Atlantic Technology System 4200e Review
Contents
1. LUDIOHOUICS Online A V Magazine 3 Pursuing the Truth in Audio amp Video Atlantic Technology System 4200e Review By Clint DeBoer System 4200e Loudspeakers Review Manufacturer Atlantic Technology Overall Rating 4 5 5 stars Value Rating 4 5 5 stars Introduction Review Date 04 12 05 MSRP 3500 Cons e Oversized subwoofer that is difficult to hide e Subwoofer can sound underpowered at high SPLs or in larger rooms e Boundary Gain option showed unpredictable results when coupled with typical room acoustic conditions Specifications Atlantic Technology System 4200e MSRP 3500 4200e LR Type Sealed box 2 way D Appolito array Woofer Two 5 25 Graphite Loaded Homoploymer Tweeter 1 silk dome Frequency Response 80Hz 20kHz 3dB Nominal Impedance 8 ohms Crossover 2 5 kHz 4th order time aligned Sensitivity 90dB Recommended Power 10 150 Watts RMS Magnetic Shielding Yes Dimensions w Grills 8 3 x 15 x 9 5 211mm x 382mm x 242mm Weight 15 Ibs 6 8 kg 4200e C Type Sealed box 2 way D Appolito array Woofer Two 5 25 Graphite Loaded Homoploymer Tweeter 1 silk dome Frequency Response 80Hz 20kHz 3dB Nominal Impedance 8 ohms Crossover 2 5 kHz 4th order time aligned Sensitivity 90dB Recommended Power 10 150 Watts RMS Magnetic Shielding Yes Dimensions w Grills 18 4 x 8 4 x 9 7 467mm x 213mm x 246mm Weight 17 Ibs 7 7 kg with base 4200e SR2. from the center and half that for the mains In addition trying to listen to boundary gain differences from the center channel while in the midst of a multi channel music track qualifies you for a golden ear award You may want to disconnect the other channels but at the risk of creating a non real world environment The bottom line is have fun with this option and use it to match timbre and tweak your system to your own personal taste Atlantic Technology System 4200e Listening Tests We started out our listening tests with some THX movies Star Wars Episode 2 Attack of the Clones and Raiders of the Lost Ark It s interesting to watch THX movies on a THX receiver with THX DSP coming through THX Select speakers you would expect that the movies sound very close to what the original sound mixers intended In addition receivers with THX certification render the same program level for both DTS and Dolby Digital soundtracks as set by the dialnorm metadata a nice feature for comparing soundtracks aaa Star Wars Episode 2 Attack of the Clones Chapter 7 Speeder Chase delivered a full surround experience with swooping car bys and excellent environment ambience It was during this scene that did a lot of testing with respect to using dipole or bipole mode in a rear mounted surround scenario found the at this price point with excellent imaging and convincing front to back pans and effects The low end sweetening we have all come to know an
3. Type Sealed box 2 way D Appolito array Woofer Two 4 5 Graphite Loaded Homoploymer Tweeter Two 1 silk dome Frequency Response 80Hz 20kHz 3dB Nominal Impedance 8 ohms Crossover 3 kHz 4th order time aligned Sensitivity 90dB Recommended Power 10 150 Watts RMS Magnetic Shielding No Dimensions w Grills 10 9 x 12 4 x 7 5 277mm x 315mm x 191mm Weight 12 Ibs 5 5 kg 642 SB Type THX Select powered subwoofer Woofer 12 long throw composite cone Output power 300 Watts RMS Crossover Variable 40Hz 140Hz Distortion amplifier lt 0 5 Frequency Response 25Hz 300Hz 3dB Low Level line 20kohms Peak Output 105dB SPL into 2000 cubic feet Dimensions w Panels 19 x 21 x 18 5 483mm x 534mm x 470mm Weight 65 Ibs 29 5 kg Let me start by saying that truly love reviewing loudspeakers really do However had just completed reviewing several loudspeaker systems over the last couple of months and the thought of one more brought mixed emotions I m into new equipment as much as the next guy but unpacking and repacking multiple boxes is not the part we relish It was late in the evening and was kind of worn out by the time finally got the 4200e speakers amp sub connected to my reference system had intended fo begin my listening sessions the following day but just to ensure everything was correct and to allow me an early start decided to at least calibrate the system levels before ca
