Naim Unitiqute 2 VS Uniti Atom?

For where you are using it, even if it did have much of an improvement in SQ (which I doubt it will) you would be better off getting the UQ2. Then you will have more money to put towards other toys

For where you are using the UQ2/Atom, I too would stick with a UQ2. Just make sure you drive a hard bargain on the UQ2 as dealers will want and need to move them on to make way for the Atom.

Kerching!

Agree with the guys, UQ2 is the way to go

The only way to find out is to wait until the Atom is available and do a proper demo of both. Unless the Atom turns out to be a complete dud, the price of a UQ2 isn't going to go up in the meantime.

We are quite happy with a Qb in the kitchen, so a Qute and Tukans is positively business class. £800 is an awful lot to spend on something to stick in the cupboard. It would pay for quite a lot of wine. 

blownaway posted:

I was just about to pick up a new Unitiqute 2 when lowen behold the new Uniti line was released. Now I find that I can get a mint UQ2 for HALF the price of the Uniti Atom.  I'm debating if its really worth the extra $ for the latest and greatest. You option will help me decide. 

This is for music in our kitchen with linn Tukan speakers mounted near our ceiling.

Yes the design of the atom is cool and the led is great but don't really care since this kit goes inside a cabinet hidden from view.

i don't need apple air or goggle cast, only need UPnP funtionality with a ethernet connection.

Yes, I imagine the Atom has an improved dac but the UQ2 has a great dac.

i can buy two UQ2's for the price of an Atom.

Review of UQ2 have been favorable. Do you think the Atom will sound MUCH better or is this a case of only some sonic improvements but mostly design and greater functionality/feature set.

thanks

So why are you still thinking about it? You don't need the new features of the Atom, you won't be able to look at it, or be able to reach/use the snazzy control dial and you will be able to listen to DAB radio, FM even, if you want to.

Unless you are possessed of superman's hearing, and spend an awful lot of money on speakers, they'll sound virtually identical. 

So, go on, make a sensible hifi purchase that I can assure you you'll enjoy every minute of !

KR, J

Dr_J posted:

blownaway posted:

I was just about to pick up a new Unitiqute 2 when lowen behold the new Uniti line was released. Now I find that I can get a mint UQ2 for HALF the price of the Uniti Atom.  I'm debating if its really worth the extra $ for the latest and greatest. You option will help me decide. 

This is for music in our kitchen with linn Tukan speakers mounted near our ceiling.

Yes the design of the atom is cool and the led is great but don't really care since this kit goes inside a cabinet hidden from view.

i don't need apple air or goggle cast, only need UPnP funtionality with a ethernet connection.

Yes, I imagine the Atom has an improved dac but the UQ2 has a great dac.

i can buy two UQ2's for the price of an Atom.

Review of UQ2 have been favorable. Do you think the Atom will sound MUCH better or is this a case of only some sonic improvements but mostly design and greater functionality/feature set.

thanks

So why are you still thinking about it? You don't need the new features of the Atom, you won't be able to look at it, or be able to reach/use the snazzy control dial and you will be able to listen to DAB radio, FM even, if you want to.

Unless you are possessed of superman's hearing, and spend an awful lot of money on speakers, they'll sound virtually identical. 

So, go on, make a sensible hifi purchase that I can assure you you'll enjoy every minute of !

KR, J

 

What would this forum be without a bit of wild conjecture!

Great input everyone! Thanks for confirming my inclination to go with a minty UQ2. At $1,400 USD, I'm all in.  In addition to UPnP I plan on listening to radio via the built-in tuner or internet radio.

The real amazing thing is my WIFE is open to using this purchase as this years Christmas present to each other 

Oh, I just realized my Tukan's are hooked up to my Linn Majik via Linn's K400 bi-wire speaker cable.  I would LOVE to avoid re-cabling since it involves  fishing around in our attic, but possible if required.  

Can I use my line bi-wire cable with the UQ2 or will it need to be replaced?  The Tukans can be hooked up with single or bi-wired.  

