Bookshelf Speaker Recommendations ($1000 - $2500 and $2500 - $5000 range discussion)

[Send Margaritas]

Got the Acoustic Transducer Company (ATC) SCM7 today. ... The SCM7 are great sounding speakers.

Nice review. I see they made it into the speaker sig pic already too!

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Nice review. I see they made it into the speaker sig pic already too!

The ATC speakers are definitely keepers!

 

[TLS Guy]

Got the Acoustic Transducer Company (ATC) SCM7 today. They were wrapped in white cloth bags, packed with foams, and double-boxed. Very nice packing.

They are placed on 42" speaker stands in my family room, hooked to the Adcom speaker selector #4 (#3 is Phil3, #2 is Focal 826V, #1 is Dynaudio X32). The speakers are powered by my Denon 3312 in 2.1 Stereo mode, no EQ, DSP, or Audyssey RC. XO set to 80Hz. Speakers set to Small. Sub mode set to LFE.

All speakers share four Velodyne SC-600 subs (unpowered 10" subs), which are powered by an ATI AT2004 amp.

I listened to my usual music like Yo-Yo Ma/ Ennio Morriscone, Anne-Sophie Mutter/ Beethoven, Inception OST, Dark Knight Rises OST, Dave Mathews/ Tim Reynolds Radio City Hall, Phil3 Demo CD.

My impression is that the ATC speakers sound fantastic.

The midrange is detailed and and crystal clear, treble is smooth, and soundstage is wide and deep. In 2.1 mode w/ my 4 Velodyne, they sound like giant towers.

Afterwards, I tried to test their dynamics with some karaoke.

I like songs such as Chris Cornel's "You Know My Name" from Casino Royale because they beg me to scream and shout into the microphone.

The ATC sound great with karaoke as well.

BTW, I have sang karaoke with the Focal, Dynaudio, and Phil3 as well.

So in conclusion, I think the ATC SCM7 are excellent sounding bookshelf speakers. I don't know if they sound like their $85,000 flagship speakers, but since they are built in-house in the same factory in England and share the basic same technology (sans the higher end components ) I bet some trickled-down benefits are at play. The SCM7 are great sounding speakers.

Nice review.

Those little SCM 7s are among the very few commercial speakers I could happily live with.

I have never had the chance to hear them with a sub.

I think they are very representative of the sound of the ATC range.

Those are the speakers among all his designs, that Billy Woodman selected for his personal use in his home. I think that says a lot about his satisfaction with those little speakers.

They have the perfect roll off characteristics for a THX speaker system for most domestic situations.

If you are looking for speakers in the $1000 per pair range, those speakers should be well at the top if not the top of the list regardless of size.

Outside of professional circles ATC does not have significant name recognition, which is a pity. In professional circles ATC speakers garner enormous respect.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Siegfried Linkwitz wrote that great sounding speakers will not only sound great when you listen in the sweet spot; they will also sound great even when you listen in another room away from the speakers.

I can say these ATC speakers sound great when I was in the family room; and they still sound great when I was in the kitchen, formal living, and formal dinning room.

Seems rather odd to say something like that. But I have to agree with Linkwitz.

 

[TLS Guy]

Siegfried Linkwitz wrote that great sounding speakers will not only sound great when you listen in the sweet spot; they will also sound great even when you listen in another room away from the speakers.

I can say these ATC speakers sound great when I was in the family room; and they still sound great when I was in the kitchen, formal living, and formal dinning room.

Seems rather odd to say something like that. But I have to agree with Linkwitz.

Gilbert Briggs, founder of Wharfedale first drew attention to the importance of listening to speakers in distant room back in the fifties. All my speakers get that evaluation. It is a highly sensitive tip off to problems.

If you play a good piano recording for instance, from a distant room it should sound like someone laying a piano in a distant room. The human voice especially speech is another good test. Very few speakers pass this test with any resemblance of realism.

 

[Matt34]

ADTG,

Can you post a pic of the ATC with your other speakers for a size comparison? I know they are small but a visual would help.

Thanks

 

[cschang]

Gilbert Briggs, founder of Wharfedale first drew attention to the importance of listening to speakers in distant room back in the fifties. All my speakers get that evaluation. It is a highly sensitive tip off to problems.

If you play a good piano recording for instance, from a distant room it should sound like someone laying a piano in a distant room. The human voice especially speech is another good test. Very few speakers pass this test with any resemblance of realism.

