For ATC and/or Nait XS lovers only!

Posted by: Alonso on 07 March 2018

I got curious, beyond what is commented on this fine forum, about how people actually partner their ATC speakers with Naim power amplification (I left sources aside for the sake of simplicity) since I was more interested in the perennial question "is X amp 'enough' to 'move' Z speakers' and more specifically and also I wanted to know with what speakers people partner their Nait XS (since I have one) I know, it is a very focused/narrow and ultimately selfish comparison, but I thought I'd post it here for anybody who's also asked themselves the same questions and would like to comment on this very limited search ...

Here's what I found and how I did it.

I did a search on the forum (member’s page: system details) for anything that had  “XS” in their ‘system profile’ and manually filtered out CD players and power supplies (that also have XS in their names), leaving only the integrated amps (Nait XS).

Below are the speakers that forum members use  with the Nait XS amp

 

Observations 1

 

I then searched Naim forum members system profiles for ‘ATC’ and Filtered out all non-naim amp and bi/tri amp’d systems, again, for the sake of simplicity... 

Each line represents a forum member (yes, I could have summarised it but this gave me a quicker visual idea)

NAP250 ATC SMC11

NAP250 ATC SMC11

NAP200 ATC SCM11

NAP200 ATC SCM11

NAP250 ATC SCM11

NAP250 ATC SCM11

NAP250 ATC SCM11

NAP300 ATC SCM11

SN2 ATC SCM19

SN2 ATC SCM19

NAP250 ATC SCM19

NAP250 ATC SCM19

NAP250 ATC SCM19

NAP250 ATC SCM19

NAP250 ATC SCM19

NAP250 ATC SCM19

SN2 ATC SCM40

SN2 ATC SCM40

NAP150 ATC SCM40

NAP200 ATC SCM40

NAP200 ATC SCM40

NAP250 ATC SCM40

NAP300 ATC SCM40

NAP300 ATC SCM40

NAP300 ATC SCM50

Observations 2:

Posted on: 09 March 2018 by Alonso
hastings posted:

I have used the xs predecessor 122/150 with another difficult sealed speaker: the Spendor sa1.  In a small room it worked ok - but after moving the system to a bigger space the system sounded a bit strained and shouty.  It wasn't until I used a Supernait to pair with the Spendors that I realized what a hard time the 122/150 was having driving these speakers.  

yeah... I think that's my next system basically ND5XS>SU>SCM40 - but until I can afford that, my current system (Nait XS/ND5XS/Neat Motives) will be moth-balled

Posted on: 09 March 2018 by Alonso
ct posted:

Mea culpa, i'm afraid it looks like my "mullet" is outed.....

By the way, if there is a prize for identifying the 300/SCM11 user do i have rightful claim to it?

there was one outlier I did not mention, it was too left field... Someone's running a NAP500 with a pair of ATC SCM7s.... 

Posted on: 09 March 2018 by Corry
Alonso posted:
ct posted:

Mea culpa, i'm afraid it looks like my "mullet" is outed.....

By the way, if there is a prize for identifying the 300/SCM11 user do i have rightful claim to it?

there was one outlier I did not mention, it was too left field... Someone's running a NAP500 with a pair of ATC SCM7s.... 

It's not me. My SCM7s have an elderly CB250 up them at the moment, though my system definitely still qualifies as a monkfish.

Posted on: 10 March 2018 by Jude2012

Hey Alonso, have you considered the SCM19A? I think @Halloweenman runs these.

Also, PMC have a range of active monitors (the PMC presentation other than the 20 series sounds pretty similar to ATCs, to me).

Posted on: 11 March 2018 by Alonso
Jude2012 posted:

Hey Alonso, have you considered the SCM19A? I think @Halloweenman runs these.

Also, PMC have a range of active monitors (the PMC presentation other than the 20 series sounds pretty similar to ATCs, to me).

