Performance — where it sits in the catalog
| Bass reach | Treble reach | Sensitivity | Easy load | Cone area | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monitor SE Atom | 61 Hz | 21 kHz | 86 dB | 8 Ω | 159 cm² |
| Median | 45 Hz | 25 kHz | 87 dB | 6 Ω | 219 cm² |
How to read this chart
Each axis spans the range the 452 bookshelves in the catalog actually cover, so equal distance means equal difference — and for cone area and the two frequencies, which are read as ratios, equal distance means equal ratio. The dashed inner ring is where the scale starts, not zero. Ranked within a class because a bookshelf measured against floorstanders is feeble on every axis for the single reason that it is a bookshelf. Cone area is summed from the drive units — no maker publishes it. Bass and treble reach are quoted to different tolerances and only 56% of the catalog says which, so read those two axes as approximate. The grey outline is the median of this speaker's own class, the 380 passive bookshelves — same type, same side of the active/passive line, which matters because the two halves are not the same product: the median active bookshelf carries 155 cm² of cone against the passive median's 219. Median rather than mean, because a handful of very large cabinets would drag a mean above most of the class it claims to describe.
Suggested TrueScale comparisons
Tap any speaker to see it beside this one at true, real-world scale.
Paradigm · Monitor SE · Bookshelf
Monitor SE Atom
Performance — where it sits in the catalog
| Bass reach | Treble reach | Sensitivity | Easy load | Cone area | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monitor SE Atom | 61 Hz | 21 kHz | 86 dB | 8 Ω | 159 cm² |
| Median | 45 Hz | 25 kHz | 87 dB | 6 Ω | 219 cm² |
How to read this chart
Each axis spans the range the 452 bookshelves in the catalog actually cover, so equal distance means equal difference — and for cone area and the two frequencies, which are read as ratios, equal distance means equal ratio. The dashed inner ring is where the scale starts, not zero. Ranked within a class because a bookshelf measured against floorstanders is feeble on every axis for the single reason that it is a bookshelf. Cone area is summed from the drive units — no maker publishes it. Bass and treble reach are quoted to different tolerances and only 56% of the catalog says which, so read those two axes as approximate. The grey outline is the median of this speaker's own class, the 380 passive bookshelves — same type, same side of the active/passive line, which matters because the two halves are not the same product: the median active bookshelf carries 155 cm² of cone against the passive median's 219. Median rather than mean, because a handful of very large cabinets would drag a mean above most of the class it claims to describe.
| Type | Bookshelf |
|---|---|
| HiFi ladder position | #137 of 452 bookshelf |
| Power | Passive |
| Height | 320 mm |
| Width | 180 mm |
| Depth | 270 mm |
| Footprint | 486 cm² |
| Space taken | 15.6 L |
| Weight | 5.4 kg |
| Enclosure | Bass reflex, rear port |
| Drivers | 1× 25 mm tweeter (X-PAL aluminium dome), 1× 140 mm mid-bass (mineral-filled polypropylene cone) |
| Crossover frequency | 2300 Hz |
| Frequency response | 61–21000 Hz (±3 dB) |
| Sensitivity | 86 dB |
| Impedance | 8 Ω |
| Power handling | 50 W |
| Recommended amp | 15–100 W |
| MAP (USD) | $298 / pair |
| Where to buy | Check on Amazon ↗ |
| Manufacturer | paradigm.com ↗ |
| Product page | Open product page ↗ |
Suggested TrueScale comparisons
Tap any speaker to see it beside this one at true, real-world scale.







