ParadigmMonitor SE Atom Bookshelf Loudspeaker (Matte Black)

Paradigm has been around for decades and is a very underrated company. Their speakers, even their entry level line, produces sound that is above and beyond what others in this price range and configuration offer.My dad used to have a pair of Monitor 7 floor standing speakers and their sound was superb. After owning a 5.1 setup consisting of NHT SuperOnes, a SuperCenter, and a Klipsch KSW-12 subwoofer that served admirably for over 20 years, I decided to purchase these Monitor SE Atoms and a Monitor SE 2000C expecting an upgrade in sound and I was not disappointed!There are some things to be mindful of, though. First, these speakers are ported versus enclosed. This means that they have a higher sensitivity rating, which allows them to pair easier with a wider gamut of amplifiers/receivers, regardless of budget. However, by being ported, these Paradigms are more sensitive to placement. If you place them too close to reflective surfaces, such as walls, glass window panes, etc., they will sound boomy and muffled. It all depends on what your room configuration allows. Second, even though they have a 5.25" woofer cone, they are huge. My NHT's had a 6.5" woofer and were smaller in almost every dimension due to their enclosed nature. Third, these speakers are rated to produce sound down to around 60Hz, so one might be tempted to rush and purchase a subwoofer. Of course, for Low Frequency Effects during movies and if you want to produce proper sound down to the 20Hz range, a subwoofer will be a must. However, when properly placed, the bass in these speakers is tight and present so you might be perfectly happy with just these speakers. Last, these speakers are neutral sounding and revealing, producing the sound exactly as it receives it from the source. If you prefer listening to compressed audio files or to stream music, you will hear the loss that compressing music produces versus lossless audio.All in all, these speakers will sound great without any equalization and fantastic with the required slight adjustments based on your room. These speakers in white look stunning and their build and construction is top notch. Highly recommended.

Really enjoy these speakers. They sound great for movies and when listening to vinyl. I am by no means an audiophile so they may not meet the expectations of more discerning listeners but I think most people that are looking to step up a little bit would be very happy with these especially for the price.

I've had several iterations of the Atom model over the years and none really got my interest. I seen these on a decent discount used and decided to give a whirl. Wow..these are a significant improvement over the last version. Very smooth. The only reason I docked one star was due to poor repackaging. I was surprised the speakers arrived in one piece as all Styrofoam was busted and pieces everywhere! One speaker wasn't even in the plastic bag! Had to vacuum and wipe down before using. The have no damage or issues.Now I am tempted to get the premier or even founder series!

Speakers are cheaply made that will offgas from adhesive that the factory used during manufacturing. My room started to smell after putting the speakers out for a few hours. The grill is made out of paper. These don't even come close to my Dali Spektor 2, NHT SuperOnes 2.1 or Q Acoustics 3020i.

Great bookshelf speakers for the price. Paradigm is proud of making their speakers in Canada- not true, they are made of course - where else, in China.

I've had the Paradigm Monitor SE Atom speakers for about a week so far, and very happy with the sound. My previous favorite bookshelf speakers were the NHT SuperOne 2.1, but at this point it's starting to look like these Atom's are going to take the spot in my main listening area over the NHT's. Two problems I've had with some speakers is bass boom and strange resonances with some female voices. The NHT's don't have these problems, and so far the Paradigm's don't exhibit any of these problems for me. The NHT's have a very dynamic sound, and drums sound very realistic. The Paradigm's are also very dynamic and drums sound very realistic. Right now I'd have to give the slant to the Paradigm's. The P's also look very cool with the white gloss finish contrasted by the black drivers and grills. Highly recommended.Update 6-28-2020:The Paradigm Atom SE are the best sounding bookshelf I've ever owned. Never sloppy, fast, great bass for their size. Just a great speaker. I just upgraded to a Tekton Lore Reference floor standing speaker, and it is an amazing speaker, and up on a higher plain than any bookshelf I've ever owned. I'm keeping my Atom SE's though. I've had bookshelf speakers up to $1000, and the P's beat them all for my ears.

This is just a phenomenal speaker at this price. I had an electrical surge that destroyed my paradigm studio 100 v5 speakers. I purchased these to use as surround speakers and to get me by until my insurance claim went through. I was so impressed. They are not as good as the old speakers or the speakers I replaced them with but they are punching way above their weight class. They have a beautiful midrange and very usable bass. I would highly recommend!