ATC C1 5.1 Speaker Package Review & Comments

Thanks Ed! It's great to finally see ATC being given recognition as they are an unsung hero of UK speaker manufacturing.
I was wondering what they would sound like with an Arcam AV receiver though, as the sound might carry more weight and fullness, as opposed to the Yamaha.
 
Lovely review. I am always interested in pro gear in a domestic environment. I find the accuracy and precision of good monitors to be more relaxing and enjoyable to listen to than many AV-tuned models, because whatever the interest or pleasure in an audio track, they will dig it all out. You'll be aware of the limitations, but they will fall away in comparison with the good bits. Certainly that's true of my system. I run Genelec 8040s army front three. These are active, so the transient response is very fast and music is excellent. It's very much "edit suite" sound - great accuracy, and huge listening pleasure, in proportion with how good your room sounds. I'm a semi-pro music producer and I've been mixing on Genelecs for years and I found I just couldn't live without the sense of "rightness" and insight that I get from them in my AV room. The Gens are near the ATCs in price but they're probably not quite as good - you have to add on decent amplification for the ATCs so they're really a price band above.

The downside of pro monitors is that you have to sit a bit closer to them in a equilateral triangle - near-field monitors so designed for around 2.5-3m distances. @Ed Selley how did you set them up in your room and what was the seating distance?
 
ATC also appear to be more affordable than the other big "pro" UK company,PMC.Take for an example the SCM40A,it is cheaper than the passive Twenty5 26.There is no TL,so less LF extension,but it is a similar three-way design with 7" woofers.
 
ATC also appear to be more affordable than the other big "pro" UK company,PMC.Take for an example the SCM40A,it is cheaper than the passive Twenty5 26.There is no TL,so less LF extension,but it is a similar three-way design with 7" woofers.

That's a very unfair comparison as the PMC Twenty5 2.6 are much bigger floorstanders and far more expensive. The Twenty5 21 would be a better comparison. PMC are not just "Pro", they have a home section which is more appropriate. However, having heard their £70k pro speakers, they are probably the best speakers I've ever heard.
I believe ATC equivalents are far more expensive than the PMC's.
 
I am not knocking the PMC domestic or pro speakers,i have heard many and their top end ones are about as good as it gets.The 26 are not much bigger,though,and i think that the company does charge a certain "brand" price premium,same as some other successful,reputable and long-running mass market hi-fi manifacturers like Linn.ATC fall in the other camp,along with SME,B&W,even Naim.Are they inferior,i dont think so.That is my opinion and i could be wrong.In the end the market decided if something is overpriced or not.ATC's top models are not more expensive and they sell their drivers on the DIY market,the prices not less expensive than the Seas and Volt drivers in use in the best PMC speakers.
 

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