Naim Uniti Atom Review (Streamer & Amp)

[voodooless]

So judging this unit’s performance via the subwoofer output seems nonsensical and in any event at -1db FS it seems to measure much better. The measurements may be correct, but irrelevant to real life use/performance.

Fine, we still have the crappy amplifier performance left, don't we... That is real-life performance, and worse than roughly 2/3rd of all tested amplifiers. Even my ****** Loxjie A30 has better amp performance, distortion as well as power. It's 180 Euro... Don't tell me the streaming features (and possibly a better headphone amp) are worth € 3100?

 

[RuCiao]

I looked at the manual and the pre-outs are only designed to connect a powered subwoofer to the unit. They are not designed as the main signal output.

So judging this unit’s performance via the subwoofer output seems nonsensical and in any event at -1db FS it seems to measure much better. The measurements may be correct, but irrelevant to real life use/performance.

According to the Naim website the pre-outs can also be used as preamp output.

Uniti Atom Support | Naim Audio

www.naimaudio.com

 

[sarumbear]

This is very healthy yes, but it's gross. Turnover: 31.9 M Net profit after Tax: 2,4M, that's not 50% "Overall"

He said gross margin and that’s only metric that matters. Profit of a company is affected by accounting and investment. It doesn’t relate to manufacturing margins.

 

[DWI]

According to the Naim website the pre-outs can also be used as preamp output.

Uniti Atom Support | Naim Audio

www.naimaudio.com

They can, but there is no point buying this product if you are going to use a separate amplifier, because you could just get a streaming DAC like the ND5 XS2 and save some money at the same time.

You certainly wouldn't use an external integrated amplifier as you cannot disconnect the volume control from the pre out in the Uniti Atom, so you would end up with two volume controls.

You probably wouldn't use an external power amplifier, because for more power there is the Uniti Nova.

So you can use the pre-out for a power amplifier, but it is extremely unlikely and the reason why they are there is to connect a subwoofer (which cannot be done another way).

 

[DWI]

Fine, we still have the crappy amplifier performance left, don't we... That is real-life performance, and worse than roughly 2/3rd of all tested amplifiers. Even my ****** Loxjie A30 has better amp performance, distortion as well as power. It's 180 Euro... Don't tell me the streaming features (and possibly a better headphone amp) are worth € 3100?

I used this amplifier (in the UnitiQute 2) for 3 years in a desktop system for mostly ambient listening with Harbeth P3ESR and it was absolutely fine. It was fit for purpose.

I sold the UnitiQute 2 only because of it's out of date software, hosting neither Qobuz nor Roon, but I never had any issue with the sound.

Loxjie A30 may measure better, but the Uniti Atom is from a product line that has been successful for over a decade and clearly meets its users' needs.

Al this review highlights is that the the criteria that ASR consistently apply to everything are not appropriate to everything, especially products where design and functionality are the most important criteria. The performance is sufficient.

 

[PeteL]

He said gross margin and that’s only metric that matters. Profit of a company is affected by accounting and investment. It doesn’t relate to manufacturing margins.

The only metric that matters to who? I'm sure Net profit matters to them. They have to pay taxes on revenues. The gross margin is 40%, not 50, so that's the value that matters to you. But what is the point you are trying to make? Yes it's a profitable company. You need to to stay in business.

 

[RuCiao]

They can, but there is no point buying this product if you are going to use a separate amplifier, because you could just get a streaming DAC like the ND5 XS2 and save some money at the same time.

You certainly wouldn't use an external integrated amplifier as you cannot disconnect the volume control from the pre out in the Uniti Atom, so you would end up with two volume controls.

You probably wouldn't use an external power amplifier, because for more power there is the Uniti Nova.

So you can use the pre-out for a power amplifier, but it is extremely unlikely and the reason why they are there is to connect a subwoofer (which cannot be done another way).

I do use the Atom with a Ncore poweramp. It works fine with a lot of power. And the combo is a lot cheaper than a Nova .

