ATC VS WILSON SASHA

alfa100

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Aug 29, 2014
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Im considering ATC 100 active speakers to replace my Wilson Sasha speakers but have not heard them yet I’d like to hear opinions please
 

alfa100

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I forgot to add that Pass Labs XA 100.8 drive the Sasha’s with Transparent Ref MM2 speaker cable. Has anybody compared these speakers?
 

Bruce B

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Im considering ATC 100 active speakers to replace my Wilson Sasha speakers but have not heard them yet I’d like to hear opinions please

These are two totally different animals. They do not sound even remotely alike.

Wilson speakers "usually" take on the flavor of upstream equipment.. (ie.. amps/pre). They have the Wilson house sound, whereas ATC speakers are active and have a sound that is really tilted up, in your face and non-forgiving. ATC speakers are great tools in the studio... but for long term listening pleasure... look elsewhere!
 

alfa100

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Aug 29, 2014
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These are two totally different animals. They do not sound even remotely alike.

Wilson speakers "usually" take on the flavor of upstream equipment.. (ie.. amps/pre). They have the Wilson house sound, whereas ATC speakers are active and have a sound that is really tilted up, in your face and non-forgiving. ATC speakers are great tools in the studio... but for long term listening pleasure... look elsewhere!
Thank you. This is helpful. I definitely do not want in my face sound; it’s tiring and gives me a headache. Guess I will keep my kit and continue with room treatment. I’m 90% there. I was getting upper bass boom which has significantly improved with room treatment
 

asiufy

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I suggest playing with different amplification on your Wilsons, something with good control of the woofers. If the amps are not controlling the woofers, all bets are off as far as room treatment and speaker positioning.
 

alfa100

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Aug 29, 2014
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I have ATC Active 50 in my room. I prefer my Sasha / Pass Labs combo. Sasha is refined and superior across frequency range. Most importantly ATC does not come close in stage width , depth and height. Also Sasha plays lower and has gravitas/ heft. But it’s unfair comparison in terms of price. BTW i used the same Transparent Audio power cable and interconnect on ATC as on my Sasha/Pass Labs kit. The source is also the same , MSB Analog DAC
 
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Hear Here

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Thank you. This is helpful. I definitely do not want in my face sound; it’s tiring and gives me a headache. Guess I will keep my kit and continue with room treatment. I’m 90% there. I was getting upper bass boom which has significantly improved with room treatment

I had ATC 50 Actives for a while and totally agree with the earlier poster's description of their "in yer face" sound. I wanted to push them another 20 feet away from me. As he also says, probably better in the recording studio than the home - accurate but lacking in listening excitement. I switched to Avantgarde horns - about as different as you can get, but so much more enjoyable.
 
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Genkifd

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Apr 20, 2019
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ive never heard the Sashas but ive heard the ATC 100 Actives about 2 months ago. the mid range is absolute magic. sound stage is pretty good in regards to depth, width and height. imo has plenty of bass but some may not think so. these speakers are tilted towards musicality.

i almost purchased these speakers but ordered the Hulgich Dukes instead.
 

Hear Here

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ive never heard the Sashas but ive heard the ATC 100 Actives about 2 months ago. the mid range is absolute magic. sound stage is pretty good in regards to depth, width and height. imo has plenty of bass but some may not think so. these speakers are tilted towards musicality.

i almost purchased these speakers but ordered the Hulgich Dukes instead.

I don't know the Hulgish range (never heard of them in fact) but I did have a pair of Australian speakers some decades ago. Osborn Eclipse if I remember correctly. I'm pleased to see that Greg is still building speakers.
 
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Genkifd

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osborn speakers are highly regarded in Australia and well as Hulgich. Dukes actually won Sterenet international hifi show award 2018.
 

Tobes

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Sep 10, 2011
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These are two totally different animals. They do not sound even remotely alike.

Wilson speakers "usually" take on the flavor of upstream equipment.. (ie.. amps/pre). They have the Wilson house sound, whereas ATC speakers are active and have a sound that is really tilted up, in your face and non-forgiving. ATC speakers are great tools in the studio... but for long term listening pleasure... look elsewhere!

