ATC SCM 20 ASL Pro

• There are wide-ranging dynamic swings, crashing crescendos and a sense of authority that would be hard to get from a passive set-up at this price. It sounds immensely stable, with the speakers keeping hold of the multitude of instrumental strands with impressive composure.
• Everything has a place, yet the final result never feels overly controlled. There’s plenty of enthusiasm on show together with the kind of agility that’s rare to hear at this level.
• Like your music loud? The SCM20ASL Pros are happy to do that. They remain clear and refined to very high levels, showing little sign of strain even when pushed hard. Their neutral tonality barely strays, even as we approach their limits.
• The SCM20ASLs remain seriously impressive at the low-end, delivering bass with weight and power.
• We put on some Nina Simone and like the way these ATCs handle the older recording. They render the lovely, distinctive vocals with power, subtlety and real finesse, the ATCs’ innate transparency revealing every nuance.
• Verdict: By high-end standards, these ATCs are terrific value. Getting standmounters and four power amplifier channels of such a high standard is likely to cost a lot more than this. Get past the functional appearance and you have speakers with a performance of rare quality.
• For: Excellent resolution, Strong dynamic expression, Secure rhythmic drive, Comfortable at high volume levels, Flexible in use, Fine build

ATC has become synonymous with active systems. Choosing to offer active loudspeakers (where the passive crossover network is replaced by active filters and multiple power amplifiers) is simply a result of the uncompromising attitude to loudspeaker design.While passive systems still have their place, and ATC engineering skills can still bring remarkable results from them,“active” is a fundamentally better solution to the problems posed by accurate, high level music reproduction.The ATC instinct is always for the better solution. Not cheaper, not quicker, but better.

It was the development of active loudspeakers that first brought ATC into electronics design and engineering. Active speakers demand multiple power amplifiers so ATC from the mid 1980s became not just a loudspeaker manufacturing company but an electronics manufacturer too.The further step from electronics for active speakers to a range of stand-alone amplifier products was natural and now means that ATC engineering is available from the recording desk or CD player output to the ears.

From modest beginnings ATC has grown to become one of the very few manufacturers successful across both domestic and professional audio. By selecting ATC you join a group of music lovers, professional audio engineers, studios and musicians across theWorld that understand and value the engineering that goes into an ATC product - and the sound that comes out.