 

[Marc v E]

Aaah, finally peace and quiet has returned to the small village we all know so well:

 

[AndreaT]

It would be interesting to measure the Naim 555, an expensive server at $ 22K, to document if the same errors in engineering are in the most expensive unit.

 

[voodooless]

It would be interesting to measure the Naim 555, an expensive server at $ 22K, to document if the same errors in engineering are in the most expensive unit.

The inside looks very audiophile:

And it's using PCM1704, so won't do better than 102 SINAD... I bet it won't make that number by at least 6 dB.

 

[AndreaT]

The inside looks very audiophile:

And it's using PCM1704, so won't do better than 102 SINAD... I bet it won't make that number by at least 6 dB.

Lots of wires flying around…I wonder what Amir would think of the build quality…

 

[Haskil]

I used this amplifier (in the UnitiQute 2) for 3 years in a desktop system for mostly ambient listening with Harbeth P3ESR and it was absolutely fine. It was fit for purpose.

I sold the UnitiQute 2 only because of it's out of date software, hosting neither Qobuz nor Roon, but I never had any issue with the sound.

Loxjie A30 may measure better, but the Uniti Atom is from a product line that has been successful for over a decade and clearly meets its users' needs.

Al this review highlights is that the the criteria that ASR consistently apply to everything are not appropriate to everything, especially products where design and functionality are the most important criteria. The performance is sufficient.

Your point is strange: as if this NAIM device could not have excellent performance for the same selling price while retaining what you say makes its sales success!

 

[DWI]

Your point is strange: as if this NAIM device could not have excellent performance for the same selling price while retaining what you say makes its sales success!

The main issue people pick up on is the multitone, but elsewhere it was measured set at -1db FS (whatever that means) and the result was much better. Amir has said he tests at stress levels, is this a case of poor performance only at an unrealistic level from an output that would only rarely be used?

I think it's a case of if it ain't broke, don't fix it. The amplifier etc. was accepted as fit for purpose, plenty of people like me had no complaints, so why bother reengineering it? The software and design needed to be redone from scratch, which they did. There is a detailed comparison here:

Naim Audio Uniti Atom

Naim Audio Uniti Atom

positive-feedback.com

Personally I wouldn't buy one of these myself, but I fully get what Naim are doing here - very successfully.

 

[al2002]

I looked at the manual and the pre-outs are only designed to connect a powered subwoofer to the unit. They are not designed as the main signal output.

So judging this unit’s performance via the subwoofer output seems nonsensical and in any event at -1db FS it seems to measure much better. The measurements may be correct, but irrelevant to real life use/performance.

Not correct. It is a full range volume controlled line level output capable of driving an external power amplifier. if you look at the FAQ, it is clear.

From https://www.naimaudio.com/product/uniti-atom/support

” Uniti Atom can be upgraded with an external power amplifier, subwoofer or a Power-Line mains cable”

That a power line cable is listed as a possible upgrade tells us who Naim’s target market is.

 

[Haskil]

Le principal problème que les gens remarquent est le multitone, mais ailleurs, il a été mesuré à -1db FS (quoi que cela signifie) et le résultat était bien meilleur. Amir a déclaré qu'il testait à des niveaux de stress, s'agit-il d'un cas de mauvaise performance uniquement à un niveau irréaliste à partir d'une sortie qui ne serait que rarement utilisée ?

Je pense que c'est un cas de si ce n'est pas cassé, ne le répare pas. L'amplificateur, etc. a été accepté comme adapté à l'usage, beaucoup de gens comme moi n'avaient rien à redire, alors pourquoi s'embêter à le repenser ? Le logiciel et la conception devaient être refaits à partir de zéro, ce qu'ils ont fait. Il y a une comparaison détaillée ici:

Naim Audio Uniti Atom

Naim Audio Uniti Atom

positive-feedback.com

Personnellement, je n'en achèterais pas un moi-même, mais je comprends parfaitement ce que Naim fait ici - avec beaucoup de succès.

