This would only be possible through artificial insemination...If Genelec and ATC had a child
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ATC speakers / Monitors
- Thread starter Pearljam5000
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Any decent DAC can drive them properly.
Yeah, it's the older 20ASL Pro. They use a standard MDF box now. Don't think there was much if any sonic change, but the MDF is certainly cheaper - and they make most of their cabinets in house now, which for obvious reasons they can't do with cast aluminum.
The Genelec factory is "just" a 5.5-hour drive from where I live.
I like their approach which in a similar way to ATC focuses on longevity in that they can still repair speakers they made decades ago, even the first speakers they ever made. That is the good thing about making most of the parts and drivers in-house, which are easily swapped out, instead of relying on off-the-shelf parts made by third-party manufacturers who can decide to stop the production.
Even if Genelec and ATC do things differently in many ways, they both understand the business they serve and how important it is to make robust speakers that have great longevity and repairability.
It's worth noting that there are strong links between Genelec, ATC and Neumann. There are ex-genelec employees working in the R&D team at ATC for example. I know ATC have a lot of respect for what the other companies are doing. I've never seen any suggestion that they think they're the best in the world, they just love what they're doing. Very BS free...
Remember Genelec, ATC, Neumann, Adam, Focal etc all cover slightly different parts of the market and offer good viable alternatives to people depending on what they're looking for. If you want a DSP speaker with cardioid dispersion, you have multiple brands to choose from. Just because ATC isn't one of them doesn't mean they're 'stuck in the past'.
Their choice to stick with class AB amps is so they can keep everything in-house, less reliance on third party suppliers. All of this = better longevity.
Remember Genelec, ATC, Neumann, Adam, Focal etc all cover slightly different parts of the market and offer good viable alternatives to people depending on what they're looking for. If you want a DSP speaker with cardioid dispersion, you have multiple brands to choose from. Just because ATC isn't one of them doesn't mean they're 'stuck in the past'.
Their choice to stick with class AB amps is so they can keep everything in-house, less reliance on third party suppliers. All of this = better longevity.
OP
Pearljam5000
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Yes - exactly this. In this industry, the more you can do in-house the better. This is somewhere a company like Neumann falls behind - they don't make any drivers themselves, so the service lives post-discontinuation can be quite limited as they're at the mercy of the driver manufacturer they contract with. The most common failure point of any speaker is the drivers - even moreso than the plate amps in actives.The Genelec factory is "just" a 5.5-hour drive from where I live.
I like their approach which in a similar way to ATC focuses on longevity in that they can still repair speakers they made decades ago, even the first speakers they ever made. That is the good thing about making most of the parts and drivers in-house, which are easily swapped out, instead of relying on off-the-shelf parts made by third-party manufacturers who can decide to stop the production.
Even if Genelec and ATC do things differently in many ways, they both understand the business they serve and how important it is to make robust speakers that have great longevity and repairability.
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Count Arthur
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I'm not sure that's correct:
Secrets of The Neumann KH150
My work reviewing nearfield monitors for Sound On Sound occasionally provokes thoughts that are perhaps a little too far off-piste for the relatively simple needs of a magazine review, and my recen…
musicandmiscellany.com
They design them in-house, they don't make them.I'm not sure that's correct:
Secrets of The Neumann KH150
My work reviewing nearfield monitors for Sound On Sound occasionally provokes thoughts that are perhaps a little too far off-piste for the relatively simple needs of a magazine review, and my recen…
Neumann are assembled in Ireland but parts come from Peerless India supposedly. This one is similar to the one used in their 3ways: https://m.indiamart.com/proddetail/raw-drivers-3-inch-dome-midrange-9433850291.html
OP
Pearljam5000
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The upcoming new album Wild God by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds has been recorded and produced in the Miraval Studios in France, you know that studio that looks like a spaceship with all those white ATC speakers.
It's owned by Brad Pitt
Yes, I know, (and that other guy behind him in the picture).
Anyway, good choice of monitors. (But I did see a couple of NS-10s in the video as well.)
That was in the past. Today they are built in Czech Republic.
Any details? Is it assembly only or production?
OP
Pearljam5000
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So the assembly line is now in a cheaper country. At least it is in EU
This rather interesting ATC exchange piqued my curiosity so I whistled down to an ATC dealer to test-drive a pair of 150pro, flush mounted.
Spoiler alert—the proceedings is purely subjective.
A great room; top-notch sound treatment; well thought-out dimensions.
Off the bat, the sound was wide and sweeping, blessed with supreme clarity. Had I not been exposed to other big monitors, I’d say the best loudspeakers ever. (Partly due to being flush-mounted). However, I’ve got a point of reference: Genelec 1238DF & 1238A, which I’ve been listening to for quite a while.
The ATC 150 15” bass driver is anemic in comparison to the Genelec, with noticeably less punch. (This specific point has been mentioned in this thread earlier).
The 3” ATC mid-range driver is all-encompassing and remarkably forward. It’s difficult not to admire it, but I didn’t think it surpassed the Genelec 5” paper cone per se. The latter is sufficiently competent and offers an aural experience that is more balanced than the “in-your-face” ATC driver.
The soft dome tweeter was a sweet surprise—gentle and silvery, almost operating in a stealth mode. To my ears, it had an edge over the Genelec 1” metal dome, which is quite good regardless.
The room also had a pair of free-standing ATC; a smaller 3-way—don’t ask me what model. I played the same treks through it, finding the low end boomy and unpleasantly muddy. Guess there’s a price to pay for stubbornly refusing to incorporate DSP into your products.
All in all, for the pure joy of music, I would stick with the big Genelec; more punchy and better balanced. Of course, I’m used to them, although if ATC had blown my mind I would have considered changing tack.
Spoiler alert—the proceedings is purely subjective.
A great room; top-notch sound treatment; well thought-out dimensions.
Off the bat, the sound was wide and sweeping, blessed with supreme clarity. Had I not been exposed to other big monitors, I’d say the best loudspeakers ever. (Partly due to being flush-mounted). However, I’ve got a point of reference: Genelec 1238DF & 1238A, which I’ve been listening to for quite a while.
The ATC 150 15” bass driver is anemic in comparison to the Genelec, with noticeably less punch. (This specific point has been mentioned in this thread earlier).
The 3” ATC mid-range driver is all-encompassing and remarkably forward. It’s difficult not to admire it, but I didn’t think it surpassed the Genelec 5” paper cone per se. The latter is sufficiently competent and offers an aural experience that is more balanced than the “in-your-face” ATC driver.
The soft dome tweeter was a sweet surprise—gentle and silvery, almost operating in a stealth mode. To my ears, it had an edge over the Genelec 1” metal dome, which is quite good regardless.
The room also had a pair of free-standing ATC; a smaller 3-way—don’t ask me what model. I played the same treks through it, finding the low end boomy and unpleasantly muddy. Guess there’s a price to pay for stubbornly refusing to incorporate DSP into your products.
All in all, for the pure joy of music, I would stick with the big Genelec; more punchy and better balanced. Of course, I’m used to them, although if ATC had blown my mind I would have considered changing tack.
Would you say that the Genelec mid driver is less resolving than the ATC?
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It's quite possible, and should be visibile in the measurements if it is. For example, if the ATC speaker's mid frequencies are elevated 2-3dB relative to the rest of the spectrum, then I think it's fair to say the mid's would be more resolving, as they'd surely stand out more.
Not more resolving but simply louder.
Keith
Keith