4. a 50 100 dB scale 4200eLR THX 4200eLR Reverberant 4200eLR Damped 4200eLR Boundary Comp ON Window Blackman Harris 1 3 Octave Frequency Response Gate Time 20 ms a a ett a Frequency Hz Here you can see the overall in room frequency response of the system at 1 meter with the various high Frequency Energy settings available On the main 4200e LR speakers Reverberant yields a 1 5dB drop in high frequency output while Damped yields a 1 5dB gain Depending upon your listening environment this can be a great way to balance the system and yield a flatter summed response at the listening position Boundary compensation is only partially shown on this response chart but it effectively engages at midrange frequencies While we did not have time to sufficiently test all possible positions it would appear as if Boundary Compensation in this measurement also showed some gain from 280Hz through 600Hz Psychological er Gate Time 0 ms Level dB Frequency Hz Here we see the lower rolloff of the 4200e LR speaker beginning at around 80Hz The 4th order crossover gives us a 24dB octave slope which is fairly accurately represented here Psychological Frequency Response Gate Time 100 ms 593 7 ry 107 23 89 a T a gt i l 50 Frequency Hz Adding the 642e SB subwoofer into the mix we see that the system s in room measurement shows usable frequencies down to 22 5Hz Any anomalies in this measur
5. d love from Ben Burtt really came through once again and had several subwoofer taunting elements reminiscent of the throttling up sequence from Episode One s Pod Race scene Explosions in the battle between the Republic and droid armies are nothing short of earth shattering Chapter 43 Clone War It lacked the boominess that so many sound designers think sounds good in explosions What s left is bone jarring sub 60Hz frequencies that put you smack dab in the middle of the battlefield In addition when John Williams score isn t overpowering the mix the environment is full and immersive The only downside we noted was a tendency for the subwoofer to lose control at higher SPLs This would also be a problem in larger home theater rooms and thus supplementing with an extra sub may do the trick 1 Above 2 Time To Start 3 Sing Along featuring Dave Matthews 4 Up To The Roof featuring Tracy Bonham 5 Your Attention 6 Persona featuring Josh Haden 7 Piano Smasher 8 White Rabbit featuring Esthero 9 The Current featuring Gavin Rossdale 10 Feel Love featuring Venus Hum 11 Shadows Part 2 featuring Tracy Bonham amp Rob Swift 12 What is Rock featuring Arone Dyer amp Peter Moore 13 The Complex featuring Peter Moore 14 Exhibit 13 Blue Man Group The Complex DVD Audio Disc This was the first disc played on the Atlantic Technology System 4200e so felt it only fair to include it in the evaluation What a
6. e foam in there if they wanted to It took us quite a while to remove it all and get a good look inside the cabinet The crossover network is a 4th order asymmetrical Linkwitz Reilly system that is computer designed and seems to do the trick quite well The crossover components looked top notch and the internal wiring was well laid out and efficient there was not a lot of unnecessary extra wire These speakers are sealed up tight and present an overall solid design for a two way sealed enclosure speaker system Handily available on the 4200e LRs is a boundary gain compensation switch unceremoniously labeled Boundary which adjusts the lower frequency output of the speaker to compensate for coupling effects that occur when it is placed in close proximity to a wall or television or located in or near a cabinet system The default position is THX Normal The 4200e SR speakers are designed to be flush mounted to either side walls or as rear channels They have a dipole bipole switch that alters whether the drivers fire in phase bipole or out of phase dipole With exception the intended use is dipole the default setting for creating a diffuse surround field desirable for home theater use e bipole use for direct radiating needs such as multi channel music or in certain rear surround scenarios where placing the surrounds on the side wall is impossible and a less diffused sound is preferred The newly redesigned 642e SB subwoofer is a mons
7. ement are a result of the room acoustics which are currently being treated in Reference System 2 About Atlantic Technology From its inception in 1989 Atlantic Technology s mission has been to produce home entertainment products that exemplify the very best in both performance and value The company specializes in complete high performance multi channel speaker systems state of the art home theater electronics components and products for custom audio video installation For more information on Atlantic Technology and its many fine products for home theater and custom audio video installation visit www atlantictechnology com or call 781 762 6300 Associated Test Gear Description Manufacturer s Website Yamaha RX V2500 Receiver used as Pre pro www yamaha com yec Rotel RMB 1095 Review Panamax 1000 Line Conditioner and Noise Filter Www panamax com Main Speakers Class AB Amplifier www rotel com RBH 1266 LSE RBH 661 LSE Center Channel RBH 61 LSE Review Surround Speakers RBH 1010 SEP www rbhsound com 350 watt 2x10 powered subwoofer Denon DVD 3910 Yamaha LPX 510 3LCD Projector www yamaha com yec Review Universal Remote MX 700 Review Universal Remote Control www hometheatermaster com Surround Speaker Brackets BT 77 Ultra Grip Pro ISF Grayscale amp Color Calibration www sencore com Milori ColorFacts Software ISF Calibration Software www milori com 10 meter HDMI Cable DVIGear Cables 50 Co
