Do Paradigm Atoms make for good surrounds with Mini Monitors and cc370...

[eddy13]

Ok I just bought my setup My Paradigm Mini Monitors, cc370 and Atoms for rears. I see that the Atoms are rated at only 50 watts it says recommended power amp up to 80 watts. Now when i run my movies up loud with my Mini Monitors and my cc370 woudl the atoms eb able to handle watching movies at a decent loudness. I really dont understand the thing with watts and stuff but i figure if these atoms are 50 watts and i have ayamaha 1400 whos rated at 110 watts oer channel can this amp be to big if these speakers are placed in the rears. Do these atoms make for good surround speakers for the mini monitors and cc370 or are they undermatched...

[Sorny]

Ignore the "max power" rating on speakers. You are more likely to damage your hearing than you are to blow a speaker with too much power.

Sorny

[eddy13]

Really so speakers arent easy to blow unless you go very crazy with the volume knob correct. I get paranoid that everytime i run my stuff loud i then check my speakers and put my ears to them to see if i hear any distortion or anything for that matter. I just spent 2,000 dollars and i would hate to ruin my equipment. Also i have seen soem people blow there tweeters with paradigm and i dont know if they went crazy with the volume know. I have gone as far low as -12 db when the max volume gets to +9... Also is it normal that in the beginning when i bought my stuff i felt that things were running a little louder and brighter at lower volumes now after eveyrhting has broken in i feel that at the same volume knob things appear less bright and a tad softer maybe this is due to breaking in . I think its sort of liek a tv in the beginning that the picture runs a little hot and then after break in it settles down and the picture contrast softens uopa little a tthe same setting.

[eddy13]

Also what ccross over settign shoudl I use for my Paradigm Mini Montors. 80,90 or 100

[Dudley]

Yes, as speakers break in the bass/lower-midrange become a little bit fuller. They tend to sound brighter right out of the box.

[Influence]

surrounds really don't get that much of a workout, unless you are using sources such as DVD-Audio or multichannel SACD. also be very careful using surround modes similar to 5, 6, or 7 channel stereo, where full power signals are sent to all channels. Make sure that you have your crossovers set to no lower than 80Hz for the atoms. Bass will really kill small speakers such as the atoms.

also the recommend wattage for a speaker takes into account clipping. so when Paradigm says the atoms should handle 50 watts, they mean 50 clean watts at such and such a distortion level (which also kills speakers) without the amplifier clipping. Amp clipping is the single biggest cause for speaker blowout. Basically, this means that your speaker has drawn more current than the amp can provide, thus forcing it to clip (for more technobabble of clipping you can do a yahoo search or browse these forums more). From my DJ'ing days of sound reforcement, I remember a lot of guys telling me to make sure that the amp can supply at least 20% more power (RMS wattage) than the speaker could ever draw at one time. This way, you will be guaranteed to never clip the amp. Granted, you could still blow the speaker, but another poster here pointed out, if you are blowing speakers, you're probably blowing your eardrums out as well. From your equipment list, you should have a fine sounding system. Enjoy!

[Influence]

Mini-monitors, use an 80Hz crossover, unless you could use a 65 or 70 hz one (most receivers don't have this option).

[eddy13]

nop 60 but i use 80. and My amplifier does 110 watts supposedly at leat 20 or more percent than my speakers my atoms are used for surround purposes but i have heard that most receiver say 100 or 110 watts per channel when in all reality they really do like 50 or 60

[Influence]

I can't remember the specs on the Mini's but I thought that they are flat somewhere down to the low-mid 50Hz range. If so, 60hz would work well as a crossover freq. It's always best to use as full a range as you can with each speaker, so if you can run 60hz, run it.

[eddy13]

I can't remember the specs on the Mini's but I thought that they are flat somewhere down to the low-mid 50Hz range. If so, 60hz would work well as a crossover freq. It's always best to use as full a range as you can with each speaker, so if you can run 60hz, run it.
Yeah but remember I have atoms in the back so overall i think its best to use 80

[Influence]

But do you have the ability to selectively choose the crossover point per each speaker? If so, set it to 60 for the Minis, 80 for the Atoms.

[eddy13]

nop one crossover per 5 speakers..