I have read all the reviews on the Paradigm Atom.I agree with most all of you. This is one of the best speakers for the money.
I don't understand why someone would give these speakers a bad review.
You can't compare $600 speakers to $200 speakers. It dose not work that
way. I would hope the more expensive speaker would sound better.
Please read the Corey Greenberg review in the April 1999 Audio magazine. Then
do your own research. You won't be disappointed with the Paradigm Atoms.
Great speaker for home theather.

I have the newer version of the Atoms and there is not one bad thing I can say about them. About a year ago I bought them with the CC-150, and there isn't anything they can't handle. I use them with a Paradigm X-10 crossover and a Mirage PS-12-90 subwoofer and I am able to reach "reference-level" sound peaks. If you listen with your eys closed, it sounds like speakers ten times the size! I can't seem to damage the speaker. They love to work, the more power you give them, the better they sound; and I play everything very loud. With DVD's and LD's, the sound is smooth and flat. With music, they are very detailed and crisp. Even with the volume almost all the way up (my reciever is rated at 110 watts stereo;80 x 5 Pro-Logic), they do not distort or sound harsh. I have had so many speakers in the past 7 years or so of all sizes and prices, and it is very hard to beat the quality, performance and value of these tiny speakers. Excellent!

I auditioned these for a second room (I already have Infinity Overture 1's on my main system). Actually I came looking for Paradigm Mini Monitors, but was so impressed with these speakers (which were half the price) that I almost bought them. Bass is very impressive - I had to ask the salesman to make sure a sub wasn't connected. The reason I didn't buy them was that female voices sound a bit electronic on this speaker whereas they sound warmer and richer on the Mini Monitors, which I eventually did buy. But for the price, there's absolutely nothing that can touch them. Note that the Atom's bigger brother, the Titan, is not as good as this speaker, so I would recommend sticking with this one.

I thought my Mini Monitors had the most bang for the buck until I heard these speakers. The Mini's are better, but the Atom is an unbelievable value at $179 per pair. Went to check them out with a non-audio friend of mine and after listening to a few tracks he would have bought a pair on the spot if they weren't sold out. He went back and bought them a couple of weeks later. We both agreed that the Atom blew away the NHT Super One next to it even though the NHT costs more than twice as much and was connected to a better receiver. If you're on a tight budget, look no further.

These are surprizingly good for the money. The midrange is much better than from many other speakers in this price range. You might not get the bass or upper midrange bite that many people seem to like, but if you are looking for a small bedroom or office system that sounds like real music, these are quite good. Well-made too.
I'd give them 5 stars for overall price/performance. But will only give them a 4-star overall because I can't rank them as a 5-star performer vs all of those great speakers on the market.

Price, size, sound, appearance, quality build

break in period, grilles

I just got these the other day b/c I just sold my 40's with stands (GREAT speakers btw). I plan on using these as surrounds with 60's and the Studio CC in a HT setup, but I am more of a music person. I didn't mind not having the Studio 20's or 40's for surrounds or even the Studio ADP's b/c I will live in a smaller house for awhile and like I said not HUGE into HT but more into music so I spent the extra on the real wood veneer light cherry 60's.

I challenge anyone to find a speaker that sounds this good, this size, at this price range. Not too mention they have a 5 year warranty b/c Paradigm puts out some pretty quality stuff.

First Impressions:
TERRIBLE!!!! I am an avid fan of Paradigm and know the break in period for their speakers, but going down from the a pair of broken in Studio 40's to these made me really want to take them back. I stuck with them and played them for hours on end and they get much, MUCH better as time passes.

When I first heard these my ears were about to bleed at how bright they were and sharp the sound was, especially on the higher notes and female vocals, but they get soooo much better. I must agree that the bass gets a bit boomy, but considering the enclosure size I am not surprised and just have to drive them at lower volumes.

As far as surrounds, I don't know yet b/c my 60's don't come in for another week (seems too long). I do have them hooked up w/o a sub and I have no problem in my small room. Even my finacee and non-audiophile roomie was surprised at how much you get for how little I spent.

My final take:

If you need small speakers and/or surrounds check these out. Remember my challenge..yeah I challenge anybody to find a better speaker at a better price at this size/price point. These do not compare to the 40's I had, but again the 40's cost over 3.5 times more than these. For their category I like them much better than the Titans. I am not sure about the micros as I have not spent time listening to them. I like that the Atoms are clearer and less muddy than the Titans.