8. lling it a day Something compelled me perhaps the call of an Audioholic to play a track from the Blue Man Group DTS DVD just to get something other than a test tone to play through the system Two hours later had to force myself to leave the room and go to bed Atlantic Technology System 4200e Features amp Build Quality Build Quality amp Features Atlantic Technology s System 4200e is a well made speaker system The front and surrounds came boxed in pairs All speakers save the flush mount surrounds are available in Gloss Black Satin Black Maple and Silver The original System 4200 had removable interchangeable side panels which the new 4200e models did away with allowing them to gain more interior cabinet volume and consequently more low frequency extension In all honesty since it s doubtful that anyone would ever change their panels this was more of a convenience for the manufacturer than the consumer The new cabinets look great and they are less cumbersome to setup and handle We positioned the main speakers on a pair of 30 StudioTech speaker stands which placed the tweeters at exactly ear level at the seated listening position We noted that there was magnetic shielding on the drivers to prevent interference with your main display There also appeared to be adequate bracing to render the cabinet inert and plenty of internal dampening material to minimize cabinet resonance In fact don t think they could have added any mor
9. mazed me most were the absolutely clean and clear vocals and exceptional imaging and soundstage The 642 SB blended seamlessly with the main channels to bring forth a robust coherent audibly visual picture of the Blue Man Group s sonic creativity Tracks 3 5 and 6 are my stand out favorite tracks and present comprehensive test material with which to sample the dynamic capabilities of any system Track 6 in particular really drives the surround s and challenges them on producing a full rich live room feel in which the mix unfolds Tracks 3 and 5 possess diverse and specific instrumentation that expose the 4200e s top end which was clear and free from noticeable distortion or over compression as well as reveal the ability of the 642e SB to blend in seamlessly with the mix it did Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon SACD Breathe sounded smooth and environmentally rich on the System 4200e The ambient effects and room filling bass notes made a very good track all the more enjoyable in Reference System 2 Track 3 On the Run put forth enough transitional effects to give an exceptionally clear rendering of this system s ability to put you in the mix The rather complex busy elements slid from speaker to speaker sometimes silky smooth and other times with a more sudden leap I d recommend this track to anyone looking to explore how spacious a system is and how well a soundstage can be presented within a listening environment While the 4200e s
10. mponent Video Cable www dvigear com Impact Acoustics Misc Interconnects www I mpactAcoustics com Interconnects B Tech Brackets www btech usa com
11. ough to give a realistic presence to the on screen action and scenery Atlantic Technology System 4200e Measurements amp Review Conclusion Conclusion The Score Card The scoring below is based on each piece of equipment doing the duty it is designed for The numbers are weighed heavily with respect to the individual cost of each unit thus giving a rating equal to Performance x Price Factor Value Rating Audioholics Rating Scale 5 Outstanding reserved for features or areas that exceed market norms 4 Above Average 3 Average 2 Below Average 1 Very Poor Atlantic Technology System 4200e THX Select Loudspeakers Build Quality Appearance Treble Extension Treble Smoothness Midrange Clarity Midrange Accuracy Midbass Quality AL ALP AL AL AL ALT AL aw Bass Extension Bass Accuracy Imaging 15 Soundstage 24 Macro Dynamics 15 Micro Dynamics 14 Overall 15 Value GU Atlantic Technology System 4200e THX Select Loudspeakers MSRP 3500 Atlantic Technology http www atlantictechnology com Loudspeaker Measurements amp Analysis We used the Rives Pro Audio Kit to perform some in room near field measurements of the system and were particularly pleased with the results All measurements were taken in the newly redesigned Reference System 2 using a calibrated condenser microphone at 1 meter from the loudspeaker Full range tests are shown at a 70dB 100dB scale while low frequency tests have
