ATC, they are the best….but….

[kernow]

I'd buy the new boxes and send them off filled with 65kgs each of my own fecal matter

 

[bandit pilot]

They are obviously trying to make money on the packaging ? This might indicate that they have "strict customer care policies". Is it our honour & privilege to own certain hifi ? Nah we are paying their mortgages ..imo. It's a level playing field.
Ask them to do the packaging at cost...and hear what they have to say ?

Timber crates are expensive to make. No arguing that fact at all.
I doubt very much that they are made in house.
The issue here, mind bending as it is, is that the OP has attempted to deliver in person, negating the need for super strong courier proof crates, and been knocked back. THAT is the sticking point and reason for this thread.
The whole upgrade may well be worthwhile, but that's not the point.

 

[garn63]

Timber crates are expensive to make. No arguing that fact at all.
I doubt very much that they are made in house.
The issue here, mind bending as it is, is that the OP has attempted to deliver in person, negating the need for super strong courier proof crates, and been knocked back. THAT is the sticking point and reason for this thread.
The whole upgrade may well be worthwhile, but that's not the point.

I see. So he is good enough to be a customer but not visit the factory. The detachment from the customer isn't good is it ?
* They are bound to have a hydraulic pallet trolley...or even a forklift. I would just arrive & ask where they wanted them putting No trouble.

 

[bandit pilot]

I see. So he is good enough to be a customer but not visit the factory. The detachment from the customer isn't good is it ?

Not even that. He can take the speakers himself, but just not in the original supplied shipping boxes. He'd still need to purchase 700+ worth of new crates, even doing the delivery and collection himself.
Sounds bizarre doesn't it. Not many forum posts about boxes could generate this kind of interest.

 

[garn63]

Not even that. He can take the speakers himself, but just not in the original supplied shipping boxes. He'd still need to purchase 700+ worth of new crates, even doing the delivery and collection himself.
Sounds bizarre doesn't it. Not many forum posts about boxes could generate this kind of interest.

Hopefully it will shame them into sorting it out. Cr*p service imo. In fact NO service.

 

[kernow]

I'd deliver the current speakers in their original boxes... On fire

 

[hiacedrifter]

I had mulled over ATC actives to reduce box count, but this thread has totally put me off. Longevity/ability to service is paramount. This all sounds like a nightmare! They should have some box rental service available (and not £400-600 a pop!)

 

[simon g]

Just a suggestion; perhaps contact some professional studios that might be using this type of speaker? Maybe they have packaging that they could lend/rent to you. You could also try a more pro equipment type forum and see if a member there can help out, or influence ATC? One example below:

https://www.soundonsound.com/forum

 

[Blzebub]

how can you say that, i am afraid it is. I recall Naim and those French speakers with focal tweeters, and also Triangle that were truly piercing could have cut metal. Not distortion just hideous treble racket, a chain saw cutting aluminium sheet.

What you are describing is quite obviously distortion, not detail.

I'm amazed at how many hi-fi buffs reckon they don't want "too much detail". Use an AM radio?

 

[Blzebub]

Let's talk actual numbers.

How much did these speakers cost the OP to buy? [My active 100s cost me £4000 20 years ago] How many thousands of pounds did he save by buying used?

For a relatively small outlay, probably around £1500, he can be the proud owner of as-new ATC monitors with the excellent new tweeter and a couple of crates to store.

I'm guessing he's still way ahead of a new buyer, but still not happy.

Unlike many companies, ATC fully support their older products and will bring them up to current specs.

 

[oldius]

I'd buy the new boxes and send them off filled with 65kgs each of my own fecal matter

I'm not wasting one day on the toilet.

 

[oldius]

Let's talk actual numbers.

How much did these speakers cost the OP to buy? [My active 100s cost me £4000 20 years ago] How many thousands of pounds did he save by buying used?

For a relatively small outlay, probably around £1500, he can be the proud owner of as-new ATC monitors with the excellent new tweeter and a couple of crates to store.

I'm guessing he's still way ahead of a new buyer, but still not happy.

Unlike many companies, ATC fully support their older products and will bring them up to current specs.

In this case, they are not fully supporting their old products: their packaging was a part of the product sold. I am a big fan of ATC speakers, as you clearly are, but this is a customer service matter only, and they are not delivering here, IMO.

 

[toms wait]

What you are describing is quite obviously distortion, not detail.

I'm amazed at how many hi-fi buffs reckon they don't want "too much detail". Use an AM radio?

Do you know I don't think I really care for treble distortion, detail or real hifi. I'm describing very badly what I think is in my head, wether you know it as distortion is up to you.

I'll call it Fred Treble, Sophie Midrange and Jim Bass which would be just as meaningless in translation

 

[Fourlegs]

I’ve put an ad to borrow some 100 boxes which has caused a myriad of questions so I must explain.

I Recently purchased some 100a which are magnificent, honestly. I bought a ca2 from a dealer with advice from ATC as a good match, couldn’t be happier at this point.

I had also been told that the newer tweeter (not on my model) is even better, and I should upgrade by recommendation. So I thought “for my birthday I’ll get it done!”

