OOH THE MIDRANGE! ATC SCM40 Speaker Review

The SCM40 is by far the cheapest ATC speaker to feature the driver they built their reputation upon. Could it be the best value speaker they produce?

Link to manufacturer's webpage:

Link to my Patreon:

Link to related reviews:
Graham Audio LS6F

ATC SCM 19

Moor Angel Pre & Angel 4

Hegel H190

Time stamps:
0:00 Intro
1:56 Design & features
3:15 Technical insights
5:11 Sound quality
8:18 Setup & partnering equipment
10:53 Conclusion

[ranelime]

My speakers on Tarun’s Tube! Can’t stop smiling 😊. I did positioned them as you described. 💯 agree on everything you specified, the tweeter is the thing that holds them back. With so much punch energy at the bottom, huge, meaty, glorious midrange that you can get lost in for years and amazing imaging depth and scale, great neutral to warm tone, what else can one ask… my ATC SCM 11 were more neutral, but the experience that the 40s offer is something special.
Thank you Tarun!

[cp]

I had a pair of the MK1 SCM 40's a few years back. Had them around 2.5m apart, The soundstage was incredible. They were that good I upgraded to some SCM100's. Monster midrange driver.

[bryanherr]

My favorite demo track right now is Signed Sealed Delivered performed by Steve Gadd/Eddie Gomez/Ronnie Cuber/WDR Big Band Koln on the Center Stage album on Tidal. It is such a tight performance with pretty good dynamic range and the various solo breaks give you a taste of how different instruments sound on your system and the drum solo is also a great test. Thanks for another awesome review Tarun.

[knockshinnoch]

I've owned a pair of SCM40s for just over 2 years now and I love them.

[neilgelowitz]

I'm a Canadian Hegel dealer, Everest Audio, and used to be a dealer for ATC. I've lived with both the SCM19 and SCM40 for extended periods. I think you nailed the sonic attributes of the SCM40 very well. While the top end is decent, it isn't up to the level of the midrange. It does lack the air and extension I'd prefer. But, a great speaker regardless. One good friend purchased the active SCM40A from me, so I still get to hear these and thoroughly enjoy them every time. The H190 will "adequately" drive the SCM40, but if you have the SCM40, you definitely want to go for the H390 or higher. There's a very substantial difference in the performance between the two when it comes to the SCM40. For a demo track, definitely check the the song "Liberty" by Anette Askvik. I had demoed it in one Hegel based system when Anders from Hegel was visiting us and he was very familiar with sonic qualities of this superb song and had an interesting story about it and Anette.

[connorduke]

A fantastic expert and long awaited review of this engimatic speaker. Well done Tarun!
Now just waiting on Muscian Knight 1's, preferably driven by a Keces S300 power amp. :)

[willbrink]

I'm most interested in the active 40s. I own the 19's due in part to your review of them. I do ponder if the 19s + a good sub as I'm using, is the better option for the $ then the passive 40s. What you get is a greater full range sound, but perhaps with sacrificing some mid range. By most accounts, the 40s are great, the active 40s even better. Finally, some do consider the 19s the sweet spot in the line up, but they must have a good sub or two if one wants full range audio.

[rogersharpe]

Hi Tarun,
Another excellent piece, so full of interesting insights into an extremely good loudspeaker from ATC. I agree that the sound stage and dynamics of this speaker are quite exceptional, and that the positioning of these cabinets in the listening room is of great importance.
As is often the case, the choice of partnering equipment is so crucial to extract the maximum of this speakers potential. In addition, one of your earlier videos underlined the effects of cables on sound quality, and I think that with this speaker the choice of interconnects is especially important. I have a pair of active 40’s and have never personally felt that the tweeter was lacking in performance compared to the mid and bass units. Maybe having a dedicated amplifier for each driver helps to provide a more unified result across the full frequency range that our hearing capacity affords us.
Finally, a good demo piece to put the forties to work; Mahler Symphony No.8, third movement with the wick turned up !
Thank you once again for such interesting material.

[ralph]

Late one: I have mine 40's for 1, 5 years now use them 5 - 10 hours a week. I can say yes to Tarun's findings about the tweeter level. But I have noticed a very long burn-in-time of it. And I think it have to do with the double suspension of it. It takes a long time to settle in. The highs and mids opened a considerable amount the last month or so. I needed to post this.... Great review by the way keep up to good work best wishes.

[jensbondarenko]

I own the 40s since 1 1/2 years. Demoed them with this Hegel H190. They cannot be driven loud with the Hegel without losing nearly all control and a lot of transparency. Now partnered with my Naim NAP250 (non DR) feeded by a NAC282 they are in really good companion in all regards including playing loud and are now light years ahead of this Hegel.