12. peakers didn t completely disappear into the mix the effect was not entirely without a sense of being lifted up from the room and placed within the song itself 1 Speak To Me 1 09 2 Breathe 2 49 3 On The Run 3 31 4 Time 7 05 5 The Great Gig In The Sky 4 47 6 Money 6 23 7 Us And Them 7 48 8 Any Colour You Like 3 25 9 Brain Damage 3 50 10 Eclipse 2 06 The Last Samurai This is likely one of the most underrated movies of 2003 and definitely one of the most underrated DVDs Warner did a tremendous job on the transfer and there is good reason this film was nominated for a Best Sound Oscar Whether its Chapter 13 s fight in the rain with the raindrops and movement filling the entire 3D listening field or just the well designed background effects this movie is great source material to see how well your speakers can disappear into the mix During the fantastic rescue scene in Chapter 27 arrows accurately pan across the soundstage while the score develops into a full frequency backdrop that exercises the entire 4200e system The ending conflict scenes Chapters 33 and 34 in particular present aggressive gunfire and explosions as the samurai rush into battle Sounds of steel hitting steel and an amazing amount of detailed foley effects were clearly detailed by the 4200e C and LR speakers Surrounds never missed a beat and filled in the environment with the dipole setting spreading out the information en
13. peakers with low frequency extension The reason for this can be attributed to the fact that for the main channels a THX system rolls off frequencies below 80Hz and sends them to the subwoofer simplifying the number of problems that can result from having lower frequencies originating from both your mains and sub If you find that you successfully place your subwoofer in half the time you expected thank Atlantic Technology and THX for the time saved The 4200e SR surround speakers were located on the side wall of reference system 2 so we configured them as dipole for a more diffuse sound There aren t too many cases where we d recommend bipole operation for these speakers except perhaps if mounted on a rear wall or if used primarily for gaming or multi channel music playback and this would be something to play with to get the best results If you happen to switch them back and forth be sure to rebalance the levels as they are likely to change We found that the nice diffuse soundfield was a good compromise and offered a convincing surround stage You should also note that the Atlantic Technology manual shows a drawing of two possible placement options for the surround speakers not the correct placement for a 7 1 setup If you intend to do 7 1 we d recommend an additional set of 4200e LRs or perhaps 4200e SRs set in bipole mode for use as back surrounds placed approximately 2 feet apart Boundary Gain Options and Adjustments This is a tough cookie
14. sponse of these speakers is above average You will likely not be able to horizontally align the tweeters perfectly across the front three channels unless have an unusually high mounted projection screen system Do your best and at the very least be sure to angle your center channel down or up at the listening position using the included base performed my standard distance and level setup using the Yamaha RX V2500 s YPAO system with room correction disengaged was sure to override and set the crossover point to the THX recommended 80 Hz also verified the finished level adjustment by using a Radio Shack SPL meter and running the test tones manually from the receiver As usual the Yamaha system nailed the distance and levels perfectly If you are not fortunate enough to have YPAO simply sit in the listening position with the Radio Shack SPL meter held directly in front of you and pointed at the ceiling Some people use a mic stand and back away from the RS meter to set levels This is great if you plan on listening to your system from behind the couch If not then use the readings the SPL gives you as it will take into account your body in the listening position If you are using an RS meter for setup you may want to play with the sub level after you put in some music or movies and adjust a couple dB to taste Setting the subwoofer will likely be an easier task in a THX Select system as opposed to a system having for example larger tower s
