New Naim Atom - Been and had a listen / play

[ellisdj]

I have been and had a play and listen with the New Naim Atom.

Wow thats all I will say - if you fancy a very small and nice, great sounding all in one - this should be high on the demo list

 

[Gray]

little unit in the WHF review. They certainly loved it of course - as you'd expect.

Not cheap, but then you'd expect that too.

 

[ellisdj]

I loved it as well - I wasnt expecting it to be very good but boy I was wrong

 

[Al ears]

I loved it as well - I wasnt expecting it to be very good but boy I was wrong

Excellent. Can I ask what speakers it was connected to when you heard it?

 

[ellisdj]

Kef R700 I have a video ready to go live demoing them with a few details etc.

I will have it up this morning and will link it here 🙂

 

[Leif]

It seems rather expensive for what it is. Being an old fart, I've struggled to work out what it does. It seems to be an integrated amp (40W/channel), with some digital inputs, an Airplay receiver, the ability to play music on a USB connected hard drive, and the ability to receive internet feeds such as Spotify and internet radio. It seems to me that if you own an iPhone, you can get a much cheaper amp, plug in an Apple Airport Express, and you have almost the same features with comparable quality. And if you don't have an iPhone, you can plug in a Google Chromecast and get much of the functionality. No doubt I am missing something, and someone will transport me over to the realm of enlightenment and heightened perception.

I must admit I like the idea of plugging in an external USB drive.

 

[chebby]

Sad that I never tried the UnitiQute and bought the blessed Quad Vena instead.

The Quad failed in one channel recently and had to be repaired by Quad themselves under warranty. I can't trust it not to fail again*, so I have left it (still boxed in a cupboard) and bought a Marantz instead.

The Atom is too overpriced and took way too long to get right (software/firmware). Nice idea but doesn't do as much and the ashtray on top looks terrible.

* First and only hi-fi item I have ever owned to need repair. I will never be able to listen to it again without waiting for a re-occurrance so it's 'tainted' as far as I am concerned.

 

[ellisdj]

You wont think its overpriced if you have a play with it and a listen.

Here is is my hands on Video with it

 

[chebby]

Wait until Naim have changed / superceded the range and Spotify, Chromecast etc. have moved on with their software. Will Naim still support it?

The first Uniti generations at least had CD and FM if the internet went down!

 

[ellisdj]

You can just play off your network or from a USB drive / memory stick as I was

Or you buy the whole storage solution as well and be 100% covered for everything

 

[chebby]

With only a two year-old Quad Vena (albeit recently serviced and tested by Quad!) to offset against it financially, I had better not just in case I like it.

I have other plans for my loose change in the near future and my hi-fi happiness is on a nice, even keel right now.

 

[ellisdj]

Fair play not trying to sell it to you personally I just think hold on with the overpriced comments until you have had a look and play.

I wasnt expecting what I got in terms of sound - for a lot of people a small unit like this with the level of sound quality is going to tick the one box that they have.

I bet they sell a ton of these to the non extremist market which is the mass market.

Watch my video you get an idea from that on sound

 

[nick8858]

I was considering one of these but frankly got fed up of waiting for it. Lesson for Naim - don't announce stuff unless you know it will be ready on time. Its apparently months late so you do wonder how ready it is. In the end got a Pioneer NC-50 DAB which does everything the Naim does and more - CD player, phonostage etc and for a lot less money. Funny how the Pioneer doesn't get a review in What Hi Fi and that the Naim will probably be splashed all over the font page presumably paired up with some Q Acoustics 20202020iii Mark 450 speakers.

 

[ellisdj]

You should demo it when you get chance - they say patience is a virtue.

I dont have any so I wouldnt know

 

[Leif]

I was considering one of these but frankly got fed up of waiting for it. Lesson for Naim - don't announce stuff unless you know it will be ready on time. Its apparently months late so you do wonder how ready it is. In the end got a Pioneer NC-50 DAB which does everything the Naim does and more - CD player, phonostage etc and for a lot less money. Funny how the Pioneer doesn't get a review in What Hi Fi and that the Naim will probably be splashed all over the font page presumably paired up with some Q Acoustics 20202020iii Mark 450 speakers.

Do I detect a hint of cynicism? Surely not, nooooo. I'd love to hear the results of a blind testing between your unit, and the Atom. And being Japanese, your unit is probably very well made and reliable.

 

[nick8858]

Perhaps a touch of cynicism... However my Pioneer also has FM Radio (great), DAB (well its there if needed), CD player and I can hook my Turntable up to it. A true all in one jobbie. It is nicely made as well. What makes it really sing though are those little Neat Iotas. I think they could be a rather nice match for the Atom too perhaps. Only one thing missing on the Pioneer - a L/R balance control - I gather this is not uncommon but we don't all have the perfect listening position in our rooms. However I solved the problem with an external box. If I pass an Atom on demo I am sure I'll have a quick listen.

