Hello everyone!
I want to build sealed studio monitors based on ATC drivers, but I'm not sure which drivers to choose. I have a few questions:
Midrange: Could someone please explain the difference in sound between the ATC SM75-150S and ATC SB75-150 SL? Are there any advantages of one over the other?
Tweeters: I’m considering the Seas Excel T25CF001 or T25CF002-E0011 tweeters. I know the T25CF002 is better, but I’m unsure if it’s worth paying twice as much for it. Any advice (or other tweeters)? Scan-Speak D2608/9130?
Low End: I plan to use two sealed subwoofers. Does it make sense to use the ATC SB75-314 SC, or would it be better to use the CSS SDX10 XBL2 or CSS SDX12 XBL2? Or other low distortion sub drivers? Acoustic Elegance SBP12?
At the moment, I’m thinking about the driver configuration like this:
Seas Excel T25CF001 or T25CF002-E001 - ATC SB75-150 SL - CSS SDX10 XBL2 (subwoofer)
Appreciate fo any advices! Thanks!
I want to build sealed studio monitors based on ATC drivers, but I'm not sure which drivers to choose. I have a few questions:
Midrange: Could someone please explain the difference in sound between the ATC SM75-150S and ATC SB75-150 SL? Are there any advantages of one over the other?
Tweeters: I’m considering the Seas Excel T25CF001 or T25CF002-E0011 tweeters. I know the T25CF002 is better, but I’m unsure if it’s worth paying twice as much for it. Any advice (or other tweeters)? Scan-Speak D2608/9130?
Low End: I plan to use two sealed subwoofers. Does it make sense to use the ATC SB75-314 SC, or would it be better to use the CSS SDX10 XBL2 or CSS SDX12 XBL2? Or other low distortion sub drivers? Acoustic Elegance SBP12?
At the moment, I’m thinking about the driver configuration like this:
Seas Excel T25CF001 or T25CF002-E001 - ATC SB75-150 SL - CSS SDX10 XBL2 (subwoofer)
Appreciate fo any advices! Thanks!
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The SM75-150 is a 3" dome dedicated midrange driver, the SB75-150 is a 6,5" cone midwoofer, they are really different animals for different tasks. The SM75 is best for midrange duty (roughly between 400-4000 Hz) in a 3 or more way speaker, the SB75 is best as a midwoofer in a 2 way speaker, also that's how ATC uses them.
They are very good drivers but both are unobtanium nowadays (like all other ATC drivers).
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Yes it is but the SM75-150 can't play so low to be able to cross to a sub. A subwoofer typically plays up to about 100 Hz, if it plays much higher then it is not a sub anymore. The SM75-150 can't be crossed much lower than 400 Hz if high quality sound and reasonable SPL is the goal, this is hardly a subwoofer territory.
You can use these two drivers together but then it is not an ATC clone anymore and the SB75-150 would be a lmiting factor and the whole speaker would be a waste of money and a big waste of the abilities of the SM75-150S.
Anyway this is probably just a theoretic talk, because you can't obtain these drivers. Or do you can?
Anyway this is probably just a theoretic talk, because you can't obtain these drivers. Or do you can?
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The smallest woofer that ATC uses in combination with the SM75-150S is the 10" SB75-234, the largest is the 15" SB75-375 and two SB75-375 in the SCM300, these woofers are all crossed at 380 Hz to the SM75-150S.
I can get all the drivers I mentioned in the first post. If I couldn't get them, there would be no question of choice, and I wouldn't have created this topic here.
Okay! Personally I wouldn't combine the SM75-150S with the SB75-150 but with a larger, more powerful woofer (as ATC does with its monitors), even if separated subwoofer would be used for them.
But if these are what you can obtain, it would be possible to create a 3 way monitor with them plus a sub as you mentioned.
But if these are what you can obtain, it would be possible to create a 3 way monitor with them plus a sub as you mentioned.
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It's not going to be an easy or cheap built and if you want to go sealed you'll have to make compromise:
_ ATC 10",12" and 15" aren't really special drivers except they are all able to go to 380hz xover freq. ( so without real bothering issues up to circa 800hz) and produce decent amount of bass in BR.
If going sealed you'll need to find a driver able to go this high and still produce decent amount of bass, while having higher efficiency in a volume close to the monitor you plan to copy.