Can I use an adaptor from bi-wire to single spade or is that just wrong?

thanks

Pretty sure the UQ2 only has one set of speaker outputs. I still don't see why you can't use 2 of the 4 bi wires on each channel to hook up to the Tukans. Just be sure to be consistent with the wires you use at each end. I assume there is some kind of coding of the wires (multi colour?).

While the UQ2 undoubtedly is great value, I don't think one should underestimate the Atom. It has more power, will handle a wider range of speakers, and I don't have any doubt that it will sound better, even if subtly so.

Also, for those who want to use USB Naim is promising greater usability. Sad to see fm go agreed.

I've just been listening to an Atom and it's just brilliant - miles better than I recall the Qute being. It's capable of massive volume with complete control and sounds lovely, far better than I was expecting. The build quality is fantastic. 

Hungryhalibut posted:

I've just been listening to an Atom and it's just brilliant - miles better than I recall the Qute being. It's capable of massive volume with complete control and sounds lovely, far better than I was expecting. The build quality is fantastic. 

Great news 

where did you manage to listen to it? 

I was having second thoughts vs uq2 but your statement re assure me 

ref build quality, the unit seems solid but plasticky at the front from pictures. You didn't feel that in your demo ? 

What speaker you heard it with please and if possible cables ? 

Great news HH - If all goes to plan, I'm hoping to listen to the Atom in a couple of weeks and will be taking along my UQ2 to compare. Echoing CRABBY, it would be interesting as to the details of ancillaries used in association with the Atom?

It doesn't look plasticky at all, just very classy and solid. Somehow the screen is bonded into the front panel which I think is some sort of resin type material. Anyway, it looks lovely with its brushed top and volume knob with integrated Bluetooth receiver. And it has a motion detector too, so the buttons light up when you go to touch them. Overall it looks massively more classy than the Qute: I was really most impressed. 

As to the speakers, it was used with Sopra 1s, which wasn't the original idea but a previous customer had asked to hear them so I just stuck with them. 

And before anyone asks what I thought of the speakers - very large and very bright. But then the Atom is not what you'd expect to use with a £6,000 speaker. I played White Stripes at over 60 on the dial and the little Atom showed no sign of strain. It really is a serious bit of kit. It makes me interested to hear the Nova if the Atom is this good. 

Very interesting HH, thanks for the added info. It certainly bodes well that the Atom didn't embarrass itself driving the Sopra1 speakers. Impressive.

I'm now even more eager to compare my Qute2 with the Atom. 

Oh dear - that rattling noise you can hear is my credit card quivering in fear!

Thank HH, you got me super excited. I had some doubts but you took most of them. I will have to check for myself but your feedback is aligned with other feedbacks I read or heard.

the Atom seems to be even better than the qute2 which for me is naim masterpiece (dangerous statement to make I know :-).

the atom seems to be a qute2 on hormones. A bit more power, improved power line, improved connectivity and streaming plus hdmi...

I have also considered the star thinking I may need the extra power for my kef ls50 but I dismissed it  like I did in the past with uniti2. Not sure I need an attached cd transport or a core at all but have the option to add the latter in the future 

thanks mate again, can't wait now...where did you see it? Very hard to find 

just need help for budget cable speaker...I am thinking chord Clearway at £8 per metre or tellurium q ultra blue or black...potentially a cheaper cable?

advice welcome 

I might have been tempted to consider replacing my dining room UQ2 with an Atom on the basis of HH's enthusiastic report, but not having FM is a deal breaker for me.

best

David

Hungryhalibut posted:

It doesn't look plasticky at all, just very classy and solid. Somehow the screen is bonded into the front panel which I think is some sort of resin type material. Anyway, it looks lovely with its brushed top and volume knob with integrated Bluetooth receiver. And it has a motion detector too, so the buttons light up when you go to touch them. Overall it looks massively more classy than the Qute: I was really most impressed. 