 

[hybridauth_Facebook_100004211376004]

I think your onto a loser here Ellis...not many on this forum like what naim do apart from rainsoothe and myself.I want to hear the uniti nova and star from the line up....if they can better what the superuniti does I'll be very impressed indeed.

 

[lindsayt]

You wont think its overpriced if you have a play with it and a listen.

Here is is my hands on Video with it

That's interesting. The dealers demo room looks remarkably similar to your room at home. From the video it sounds more echoey and less clean than your room.

It'd be interesting to do an A/B demo of the Naim vs the PS Audio digital source with MF Nuvista 800 amplification.

 

[ellisdj]

Hi Linsay T - when i first went there they had a few acoustic panels.

After they came to mine they seemed to add a few more 🙂

Its not nearly as controlled environment as mine - its also much bigger and you sit much further away.

There are some benefits to that in terms of sound - you get free amplification from the room gain - I dont get any here. I need to look at mine to see where I can make improvements. I really like messing with acoustics its good fun.

It did image really well - you get the musicians in their space - it wasnt perfect but it gave a really compelling listen.

You dont get the imaging in the recording thats the hardest thing to record unless I close mic'd but that wouldnt be real in my eyes.

That was recorded on a Rode Stereo Video Mic pro - so a £150 all in unit straight into my 4k sony camcorder.

Normally I use a pair of studio grade (low end) mics and a proper recorder - but I think its a good recording none the less.

I have just posted up another one.

 

[ellisdj]

I tell you what its done for me - its made me want to try out some good Naim kit,

I have never really spent any time with any Naim stuff, so I wanted to anyway as I want to hear everything but its pushed it up my list of interest.

 

[hybridauth_Facebook_100004211376004]

This could get very expensive.lol.

Although your current set up can't really be described as budget either........272/250 dr is where the party really starts,...so I'm led to believe . probably my end game system if I could ever afford it.lol.

 

[ellisdj]

My System is all change now since I started this project, I have loved it all but its time to try new ventures - exciting and fun - But, Addiction, Addicted, Mad for it, Love It

*biggrin*

 

[QuestForThe13thNote]

The problem with this sort of device is that, at that price, it tends to have a 'cooking' naim amp so with its premium brand, lots of other devices will more than outcompete it at that price. Also the power output is quite modest so for lots of dynamics in music for bigger speakers like those kef r700 (which i don't really rate - not as balanced and detailed as likes of similar pro ac, pmc, spendor speakers for same money). So if you wanted to get best possible out of it, you wouldn't really pair it with big spekers like the kefs with the bigger power needed, but smaller speakers, which makes the naim less flexible.

im sure you could get a really good streamer (like the node 2) and pair it with a really good analogue amp (or one with a dac) from likes of rega, Cyrus (e.g. One) , musical fidelity and the whole system would sound better than the naim unit, at similar price. Plus a cheap cd transport and if sound quality is the main aim, but you don't like look of boxes, conceal them in some really nice furniture.

the problem with these units for me, is that whenever you see a premium brand do an all in one type thing, I'm just thinking compromise, compromise. And you pay for that compromise too. And if it's just to show it off for the sake of sound quality, which you are spending that money for in the first plac, why buy it.

 

[QuestForThe13thNote]

It seems rather expensive for what it is. Being an old fart, I've struggled to work out what it does. It seems to be an integrated amp (40W/channel), with some digital inputs, an Airplay receiver, the ability to play music on a USB connected hard drive, and the ability to receive internet feeds such as Spotify and internet radio. It seems to me that if you own an iPhone, you can get a much cheaper amp, plug in an Apple Airport Express, and you have almost the same features with comparable quality. And if you don't have an iPhone, you can plug in a Google Chromecast and get much of the functionality. No doubt I am missing something, and someone will transport me over to the realm of enlightenment and heightened perception.

I must admit I like the idea of plugging in an external USB drive.

Its a CD player, amp and streamer in one box, with ability to play off a nas and netowork,,and music streaming services supported by naim too. Also internet radio.

you wouldn't get comparable quality plugging in jittery circuits of an iPhone into this unit, also a chromecast audio too for same reason. The functionality of the cca is to use existing apps on your devices, whereas with naim you use their app for better intergrated functionality.

if you plugged this unit into a really decent hi fi and used its streamer functionability it would easily outclass a chromecast audio.

 

[insider9]

I think your onto a loser here Ellis...not many on this forum like what naim do apart from rainsoothe and myself.I want to hear the uniti nova and star from the line up....if they can better what the superuniti does I'll be very impressed indeed.

The only Naim system I've heard I really enjoyed. That was Scalford this year. Granted not a long demo nor perfect conditions.

Although, I could see myself going that way for a passive system at some point.