Naim Uniti Atom Review (Streamer & Amp)

[balletboy]

You are drawing the wrong conclusion here. When it comes to measured performance of electronics like this unit there are three possibilities:

1) it measures so bad it will sound poor
2) it measures well enough that it will sound good
3) It measures state of the art and will sound good.

This Naim falls into category two. Category 3 will not sound any better than category 2

The objections here are that for the price it should be in category 3. But that's a value judgement not a fact.

The idea that Naim deliberately make the measured performance worse to improve the sound quality is nonsensical. That's not what they do regardless of what they or others say to the contrary. They could have made a better-measuring product but it would have cost more and would be of no benefit to the end-user since it would not improve its sound quality, it would just look better on the testing bench.

If the difference between 90 and 120 SINAD is inaudible, but 90 SINAD can be designed to be subjectively more enjoyable, it makes perfect sense.

The basic electronic design was already a proven success with customers from the previous version of this product, released 6 or 7 years earlier (which I owned), so there was no need to reengineer it. It had a massive software and design facelift to the point of being unrecognisable.

The Naim Uniti Atom is one of a group of UK-designed products that are engineered to "good enough" level at an affordable price. Examples are Quad Vena, Audiolab M-One, CA EVO75, CA CXA81 and the Canadian NAD M10v2. The units with streamers (EVO75, M10v2 and CXA81/CXNv2), are all around the same price in the UK, about £2,000.

The big change is the EVO75 / EVO150. All of these UK companies are known as amplifier manufacturers and have used their own amplifiers, mostly Class A/B. However, EVO75 / EVO150 use nCore.

 

[Doodski]

Most people probably have speakers that are introducing more audible distortion than one of these boxes. I built my own speakers from a Troels Gravesen design. I’m sure many on the forum will also have much to say about that too. They are semi active with 12” downward firing bass drivers + Hypex plate amps, use top level crossover components and Seas drivers for the M+T section. They are incredibly transparent and have very little distortion even when cranked right up.

Very nice! I was sick of the upgrade routine, using audio electronics that I won in sales contests and I went all American West Coast amps, KEF drivers and transmission line with a active 3 way system. It suited me for a good long time. People asked about why West Coast amps and I said because I can. That was a very fun system and I see the same in your speakers.

 

[Engine]

Interesting. I spent many years with many different individuals hifi components and the common progression has always been the same, I wonder what it will sound like with this “New” component in the chain? Once new components arrives, it will have improved transparency, or bass, or midrange. Yes likely, but something else always seemed to be sacrificed. What I have had with the Naim Uniti products is a satisfaction with the unit as a whole. They seem to provide a really balanced sound. If that is with a little distortion well so be it. Most people probably have speakers that are introducing more audible distortion than one of these boxes. I built my own speakers from a Troels Gravesen design. I’m sure many on the forum will also have much to say about that too. They are semi active with 12” downward firing bass drivers + Hypex plate amps, use top level crossover components and Seas drivers for the M+T section. They are incredibly transparent and have very little distortion even when cranked right up. Each to their own choices! The Nova gets me off the upgrade band wagon. Well for now at least.

Brutal sistem Mark, congratulation, now I understain why Atom is replaised by Nova.

 

[balletboy]

Interesting. I spent many years with many different individuals hifi components and the common progression has always been the same, I wonder what it will sound like with this “New” component in the chain? Once new components arrives, it will have improved transparency, or bass, or midrange. Yes likely, but something else always seemed to be sacrificed. What I have had with the Naim Uniti products is a satisfaction with the unit as a whole. They seem to provide a really balanced sound. If that is with a little distortion well so be it. Most people probably have speakers that are introducing more audible distortion than one of these boxes. I built my own speakers from a Troels Gravesen design. I’m sure many on the forum will also have much to say about that too. They are semi active with 12” downward firing bass drivers + Hypex plate amps, use top level crossover components and Seas drivers for the M+T section. They are incredibly transparent and have very little distortion even when cranked right up. Each to their own choices! The Nova gets me off the upgrade band wagon. Well for now at least.

You've done a lovely job of those speakers. You photos illustrate without the need for words why in today's design-led consumer world products like the Naim Uniti Atom are so popular. I also use fully integrated systems, have done for years. Ethernet or wireless input, speaker output. I'm not sure how you can measure a system used that way, but it is increasingly popular.