As to the speakers, it was used with Sopra 1s, which wasn't the original idea but a previous customer had asked to hear them so I just stuck with them. 

And before anyone asks what I thought of the speakers - very large and very bright. But then the Atom is not what you'd expect to use with a £6,000 speaker. I played White Stripes at over 60 on the dial and the little Atom showed no sign of strain. It really is a serious bit of kit. It makes me interested to hear the Nova if the Atom is this good. 

Do you think this atom is powerful enough to fill a room of 36 m2  (with  PMC twenty5.23)

It's not something I'd suggest -when I had twenty23s I used a Superuniti, which is a far better match.

Thr Atom is good but that doesn't mean  that common sense in system building goes out the window. You don't use a £3,000 speaker on the end of a £1,750 all in one. 

Hungryhalibut posted:

It's not something I'd suggest -when I had twenty23s I used a Superuniti, which is a far better match.

Thr Atom is good but that doesn't mean  that common sense in system building goes out the window. You don't use a £3,000 speaker on the end of a £1,750 all in one. 

You are most probably right but Atom did well with £6k focal speakers. Some rules apply indeed but depend on speakers sensitivity.

can you please advise what speaker cable you use. Considering tellurium black or ultra blue. Chord clearway potentially. 

I have to test myself but interested to know what people use (outside naim own speaker cable) 

thanks in advance 

I really have not been drawn to the design of the new Uniti's - I find it difficult to disassociate the new units with the more mass produced Muso which I have just not been impressed with, but that's just me. I think that the older units ( aligned with with other Naim ranges such as the Classic) are a great piece of timeless industrial design and for the difference in price it seems like a no-brained to go fo the UQ2.

Crabby posted:

Hungryhalibut posted:

It's not something I'd suggest -when I had twenty23s I used a Superuniti, which is a far better match.

Thr Atom is good but that doesn't mean  that common sense in system building goes out the window. You don't use a £3,000 speaker on the end of a £1,750 all in one. 

You are most probably right but Atom did well with £6k focal speakers. Some rules apply indeed but depend on speakers sensitivity.

can you please advise what speaker cable you use. Considering tellurium black or ultra blue. Chord clearway potentially. 

I have to test myself but interested to know what people use (outside naim own speaker cable) 

thanks in advance 

I use SuperLumina. 

Poggy posted:

I really have not been drawn to the design of the new Uniti's - I find it difficult to disassociate the new units with the more mass produced Muso which I have just not been impressed with, but that's just me. I think that the older units ( aligned with with other Naim ranges such as the Classic) are a great piece of timeless industrial design and for the difference in price it seems like a no-brained to go fo the UQ2.

Based on value for money, you are right as long as the qute2 price  is closer to £1k than latest list price (bundle offer or discount)

design, I prefer the classic design 

however the Atom features and future proof new architecture is more appealing to me. Naim made a huge leap and that's good news. Things moving fast and previous generation wasn't flexible enough anymore.

I just need the Atom to replicate what the qute2 did well and add some extras on top. I can live with the design which I hope is better in the flesh if I trust initial feedbacks. 

Phil, any news when in December they start to hit shops ? 

Hungryhalibut posted:

Crabby posted:

Hungryhalibut posted:

It's not something I'd suggest -when I had twenty23s I used a Superuniti, which is a far better match.

Thr Atom is good but that doesn't mean  that common sense in system building goes out the window. You don't use a £3,000 speaker on the end of a £1,750 all in one. 

You are most probably right but Atom did well with £6k focal speakers. Some rules apply indeed but depend on speakers sensitivity.

can you please advise what speaker cable you use. Considering tellurium black or ultra blue. Chord clearway potentially. 

I have to test myself but interested to know what people use (outside naim own speaker cable) 

thanks in advance 

I use SuperLumina. 

Too expensive for me. 

Any other good options a bit cheaper?

Good we all 

I use QED XT40 on my UQ2 not glamorous but does a fine job.