加好友 发短信
电声从业人员
等级:超级版主
帖子:6551
积分:51232
威望:10
精华:39
注册:2005-10-28 8:32:06
|
Post By:2010-2-25 12:44:41 [只看该作者]
Ask any audio/video reviewer for a list of best bang-for-the-buck, under-$500 speakers and I am betting each and every one of them will have Paradigm's Atom speakers on it. Since its inception, the Atom Monitor has been a value-for-dollar juggernaut, packing insane levels of performance into a small, attractive cabinet that even a kid with a paper route could afford. Just how affordable are the Paradigm Atom Monitors? Try $250 for the pair.
The Atom Monitor is an attractive, compact speaker with a fit and finish that on its own defies its asking price. The Atom Monitor comes in a variety of finishes, including Wenge, Cherry, Rosenut, Black Ash and even White. The cabinet is solidly constructed and has a few design cues that class the Atom up nicely, making it a much more expensive-looking speaker.
<!-- latest-news -->
Krell, better known for their amplifier and preamplifier designs, have been building loudspeakers for many years now to varying degrees of success. Previous designs like Krell's LAT series of loudspeakers were a hit in the press, garnering many favorable reviews... Click for more...
With today's economy in such dire straits consumers and home theater enthusiasts are having to prioritize how best to spend their hard earned money towards luxury goods like home theaters and flat panel displays. This fact hasn't been lost on... Click for more...
Lifestyle products are all the rage nowadays, offering a level of performance and sleek design consumers have been waiting for. However, not all lifestyle products, especially loudspeakers, are equal. Bang & Olufsen is a total lifestyle oriented brand yet their... Click for more...
Paradigm has become a household name among value conscious audiophiles the world over. A few years back Paradigm took their brand cache up a notch with the introduction of their Signature lineup of loudspeakers. Since their arrival, Paradigm Signature loudspeakers... Click for more...
I've been a fan of Paradigm for years, owning and enjoying seemingly every speaker in their product line from the awesome and affordable Atoms to their flagship Signature S8s. Over the years there have been two Paradigm speaker designs that... Click for more...
If you're in the market for a powerful home theater speaker system and you're trying to avoid a Home Theater in a Box (HTIB) or soundbar-based rig, then Aperion Audio should be very much on your speaker-buying radar. Portland, Oregon-based... Click for more...
Back in the 70s, any given hi-fi nut would have likely never imagined coming face to face with any Infinity product relegated to anything less than grandiose aspirations. The company blazed too many trails and pleased and upset too many... Click for more...
Founded in 1968 by physicist Arnie Nudell and electronic engineer John Ulrick, weapons systems designers for Litton Guidance and Control Systems in Woodland Hills, California, Infinity pioneered the category of servo-controlled woofers. After the two audio legends combined a servo-controlled... Click for more...
Launched in 2008 and designed in collaboration with Best Buy (and also only available through Best Buy), Klipsch's Icon V series of loudspeakers offers a slim, conservative, but contemporary cosmetic look combined with many of Klipsch's high performance features. The... Click for more...
Klipsch just keeps on keeping on. To go along with its ever-widening assortment of speaker products touching on all sorts of market niches, in 2008 Klipsch announced its Icon X series. Intended to bring high-quality sound and elegant styling to... Click for more... All Bookshelf Speaker Reviews
<!-- latest-news -->
Part of its diverse Reference Series of slightly upmarket loudspeakers featuring a staggering twenty models, the Klipsch RF-62 Floorstanding Loudspeaker sits third from the bottom in its six-model floorstanding class (RF-83, RF-63, RF-82, RF-62, RF-52, RF-10). The $878.00 per pair... Click for more...
Introduced in June of 2008, the Klipsch Icon W series adds a healthy dose of refinement and sophistication to the impressive and a bit, uh, modern and aggressive Klipsch product line. It provides furniture-grade finishing, lots of technology, and elegant... Click for more...
In 2008, Klipsch launched their Icon V series, an affordable loudspeaker line designed in collaboration with Best Buy, available only through Best Buy. Its models provide a slim, contemporary look intended for use in today's modern home theaters. The line... Click for more...
In 2008, Klipsch launched their Icon V series, an affordable loudspeaker line designed in collaboration with Best Buy, available only through Best Buy. Its models provide a slim, contemporary look intended for use in today's modern home theaters. The line... Click for more...
Introduced in June of 2008, the Klipsch Icon W series adds a healthy dose of refinement and sophistication to the modern, aggressive Klipsch product line. It provides furniture-grade finishing, lots of technology, and elegant styling that pushes the Klipsch name... Click for more...
