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ATC SIA2-100

simon g

Older, wiser but no longer retired
I've just seen that ATC is launching a new amplifier, which looks very interesting.

It's a 100W/channel MOSFET amplifier, complete with digital inputs. I've had an ATC amp in the past and it was very accomplished if a little too neutral perhaps?

This will be around £2,500, which seems well priced for a quality amplifier (their SIA2-150 Mk2 is now £3.6K). Perreaux (another high quality manufacturer of MOSFET amps) would want over £5K for their version. Plus the ATC has a 6 year warranty and supported in England. I must admit I'm going to be tempted. Shame it's only in silver.

http://atcloudspeakers.co.uk/hi-fi/electronics/source/sia2-100/
 
I've just seen that ATC is launching a new amplifier, which looks very interesting.

It's a 100W/channel MOSFET amplifier, complete with digital inputs. I've had an ATC amp in the past and it was very accomplished if a little too neutral perhaps?

This will be around £2,500, which seems well priced for a quality amplifier (their SIA2-150 Mk2 is now £3.6K). Perreaux (another high quality manufacturer of MOSFET amps) would want over £5K for their version. Plus the ATC has a 6 year warranty and supported in England. I must admit I'm going to be tempted. Shame it's only in silver.

http://atcloudspeakers.co.uk/hi-fi/electronics/source/sia2-100/

If it’s anything like their speakers - which I’ve used with great pleasure for years - it’ll be rock solid, conservatively rated, very well built, well supported, and unlikely to be changed every year at the whim of fashion as they tend to try and get things right in the first place.

Here’s some more blurb ..

http://atcloudspeakers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/ATC-CD2-SIA2-100-12PP-090219-web-2.pdf
 
I've just seen that ATC is launching a new amplifier, which looks very interesting.

It's a 100W/channel MOSFET amplifier, complete with digital inputs. I've had an ATC amp in the past and it was very accomplished if a little too neutral perhaps?

This will be around £2,500, which seems well priced for a quality amplifier (their SIA2-150 Mk2 is now £3.6K). Perreaux (another high quality manufacturer of MOSFET amps) would want over £5K for their version. Plus the ATC has a 6 year warranty and supported in England. I must admit I'm going to be tempted. Shame it's only in silver.

http://atcloudspeakers.co.uk/hi-fi/electronics/source/sia2-100/

Nice :cool:
 
In my book "a little too neutral" means unexciting. That was how I felt about the EAR 802 preamp with my EAR 516 and Quad ESL 57. My Herron pre changed all that.
 
No such thing as too neutral! It's one of the things to aim for if high fidelity is the goal.

I wonder if ATC still use the "grounded power amp, swinging power supply" topology they used to use.... maybe not in an integrated as it has to have a mains transformer per channel to work and would need a third small one for the rest of the circuitry...
 
"a little too neutral perhaps"

What does this mean???? :)

Always difficult to express sounds by means of words. The ATC is definitely a very clean, precise sound that borders on clinical, IMO. Those that believe amplifiers of similar specs sound the same can just ignore my comments.

I would imagine that this new amplifier is very closely related to that which was in the SIACD. ATC seem to have decided not to release an SIACD-2, but to offer an amplifier with digital inputs, along with a separate matching CD player.
 
Agree completely with Arkless, I want my equipment to impart as little character of its own as is feasible.

My early audio experience was as an ardent flat earther (naive and fully bought into the PRAT foo) but I was always tweaking, tuning, fretting over my system (which by then had cost £££££'s). The greatest breakthough for me was selling it all to focus on having a decent room, active ATC speakers and a Benchmark DAC. The 'neutral' warts-and-all approach is inherently logical to me. Ironically my 'clinical' and 'analytical' system connects me to my music better than ever before. Yes, terrible 80's recordings still sound terrible (and you can more clearly hear why) but good recordings can be startlingly real in a way I've not heard from systems that paint everything with their own sound.

Horses for courses I guess! :)
 
While being in the trade the SIA-150 Mk i was launched and we all loved it. An excellent amplifier which back then retailed for under £1500. IMHO for the money it was untouchable.
 
I will go down the active route hopefully later this year with some ATC40ASLs & will hook them up to current Naim based system. Hindsight is always wonderful but if starting again I would go simpler, probably ATC pre & go higher on source. Still love my current system though so will only change if I can improve it. Nothing wrong with PRAT BTW
 
I like the looks, better than my SIA2-150 mk2, and I hope ATC gains traction in the market - for that price it must be a bargain.

I love my 150 and in the right system (Harbeth) it does not sound clinical. The dynamics can be shocking. One thing that strikes me is that the 100 weighs 9.7 KG and the 150 20 KG, that is quite a difference.
 
This amp looks very exciting for me. I have not heard their amps but what I read of the review of their previous Preamp/cd I would imagine this amp will be similar in sound. I am going to the Bristol HiFi Show so hopefully I will able to hear it with a passive ATC speaker, and bring my own CD to test how it performs particularly in depth of soundstage.
 
No such thing as too neutral! It's one of the things to aim for if high fidelity is the goal.

I wonder if ATC still use the "grounded power amp, swinging power supply" topology they used to use.... maybe not in an integrated as it has to have a mains transformer per channel to work and would need a third small one for the rest of the circuitry...

Yes: The SIA2-100 does use the Grounded Source output stage, just like the SIA2—150, but with a smaller transformer.
 
This amp looks very exciting for me. I have not heard their amps but what I read of the review of their previous Preamp/cd I would imagine this amp will be similar in sound. I am going to the Bristol HiFi Show so hopefully I will able to hear it with a passive ATC speaker, and bring my own CD to test how it performs particularly in depth of soundstage.

Hi Romulus: At Bristol, ATC will be demonstrating the SIA2-100 partnered with SCM11 and SCM40 loudspeakers. Come and check it out....
 
Yes: The SIA2-100 does use the Grounded Source output stage, just like the SIA2—150, but with a smaller transformer.

Interesting. It HAS to use separate transformers for each channel and as it has pre amp functions, DAC etc that must have another transformer... It's not a new thing and not original to ATC.... Hafler used it years ago and it's well known but rarely used due to the need for separate transformers per channel.
 
Interesting. It HAS to use separate transformers for each channel and as it has pre amp functions, DAC etc that must have another transformer... It's not a new thing and not original to ATC.... Hafler used it years ago and it's well known but rarely used due to the need for separate transformers per channel.

The SIA2-100 has two transformers: one smaller toroid with multiple secondaries for preamp, DAC and logic functions and one larger toroid with two secondaries for each power amp.

No, the Grounded Source topology is not unique to us and you correctly identify that Hafler used it (quite extensively I think).

Our SIA2-150 Mk1, the current Mk2 and the new compact SIA2-100 all use a single transformer for the power amps but with separate secondary windings. It is not an absolute requirement that a stereo amp using grounded source output stages has seperate transformers for the LH & RH amps.
 


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