ATC SCM 20 ASL Pro Vs Dynaudio Contour S1.4

Would it make any sense to change Dynaudio Contour S1.4 powered by Unison Research Unico SE with 1999' pro version of active ATC SCM20 ASL Pro?

I can't get ATC for a demo at home (too far away) and the closest I've heard to them was passive 20 powered with Krell KSA 100 at friends' place.

Still hard to compare or to get any conclusion.

Getting actives would let me decrease a number of components in the system so I could end only with two or three: active speakers plus pre/DAC plus transport or pre/CD combo. Less chance for mistake.

But soundwise, Contour S1.4 rocks and I guess SCM 20 ASL Pro rocks too - anyone listened to both of them at the same enviroment? How would they compare?

Any thoughts?

 

The Atc will definitely be more in yer face...
And it may not have much bass to speak of...
Whatever you do, don't buy the SCM35s. Tedious, unrealistic, bloated bass.

 

no - i wouldn't even think of ATC 20 ASL Pro if it wasn't offerred for 500 pounds.

the real question would be

7 years old ATC 20ASL Pro for 500 quid against hardly used Contour S1.4 for 900 quid plus amplification?

 

Ha ha - never heard the bass described like that before. Of course it very much depends on the sort of music you like. I listen mainly to classical and find the mid-range of the ATC SCM35s absolutely fantastic - the level detail is astonishing. When moving to rock music, I would say the bass is controlled and tight - it needs plenty of power - perhaps that was your problem? I run a 200 watt Musical Fidelity monobloc amp (X-P200) to each bass driver and they are worked very hard.

 

The SCM 35s I heard had one note "fake" bass... Initially impressive in a hifi way, but as a bass player it's the first thing I notice.
It could, however, have been the fault of the Naim CD5 , ATC pre and Naim power amp used with them. After complaining they (English Audio in Hereford) replaced the SCM35 with Active 50s, which had a much more musical balance and believable bass - though I felt that nothing much was being reproduced below 40Hz..
I need more bass than that!!!

 

Fair enough - as a bass player I guess you perhaps have more particular requirements! Did your dealer agree with your views?

 

This weekend I listened to passive ATC 20 (from mid-90s) powered by Krell power and Mark Levinson pre. There was not much bass on low level but it improved with volume up. It was very tight, clean and precise, but somehow too lifeless. It sounded as if speakers are struggling to really sing, there were moments they bloomed and moments when they were really lean. And yes, they are in your face but that might mean that they really throw long.
I posted on PFM a question of correct preamp and CD match for active 20s (mine is pro version, soon to be dlvred) in order to fully exploit their musicality while retaining neutrality and truth. I am uncertain if SS pre is a good idea at all. Valve? Digital? Any thoughts?

 

A nice Croft valve pre would be perfect, though I'm not sure if the active 20s run balanced or not...
And as for dealer agreeing about the SCM35s, he was quite embarassed at the lack of musicality, it was like a return to boom'n'tizz Missions It could have been a mismatch somewhere, but it was significantly better with the active 50s (apart from lack of bottom octave), though it should have been for triple the price!

 

ATC SCM 20ASL Pro run balanced.... a demanding beast, though