[benjaminbrocklebank]

Boston - More Than a Feeling. Superb imaging, wide/tall soundstaging and has that addictive 'louder = better' sound. That era had some gems but this is one of my go to test tracks. I play it through a Luxman 505 mk2 into KLH model 5's, very transparent with a hint of lushness.

[fisherc]

As far as demo tracks are concerned, I have been obsessed with Hozier’s album, “Wasteland, Baby”, in particular the tracks, “Movement”, and “Shrike”. “Movement” emphasizes, especially at the start, bass fullness and punctuation, while simultaneously highlighting treble shimmer. “Shrike” Also digs into the bass, while highlighting vocal dynamics and finer detail. A good system will express the whisper in his voice nicely. I love this mode tracks.

[juliensorel]

Three of my favorites are - Dominique Fils Aime: Birds for female vocal, Tord Gustavsen Trio: Karmosin for details and quite listening and Horgas Eszter, Al Di Meola Libertango for high and mid details and soundstage.

[daviddavies]

I've had my SCM40's for about a year. They work superbly with my Hegel H360/ Aurender N10, Matrix X Sabre MQA DAC, Marantz Ruby SACD and Clearaudio Performance DC/ Satisfy Kardan Carbon/ Essence for vinyl through a Tom Evans Groove Anniversary. All in a 17x17 foot room. Over the years before downsizing house and kit I've had many more costly speakers ranging from Tannoy Kensingtons, various Sonus Fabers, Harbeth, Avalon, Maganaplanar and so on. The ATC's are at least as satisfying as many of those pricier options. Demo tracks I enjoy include: David Crosby: The Things We Do For Love (Lighthouse), Fiona Apple: Extraordinary Machine, Elvis Costello: God's Comic (Spike), Fleetwood Mac: Oh Daddy (Rumours, US double 45rpm), Janis Ian: Raising Silence, Steely Dan: Things I Miss The Most (Everything Must Go AP 45 rpm), Sarah Jane Morris/ Marc Ribot: Sugar In My Bowl (Migratory Birds), Alice Coltrane: Turia and Ramakrishna (Ptah, The El Daoud), Miles Davis: My Funny Valentine (Cookin' AP SACD), Cecile McLorin Salvant: anything from Dreams and Daggers, Ella Fitzgerald: Fine and Mellow (Pablo/AP LP), The George and Ira Gershwin Songbook (SC LP set), and many more Jazz tracks, Eric Bibb: In My Father's House (Spirit and the Blues, Opus 3 LP), David Rawlings: Guitar Man (Poor David's Alamanack), Richard Thompson: I Misunderstood (Rumor and Sigh, MoFi LP), Waldemar Bastos: N'Gana (Afropea 3 - Telling Stories to the Sea), Davy Sicard: Zwazo La Kol (Kabar), Lou Reed: Walk on the Wild Side (Transformer SC LP), Bela Fleck: Flight of the Cosmic Hippo. And many more. No time to get into classical but apologies for the length of this.

[CinemaDemocratica]

Any day that starts with a new video from Randy *and* a new video from Tarun is going to be a good day. Full stop.

[ms]

A good and very fair review. I also have these speakers, fed by the Hegel H390, and the wonderful Duelund DCA16GA hookup wire. They are undoubtably brilliant speakers.
I must however differ a little with the review. Being unported, they can be placed relatively close to the back wall without the bass booming. In fact, there aren't that many unported speakers available nowadays, so those with limited space have a restricted choice.
Unless I win the lottery I will have these speakers forever. And if I do, I'll just get one of ATC's bigger offerings.

[rogerengineering]

I've just bought a pair of 40's, to me they're superb, a big step up the ladder for me, Its partnered with a John Wood KT88 tube based amp, 90 w chl and NDX streamer

[timtownsend]

A great review as ever Tarun. I really enjoy this channel.

Demo tracks:

Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd
Pretty Good Year - Tori Amos
Miles Davis - Flamenco Sketches
Mahler - Symphony #5
Massive Attack - Teardrop
Jackson Browne - The Pretender
Ann Sofie Van Otter & Elvis Costello - Baby Plays Around
Bruce Springsteen - Human Touch

[PauloFerreira-hhzv]

Thank you Tarun for the excelent review. Tracks: High Water Everywhere (Live) - Joe Bonamassa / Paloma Negra - Lila Downs / It Makes Me Scream (Live) - Meena Cryle / Kingdom of One - Maren Morris / Keith Don't Go (Live) - Nils Lofgren / Tulipani - Fausto Mesolella / Whithout You - Teeks / Arthur's Theme (Live) - Monty Alexander / Angel Eyes - markusphilippe / Mi Corazon - Brandt Brauer Frick / Seven Blues - Nenad Vasilic / Berimbass - Renaud Garcia-Fons / Laytana - Le Trio Joubran / Black Shoes - Felix Laband.

[pickyaudiophile]

Thank you for sharing your honest opinion - without the slightest hint of raving about whatever - once again.