Paradigm Atom Monitor Bookshelf Speakers : Product of the Day 20, 2010
Paradigm Atom Monitor Bookshelf Speaker
The Paradigm Atom Monitor has long been loved by audiophiles for its fine sound and its affordable price. I’ve spent a lot of time listening to the Atom Monitor lately and though they sounded good out of the box, after around 30 hours of break-in the sound opened up and took on a sweet, sublime quality that is eminently listenable and extremely pleasing to the ear. They have a warmish sound, but not too warm. Stereo imaging is excellent, the bass is tight and defined with no sense of boominess, and they are brimming with detail from the midbass to the highest treble. You can listen to them for hours on end with no sense of fatigue. For the asking price of $319 per pair I do not know of a better speaker.
Paradigm Atom speaker with grille attached
The Atom Monitors are available in a wide array of finishes and the grilles are attached magnetically. Fit and finish is excellent. Unlike many competitors’ offerings Paradigm speakers are made in North America Paradigm’s factory outside of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. I’ve been to the factory and it is truly impressive. They do not assemble speakers from outsourced parts there… they MAKE speakers, even injection-molding the drivers and winding voice coils by hand.
Magnetic grilles are easy to attach, and no posts to break off
If home theater is what you are after Paradigm has center channels, surround speakers and subwoofers that will match perfectly with the Atom Monitors. A CC-190 center channel is $299 and the ADP-190 surround speakers are $249 each, putting a matched Atom Monitor system around $1116 plus subwoofer… quite compelling. You could user another pair of Atom Monitors as surround speakers and bring the cost down to $937 plus subwoofer. If it were my money I’d go for the dedicated surround speaker, but I thought I would throw that alternative out there if funds are tight.
Though much of what I recommend is available online or sold exclusively online, Paradigm products are available only through qualified local retailers. If you buy Paradigm products from someone offering them online it likely will not be from an authorized dealer, which means you will not have a warranty. If you do not have a dealer near you, contact Paradigm and they will try to find a way to accomodate you.
To see and hear the Paradigm Atom Monitors find a local dealer at Paradigm.com and see the various finishes at the Atom Monitor product page.
Questions? Email Don
See you tomorrow for the Product of the Day!
