Launched in mid-2024 in a classy blue lacquered version to mark the British brand’s 50th anniversary, the SCM20ASL return in 2025 as part of ATC’s Classic Series.
Derived from the professional range model, the SCM20ASL are back in service in the hi-fi range, having been presented (and tested in our French VU#54) in a limited edition of 150 units a year earlier. They now reappear in a more classic wood cabinet, with finishes already familiar from other ATC Classic Series active loudspeakers from the SCM50ASL upwards.
Compared with the limited edition, the front panel loses its leather covering, which seemed to have a slight impact on wave diffusion, and the rear panel reverts to black rather than silver aluminium. As for the rest, the excellent 6“ mid-bass driver and 1” tweeter of the passive version remain, with frequency sensitivity adjustable via a rear knob. In the cabinet, these active units use the two Class A/B amplifiers of 200W (for mid/bass) and 50W (for treble), already tried and tested on the excellent pro version.
As a reminder, “active” is a different term from “wireless”, which always implies “connected”, i.e. with an internal streamer. An active speaker only has built-in amplification, so for it to work, it still needs to be connected to a source, and in this case, the SCM20ASL have a balanced analog XLR terminal on the rear panel.
Last year, the small number of limited-edition units available meant that we had to wait impatiently for this classic version, which we hope to listen to very soon to verify its sound quality. Prices have so far only been announced for the UK, at £6 495 per pair for a standard version, £7 295 for the premium versions and £7v845 for the black or white Piano editions, i.e. from £1 000 more than the pro version, but £4 000 less than the anniversary edition!
04/12/2025