Set-up

Due to the relative height of the speaker, the tweeter is now just above our ‘golden’ ears and that turns out to be almost perfect. Due to its closed construction (no bass port), this speaker can also be relatively close to the rear wall. An added value in our book. Of course, it is often better to put a speaker a little more in the room, but that is not always possible. Slightly turning in the SCM19 turns out to be sufficient because the soundstage is particularly wide and stable. Our small listening room, we know by now, is doing fine with monitor speakers. She is not overly muffled but just enough to absorb some annoying first reflections. Since the purchase of a new carpet we don’t have any major problems anymore. In the other room, where we mainly test floorstanders, there is still work to be done. But Rome wasn’t built in a day either. Isn’t that right?

The ATC SCM19 V2’s replace our beloved Audio Vector Qr1’s. Still one of the best in its price range. It goes without saying that the SCM19 is almost on every level the better of these modest bookshelf. That’s the way it is when more money is spent. But it is never a punishment to return to our own speakers, no matter how well the visitors perform. You may already have noticed that we’re very attached to it by now. Yet on our testtracks we hear a more mature and refined sound by the SCM19 without emphasizing any part of the sound. That may sound boring, but it’s absolutely not!

Our set consists of:

Bryston B60r
Nad M50
Metrum Acoustics Onyx
Iso Acoustics Aperta 155
Wiring: Grimm, Audioquest, Supra

The ATC SCM19 is doing well with our Bryston. However, due to its closed construction this monitor does need some gravy (sensitivity 85db) to get on steam. Once again, the Bryston’s clean watts have no trouble getting the best out of this speaker. Very reassuring. We are sometimes quite critical of our reference amplifier but every time it delivers top sound. We’ll have to turn the volume control a little more towards twelve o’clock this time. Another amplifier that gets along fine with the SCM19 is the excellent Primare I15. The fine Audiolab 6000a is not doing so well. As expected, some st(r)uncle shortage to drive these speakers well.