 

[Garrincha]

If the difference between 90 and 120 SINAD is inaudible, but 90 SINAD can be designed to be subjectively more enjoyable, it makes perfect sense.

I insulted nobody. But the arguments are just poor. Ok you like the Atom. Fine. It is still a an overpriced mediocre piece of gear. And the notion that the difference between 90 and 120 SINAD is on the one hand inaudible (which seems to be true) but on the other hand the device with 90 SINAD sounds better is just insane. Try to speak the whole sentence loud.

 

[Mark84]

I insulted nobody. But the arguments are just poor. Ok you like the Atom. Fine. It is still a an overpriced mediocre piece of gear. And the notion that the difference between 90 and 120 SINAD is on the one hand inaudible (which seems to be true) but on the other hand the device with 90 SINAD sounds better is just insane. Try to speak the whole sentence

I’m not quite sure why you are replying to me and quoting others posts. I’m starting to think that as well as being ignorant you are just plain dumb.

Anyway. Peace out, and as we say in Australia,
C U next Tuesday.

 

[Garrincha]

I’m not quite sure why you are replying to me and quoting others posts. I’m starting to think that as well as being ignorant you are just plain dumb.

Anyway. Peace out, and as we say in Australia,
C U next Tuesday.

I did not reply to you. Maybe you should first figure out how this forum works. Or maybe drink less Fosters.

 

[Roland]

I insulted nobody. But the arguments are just poor. Ok you like the Atom. Fine. It is still a an overpriced mediocre piece of gear. And the notion that the difference between 90 and 120 SINAD is on the one hand inaudible (which seems to be true) but on the other hand the device with 90 SINAD sounds better is just insane. Try to speak the whole sentence loud.

Owners find that the Atom works beautifully and sounds great, so I don’t understand your belief that it is overpriced and mediocre. Is it just because of some spurious “hi-fi” measurements?

 

[Mark84]

Owners find that the Atom works beautifully and sounds great, so I don’t understand your belief that it is overpriced and mediocre. Is it just because of some spurious “hi-fi” measurements?

It’s because he is a complete and utter “insert appropriate word here”

 

[Garrincha]

Owners find that the Atom works beautifully and sounds great, so I don’t understand your belief that it is overpriced and mediocre. Is it just because of some spurious “hi-fi” measurements?

Owners also think that their Nordost cables sound great and are very functional and musical.

 

[Vacceo]

Does manufacturing an amp with a better SINAD (particularly for the noise department) cost much more? Because if not, what is the point on not going for good engineering?

Perhaps the cost gets really increased once we are talking more than two channels, but even in that case, when given the choice of a clean design, if cost is not that higher, why going for less?

 

[Garrincha]

Does manufacturing an amp with a better SINAD (particularly for the noise department) cost much more? Because if not, what is the point on not going for good engineering?

Perhaps the cost gets really increased once we are talking more than two channels, but even in that case, when given the choice of a clean design, if cost is not that higher, why going for less?

It seems there are different strategies. Companies that invest heavily in engineering and strive to produce state of the art products, and those who invest more in marketing, design and building a name. Often these offer additional products with no or questionable value (Supercap, M-Scaler, PowerPlant).

 

[Robbo99999]

Interesting. I spent many years with many different individuals hifi components and the common progression has always been the same, I wonder what it will sound like with this “New” component in the chain? Once new components arrives, it will have improved transparency, or bass, or midrange. Yes likely, but something else always seemed to be sacrificed. What I have had with the Naim Uniti products is a satisfaction with the unit as a whole. They seem to provide a really balanced sound. If that is with a little distortion well so be it. Most people probably have speakers that are introducing more audible distortion than one of these boxes. I built my own speakers from a Troels Gravesen design. I’m sure many on the forum will also have much to say about that too. They are semi active with 12” downward firing bass drivers + Hypex plate amps, use top level crossover components and Seas drivers for the M+T section. They are incredibly transparent and have very little distortion even when cranked right up. Each to their own choices! The Nova gets me off the upgrade band wagon. Well for now at least.