To be blunt the only driver meeting those requirement i can think of is Dayton RSS315 hfa. But still you'll need a pair of them for enough sensibility and plenty of power and very probably an Linkwitz Transform. Probably something in the 1kw range for amp. Which lead to an SCM200 ASL pro clones but with probably closer to SCM110A ouput capability ( 110db continous rather than 118db continous).
It won't be a clone as driver membranne material will be different but it'll still have the potential to sound very good ( if you doubt about Dayton drivers being up to task check Ocean's Way HR3.5 monitors ). For dome mid something between 100/200 watts and tweet 50/100watts needed. They xover the tweet circa 3500hz. Iow multiamp setup with dsp will be the easiest to do imho...
_ the box. Drivers are one thing but the box dimension and built are another big part of ATC sound: box are pretty dead and heavy. It's not going to be cheap AT ALL to make something akin.
As all ATC pro monitors there is a BSC compensating filter incorporated to use them freestanding ( they are thoughts to be flush mounted initially) so for the scm200 it should be a 4 octave high shelve attenuation ( up to 6db) with center freq circa 180hz. Because of this the face dimension ( as well as drivers location) should be the same as an original. To vary box volume you would had to change depth only. We are talking a 75cmx65cm box here...
_The other important characteristic of ATC is they are constant wide horizontal directivity ( 160°, +/-80°) over a wide range and here again xover freq and baffle dimensions have to be cloned on original dimension, you should not change loudspeaker face. Vertical is 10°.
You could use the 3"dome with a 5" mid: when ATC stopped to produce OEM to other manufacturers, Quested used this solution with Volts mid dome drivers to good results and replaced the ATC mid dome on their flagships models ( 412/415). The Volts low freq drivers (12" and 15") goes very well with the 3" dome and equally good with the 5"+3" used later ( i heard both iterations, had Scm110A as my mains for 2 years and used 200 and 300 in different control rooms during the last 20years). But like ATC they are BR.
_ ATC 10",12" and 15" aren't really special drivers except they are all able to go to 380hz xover freq. ( so without real bothering issues up to circa 800hz) and produce decent amount of bass in BR.
If going sealed you'll need to find a driver able to go this high and still produce decent amount of bass, while having higher efficiency in a volume close to the monitor you plan to copy.
To be blunt the only driver meeting those requirement i can think of is Dayton RSS315 hfa. But still you'll need a pair of them for enough sensibility and plenty of power and very probably an Linkwitz Transform. Probably something in the 1kw range for amp. Which lead to an SCM200 ASL pro clones but with probably closer to SCM110A ouput capability ( 110db continous rather than 118db continous).
It won't be a clone as driver membranne material will be different but it'll still have the potential to sound very good ( if you doubt about Dayton drivers being up to task check Ocean's Way HR3.5 monitors ). For dome mid something between 100/200 watts and tweet 50/100watts needed. They xover the tweet circa 3500hz. Iow multiamp setup with dsp will be the easiest to do imho...
_ the box. Drivers are one thing but the box dimension and built are another big part of ATC sound: box are pretty dead and heavy. It's not going to be cheap AT ALL to make something akin.
As all ATC pro monitors there is a BSC compensating filter incorporated to use them freestanding ( they are thoughts to be flush mounted initially) so for the scm200 it should be a 4 octave high shelve attenuation ( up to 6db) with center freq circa 180hz. Because of this the face dimension ( as well as drivers location) should be the same as an original. To vary box volume you would had to change depth only. We are talking a 75cmx65cm box here...
_The other important characteristic of ATC is they are constant wide horizontal directivity ( 160°, +/-80°) over a wide range and here again xover freq and baffle dimensions have to be cloned on original dimension, you should not change loudspeaker face. Vertical is 10°.
You could use the 3"dome with a 5" mid: when ATC stopped to produce OEM to other manufacturers, Quested used this solution with Volts mid dome drivers to good results and replaced the ATC mid dome on their flagships models ( 412/415). The Volts low freq drivers (12" and 15") goes very well with the 3" dome and equally good with the 5"+3" used later ( i heard both iterations, had Scm110A as my mains for 2 years and used 200 and 300 in different control rooms during the last 20years). But like ATC they are BR.
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Edit: it's not a 5" used in Quested but an 8"... probably a Volt too, i can't remember, it's been a while since i heard them.
Let's not dilute this thread with my selling stuff. Send a PM instead. I might end up posting them in Swap Meet. Haven't thought about this yet.