In this review, we will be comparing SCM100ASLT and Foundation F1, two Floor-standing speakers from ATC and MartinLogan. The main difference between these two speakers is that the ATC SCM100ASLT is a Powered speaker which means that it has a built-in amplifier inside the speaker body so you don't need an external power amp or an integrated amp whereas the MartinLogan Foundation F1 is a Passive speaker so has to be matched with an amplifier to get any sound from it.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of ATC SCM100ASLT and MartinLogan Foundation F1 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | ATC SCM100ASLT | MartinLogan Foundation F1 |
|---|
| Brand | ATC
United Kingdom · founded 1974 | MartinLogan
United States · founded 1982 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Built-in amplifier | Yes | — |
|---|
| Tweeter | 0.98" | 1" Folded Motion Ribbon |
|---|
| Midrange | 2.95" | 5.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 12.36" | 3 x 5.5" Aluminum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 65-17k Hz | 41-23k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 100 to 1500 Watts watts | up to 200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 63.00kg / 138.6lbs | 21.14kg / 46.5lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 45.94" x 16.85" x 22.87"
1167.0 x 428.0 x 581.0mm | 41-7/16" x 8-3/8" x 14-7/16"
1053.0 x 213.0 x 367.0mm |
|---|
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
Both SCM100ASLT and Foundation F1 are 3-way speakers.
ATC SCM100ASLTMartinLogan Foundation F1
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
ATC SCM100ASLT |
MartinLogan Foundation F1 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
0.98-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 2.95-inch |
1 x 5.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 12.36-inch
|
3 x 5.5-inch
|
SCM100ASLT features a 0.98" Tweeter, a 2.95" Midrange and 1 x 12.36" Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 380Hz & 3.5kHz. On the other hand, the Foundation F1 features a 1" Gen2 Obsidian Folded Motion Ribbon Tweeter, a 5.5" Midrange and 3 x 5.5" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 240 Hz - 3700 Hz.
Frequency Response
SCM100ASLT has a frequency range of 65-17k Hz whereas Foundation F1 has a frequency range of 41-23k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 41Hz, the Foundation F1 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the SCM100ASLT's min frequency of 65Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
SCM100ASLT is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the Foundation F1 which has a nominal impedance of 4 ohms. Lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit especially when played at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Foundation F1 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. SCM100ASLT sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the Foundation F1's is rated at 92 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the MartinLogan Foundation F1 a more sensitive speaker compared to ATC SCM100ASLT, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
SCM100ASLT can handle a max power of 1500 watts RMS, whereas Foundation F1 has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 1300 watts less than the SCM100ASLT.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
SCM100ASLT features Binding post type posts and Foundation F1 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
MartinLogan Foundation F1's Binding post terminals
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare ATC SCM100ASLT's and MartinLogan Foundation F1's external dimensions. ATC SCM100ASLT has external dimensions of 1167.0 x 428.0 x 581.0mm (45.94 x 16.85 x 22.87inch) whereas MartinLogan Foundation F1 has external dimensions of 1053.0 x 213.0 x 367.0mm (41-7/16inch x 8-3/8inch x 14-7/16inch).
ATC SCM100ASLT is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 215mm wider, 114mm taller and 214mm deeper than MartinLogan Foundation F1.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
ATC SCM100ASLT needs about 218% more floor or shelf area. ATC SCM100ASLT is 214mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. ATC SCM100ASLT is 114mm taller.
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the ATC SCM100ASLT is approximately 2486.7cm2 / 385.4inch2 and base area of the MartinLogan Foundation F1 is approximately 781.7cm2 / 121.2inch2. The SCM100ASLT requires 218% more surface area than the Foundation F1 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.