15. t connector quite easily during the process of running the input to the sub In addition we actually pulled off an RCA input connector from the back of the sub while removing the cable for inspection of the amplifier While this is more a testimony to the cable s bad design it s way too tight it also showed us that Atlantic Technology could benefit from using better quality RCAs The newly revised 642e SB subwoofer is just about a complete redesign from the original 4200 series The new e series includes b The cabinet is also much improved indeed and excellent thing for a sealed enclosure system Low frequency response seems to be greatly improved and the unit no longer wavers on the lowest frequencies The driving force behind the 642e subwoofer is the 300 watt internal digital amplifier that incorporates Clear Filter Technology which Atlantic Technology claims eliminates the deleterious effects that the subwoofer s enclosure can have on the sound Atlantic Technology System 4200e Setup amp Configuration Setup and Configuration Working in conjunction with good room acoustics speaker placement is always key for attaining the best possible sound in a home theater setup To get the most out of the Atlantic Technology 4200e system we recommend toeing in the speakers towards the listening position though not as much as is indicated in the user manual unless you are spreading them farther than 8 9 feet apart The off axis re
16. ter measuring in at 19 x 19 x 21 or roughly the size of a 19 television In this system it has to perform well all the way up through 80Hz the standard THX Select crossover frequency and down through 25Hz With its robust cabinet size this simply isn t a problem The volume control for the sub is located on the driver side front of the cabinet along with a green power LED which remains on when the sub is receiving signal and red when it is in standby mode The sub has the convenient but expected Auto On Off Standby Mode switch which allows the sub to come on when fed signal from the LFE output of the receiver In addition it features a pair of low level outputs that can be used to daisy chain another subwoofer to the system No speaker level inputs or outputs are provided and they certainly aren t required in this system The subwoofer is rated to extend down to 25Hz a good tuning frequency and plenty low for 99 9 of the low frequency energy found in most theatrical soundtracks Some subs which get down to 16Hz at the expense of the rest of the frequency range do not represent my idea of a good subwoofer design but we ll let you decide The driver a robust 12 inch unit is video shielded as well and mounted snugly against a front baffle with a double thick MDF surround for additional stability The only problem we had with the subwoofer had to do with the connections Using a Monster brand subwoofer cable we could actually wobble the RCA inpu
17. to crack if you re on your own so get a patient friend to help you with this tweak We at described earlier what this function does and while it s a subtle change it s very helpful to set correctly if you want a A Ailantic Technol n to get the best performance from your system Obviously you ll want to stay away from multi channel content when eeanetive Hami nology 7 setting the boundary gain switch on the main 4200e LR and 4200e C speakers chose James Taylor s Greatest Hits CD and listened to the mid to low frequencies in the guitar the bass guitar and to some extent his voice This is a quick and easy place to listen and hear how the boundary compensation adjustments affect the output signal If you are hearing differences in the high end you re likely dealing with a combination of harmonics and psychoacoustics as the adjustment only directly affects frequencies at and below 250Hz see our measurement graph My preference was to leave the boundary compensation off provided the 4200e LR was at least 2 3 feet from the back and side walls If you are positioning it near a television or side corner wall you will want to experiment to see what sounds best in your room We would also likely recommend engaging the BC switch for center channels positioned on top of RPTVs or if enclosed in shelving or any kind of cabinetry Honestly however the difference is so subtle as to be almost indistinguishable at normal listening levels we re talking 2 3 dB max
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