Time to buy a Uniti Atom Headphone Edition?

JoeSoap

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Good afternoon. Having recently rediscovered the pleasure of streaming all my old favourite music to a very nice set of head phones, the question really is -

My headphones connect to my phone or tablet (Android) and I stream Apple lossless to my headphones.

It sounds great and my Sonos speakers are now pretty much redundant.

So, on to the question. If I invest in one of the new Uniti Atom headphone edition streamers, is it going to take my enjoyment to a whole new plane again?

Looking for thoughts and will go and listen this week if there's a positive response.

Thanks

Soap.
 

JoeSoap

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Almost certainly I would have thought but only you can decide that, go audition with your headphones
Thanks. Yes, it's likely I will.

There's a fair bit I don't understand. I believe the device doesn't support Apple Music natively. I think therefore, but I really don't know, I will run Apple Music on my Android tablet like I do now. I presume the tablet to Atom connection therefore is by Chromecast?

My headphones are Bluetooth, I assume the Atom then connects by Bluetooth to the headphones?

So, essentially, all I would be doing differently to now is inserting the Atom in the chain between my tablet and the headphones?

To me, old school thinking, it is counterintuitive how just adding something else to the signal path can result in a better sound? (This perhaps demonstrates my ignorance of the new world compared to my Linn/ Naim system of the 1980's). All thoughts on this welcomed.

Thanks

Soap
 

JoeSoap

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Double check but I am pretty sure the Atom requires a wired headphone
Thanks. The new Atom Headphone Edition? Front panel clearly has a Bluetooth logo. It also has headphone socket too. It's this stuff that I need to understand, preferably before I step into a dealer's premises . I like to walk round the house with the headphones on. A cable is a deal breaker.

Soap.
 
Thanks. The new Atom Headphone Edition? Front panel clearly has a Bluetooth logo. It also has headphone socket too. It's this stuff that I need to understand, preferably before I step into a dealer's premises . I like to walk round the house with the headphones on. A cable is a deal breaker.

Soap.
perhaps it does have Bluetooth I missed that. Always good to do homework first I agree.
 
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skinnypuppy71

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To get the best from the uniti atom headphone edition is to pair it with wired headphones, a quality set at that...the idea is that the amplifier powers the cans....Bluetooth headphones are counter intuitive to what the atom hp edition is all about....if you have Bluetooth headphones they will be self powered /amplified making the unit redundant....a waste of 2k unless you're going down the route of proper wired headphones 😁 Bluetooth cans aren't really regarded that well for the finest sq.
 

JoeSoap

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To get the best from the uniti atom headphone edition is to pair it with wired headphones, a quality set at that...the idea is that the amplifier powers the cans....Bluetooth headphones are counter intuitive to what the atom hp edition is all about....if you have Bluetooth headphones they will be self powered /amplified making the unit redundant....a waste of 2k unless you're going down the route of proper wired headphones 😁 Bluetooth cans aren't really regarded that well for the finest sq.
Thank you. Yes, I see exactly where you are coming from.

I have recently bought a new set of the Sony Bluetooth headphones recommended here. I find I am hearing things I haven't heard before on my Sonos system. Stuff like Creedence Clearwater Revival, Simon and Garfunkel, The Faces, Joni Mitchell etc.......

At 65, recently retired, with some hearing loss. I am not really after the ultimate in sound quality. I chased that in the 1980's........ Today it's all about enjoying my music all over again in a convenient and lifestyle enhancing manner.

My thoughts have turned to the new Atom Headphone Edition after the recent very good experience of the Sony Bluetooth headphones. It might well be that another step up in enjoyment isn't there. Certainly, a cord between me and the streamer is a deal breaker.

Edited to add - One wonders why Naim built Bluetooth into this, if it's not a recommended way to use the new Atom?

Really appreciate the input.

Thanks

Soap
 

skinnypuppy71

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Maybe one of the better media players or portable dacs would be more up your street....something from the astel and kern range or a chord dac..I'm not well read up on those kind of devices so I'll have to leave the research for yourself.
 

JoeSoap

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Maybe one of the better media players or portable dacs would be more up your street....something from the astel and kern range or a chord dac..I'm not well read up on those kind of devices so I'll have to leave the research for yourself.
Thanks. I have kind of left my Sonos behind (if I understand correctly) now I have the Sony Bluetooth headphones. Without the headphones, I have to wait for Mrs Soap to leave the house before I put music on!

Definitely a headphones based solution I am thinking about. The new Naim fits the bill beautifully. If Bluetooth is good enough for Naim to include in the new Atom, I think it's a great option for a step up in enjoyment. If that's not the case, I'll just enjoy what I have!

Thanks for the input.

Soap
 
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JoeSoap

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Deal breaker. Having looked again at the Naim Audio page for the Atom HPE, it says -

Headphone Outputs
4.4mm Pentaconn (balanced) 4 pin XLR (balanced) 6.35mm (¼ inch) jack (unbalanced)
1.5W RMS per channel into 16ohms
Suitable for headphones from 16ohms and upwards
 

JoeSoap

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It receives a bluetooth signal, it doesn't transmit to headphones. For that you need something like an Elegiant BTi066 or similar.
Indeed. I just learned that by re-reading the Naim Audio Atom HPE page again. Having to use a headphone cable is a deal breaker. Thanks.

Regards.

Soap.
 

Tinman1952

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As Bluetooth is a standard, no reason to assume NAIM or any other brand does a better job compared with your phone.
All will use lossy compression using a certain codec.
NAIM offers aptx-hd, most Android phones do the same.
Agreed. Plus your Sony headphones should accept LDAC (almost twice the bandwidth of AptX HD) which has been built in to Android phones for some time now……👍
 
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