Floorstanding loudspeakers — ATC SCM50SE

The SCM50SE is a Special Edition of the SCM50 active tower from ATC, the company that designs and hand-builds its drivers and electronics at Aston Down in Gloucestershire. ATC names it as the current equivalent of the discontinued SCM50 Anniversary, and it now appears in the legacy editions section of the catalogue alongside the SCM100SE and SCM150SE. Both active and passive versions were produced.

Key specs that matter

The three-way driver set pairs the SH25-76S soft dome tweeter of 25 mm with the SM75-150S soft dome midrange of 75 mm and the SB75-234SL short coil Super Linear bass driver of 234 mm. Crossovers sit at 380 Hz and 3.5 kHz. ATC gives a response within 2 dB from 70 Hz to 17 kHz and minus 6 dB limits at 38 Hz and 25 kHz. Maximum SPL is 112 dB, dispersion reaches plus or minus 80 degrees in the horizontal plane and plus or minus 10 degrees vertically, and each pair is matched to plus or minus 0.5 dB. The tri-amplifier provides 200 W for the bass unit, 100 W for the midrange and 50 W for the tweeter, 350 W in all. The active tower measures 1045 x 330 x 475 mm (HxWxD) and weighs 64.5 kg.

Engineering and use context

Each drive unit is fed by its own fully discrete amplifier, and the combined module also handles the active crossover, phase correction and protection against overload. A female XLR socket takes the input. On top of the cabinet sits a brow in one of three styles - black acrylic with red horns, veneer with dull nickel horns, or all black acrylic. Compared with the standard SCM50ASLT, which weighs 51 kg in a 1003 mm cabinet, the SE is taller and heavier. The earlier SCM50 Anniversary it replaced had a piano finish, its own baffle and plinth and an authenticity pack signed by Billy Woodman, and its active cabinet measured 1015 x 426 x 480 mm with a weight of 53.3 kg. The passive SE is 481 mm deep, weighs 59.5 kg, has 85 dB sensitivity and suits amplifiers of 100 to 1500 W. Veneer choices run to burr poplar, pippy oak, burr magnolia, burr walnut, European crown cut walnut, rosewood, black ash, oak, walnut and cherry, next to satin black or white paint and high gloss lacquer, and a 6-year warranty applies.

Pairing

The active SE needs only a preamplifier or source with a balanced output and a volume control, and ATC suggests its SCA2 preamplifier for the role. No separate power amplifier is involved.

Alternatives

The SCM100SE is another active Special Edition tower that ATC produced alongside this model.