I once brought my speakers into a shop to compare to other speakers.

As the rep and I were listening, the shop owner came out and asked what was going on...and said it sounded like a live performance from his office, and praised the speakers because if it.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

ADTG,

Can you post a pic of the ATC with your other speakers for a size comparison? I know they are small but a visual would help.

Thanks

Sure. Will try today after work.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Some pics of the ATC, Focal, Dynaudio, and Philharmonic.

Oh, man, I just realize I forgot to take off the grilles. That's for another day. Chores to be done.

 

[ahblaza]

I think you need a bigger speaker selector box....

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I think you need a bigger speaker selector box....

I need to stop buying speakers.

 

[3db]

I suggest the PSB Imagine Mini

PSB Imagine Mini Loudspeakers

 

[KEW]

I need to stop buying speakers.

I need to only buy two pairs of speakers next year

Fixed it for you...baby steps!

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Fixed it for you...baby steps!

I need a Speaker Transdermal Patch, like the Nicotine Transdermal Patch.

 

[cpp]

I need a Speaker Transdermal Patch, like the Nicotine Transdermal Patch.

No, your wife needs to pull your chain and stop your madness and go on and give her that new house she wants, then you can buy more pretty speakers

 

[GranteedEV]

I need to stop buying speakers.

I think that much was established around when you only had KEFs, Orions, and Revels..

 

[3db]

I need to stop buying speakers.

Don't you feel bad cheating on your speakers?

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

No, your wife needs to pull your chain and stop your madness and go on and give her that new house she wants, then you can buy more pretty speakers

I'm the one who wants the big new custom house!

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Don't you feel bad cheating on your speakers?

Not really.

 

[scattershot]

Anyone here have a chance to compare KEF's to the speakers below?
Any thoughts on if the KEF's rival any of the recommended one's below?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----- High-End Bookshelf Speakers (between $2500 to $5000)

The only reason why I am even considering any speakers in this price range are because:
a) KEW mentions that a Beryllium tweeter is a big deal in terms of performance:
Notes from auditioning speakers
A speaker whose MSRP is $3500 I may be able to get street price for $2500 (which is the upper limit of my price for each pair of bookshelf speakers in my 5.1/5.2 setup).

----- The Contenders’: -----

• RBH Signature Classic Reference Series 61-SE/R ($2750 a pair MSRP):
RBH 61-SE/R Bookshelf Speaker
RBH Sound Signature SE/R Series Review — Reviews and News from Audioholics

• Paradigm's Signature S2 v3’s ($3600 a pair MSRP):
Signature S2 - Welcome to the New Official Paradigm® Website.

• Focal Electra 1008 Be ($5000 a pair MSRP):
Focal Electra 1008 Be: high end bookshelf hifi loudspeakers


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----- Mid-Range Bookshelf Speakers (between $1000 to $2500)

(Originally this was the sweet spot, e.g. “best bang for buck” pricing I was looking for.
It is my hope that the brand new SVS Ultra’s will be amongst the best value in this sector so I eagerly await its reviews and comparisons.

----- The Contenders’: -----

• RBH Signature SX Reference Series SX-61/R ($1900 a pair MSRP):
Bookshelf: RBH SX-61/R Bookshelf Speaker
RBH Sound SX-61/R Bookshelf Speakers Video Review — Reviews and News from Audioholics
RBH Sound SX-61/R Bookshelf Speakers Video Review

• Paradigm's Studio 20 v5’s ($1600 a pair MSRP):
Studio 20 - Welcome to the New Official Paradigm® Website.

• Focal Solo6 Be Monitors ($2200 a pair MSRP):
Solo6 Be studio speaker. Focal Professional studio monitor loudspeakers

----- Other Model’s of Interest (Perhaps Honorable Mentions): ----

(These models aren’t yet regarded as high-performing as the models above (in the same price-range but future reviews by experts like KEW might reveal otherwise.

• Tannoy Definition DC8 Bookshelf ($2000 a pair MSRP)
-these speakers are some BIG wildcards supposed to be very accurate speakers but haven’t seen them in comparative-style reviews.
http://www.tannoy.com/ResidentialSum...0WXfkuZ/CteA==

• Salk SongSurround II's ($1500 a pair MSRP):
SongSurround Overview/Pricing

• Focal Chorus 806 V ($2000 a pair MSRP):
http://www.focal.com/en/home-audio-l...orus-806-v.php