What Hi Fi Sound and Vision
13 SEP 2006
ATC SCM 11
You’ll never tire of listening to a pair of speakers that sound as natural as the SCM11s. A truly remarkable speaker
Write your own review
For the past couple of years, the
ATC SCM11s have been untouchable. There hasn’t been a speaker at this pricepoint that has come within a mile of taking their throne.
You might think this is surprising given the fact that the speakers look pretty ordinary. The exterior is unassuming – some might go so far as to call them ugly.
Arguably the most exciting thing about the cabinet is the stepped, graphite-grey double front baffle, complete with curved edges. ATC claims that this design improves imaging and reduces diffraction.
A 25mm soft-dome tweeter takes care of high-frequencies and a custom-made, heavily damped 15cm mid-bass driver does the rest.
Exceptionally communicativeIt’s only when you hook them up to your hi-fi system and allow them the freedom of your listening room that you realise how exceptional the ATCs are.
They are extremely communicative and give you a real ‘feel’ for the music. The London Symphony Orchestra’s performance of
The Nutcracker sounds realistic and believable.
There’s no aggressive edge to strings and the quality and texture of low frequencies just add to the musical picture that these speakers paint.
Switch to the electronic beats of Lady GaGa and the ATCs’ natural sound once again comes to the fore.
Her vocals during
Starstruck are overflowing with emotion and the speakers use the tracks electronica edge to transport you straight back to the 1980s.
Weighty, not overwhelming
The ATCs don’t overwhelm you with bass, but there’s weight aplenty. Move on to the Radio One Live Lounge version of Basement Jaxx’s
Romeo and the studio setting is beautifully recreated.
Vocals, the piano, the intermittent trumpet and percussion sound exquisite and they’re all layered expertly.
The speakers dig up enough detail so that you can pick out all the different elements individually, or you can simply sit back and immerse yourself in the natural warmth and beauty of the track.
The fact that the SCM11s have put in such a strong showing doesn’t come as a great surprise to us but they’re not without stiff competition from rivals.
An audition with your album collection will always showcase the strength and weakness of each, of course.