Should I buy these used Atoms?

[Hermitian]

I was walking in the mall today and passed an audio store that mostly deals with car audio. I noticed it had some home speakers out front and this was odd enough for me to investigate. It appeared that they were mostly used as if they got some package deal on a bunch of used Paradigm speakers.

They had a pair of Atoms v.1 and a pair of Atoms v.2. You could buy either for $35. I looked at the v2 and they were definitely scratched a bit on top, but other than that they looked mostly ok.

To me this seems like a really good price. My only problem is that I don't have anywhere to use them. To use them I have to have an amp or receiver and a CD player and that kind of negates the “cheapness” deal. (I'm a grad student with little money!)

Do you think I could sell them on Audiogon for more?

Do you think I could get a really cheap amp for like $20-30 bucks and use my computer as a preamp? (I'm right in front so I really only need like 4 watts). If so, where would I get such a thing?

It seems like a good deal, I hate to pass it up. What do you all think?


PS. They also had what looked like a PDR-8 (sub) for $20 that they said didn't work. They didn't know if it was speaker or amp. You think something like that would be fixable?

Oh and thanks for the help!

[N. Abstentia]

I would have cleaned them out at those prices. If nothing else you can quadruple your money on Ebay.

[Geoffcin]

I was walking in the mall today and passed an audio store that mostly deals with car audio. I noticed it had some home speakers out front and this was odd enough for me to investigate. It appeared that they were mostly used as if they got some package deal on a bunch of used Paradigm speakers.

They had a pair of Atoms v.1 and a pair of Atoms v.2. You could buy either for $35. I looked at the v2 and they were definitely scratched a bit on top, but other than that they looked mostly ok.

To me this seems like a really good price. My only problem is that I don't have anywhere to use them. To use them I have to have an amp or receiver and a CD player and that kind of negates the “cheapness” deal. (I'm a grad student with little money!)

Do you think I could sell them on Audiogon for more?

Do you think I could get a really cheap amp for like $20-30 bucks and use my computer as a preamp? (I'm right in front so I really only need like 4 watts). If so, where would I get such a thing?

It seems like a good deal, I hate to pass it up. What do you all think?


PS. They also had what looked like a PDR-8 (sub) for $20 that they said didn't work. They didn't know if it was speaker or amp. You think something like that would be fixable?

Oh and thanks for the help!

I've got one and it works well, and sounds great. It has only about 5wpc clean, but that might be enough for you.

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?DID=7&Partnumber=300-952

Review;

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/sonicimpact/t.html

[audio_dude]

i love the atoms...buy 'em all and sell 'em on ebay!!!!!

and then keep a few for urself :D

[Hermitian]

I'm sorry guys. I went back to check on them and I noticed something. They are selling:

1 Atom v.1
1 Atom v.2
1 Micro v.1
1 Micro v.2

Their sizes are very similar and the way they had them set up, it looked like they had matching pairs. They are actually 4 different speakers, and none of them match.

The v.1 of the Atoms doesn't have holes for brackets, has a completely different back, has a different front logo and has spring clips instead of binding posts. They are just too different for me to buy a pair.

They did have pair of MATCHING display phantoms, but I just plain don't have the room for those and I don't want to try to sell them and ship them.

Sorry for the misinformation. If a moderator wants to lock this thread or something, they can.

[MikeyBC]

were the drivers not the the same in the v1 and v2 editions? if so buy them and make some nice cabinets with the same volume....its really easy to build a better more solid cabinet than the cheap line Paradigms.

[noddin0ff]

For that price, I'd still jump on them. The difference between v1 and v2 probably won't be large enough to really notice. They're great first speakers.