Power cords for ATC 20 Active

Strangely when I purchased a s/h pair of ATC 20 Active (pro version), I've never got any powercords with it. Ever since I've been using them with some plain, cheapo computer power(mains) cords.

I am wondering if it would make sense to go for better ones and what would be a particular recommendation. Actually as I have never seen the original ATC cords I am wondering what do they usually supply with their active speakers? Knowing their ignorance when it comes to anything else except the speakers I wouldn't be surprised if they don't use anything better than my temporary PC mains.

 

Maybe it's not ignorance, but knowledge and wisdom based on experience they are demonstrating....

 

I've a part spool of some screened stuff if you only want a couple or three metres per cable....its 1.5mm csa per stranded copper conductor 15amp rated 100% screen tined stranded copper in a transparent jacket approx 12mm dia .....pm me !

oh it sound quite good too..............

 

How do you find the ATC's? are they as good as I am lead to beleive? there was a pair on sound on sound last week, for 2200 if I remember...

 

Use a power cable which is long enough to reach the sockets.

 

If you are in any doubt as to which power cable to use, remove either driver in the speaker and look at how the driver is connected to the amplifier. This will give you the greatest insight into what ATC think of main's cables.

Welcome to the real world....

 

i like your answers, guys

 

i like them a lot, especially considering that i got them for a fraction of the RRP (3400 pounds i think).

except for a touch of up-mid forwardness, probably the closest you can get to an absolute neutral speaker (actually i found some of the mid qualities pretty close to older quad ESLs). which is not for everyone, IMHO. you will just hear every possible mistake on recordings and you might need to reconsider many titles from your collection.

overall, a great all rounder. never had a speaker that copes so well with so many different styles of music. still it sounds the best with any organic music, no matter if it is bach, steely dan or london calling. not sure about electronic stuff, haven't tried that much.

mine has +6db pot at 40hz and that gives a kick that sometimes really lacks when in 0dB position. i'm not sure if a domestic version has that option.

 

I believe the pro version has more adjustment available than the domestic version that I would be looking at, but by all accounts the sound you describe is accepted as the norm for ATC actives, hope fully, if a pair appear in the next month or so I will be able to offload my current kit.. I was thinking of going down the DIY route, but impatience and a bad case of ham-fistedness have made me think again.

 

Your not going to find yourself a s/h pair of AML1's then?

 

Depends on price / availability Simon, I will have to try and get a dem of both before I commit myself to such sweeping changes, though I am convinced, partly because of what I have heard in the past and partly due to reading up I did after you sowed the seed, that active is the way to go. I cannot be bothered with all of this cable / amp / speaker matching malarky, and would prefer a good slot in solution. PMC as you know is a personal fave, and there really is only one or two other alternatives (excluding of course the likes of Adam, Tannoy etc) mainly ATC.

 

Give Adam a demo if you can. I bet the S2A is pretty good and Abbey Road use Adam among others (Oooh they must be good!)

The Tannoy Ellipse looks damn good too.

I have wanted to hear both of those for ages but not got the opportunity!

 

will do, though it won't be for maybe a couple of months yet, though I see MAX have an ATC pre for £400....

TBH, I can't wait to sort it out, the thought of lovely music without the constant doubt that everything would sound better by changing cables etc really appeals, and if I am completely honest, I have never thought that cable make a big difference anyway, if any, as far as I have found in the past.

SORRY FOR THE HIJACK....How is your DIY coming along Simon? any pics / news?

 

Not much to report yet. More to come soon though!

 

OK, keep us informed!

Oh, and as regard which power cables to use for the ATC's follow the devils advice...

 

I've had ATC actives for the past, oh, five years and never felt the need to bother with anything other than bog standard kettle leads. That's not to say that hyper-expensive audiophile power leads don't affect the sound, just that I've never felt there was much of anything lacking in the sound that a kettle lead might correct. I'd be curious to hear them with an expensive pair, but it's little more than idle curiosity.

Dunc

P.S. - Aquapiranha, I'll get back to you shortly (am knackered just now though!)

 

"Mid-forwardness"? In comparison with what?

The human ear is "mid-forward" because the canal acts as a sort of organ pipe in the midrange frequencies.

I love this audiophile chatter.

 

I believe he was comparing the ATC's to a paper cup with a bit of string.

It was very close but the ATC just won out by the looks of things.

 

in comparison with a number of decent speakers of very different presentation, some old, some new.

spendor BCI
ESL 57
spendor C7
dynaudio contour 1.4S

i am as far from "an audiophile" as one can be. this year i've decided to upgrade my system for the first time after 15 years. how many components you've changed for that time?

still, ATCs produce the best sound i've had in my room... but they do lack just a tiny, final bit of refinement in upper-mids. or, if you like it that way, i would be happier if that part of sound spectrum would not be up-in-my-face as often as it is.

anyway i don't plan to change them for another 15 years at least.

 

Debatable. Th human ear is most sensitive to midrange frequencies, especially the range covered by the human voice, but it is not midrange forward in the sens that we hear midrange sound slouder. The brain mostly adjusts for the different sensitivity.