I'm curious what vintage ATC's you are referring to?
I've often heard that ATC have an "in your face" unforgiving sound, so never really considered them.
When I actually heard the little SCM19's mk2 I was quite surprised how naturally uncoloured and enjoyable the speakers were - not fatiguing at all - and this was coming from 12 years of Harbeth ownership. I bought them on the spot.
I now have the SCM100 active towers and think they're wonderful - I listen for hours with all genres of music.
Comments like yours leave me baffled.
 

Hear Here

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Feb 14, 2020
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I'm curious what vintage ATC's you are referring to?
I've often heard that ATC have an "in your face" unforgiving sound, so never really considered them.
When I actually heard the little SCM19's mk2 I was quite surprised how naturally uncoloured and enjoyable the speakers were - not fatiguing at all - and this was coming from 12 years of Harbeth ownership. I bought them on the spot.
I now have the SCM100 active towers and think they're wonderful - I listen for hours with all genres of music.
Comments like yours leave me baffled.
I bought my ATC Active 50s in about 2000 directly from ATC. They were a special price so may have been a demo pair thought perfect and current spec.

Yes I described them as in you face as I just wanted them pushed back a further 20 ft. I can't compare with the Wilsons as I've not heard those. However it came as a blessed relief when I changed the ATCs for Avantgarde Unos in 2002. Totally different but a breath of fresh air with huge excitement factor. The detail and finesse of the Unos were in huge contrast to the dead accurate but "dead" sound from ATC. Pity as I'd been after ATCs for the previous 10 years. Changed Unos for 2006 Duos last year and waiting for latest Duo XDs to arrive.

Peter
 

analogsa

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Apr 15, 2017
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Why the fixation with active ATC? Their drivers are quite nice but the built in amps are a huge compromise.
 

Lxgreen

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Jul 27, 2020
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I guess you all have different versions of ATC than I do. Mine are the active 50s with upgraded anniversary amp and latest drivers. My room has professionally installed and calibrated acoustical treatment. The ATCs are absolutely outstanding with both my analog and digital gear. No “in your face” sound, just beautiful dynamics, range, sound stage, and imaging. it feels like the music is being played Live in my listening room.
 

Tobes

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Sep 10, 2011
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I bought my ATC Active 50s in about 2000 directly from ATC. They were a special price so may have been a demo pair thought perfect and current spec.

Yes I described them as in you face as I just wanted them pushed back a further 20 ft. I can't compare with the Wilsons as I've not heard those. However it came as a blessed relief when I changed the ATCs for Avantgarde Unos in 2002. Totally different but a breath of fresh air with huge excitement factor. The detail and finesse of the Unos were in huge contrast to the dead accurate but "dead" sound from ATC. Pity as I'd been after ATCs for the previous 10 years. Changed Unos for 2006 Duos last year and waiting for latest Duo XDs to arrive.

Peter

Peter, from what I've read the high frequency demeanour of the ATC speakers changed with the introduction of their own tweeter around 2013. All their drivers are now made in-house.
I've never heard the older speakers with the outsourced tweeters so can't really comment.
I sit in a 2.5m triangle with my SCM100's and don't find them aggressive or 'in my face' at all. They deliver natural depth perspectives that change with the source as it should. They sound superb on voice and provide and wonderfully realistic and dynamic presentation overall.

I've never heard the Sashas but would concede that their their advanced cabinet design would almost certainly provide superior sound staging to the ATC's. The Wilsons seem beautifully built and their latest models have a stellar reputation for sound quality (ironically earlier Wilsons with previous tweeters also had a reputation for being unforgiving).
Well out of my price range unfortunately.
In my neck of the woods the Sasha DAW retail is about double the SCM100 actives, so a different price bracket. In the US the equation would be different and favour the Sasha.

Why the fixation with active ATC? Their drivers are quite nice but the built in amps are a huge compromise.

ATC consider passive amping to be a huge compromise.;)
Most who have heard the ATC passive versions vs the active agree - regardless of the amplifier used. YMMV.
 
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Rocoa

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Oct 17, 2018
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Both are great spekers. I think that the major difference is in fine tuning the rest of your gear (sinergy and bla, bla, bla....).
Cheers
 
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