Atom review

Ravenswood10 posted:

mmm - mine looks very real. Perhaps I'm living in a parallel universe?  Granted, some settings can look awful but dark room and calibrated it's sublime.

If that's how the real world appears to you I'm jealous!!

Timmo, when I said easy on the eye, I think you captured it much better. The current technology just seems to be less real, not as my perhaps old eyes see the world. Interesting my kids have never even mentioned replacing our current plasmas?

Each to their own I guess, just like hifi.

And back on topic......

If you wish to discuss the relative merits of OLED and Plasma then by all means please do so in the Home Theatre room. Thanks.

Oh terribly sorry - we know our place.

All this WHF bashing is uncalled for IMHO. They do a pretty good job of describing a product, albeit quite succinctly, in a way that cuts through the b***$*** and gives an honest opinion collated from a group of reviewers in a controlled environment.  Not some one man band talking about his wife dropping her knickers when the new pre amp powers up and does its business etc...

They don't only review traditional stereo gear BTW. I've found their reviews of portable Bluetooth speakers, headphones, av amplifiers and televisions extremely informative.

As for hifi electronics and speakers, for the equipment I've used and listened to , I've found their reviews to be pretty accurate. Naim gear is usually reviewed quite favourably but then we all know it's simply because it sounds good, and so do they. 

exactly right - now compare the what hi-fi review of the CD555 with the review that stereophile did - I was not impressed with Stereophile, they simply didn't get it (what the CD555 does), and did not use the CD555 as is supposed to be. The CD555 ships with a hi-line, and they used a Tara labs cable to review it. Anyway - the CD555 really should be used as part of a Naim system with Naim cables, and then it is easy to hear why it's so special.

Similar to Chord Dave, the WHF review nails it, but the stereophile one just doesn't get it.

I am not familiar with the Dave review in Stereophile, but I agree on  their review of the 555 by Mikey Fremer, published many years ago.  Stereophile has a rigid policy that requires reviewing individual components in isolation, in the context of the reviewer's current system.  This works against the Naim system approach.  Ironically, in other contexts Fremer has praised Naim values, and regularly discusses PRAT in his reviews (unlike most Stereophile reviewers).

manicm posted:

So that preamp output on the Atom can be used for a subwoofer? 

Of course ... if you have a self powered sub then you would simply take a low level feed from the preamp out RCAs to the sub and it will track volume with the internal amp ...

I currently have a Qute set up with a pair of B&W DM302's and an M&K VX-7 sub in exactly this way and it's great fun to listen to.

Cheers

Phil

Phil Harris posted:

manicm posted:

So that preamp output on the Atom can be used for a subwoofer? 

Of course ... if you have a self powered sub then you would simply take a low level feed from the preamp out RCAs to the sub and it will track volume with the internal amp ...

I currently have a Qute set up with a pair of B&W DM302's and an M&K VX-7 sub in exactly this way and it's great fun to listen to.

Cheers

Phil

Phil,

In the uq2 you could in conjunction with a Nap100 Bi-Amp can you still do this with the Atom?

Thanks.

ssmith posted:

Phil,

In the uq2 you could in conjunction with a Nap100 Bi-Amp can you still do this with the Atom?

Thanks.

If you want to then yes, you can bi-amp, however be aware that there is no way to adjust the relative gain of the preamp output to account for different gain external and internal amplifiers so this isn't really something that we would recommend (we - Naim - don't really recommend bi-amping anyway) nor would it really be something that you would expect to do with a product like an Atom (or with a Qute) but if you really want to do it then you can do it...

Phil

Phil Harris posted:

ssmith posted:

Phil,

In the uq2 you could in conjunction with a Nap100 Bi-Amp can you still do this with the Atom?

Thanks.

If you want to then yes, you can bi-amp, however be aware that there is no way to adjust the relative gain of the preamp output to account for different gain external and internal amplifiers so this isn't really something that we would recommend (we - Naim - don't really recommend bi-amping anyway) nor would it really be something that you would expect to do with a product like an Atom (or with a Qute) but if you really want to do it then you can do it...

Phil

Thanks Phil,

Just curious really. Definitely feels like the Atom has more power than a UQ2 and Nap 100 which I was surprised by.

Definitely feels like the Atom has more power than a UQ2 and Nap 100 which I was surprised by.

 

That's very good to hear ssmith.

