect sense. I believe I did a more thorough writeup of the ATC active to passive conversion on here, probably in the My System section.
The LP12 Whisperer
Manufacturer, Distributor, Retailer and above all lover of music.
Post Reply