Knew it wouldn’t be cheap as I have a speaker what now retails at 20k.

Mine are an absolutely mint, lightly used pair of 2009, though the amp packs were brand new in 2014, again very lightly used.

After further correspondence with ATC I was sent a list of typical prices for everything they do on that model I’m not the expert but I was/am confident that they would probably only need the crossover adjustment and tweeter fitting, at most “now they are here let’s replace the caps then we know they are bang on”
though I’m left not knowing what I will be paying at all really.

So bear in mind I only actually want the tweeter upgrade.

After to and fro, I only actually know what the cost of the unit cost for a tweeter is, not the actual upgrade as they state they can’t say as they may need other things…..though they may not……?

Ok, so I thought well, you buy speakers like this you are going to incur costs.

So thought oh well, not perfect but I’ll send them down hoping they can tell me what they need when they land. Told them I would drop them off in their original internal packaging, (high density polystyrene) I don’t have a box so would have to source as ATC don’t use those boxes anymore.

Was told them that I would have to use their new packaging as the old packaging they used to supply doesn’t stand impact so I can’t sent in that. They gave me a price for their packaging of £660+vat. I cannot keep the boxes after as I have nowhere to store them. The other option they said when I told them I was ‘handy’ is that I could build typical shipping crates line with (they insisted) 50mm stratocell foam all sides on a pallet. I have not costed this yet but for packaging it still isn’t going to be cheap either.

I don’t trust couriers with this so I had planned to take the four hour journey in my van of which the original packaging fits nice and snug.

Now I will have to hire a van to fit them in too, to unload them on a forklift at the other end.

They also can’t tell me how long they will be down there as ‘things are just too fluid’

I wouldn’t have any other speaker, and I know they are obviously very cautious, but I just find the process frustrating.

I have not read the whole thread so I may be duplicating what has been said.

I returned my ATC 150 to the factory for new tweeters and a service including new surrounds for the bass drivers and servicing the mids and amp packs. I did not have any crates so bought them from ATC. They offered that if I did not want to keep them then I could return the crates after use for a full refund. I do have space so I elected to keep the crates in case I ever sold the speakers.

ATC organised the shipping from me to them and the return. I think from memory it was £77 for overnight shipping. (Edit, I have just checked the invoice and they charged £88 + VAT for overnight delivery).

I still have the invoice for the work done and can share this with you privately but will not post it on the forum.

ATC’s hourly rate charged for labour is ridiculously low in my opinion. Through all the work and my dealings with the factory they were refreshingly old fashioned in not trying to inflate the cost at any point or to do work which was not needed. If I ever needed any updates or to question anything all I did was telephone them and they could not have been more helpful.

Your mistrust of couriers is ill founded in this instance but of course I did use the ATC courier. My son in law and I manhandled the crates with the speakers in them. No need for forklifts.

If one puts one’s mind to falling out with ATC then I suppose it can be done but in my opinion I have never come across a more accommodating company. For sure the process takes a while and a few chill pills are needed but this work has to be accommodated around building new speakers.

 

[Fourlegs]

Who told you that, ATC by chance?

Err well I can confirm it because I had my 150 actives upgraded to the new ATC tweeter.

 

[JANDL100]

Sadly, Nick, ATC's service ethos seems to have changed for the worse since you had yours updated.
They are now refusing to accept speakers that aren't in current spec boxes, and charge circa £800 for new boxes.

 

[Fourlegs]

Sadly, Nick, ATC's service ethos seems to have changed for the worse since you had yours updated.
They are now refusing to accept speakers that aren't in current spec boxes, and charge circa £800 for new boxes.

Jerry, unless I have misread the OP’s post, he said he only has the original internal packaging and he does not have the external box any more. That seems fair enough to me for ATC to say they cannot accept them without an original outer box because they will need to move them around in the factory. Forgive me though if I have missed something because there is a lot of bluster in this thread and I have not read it all.

 

[MartinC]

What you are describing is quite obviously distortion, not detail.

I'm amazed at how many hi-fi buffs reckon they don't want "too much detail". Use an AM radio?

A system with a brighter balance will tend to make (high-frequency) details more prominent, and so may not unreasonably be described as 'more detailed' by some.

 

[lamboy]

ATC only need to change their marketing. Add £800 to the upgrade cost and chuck in a free packaging refresh. Simples.

 

[DomT]

I have been reflecting about this thread. The issue seems to be that ATC are concerned about damage. Having moved house several times in the last 12 years including twice overseas the only reason that furniture gets damaged is through mishandling. The original boxes will have more protection than an international move wooden furniture packing. It’s not clear to me why ATC are so concerned.

@tackleberry if Peter at Deco cannot help and you need wooden crates I always get crates made up by my removal company to ship synths etc where I don’t have the original boxes. A five octave synth crate costs about £25-40 and so for a speaker it might be £240. My crates always had foam lining but as you need something specific then this might cost a bit more. This would be a lot cheaper than the ATC ones and you might stand a chance of selling them afterwards. Would they accept that as an alternative?