I'm not familiar with the speakers you have built, but I can see that you're a very visually influenced person, so it's probably very important to you for your hifi gear to look a certain way.....so the Naim might fit your requirements there. I can also see from you're comments that you're highly influenced by this in the way you assess your upgrades, and the language & thought process you use shows that you're largely on the subjective audiophile bandwagon....being on that bandwagon is a fools errand into increased expenditure and decreased real audio quality, whilst imagining all sorts of non-existant improvements or degredations in your sound with every component you add to your hifi chain. I mean people can take that path if they want, but it's not what ASR is about, and they're not gonna be getting at the truth.

 

[DSJR]

I'm just minded of 1980's B&O when it was still almost affordable (and performed potentially better than we gave it credit for back then while diving into our ever growing piles of ringy black (and sometimes slightly banana shaped) boxes. So easy to use and talking point looks, these aspects going right over 'our' heads back then (we liked their better tellies though).

I'm not a Naim bod any more and haven't been since the mid 80's on a personal level, but I'd almost certainly give house-room to a mid level Hegel, which is another 'good enough for purpose' product, albeit not a streamer.... I like the simple looks and the feel of the controls you see and the performance of the one annihilated here some months back isn't so bad, even if it's nowhere near state of the art these days.

I just wish these design people would try just a little harder to be more than 'good enough for purpose' at the prices asked, that's all. No idea what these compact Naim streamer boxes use for amp circuits though - is it still the very old RCA? quasi complimentary design?

 

[BDWoody]

And if it does change, it's usually an upgrade to Nova...
To me, this indicates a successful synergy. Performance measurements are only one side of the story.

Indeed. Marketing is a huge part of it. There is synergy here between how they market overpriced gear and under-educated consumers.

Is it just because of some spurious “hi-fi” measurements?

Which were spurious?

 

[Vacceo]

It seems there are different strategies. Companies that invest heavily in engineering and strive to produce state of the art products, and those who invest more in marketing, design and building a name. Often these offer additional products with no or questionable value (Supercap, M-Scaler, PowerPlant).

Just like I said with McIntosh, the conflict between aesthetics and performance should not even exist. If you pay top money, you should have both.

 

[Mark84]

I did not reply to you. Maybe you should first figure out how this forum works. Or maybe drink less Fosters.

I'm not familiar with the speakers you have built, but I can see that you're a very visually influenced person, so it's probably very important to you for your hifi gear to look a certain way.....so the Naim might fit your requirements there. I can also see from you're comments that you're highly influenced by this in the way you assess your upgrades, and the language & thought process you use shows that you're largely on the subjective audiophile bandwagon....being on that bandwagon is a fools errand into increased expenditure and decreased real audio quality, whilst imagining all sorts of non-existant improvements or degredations in your sound with every component you add to your hifi chain. I mean people can take that path if they want, but it's not what ASR is about, and they're not gonna be getting at the truth.

I'm not familiar with the speakers you have built, but I can see that you're a very visually influenced person, so it's probably very important to you for your hifi gear to look a certain way.....so the Naim might fit your requirements there. I can also see from you're comments that you're highly influenced by this in the way you assess your upgrades, and the language & thought process you use shows that you're largely on the subjective audiophile bandwagon....being on that bandwagon is a fools errand into increased expenditure and decreased real audio quality, whilst imagining all sorts of non-existant improvements or degredations in your sound with every component you add to your hifi chain. I mean people can take that path if they want, but it's not what ASR is about, and they're not gonna be getting at the truth.

CNO-4

 

[Mark84]

I’m done here guys. Cheers but I sense when I’m not welcome. I’ll get my coat.

 

[Robbo99999]

CNO-4

I think it's hard to know how good or bad the speaker is from that. However, that wasn't the point I was making in my previous post, so that's not relevant really.

I’m done here guys. Cheers but I sense when I’m not welcome. I’ll get my coat.

You don't have to leave, it's just that it helps to realise the various pitfalls/limitations of "subjective audiophilia".

 

[Mark84]

I think it's hard to know how good or bad the speaker is from that. However, that wasn't the point I was making in my previous post, so that's not relevant really.


You don't have to leave, it's just that it helps to realise the various pitfalls/limitations of "subjective audiophilia".

It’s all good. I can see the ways of this forum and sorry, but it’s not for me. judgement and a cult like nature. Good day to you guys. All the best.