Good luck, have fun and remember why we spend so much money on stuff.

Other equipment:
Sony STR-DA777ES AV receiver
Sony DVP-S9000ES SACD player
Sony 80ES 5-disc changer
Atoms
Soon to have the 60's
Monster 3500 Power Center Line conditioner

Used to own the FSR-12 Velodyne sub and 40's and MSB Link III DAC hooked to the 5-disc but the 60's demanded the money.

Similar Products Used:

Paradigm Studio 40, Infinity Overture 1, Cerwin Vega

Price, added dynamics to overall sound, tight accurate bass. Small size

No removeable grill.

Purchased a pair of the Atoms for my wife as as a second system for kitchen duty. The wife wanted to have some type of radio for the kitchen for cooking, cleaning, etc. She mentioned the Bose Wave, but I told her for the price we could do much better and that I had the solution: pair of the Atoms, and a cheap, used receiver.

Picked up the NAD 710 receiver for $120 dollars on Ebay.

These speakers are great. Perfect for their size and wonderful sound. They fill my kitchen with beautiful sound. Bass is plentiful and I just love the overall crsipness of everything played through the Atoms. The Titan is one of my favorite small speakers, but unfortunately they were a little too big for my area. But the sharpness and dynamic presence is the same on both the Atoms and Titans. I actually think the bass is better on the Atoms. The Titan definitely has louder bass, but tends to get a little bloated, whereas the Atoms have a tighter, snappier sound in the bass dept. I do think Paradigm has a much more forward sound, some might call them bright, but I enjoy it nonetheless. I don't find them bright, but rather razor sharp, and snappy is how I would describe them. They can also play pretty loudly, and will fill a small room with sound with ease.

My wife loves these speakers, as do I. For the money, I don't believe you can do better than the Paradigm Performance series of speakers.

Similar Products Used:

Paradigm Titan, PSB Image 1B, Definitive Technology Pro Monitor 100. Bose 201

Can sound a little hollow if driven too hard (could be due to the molded plastic back)

These are by far the best sounding speakers I have heard under $200.00. They aren't perfect, though, and directly compared to the Minimonitors, the flaws can be heard. Of course the Minis cost quite a bit more. If you are looking for a really good deal then look no further, the Atoms are the real deal. You can put together a very respectable sounding music and hometheater set-up for very cheap by incorporating four of these, a center channel and a good sub. The sub is vital as these speakers can't get close in providing the necessary deep bass of hometheater soundtracks and most music. They do have surprisingly good and punchy mid-bass. I have them hooked up to Marantz equipment, which has a warm quality so the Atoms don't create listening fatigue at all. They now serve as my surrounds but I made sure to give them a good long listen in the main position. Again, if your budget is really tight, then these speakers are a good option, sub is a must.

Similar Products Used:

Paradigm Minimonitors, Studio 20s, Klipsch bookshelfs, Polk RT15, NHT Super Ones and Zeros, and many others

mids and especially highs

give me a break, they cost $190.

I think the reason the atoms bring out strong opinions in people are the metal tweeters. I think they provide clean, open, accurate highs which to me is a requirement for any "good" speaker. Some people say they're too bright, but certainly not to my ear. To me, PSB's are very bright. What makes the atoms a special speaker is that they also have outstanding mid-range, certainly the best I've heard for less than $300. Of course bass is not going to rock the house, these are small speakers. They are ideal, IMHO, for fronts and surrounds in a budget concious HT setup that includes a sub. They would also be ideal for music only in an apartment or dorm room where alot of bass is not wanted. You will still hear the bass, and what you hear will sound clear and accurate, it just doesn't thump you in the chest. Their bass isn't boomy when wall mounted despite the rear port.

IMHO these are the benchmark speaker for less than $300. I would rate their value as a six if I could.

Similar Products Used:

B&W 302 and 601, NHT superone, other paradigm models

Using for home theater rear speakers. Produces excellent range.

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Just purchased my first home theater system the middle of March 2000. I chose a Paradigm speaker system after 3 agonizing months of research and shopping. I am very happy with the home theater sound they produce and equally happy with the sound when used as a stereo.

Package:
CC-350 Center
PDR-12 sub
mini-monitors for the main.
Yamaha v795 home theater receiver.

Similar Products Used:

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