Released early in 2007, JBL's ES series combines contemporary styling with many of the company's high performance technologies. The ES series consists of a wall-mount/bookshelf monitor (ES10), two bookshelf models (ES80, ES30), two floorstanding models (ES80/reviewed here, ES90), a center... Click for more...
Located in the middle of Polk's loudspeaker lineup, the TSi series represents one of Polk's most aggressive bang-for-the-buck propositions in recent years. It offers many of Polk's advanced technologies like Dynamic Balance? drivers, flared ports, and narrow baffle design, at... Click for more...
Loudspeaker consumers and aficionados have done very well by Polk since the introduction of its new RTi line in early 2007. In addition to real-wood veneers, the line packs an incredible amount of design elements into its affordable models, many... Click for more...
Incorporating many of the company's most advanced driver and cabinet technologies, as well as real wood-veneer cabinetry, Polk's RTI series provides an affordable alternative to those who don't want to step up into the real loudspeaker big leagues to get... Click for more...
When it comes to cost no object high-end full-range loudspeakers the list of products is small but distinguished. Manufacturers such as Wilson Audio, Bowers & Wilkins, Revel, Focal, Meridian and MBL all compete in this ultra exclusive club. Well, there's... Click for more... Read All Reviews
The Atom is a two-way speaker, featuring a one-inch H-PTD tweeter mated to a single five-and-a-half-inch bass/midrange driver. The bass/midrange driver is a bit unique-looking by traditional loudspeaker standards in that it bears a striking resemblance to a condom. Paradigm says the speakers are "ribbed for your aural pleasure," and I have to agree, for the driver produces magic throughout the midrange and upper bass frequencies. The Atom Monitor has a reported frequency response of 90Hz-20kHz, meaning a sub is all but required for full-range listening. The Atom isn't a pig for power, needing as little as 15 watts to come alive, due to its rather efficient 90dB sensitivity into an eight-ohm load.
High Points ? The Atom Monitor is so much fun and musically enjoyable that I know many reviewers, myself included, with top-dollar systems who keep a pair around just to remind ourselves how it all started and how simple our love of music used to be. ? In terms of sheer performance, there is a lot to love about the Atom Monitors. For starters, the upper frequencies are composed, smooth and non-fatiguing and the midrange and upper bass frequencies are warm, nimble and natural. While not the last word in air and detail, the Atoms win you over with their overall "rightness," letting you enjoy the music, rather than trying to impress you with minutiae. ? The Atom Monitors are so easy to drive it's not impossible to build a quality system around them for less than $1,000 out the door. It's also not impossible to suggest that, for many listeners, it may be all the system they'll need. ? The Atom Monitors are a great way to get into the audiophile or home theater game. You can buy them for fronts for two-channel listening, then move them to the rear channels when budget allows for larger mains. This said, five Atom Monitors and a decent sub will make for one hell of a home theater in small to medium rooms without breaking the bank.
Low Points ? The Atom Monitors are not the last word in bass authority, so you'll need a subwoofer to enjoy full-range sound, which will drive the total purchase price up a bit. However, there are a number of subs out there that are great value for the money and will mate nicely with the Atoms without driving the cost north of, say, $500 total. ? The Atom Monitors sound their best when stand-mounted. Paradigm makes a number of quality stands that will compliment and allow for you to get the most out of these diminutive speakers. It is true that you can buy cheaper stands, say around $50 total, and achieve similar if not equal results. If you have a console or bookshelf that will allow for the Atom's tweeter to be roughly at ear level, you may be able to forego stands, though if you let them breathe a bit, they will reward you.
Conclusion For $250 a pair, the Paradigm Atom Monitor is a no-brainer when it comes to a potential first loudspeaker purchase, for it is possibly one of the best, if not the single smartest, buys going in loudspeakers today. The Atoms sound bigger than they are, more refined than they should and provide a level of enjoyment that frankly big-ticket speakers can't match, for you're always aware of their price tags. Not the Atom. It is the type of speaker you buy and feel good about weeks and months later, because it's just so damn enjoyable. If you haven't heard the Atom Monitors, or don't already own a pair yourself, you should.
Keywords
Paradigm, Paradigm Atom Monitors, Paradigm Atom Reviews, Bookshelf Speaker Reviews, Small Speakers, Monitor Speakers, Affordable Speakers, Affordable Home Theater Speakers, Loudspeaker Reviews
|
|