Despite the assertions of many loudspeaker designers that active loudspeakers are the future, and regardless of their considerable success in the pro-audio world, they just haven't caught on.
The most obvious and probably most important reason is simply that most audiophiles don't like having their choice of amplifier dictated to them. Even if they're happy to take on trust the quality of amps fitted inside a speaker, they probably already own amps that they like and are loath to part with.
That said, ATC and others do sell actives to domestic users. The press release accompanying this new model suggests that it will suit stereo and multi-channel systems in small to medium rooms, or even ''the ultimate MP3 PA system!'' Well, yes, we suppose so...
At the very least you'll need some custom-made adaptor cables, as the SCM16A features only a balanced XLR input - a clear sign of its professional heritage.
As is usual from ATC, the model number refers to internal volume in litres, so this is not a particularly large speaker. It is heavy, though, due not only to the typically chunky ATC bass driver, but also to the substantial toroidal mains transformer that feeds the internal amp.
The enclosure is relatively light, being cast in aluminium along with the fairly gigantic heatsink at the back. Presumably, this cost a bit to tool-up, but it must make manufacture relatively swift and straightforward, and also means that overheating is never likely to be a problem as the enclosure also dumps waste heat from the high-biased Class AB amp.
The latter delivers 200 watts into the bass driver and 50 watts into the tweeter, with an electronic crossover separating the frequency bands at small-signal level.
The advantages of that are precision and the ease with which rapid crossover slopes may be implemented. ATC uses fourth-order slopes, limiting the out-of-band drive to each unit and hence reducing distortion: even faster slopes can have audible ringing effects for listeners placed off the ideal axis of each speaker.
Build-wise, the amplifier is a straightforward affair, very robustly built on a circuit board mounted directly inside the enclosure.