I've sold my Qute/NAP100 to upgrade to the Atom after hearing it at the  Indulgence Show last year, but without being able to compare it side by side, and with the same speakers, I took a chance and ordered the Atom anyway. Sounds like I've made the right decision.

Should have my Atom this Saturday.

Can the Atom only be upgraded with the Nap 100 not any bigger newer amps. Sadly none follow the Uniti new design which is a shame - guess should have gone Core.

Obsydian posted:

Can the Atom only be upgraded with the Nap 100 not any bigger newer amps. Sadly none follow the Uniti new design which is a shame - guess should have gone Core.

You are not limited to the Nap100 you can use 200,250 etc as well. 

If you go up the NAP range new, you'd be looking at interesting comparisons, an Atom/200 is priced well over the Star and not far short of a Nova, and the 250'd take  you to well over the Nova's price point. I'd certainly be looking at A/BIng the Nova if I looked at a 200/250DR.

Picked up my Atom today, popped home for lunch for set up and a quick listen. After standing looking at it to connect to wi fi and then do an update, I stood there thinking "so I've waited 10 months for this have I" to say I wasn't impressed was an understatement. I gave up in the end due to time restrictions and left it to sort it's self out. Initial impressions: Packaging an improvement, but outer box torn 8/10, Setting up 2/10, Build quality 10/10, Remote (why oh why did someone think gloss plastic was a good idea) 4/10, Looks (why put yellowish lights on volume knob when all the others are white?) 8/10. So far I'd rate my very short ownership experience 7/10. Having no instructions other than a very quick start guide adds to the frustration. Will update re sound after a short burn in period.

Kermit posted:

 Looks (why put yellowish lights on volume knob when all the others are white?)

Exactly what I said in another thread. The thing looks so stylish and well designed that I really can't understand why the top lights are a sickly yellow. Why not keep them the same colour like on the muso? It looks so off that I thought the demo model I spent time with was faulty.

Not had the yellow light on the volume knob on the units I had so far. At least not the back light of the knob if that's the part you mean. They all are the same as the mu-so . The volume indicator segments are a different shade to the back light, but not what I'd call yellow (wish). More an off white maybe. I guess it's debatable as to exactly what colour it is.

Cheers

Ricky.

It's similar to the old green Naim logo against the green in the display, both green, yes, but two different shades. The white and yellow just let down an otherwise nice looking unit, particularly in dimmed light.

Ricky Dasler posted:

Not had the yellow light on the volume knob on the units I had so far. At least not the back light of the knob if that's the part you mean. They all are the same as the mu-so . The volume indicator segments are a different shade to the back light, but not what I'd call yellow (wish). More an off white maybe. I guess it's debatable as to exactly what colour it is.

Cheers

Ricky.

 

Yeah, the volume segment lights are what I'm referring to. Off white, beige, yellow, magnolia...they should of just made them the same colour as the muso!

Eoink posted:

If you go up the NAP range new, you'd be looking at interesting comparisons, an Atom/200 is priced well over the Star and not far short of a Nova, and the 250'd take  you to well over the Nova's price point. I'd certainly be looking at A/BIng the Nova if I looked at a 200/250DR.

Thanks guys

Kermit posted:

Picked up my Atom today, popped home for lunch for set up and a quick listen. After standing looking at it to connect to wi fi and then do an update, I stood there thinking "so I've waited 10 months for this have I" to say I wasn't impressed was an understatement. I gave up in the end due to time restrictions and left it to sort it's self out. Initial impressions: Packaging an improvement, but outer box torn 8/10, Setting up 2/10, Build quality 10/10, Remote (why oh why did someone think gloss plastic was a good idea) 4/10, Looks (why put yellowish lights on volume knob when all the others are white?) 8/10. So far I'd rate my very short ownership experience 7/10. Having no instructions other than a very quick start guide adds to the frustration. Will update re sound after a short burn in period.

Did it eventually make music?

Just heard that my Atom will be shipped by the end of this month 

Probably, here in the Netherlands, the demand is much higher than the suply ...

Yes, it did, and is sounding fairly good. Waiting to get a few days listening before posting impressions. As has been said elsewhere, from some angles it looks small (i.e. Side on) and from others it looks a substantial size. One thing for sure, the build quality is extremely high. Just hate that Remote that gets covered in fingerprints, and being gloss black plastic, you don't want to keep wiping it as you know it is going to covered in micro scratches.