Atom delayed again

Posted by: ssmith on 26 May 2017

FYI to those waiting for a Atom just noticed that the uniti progress thread has been updated again and says further delays to Uniti range. Looks like the certification is still pending and Atom are due to be shipped now mid May (allegedly.) This seems contrary to what they are telling dealers as mine assured me only this morning it would be available next week. I know a lot are bored with peoples complaints but this just drags on and on. At this rate the technology inside it goes to be second generation.

Posted on: 26 May 2017 by ssmith

Sorry should read shipped mid June.

Posted on: 26 May 2017 by ken c

if its really mid-June, then that is not really that far away, but i am hoping this latest estimate is well based. its a LOT better to be honest about these things than promise an aggressive timescale you cannot meet, for whatever reason.

enjoy

ken

Posted on: 26 May 2017 by rhom

We need a sexier looking all in one streamer range, to hook the addicted Muso customer and keep them away from Linn - and one which is compatible  with sources which our present kit doesn't support. Your thoughts, gentlemen?

Well, I reckon we can rattle off a box that's prettier than the current range fairly quickly - we could even announce it - with considerable fanfare to the hi fi press.

Great! And what about the technology?

Haven't a clue to be honest. All this digital malarky's a bit bit beyond us really - we'll probably get the amp part sorted fairly easily though - we're good at amps.

Okay - well we're under pressure from our new owners - so let's launch it and figure the rest out as soon as we can. After all, we have a loyal customer base - they're bound to think we're fine-tuning 'SQ' for their benefit, rather than buggering about actually getting it to work!

Right - I'll go and Google 'modern digital audio' and see what I can find out....

Posted on: 26 May 2017 by ssmith
ken c posted:

if its really mid-June, then that is not really that far away, but i am hoping this latest estimate is well based. its a LOT better to be honest about these things than promise an aggressive timescale you cannot meet, for whatever reason.

enjoy

ken

Yeah will arrive at some stage, given up wasting energy on it. Some people have booked demos etc so thought they would want to know.  Naims post reads to me it is ready but they can't get it to pass third party certification, whatever that is.

Posted on: 26 May 2017 by ssmith
richardhomer posted:

We need a sexier looking all in one streamer range, to hook the addicted Muso customer and keep them away from Linn - and one which is compatible  with sources which our present kit doesn't support. Your thoughts, gentlemen?

Well, I reckon we can rattle off a box that's prettier than the current range fairly quickly - we could even announce it - with considerable fanfare to the hi fi press.

Great! And what about the technology?

Haven't a clue to be honest. All this digital malarky's a bit bit beyond us really - we'll probably get the amp part sorted fairly easily though - we're good at amps.

Okay - well we're under pressure from our new owners - so let's launch it and figure the rest out as soon as we can. After all, we have a loyal customer base - they're bound to think we're fine-tuning 'SQ' for their benefit, rather than buggering about actually getting it to work!

Right - I'll go and Google 'modern digital audio' and see what I can find out....

You missed the bit about a price rise and blame it on brexit.

Posted on: 26 May 2017 by Simon-in-Suffolk

Hmm. the pound is sinking again because of the 'risk' of a labour government.. I wonder if price rises will next be blamed on Jeremy Corbyn???

Posted on: 26 May 2017 by Simon-in-Suffolk
richardhomer posted:

We need a sexier looking all in one streamer range, to hook the addicted Muso customer and keep them away from Linn - and one which is compatible  with sources which our present kit doesn't support. Your thoughts, gentlemen?

Well, I reckon we can rattle off a box that's prettier than the current range fairly quickly - we could even announce it - with considerable fanfare to the hi fi press.

Great! And what about the technology?

Haven't a clue to be honest. All this digital malarky's a bit bit beyond us really - we'll probably get the amp part sorted fairly easily though - we're good at amps.

Okay - well we're under pressure from our new owners - so let's launch it and figure the rest out as soon as we can. After all, we have a loyal customer base - they're bound to think we're fine-tuning 'SQ' for their benefit, rather than buggering about actually getting it to work!

Right - I'll go and Google 'modern digital audio' and see what I can find out....

Nice fantasy... probably completely off the mark.. actually the new case is part of the new technology and unless I was being lied to I was told face to face there is no pressure on product launching from outside of Naim itself in Salisbury.. and yes the new Unitis  were working and sounding fantastic last December... but I share the frustration on the delay on licensing and cross system software interoperability.

Posted on: 26 May 2017 by ssmith
Simon-in-Suffolk posted:
richardhomer posted:

We need a sexier looking all in one streamer range, to hook the addicted Muso customer and keep them away from Linn - and one which is compatible  with sources which our present kit doesn't support. Your thoughts, gentlemen?

Well, I reckon we can rattle off a box that's prettier than the current range fairly quickly - we could even announce it - with considerable fanfare to the hi fi press.

Great! And what about the technology?

Haven't a clue to be honest. All this digital malarky's a bit bit beyond us really - we'll probably get the amp part sorted fairly easily though - we're good at amps.

Okay - well we're under pressure from our new owners - so let's launch it and figure the rest out as soon as we can. After all, we have a loyal customer base - they're bound to think we're fine-tuning 'SQ' for their benefit, rather than buggering about actually getting it to work!

Right - I'll go and Google 'modern digital audio' and see what I can find out....

Nice fantasy... probably completely off the mark.. actually the new case is part of the new technology and unless I was being lied to I was told face to face there is no pressure on product launching from outside of Naim itself in Salisbury.. and yes the new Unitis  were working and sounding fantastic last December... but I share the frustration on the delay on licensing and cross system software interoperability.

What do you think is the licensing they can't get, in Naim's words:

"to confirm our partners' high standards, are in the process of being approved."

Seems like they are really struggling with something. 

Posted on: 27 May 2017 by David Hendon

I think it's just that Naim can't claim that the Atom supports Chromecast, AirPlay etc unless they have had it tested and certified by a third party lab and have the necessary licences from Google, Apple etc.

I guess the delay was partly meeting 100% of the applicable standards without compromising performance in other respects (SQ, multiroom, preferred UI) and is now getting high enough up the queue for testing and certification services in competition with companies with bigger sales and deeper pockets.

best

David

Posted on: 27 May 2017 by Simon-in-Suffolk
ssmith posted:

What do you think is the licensing they can't get, in Naim's words:

"to confirm our partners' high standards, are in the process of being approved."

Seems like they are really struggling with something. 

i dont disagree .. it might be some sort of test interoperability issue - and those of us in the ICT business know this can be a real challenge.. and in this environment where code changes may have an unfortunate side effect in system SQ performance  is going to take time.... and could ultimately be a limitation /  conflict of mass consumer AV licensing  and premium quality audio replay.

After all was it not the case that some of the Apple licensing and capability was dropped from the NDS that was in the NDX because of such issues?

Posted on: 07 June 2017 by Erich

Could it have been premonitory?

I was idle with my soul
When I heard that you could use me
I followed very closely
My life remained the same
But then you showed me
Where you had been wounded
In every Atom
Broken is the Name

L Cohen