I have considered the SCM19A but they are out of my budget (which is limited to SCM40v1 and s/h NAP250 (non-DR) 

also, nothing that I've heard gets close  to ATC's 3" mid range dome in terms of mid-range (human voice) reproduction... 

Posted on: 11 March 2018 by Innocent Bystander
Alonso posted:

also, nothing that I've heard gets close  to ATC's 3" mid range dome in terms of mid-range (human voice) reproduction... 

You may not have heard PMC’s clone of it used in the SE series (I don’t mean the 3” dome they use in their lower range speakers, though that in the Fact 12’s difrent unit is pretty good)

But then the higher models of PMCs speakers are somewhat pricier than ATCs (presumably due to their more complex construction).

Posted on: 11 March 2018 by Alonso
Innocent Bystander posted:
You may not have heard PMC’s clone of it used in the SE series (I don’t mean the 3” dome they use in their lower range speakers, though that in the Fact 12’s difrent unit is pretty good)

But then the higher models of PMCs speakers are somewhat pricier than ATCs (presumably due to their more complex construction).

Ah... si... I was aware PMC had a very similar (read identical) looking mid driver but Is it a clone of the ATC or they just buy it off them?

 

Posted on: 11 March 2018 by Innocent Bystander
Alonso posted:
Innocent Bystander posted:
You may not have heard PMC’s clone of it used in the SE series (I don’t mean the 3” dome they use in their lower range speakers, though that in the Fact 12’s difrent unit is pretty good)

But then the higher models of PMCs speakers are somewhat pricier than ATCs (presumably due to their more complex construction).

Ah... si... I was aware PMC had a very similar (read identical) looking mid driver but Is it a clone of the ATC or they just buy it off them?

 

I read somewhere that PMC used to use Atc units, but that at some point ATC ceased supplying them as a competitor (and indeed last year ceased supplying it to the DIY market - but. Got mine before that!). My understanding from things I’ve read -  but not on any hard authority or evidence - is that PMC then produced their own clone of it in-house. (I believe they do also make one of their bass drivers themselves.)

Posted on: 11 March 2018 by Alonso
Innocent Bystander posted:

I read somewhere that PMC used to use Atc units, but that at some point ATC ceased supplying them as a competitor (and indeed last year ceased supplying it to the DIY market - but. Got mine before that!). My understanding from things I’ve read -  but not on any hard authority or evidence - is that PMC then produced their own clone of it in-house. (I believe they do also make one of their bass drivers themselves.)

That's very interesting! - I can imagine ATC not wanting a competitor offering their precious (and almost USP) 3" driver... especially as their interest in the domestic market has increased ... 

Posted on: 11 March 2018 by Gazza

The PMC website indicates they make their own drive units.

Posted on: 11 March 2018 by Innocent Bystander
Gazza posted:

The PMC website indicates they make their own drive units.

Make some, modify others.

Posted on: 11 March 2018 by Innocent Bystander
Alonso posted:

That's very interesting! - I can imagine ATC not wanting a competitor offering their precious (and almost USP) 3" driver... especially as their interest in the domestic market has increased ... 

I believe some other manufacturers also used to use that wodnderful midrange unit - I presume none do anymore, though I don’t know that for certain.

Posted on: 18 March 2018 by Jude2012
Alonso posted:
Jude2012 posted:

Hey Alonso, have you considered the SCM19A? I think @Halloweenman runs these.

Also, PMC have a range of active monitors (the PMC presentation other than the 20 series sounds pretty similar to ATCs, to me).

I have considered the SCM19A but they are out of my budget (which is limited to SCM40v1 and s/h NAP250 (non-DR) 

also, nothing that I've heard gets close  to ATC's 3" mid range dome in terms of mid-range (human voice) reproduction... 

Yep, my experience of the SCM40 left me feeling the same about the mi-range driver.  Didn’t go for the SCM40 in the end as it was just too powerful for my listening room.