Could someone please make a recommendation for a pair of speakers around the $200 area, meant for use in a mid-sized room? I tend to listen to mostly pop and classical music and prefer a sound higher on the treble rather than the bass side. Right now I am considering the Paradigm Atoms, since I have read many good things about them. Does anybody have experience with "Gekko" brand flat speakers? Someone suggested this brand to me, but I have had little luck finding information and reviews, so I don't know how they compare to the Atoms or other speakers in my price range. Thanks in advance for your helpful replies!
Reading some different evaluations of the Atom by buyers, I see people listing prices anywhere from 130-200. How are some people getting these for so cheap? I also read one review where the person suggested getting Titan rather than Atom, claiming the sound was far superior for only a little more money. When I looked at the prices people were reporting having paid, many people seemed to be getting Titan speakers for less money than ohters were paying for Atom. What is going on here?
The Paradigm lineup has changed. They used to have two different series called Performance and Monitor. Performance was the budget end (the Atom being a part of that), and the Monitor being mid-grade. Those lines are consolidated now, and the Atom has received a few upgrades (and is thus more expensive than in previous iterations), and is part of the Monitor lineup.
The Atom is the old model which retailed for $189 originally and finished at $219. The new model is the Atom Monitor which retails for $249. You can usually get a speaker for at least 10% less than retail...that's where I came up with my figure. BTW the Atom Monitor is far better than the Atom.
I do actually have a bookshelf that extends along the length of one wall of the room where I Could easily place the speakers. But I have read somewhere putting these speakers against a wall will reduce sound quality. true?
They are rear ported so stands with placement away from the wall and corners is likely to yield the best results. So with that I agree with Stephen I would say that you don't have to go quite as far as Stephen says but close.
thanks to all of your for your useful replies. I have just a couple of more questions. How to get the 10% discount from the dealer? just ask? or are there some bargaining techniques I need to master? Is it best to buy the stands from the dealer as well, at the same time as the speakers? (how much do these stands usually go for?) of is there a substantial savings to be had by ordering from somewhere on the web (and if so, could somebody please recommend a site where I can find them?). Thanks!
"How to get the 10% discount from the dealer? just ask?"
Yup.
"Is it best to buy the stands from the dealer as well, at the same time as the speakers? (how much do these stands usually go for?) "
Generally you just want a fairly inert stand that won't rock or resonate. If the dealer has one at a reasonable price, go for it. However, if they want as much as you paid for the speakers, I've been happy with my stands from partsexpress.com.
There is one only Paradigm dealer in my are and a call to them to inquire if the speakers were in stock brought for the information that they never, under any circumstances discount items in the store. They are bluffing? Does anybody have any advice on what to do in this situation?
What do people think about buying on eBay? Good idea or bad? And what would be a good used pair of speakers in the $200 range to look for there, Paradigm or otherwise? Would I be able to get a better model Paradigm used in this price range?
You could look on ebay for a used pair of Atoms or Titans. I just recently bought a used pair of used Titans for around 150 bucks in perfect shape. These are old v2 models, though. I thoroughly recommend biting the bullet and buying a new pair of Atom Monitors. I have a pair and couldn't be happier with them. Listening to them right now in fact....
Many dealers will not quote their bottom line on the phone. Even if they won't discount, the Atom Monitors are hard to beat at their list price. I've never heard of a Paradigm dealer that wouldn't come at least 5-10%.
Build a relationship with your local audio dealer. It's worth it in the long run. After you have purchased enough stuff and you've built a rapport you'll find that you rarely pay list price for anything anymore. That being said I paid a pretty fair price (in my opinion) for my Atoms. Or should I say my wife paid a pretty fair price ;-)
Thanks for the replies. Well, I live in a smaller city, and this is the only dealer who has Paradigm. Since they know they are the only dealer, could they refuse to offer discounts? And what is the best way for me to get them to give me a discount, if they are reluctant, when I go in there? After a bit of talking and considering, ask the price; then offer 10% off that price and say I will buy them right now at that price, and if they won't I need to consider other options before making a final decision? I'm assuming they want the sale! But I don't know how well bargaining techniques like this work with high-end audio dealers. Unfortunately I do not yet have a relationship with the dealer: this will be my first purchase.
I have seen a pair of Atoms v4 for sale on eBay. How do those compare to the Monitors (which I think are v5?)? Are the Monitors that much better as to make paying extra worth it?
In my opinion, yes, it is worth it to pay more to get the v5's. If I recall correctly, the Atom Monitors (v5) replace the Titans. As a frame of reference I paid $260 CDN for my new Atoms here in Ottawa. The list price I believe was $300... of course I had just bought an NAD C272 that same day from them :-) So I guess I had a little of bargaining power.