Atohm GT2 HD Review
A small town in the middle of nowhere in eastern France is home to Atohm, where they build world-class speakers entirely in-house. With impeccable timing and a captivating soundstage, these speakers invite you to fully immerse yourself in the music.
The Brand and Its Roots
You can’t overestimate the courage of the people behind Atohm. From 1995 to 2000, Thierry Comte served as the technical director at the French speaker manufacturer Triangle—an enviable position that many would hold onto for life. Yet Comte wanted to “do his own thing.” In 2002, he founded Atohm and moved far east to a remote French village called Pin. Here, he took a bold step that many speaker makers still avoid: designing and producing his own drivers. This process continues at Atohm to this day.
In 2015, Dietmar Hölper decided to distribute Atohm in Germany. Since Hölper already had Indiana Line in his portfolio, the choice at first seemed puzzling. However, Atohm was intended to stand out as a premium brand with a different audience. Despite that focus on quality, the French speakers are not excessively expensive: the GT2 HD model presented here costs 5,000 euro (approx. $5,500) per pair.
Design and Build
Atohm offers the GT2 HD in black or white piano lacquer—eight meticulously applied layers—and also in Wenge real-wood veneer. That finish selection is kept intentionally concise, but you can have any RAL color for an additional 900 euro. The drivers, crossover, and cabinet are all assembled at the company’s headquarters in France, ensuring consistent quality. These details were apparent as soon as we placed the speakers in our listening room.
“It’s remarkable how smoothly it adapts to the listening room—by turning a knob, you can adjust the highs.”
Treble Adjustment with the Rotary Knob
A distinctive feature of the GT2 HD is the large knob above its single-wire terminals. In the default, 12 o’clock position, the frequency response is strictly linear. Turning it left lowers treble from 2.5 kHz onward by about 2 dB, labeled as “smooth.” Turning it right boosts treble by 3 dB, labeled “HD.” The French refer to this boost as “High Definition,” viewing it as extra detail when the highs are raised. In practice, it’s very handy for adapting the speaker to different rooms: dial it down in a more reverberant living space, or up in a room with thick carpets.
An inverted-spike design ensures precise mechanical coupling, while the bass reflex port vents downward.
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Above the single-wiring terminal, you can raise or lower the treble with a simple turn of the knob.
Time-Coherent Crossover and Cabinet Construction
The speaker’s baffle is angled slightly backward, which already aids time alignment among the drivers. Atohm takes this further with a patented “Time Coherent Crossover,” synchronizing the timing of the tweeter and woofer/mid drivers for phase-accurate performance. Thierry Comte created the crossover and formulated the rules for this system himself.
From an X-ray view of the cabinet provided by the German distributor, we see that the GT2 HD is a 2.5-way design with a bass reflex channel exiting through a slot above the base. The top woofer/midrange driver extends down to about 52 Hz (-3 dB), while the lower woofer rolls off at 500 Hz. Both drivers measure 15 centimeters (6 inches) and use coated paper cones over substantial motor assemblies. The silk-dome tweeter sits safely behind a perforated metal cover.
Listening Impressions
From the first notes, the GT2 HD showcases its distinctive character: speed, fine resolution, and spaciousness. Its high efficiency also makes tube amps a suitable match. Atohm’s promise of correct timing holds true, reflecting their use of advanced measurement techniques—laser, Klippel, and more—followed by careful listening tests.
This speaker handles any genre, from rock to classical. It excels, however, at reproducing finely defined spaces. String quartets, Leonard Cohen’s live recordings, or pop music with depth in the mix all sound notably vivid and involving on the GT2 HD.
Technical Data
Atohm GT2 HD
Approx. $5,500 per pair
Dimensions (W x H x D): 20 x 108.5 x 26.5 cm
Weight: 26 kg
Frequency Response & Impedance
Balanced with a slight bass emphasis and a mild dip in the presence range. Impedance shows no problematic dips.
Level & Distortion (85–100 dB SPL)
Low distortion at high volumes; slight increase in the bass range.
- Lower cutoff frequency -3/-6 dB: 52/42 Hz
- Maximum SPL (30–300 Hz): 101 dB
Conclusion
Amplifier‐Compatibility Diagram
- Nominal Impedance: 4 Ω
- Recommended Amplifier Power (4 Ω): 80–120 W
- Voltage: 17.7 V
- Impedance Variation: 3.4–21 Ω
- Current Demand: 5.2 A
Room Acoustics & Setup
“The option for treble adjustment brings ease—these speakers adapt elegantly to the room.”
- Listening Distance: 1 m to 5 m
- Distance from Walls: 0 m to 1.5 m
- Reverberation Time: 0.2 s to 0.8 s
| Category | Rating |
|---|---|
| Naturalness | 8.0/10 |
| Fine Resolution | 8.7/10 |
| Peak Dynamics | 8.7/10 |
| Bass Quality | 7.3/10 |
| Imaging | 8.0/10 |
| Measurements | 7/10 |
| Practicality | 7/10 |
| Build Quality | 8/10 |
| Sound (61/70) | 8.7/10 |
| Overall (83/100) | 8.3/10 |
Price/Performance: Outstanding
The French clearly know elegance. The Atohm GT2 HD offers impeccable craftsmanship and a convenient treble adjustment for room or personal preference. Its 2.5-way design handles all music genres but especially shines when resolution and timing are paramount.
Distributed by Dietmar Hölper since 2015, the GT2 HD is competitively priced at around $5,500 per pair, considering its premium construction and sound performance.
Atohm GT2 HD bumping
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