Introduction
Audio output is often the weak link in many people's setups. It's all well and good spending thousands on God's own decks and mixer but what's the point when you're still knocking that expensive audio through your Grandma's radiogram. So it makes sense to spend a few dollars, pounds or euros on the backend of your system, especially if you want to have a hope in hell of getting something that sounds good to everyone's ears.
Up until recently, I've been pushing my audio out through a reasonably expensive Sony system through to some old but good Tannoy Eclipse loudspeakers. But the audio path wasn't great - out of the back of one mixer sessioned to another which in turn was linked to the Sony system and then out to the Tannoys - hardly the most direct route. So when a pair of Stanton ATM.6s came my way, I took the opportunity to rationalise my setup, regain a lot more room and get much clearer sound. But in doing so, I came to realise the differences between loudspeakers and monitors, and just how potentially complex the subject of monitors can get.
First Impressions
The first thing to point out is that these are powered monitors and require their own power source, so that's 2 extra power points to find. But having an amplifier built in means that you drive these straight from the back of your mixer, via balanced XLRs, unbalanced RCA or TRS, so your Grandma can get her polished wood stereo back. This very direct route also rules out any other possibilities for your sound to be muddied with other EQs and bass/treble controls.
These Stanton ATM.6s are based on the widely respected KRK Rokit RP6s, so the pedigree of these is assured. Measuring a reasonably compact 220mm wide x 320mm tall x 265mm deep, They're being built from MDF and painted in a silky smooth seam free finish. But they're very heavy so I wouldn't recommend wall mounting.
The base of the cabinet is covered with a soft foam sheet allowing you to move the ATMs around easily as well as provide some insulation from your worksurface when things get a little lively sound wise. The front of the cabinet surrounds the woofer and tweeter and the striking Stanton Logo lights up to indicate that power is on - a nice touch in these times of power conservation. I certainly never leave them on at all when they're not being used whereas other monitors might not remind you in this way. I would however like to have seen a discrete on/off switch on the front.
All the controls are located on the back panel. A varied selection on inputs is available - balanced XLR and TRS as well as unbalanced RCA. Volume control offers a -30dB to +6dB as well as a small band of high frequency adjustment control allowing you to tweak the +2Khz frequencies a little.
Getting to the actual speakers - the 6" woofer is a posh fibre glass woven construction. It's certainly sturdy and not likely to suffer from over eager fingers poking holes. The fragile Neodymium tweeter is much the same as any other tweeter though but together, they deliver a serious punch. The bass response is solid with a detailed and bright mid and high end, but the key to the success of the quality is positioning. While they do knock out a serious 200 watts of noise, these aren't room-filling monitors by any means. These are very directional and designed for close range monitoring which means taking time to think about the exact placement to get the best performance.
In Use
As I move around my small office, I can hear just how much the positioning of the ATMs can help or hinder the quality. Just moving a few feet in any direction can radically effect quality, even to the point of highlighting dead zones. Normal hifi loudspeakers are a little more forgiving but at the expense of quality and clarity. So having just refitted my office, I took the time to look at my working and playing habits to ensure that I'd got the optimum location.
And it worked out really well for me. Having already outlined the less than direct route from my mixer to the speakers, I was somewhat pleased to be able to plug the ATMs straight into the back of my mixer via balanced XLRs. This very direct route coupled with balanced outputs and proper monitors made my ear alive again, as well as my feet tremble with some real bass. If you do like ear bleeding volume however, I would suggest that isolating the ATMs from your work surface so that unnecessary low end resonance is eliminated. But it's fair to say that these ATM.6 monitors have made a world of difference to my listening experience.
Summing Up
If you've been putting up with manky old moth eaten hifi loudspeakers for years, I wholeheartedly recommend upgrading right away to studio monitors, especially if you're a bedroom DJ or small studio producer. You'll immediately hear the difference and wonder how the hell you did without them. And in the case of the Stanton ATM.6s, you'll get yourself a solid grounding in the black art of quality audio. You'll need to take time to position them to work best for you but once you have, the quality will speak for itself.
Ratings
Build Quality - 9/10
Solid, well finished and looks the part.
Sound Quality - 9/10
For the price, they're hard to knock and certainly an upgrade from your average home hifi. Just watch the low end resonance at loud volumes.
Features & Implementation - 8/10
A range of inputs plus gain control and high frequency adjust. But being placed at the back can make access awkward.
Value For Money - 9/10
A pair of real quality monitors for a great price.
Pros:
• It's a KRK RP6 in new clothes
• Sound/price ratio
• Value for money
Cons
• Rear controls (tidy but access restricted)
The Bottom Line
The Stanton ATM.6 is from a solid heritage and will give you an extremely cost effective but high quality audio experience.
