In this review, we will be comparing SCM150ASL and K2 S9900, two Floor-standing speakers from ATC and JBL. The main difference between these two speakers is that the ATC SCM150ASL 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 JBL K2 S9900 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 SCM150ASL and JBL K2 S9900 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | ATC SCM150ASL | JBL K2 S9900 |
|---|
| Brand | ATC
United Kingdom · founded 1974 | JBL
United States · founded 1946 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Built-in amplifier | Yes | — |
|---|
| Tweeter | 0.98" | 4" Compression Driver |
|---|
| Midrange | 2.95" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 14.76" | 15" Pure Pulp |
|---|
| Frequency response | 60-17k Hz | 48-50k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 91 dB | 93 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 100 to 1500 Watts watts | up to 500 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 75.00kg / 165lbs | 82.70kg / 181.9lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 34-13/16" x 19-5/8" x 22-3/8"
884.0 x 498.0 x 568.0mm | 47-1/4" x 22-1/16" x 13-3/4"
1200.0 x 560.0 x 350.0mm |
|---|
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
Both SCM150ASL and K2 S9900 are 3-way speakers.
ATC SCM150ASLJBL K2 S9900
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 SCM150ASL |
JBL K2 S9900 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
0.98-inch
|
4-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 2.95-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 14.76-inch
|
1 x 15-inch
|
SCM150ASL features a 0.98" Tweeter, a 2.95" Midrange and 1 x 14.76" Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 380Hz & 3.5kHz. On the other hand, the K2 S9900 features a 4" Magnesium Compression Driver Tweeter and 1 x 15" Pure Pulp Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 900Hz and 15000Hz.
Frequency Response
SCM150ASL has a frequency range of 60-17k Hz whereas K2 S9900 has a frequency range of 48-50k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 48Hz, the K2 S9900 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the SCM150ASL's min frequency of 60Hz.
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
SCM150ASL and K2 S9900 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. SCM150ASL sensitivity is rated at 91 dB and the K2 S9900's is at 93 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the JBL K2 S9900 a more sensitive speaker compared to ATC SCM150ASL, 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.
SCM150ASL can handle a max power of 1500 watts RMS, whereas K2 S9900 has a max power handling value of 500 watts RMS, 1000 watts less than the SCM150ASL.
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
K2 S9900 features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. SCM150ASL has a XLR which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
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 SCM150ASL's and JBL K2 S9900's external dimensions. ATC SCM150ASL has external dimensions of 884.0 x 498.0 x 568.0mm () whereas JBL K2 S9900 has external dimensions of 1200.0 x 560.0 x 350.0mm (47-1/4 x 22-1/16 x 13-3/4inch).
ATC SCM150ASL is 62mm narrower and 316mm shorter than JBL K2 S9900 but it is also 218mm deeper.
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 SCM150ASL needs about 44% more floor or shelf area. ATC SCM150ASL is 218mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. JBL K2 S9900 is 316mm 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 SCM150ASL is approximately 2828.6cm2 / 438.4inch2 and base area of the JBL K2 S9900 is approximately 1960.0cm2 / 303.8inch2. The SCM150ASL requires 44% more surface area than the K2 S9900 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.