ATC Audio speakers

Welcome to ATC

31 August 2022

We are thrilled to announce that we have added ATC Audio to our brand partners at Adventures in Hi-fi.

ATC (Acoustic Transducer Company) is a British engineering company formed in 1974 by Billy Woodman to manufacture custom drive units for the professional audio industry. Throughout the five decades since, ATC has kept steadfastly to its founder’s aims of building loudspeakers and audio electronics that employ the most effective of modern engineering principles. As a result, ATC is now one of the world’s most respected pro audio loudspeaker manufacturers.

We start our ATC journey with the two reference models from ATC’s Entry range – SCM40 and SCM40A (active) on demonstration:

SCM40

SCM40A (active)

ATC SCM 40

 

We have been really impressed with the performance of both of these models even as they continue to run in.

SCM40A is a 3-way active, relatively compact floorstander with three integral power amplifiers (and an active crossover) in each enclosure: 150W bass, 60W midrange and 25W tweeter. It is a fantastic solution for anyone looking to reduce power amplifier boxes, with separate source(s)/preamplifier or integrated streamer/preamp such as Linn DSM, Naim NAC 272, MOON 390, etc.

And coming soon to the shop we have:

SCM50 (active and passive)

 

atc-scm50sl-classic-oak

ATC Audio

Striving to build loudspeakers and audio electronics that employ the most effective of modern engineering principles has meant far more than keeping up with or even ahead of the competition. It has meant striving to make loudspeakers as near perfection in their performance as it is possible to make them. All ATC products are built to provide nothing less than the best sound reproduction money can buy and to meet the challenge of the latest digital recording technology.

ATC quickly made its mark with the 12″ PA75-314 driver, a design capable of handling more power and producing less distortion at a higher sound pressure level than any other unit on the market.

1976 saw the first production of the ground-breaking SM 75-150s soft dome midrange driver, a technical tour-de-force, whose innovative up-scaled design reproduced a more uniform dispersion, wider bandwidth and much lower distortion than was thought possible at the time. It revolutionised studio monitoring and has since become recognised as the ultimate mid-range transducer for both domestic and professional applications. Utilising exotic materials and precision tolerances, the latest version of the SM 75-150s represents the apex of drive unit technology. It is often copied but never equalled.

The next decade witnessed the introduction of complete speaker systems and further versions of the high power PA drive units used in OEM form by many leading manufacturers and performers – Pink Floyd and Supertramp were early customers. During this period ATC researched and developed the first active system elements, introducing the EC23 Active Crossover with built in phase correction.

Having established a market for reference quality precision-made monitors, a succession of smaller ATC speakers then evolved, ranging from SCM7s through 10s and 20s. Available in both active and passive versions, they offered elite ATC performance and reliability to many new customers.

1996 welcomed the launch of ATC’s first stand alone audiophile electronics. Both SCA2 pre-amplifier, SPA2-150 power amplifier and later the SIA2-150 were built according to ATC’s no compromise philosophy, achieving performance figures that still rank as among the best available.

In the same year Billy Woodman and his research team developed an innovative new driver topology designed to eliminate the effects of magnetic hysteresis as a significant source of distortion in loudspeaker drive units. Utilising a new material from the communications industry, ATC’s Super Linear (SL) driver reduced third harmonic distortion by 10-15dB between 100Hz and 3kHz. Arguably the most significant development in transducer design in the last 15 years, SL technology epitomises ATC’s commitment to sound quality. The SL drivers’ accuracy in reproducing piano and male vocals remains unique.

Through ATC’s commitment to multi-channel mastering and its direct involvement with leading players in the professional audio industry including Sony Music and Telarc, ATC’s products are installed at some of the world’s most prestigious multi-channel studios and auditoria. Wherever the best is required,  you will find ATC.