With such a low-powered power amplifier and a pair of speakers with low efficiency, typical case of small libraries used with this kind of all-in-one, each time there will be a peak in dynamics even from a fraction of a second the distortion will be audible... And again, at the same price, this all in one Naim could have a quality twice 80 watt amplifier...

""From https://www.naimaudio.com/product/uniti-atom/support

” Uniti Atom can be upgraded with an external power amplifier, subwoofer or a Power-Line mains cable”""

It's a joke ! Tipically Naim... and with a flat cap... 3300 euros (3800 dollars) + 3000 or 4000 euros for a power amplifier ...

 

[Garrincha]

It would be interesting to measure the Naim 555, an expensive server at $ 22K, to document if the same errors in engineering are in the most expensive unit.

Yes, that would be nice. Just buy it and send it over to Amir!

 

[Doodski]

Al this review highlights is that the the criteria that ASR consistently apply to everything are not appropriate to everything, especially products where design and functionality are the most important criteria.

So you are saying when a device like the Uniti Atom comes along the test parameters should be eased up because it is special? Everything gets tested at the same settings and tests.

 

[Robbo99999]

Yes !
(sorry for my english) In fact:
If you have 100 dematerialized discs in your server, listen to the radio or Qobuz playlists, choosing on the front of a streamer is possible, if you have many, many discs, thousands for example, it is impractical, really impractical. .. you have to go through an application on a mobile phone or tablet or through software installed on a computer...
Besides, standalone streamers and all-in-one devices are not practical to use alone and nothing will replace for a music lover who loves music and who has a great nightclub: Roon, Audirvana, Jriver, Foobar, Music -Itunes... and their dedicated applications on Iphone, Android or tablet... Roon and Audirvana are perfect for that.. . .and for the price of a very modest hifi streamer you can have a small dedicated computer connected to a DAC 24/7...
Autonomous and ruinous hifi streamers are really not made for us... One last thing: the most important thing, the level of performance achieved, is the management and research software and there: Audirvana and Roon are the most practical in my opinion with Music-Itunes which has two or three essential functions that the others do not have: for me, it is Music-Itunes to manage rankings and write tags and Audirvana and Roon to listen, correct, etc. . And Sonos in secondary listening... (I use to see their evolutions: Heos, Musicast, Roon, Audirvana, Music-Itunes, JRiver, Foobar... on Mac (not Foobar) and on PC). Roon annoys me for his absurd metadata in classical music, but frankly for the rest nothing to say...
But hey, this NAIM test bench is interesting to show that its hardware performance is insufficient for a demanding music-loving audiophile... I'm impatiently awaiting a BE of the NAIM external power supplies and their technical analysis... linked to their price.

I agree, in as much that I don't think this expensive streamer is worth it. I've just got an old laptop connected to a good Topping DAC - it doesn't look as clean as the box from Naim but it's soooo much more versatile including unlimited parametric EQ and of course all the streaming you could ever want.

 

[Garrincha]

Fine, we still have the crappy amplifier performance left, don't we... That is real-life performance, and worse than roughly 2/3rd of all tested amplifiers. Even my ****** Loxjie A30 has better amp performance, distortion as well as power. It's 180 Euro... Don't tell me the streaming features (and possibly a better headphone amp) are worth € 3100?

To break the additionional € 3100 down, it´s maybe € 200 for the streaming funcionality and software, € 400 for the design and built material of the box and € 2500 for the name and free profit (the so called audiophool gullibility tax).

 

[Garrincha]

I agree, in as much that I don't think this expensive streamer is worth it. I've just got an old laptop connected to a good Topping DAC - it doesn't look as clean as the box from Naim but it's soooo much more versatile including unlimited parametric EQ and of course all the streaming you could ever want.

I agree 100%, maybe I am conservative, but if I do, I stream from my MacBook or iPhone, no need for such a device, and if I want to have an additional device in my kitchen like was mentioned (not in my case as everything is one large open room), I for sure wouldn´t spend that amount of money and get a REAL lifestyle all-in-one (non-audiophile) piece of gear like Bose Wave (whose kitchen has room treament for good sound anyway?).