Uniti Atom: first use...and first issues as well

Eoink posted:

YMMV is a piece of Internet slang, based on the phrase Your Mileage May Vary. I think that is a sticker that used to come on cars telling the owners they may not get the predicted mileage frpm the car. It's become Internet shorthand for "you may see it differently".

One more dubious acronym to have made its way across the Atlantic. Yet more grease added to the slippery slope. I hold out little hope for the future of our once beautiful language. 

innit....

Ok I'm puzzled here !!!

I received my Atom HDMI back from my dealer. They opened up the unit, check during 2 days to replicate the problem I experienced at home: sound dropout whatever's  the source, including when using the HDMI ARC output to TV.

The dealer's and Focal's representative conclusion is the following: the unit behaves normally, no sound dropout, no warning message appearing on the Atom's display, Nothing just happened when they performed several hours of test.  I insisted that they open the unit to check whether speakers posts or HDMI card were correctly installed in it, which they told me they did and did not notice anything out of the ordinary.

I connected the ATOM back to the speakers and then to the TV (a Samsung UE46F6400 from late 2013) using brand new speaker cables sets for the speakers and Atom ARC output through a standard 1.4 compatible HDMI cable.

And guess what ? It happened again: yesterday evening, while watching a TV program: the sounds just keep droping out from time to time for at least 3 to 5 minutes and then came back just the same way it drops.

I did not make any further investigations to see what'd happen while listening to a musical program but will do tonight.

Even more weird: the Unit seems to respond just fine with the TV while using the TV remote to increase/decrease the volume of the Atom, using the Samsung Anynet+ protocol (using the HDMI CEC input of the tv) and the TV can see the Uniti Atom (it even displays "Naim uniti" whenever you use the tv's remote to + or - the volume)

However, I keep experiencing sound dropout, which happens twice while watching a movie yesterday.

Really don't know what to do now: my dealer keeps telling me that everything is perfectly working when he performed the tests and at first place i did think that my cables were to blame. Now I changed those and I'm still experiencing the same issue.

I know it would be a pain but do you or a friend have another tv with hdmi Arc that you could test. I use optical from my virgin box to my Nova, works fine, I know you need 2 remotes. But it might be worth seeing if you get a drop out on optical?

Hi Gazza,

I'll test the optical output tonight to see whether that will change Something

Bouba, does iit only happen when the HDMI is connected?

Hey Richard,

Initially no, It happened whatever source was used.

However, in the meantime I changed my speaker cables for some TQ Ultra blue, and did not have a chance yet to play only music. But since then, I've been using the unit when watching tv programs or a movie, and that's when it occurs since then.

Best of luck I know it can be very frustrating. But if that works it’s a temporary fix, leaving the problem still being the TV hdmi output or the Atom hdmi. Perhaps one of the more knowledgeable members can advise if any TV menu settings for audio need to be changed?

I know the tv setting that needs to be change are within the sound sub-menu section (1 audio setting shall be set on PCM to allow the sound coming through the Atom)

Other than that, there is Nothing special to be changed though, the TV is supposed to handle the rest on its own, which it does seem to do, since the Uniti Atom is even listed among the audio peripherials connected to the TV.

OK, let’s see how you get on with optical, best of luck.

Hi All -- This is my first post here so please be gentle with me... 

With regards to the speaker cable issue discussed above, I have my Atom hooked up with Chord Clearway cable (around 3m per channel) and have had absolutely no heat problems.   I am also using standard banana plugs and the speaker terminals on the back of the unit are rock solid. 

And how does sound with chord cables? I have nait5si with chord Shawline and I'm thinking about dowsizing to the Atom. I hope it sounds at least as good as 5si it would be paired with Proac 148 (easy load) in a living room. 

Well it's the best thing I've ever heard but I'm new to high end audio so take that with a pinch of salt!  Seriously, I fell hook line and sinker for Naim's lifestyle strategy, acquiring a Mu-so  Qb, a Mu-so and a Uniti Atom in the last 12 months.

I have the Atom hooked up (via the Clearways) to a pair of B&W CM6 S2s, which had previously been under-utilised in an AV system.  The first time I heard it (Imagine Dragons, Believer) I couldn't believe how much bass the Atom was able to extract from the speakers.  I'm  sure there are better pairings out there but I want to enjoy it for a while before chasing those improvements.

Thx Gazza and Richard 

on my way back home now 

will post my progress

I have a Samsung TV and I get HDMI audio dropout to my Yamaha YSP-2200 - it's a known fault of the TV - not the device it's connected to.

The plot thickens!!!

I’ve just connected our Samsung TV to an Atom with a cheap HDMI cable and it works fine, so they’re not all faulty. 

Gents,

I struggle with audio dropout as well on my beautiful atom when used together with my Samsung 65 q7f. This occurs usually if has been on for along time( 3-6 hours of continuous tv watching). After restart it’s all good again. My focal 926 makes a “burping” sound first on the right channel and then on the left and then complete silence. I’m not using Naim cables and have always suspected this to be a software related challenge with the hdmi. 

This is not a challenge when listening to music. 

This really is of little use to the OP (apologies!) but I have a Nova which is connected via hdmi arc to a Sony Bravia tv and it has (and does) work flawlessly.

As this thread is quite old now, I gave it a quick skim, and the overall impression I am gaining is that the problem lies with the lower end electronics in the Samsung rather than the high end stuff in your Atom, not to mention your cables. And as it happens with all tv audio outs you have tried, the blame perhaps centres on the audio board of the tv.

Any electronics buffs on here able to put any meat on this (half baked) theory of mine?

Oh, and a late Merry Christmas to all. And an early happy New Year!

I had my Nova HDMI ARC to Samsung TV it went kaput ended up with an exchange, since it has worked albeit I am nervous and rarely use it now.

Bouba

For what it's worth my dealer refused to sell me an HDMI cable for the audio connection from the TV to my new Nova - because he sees this connection method cause many problems. 

I followed his strong recommendation to use the optical connection for TV sound and no problems encountered. 

Olly

I also use the optical no problems, but my tv does not have hdmi Arc.

Olly, did your dealer give any information on these problems?

Are there "known issues"?

No and I didn't ask, but his comments were not about Naim specifically and my impression was his view is the HDMI Audio return channel is generally flaky. 

Olly

Update had another HDMI meltdown will inform Naim purely for the record and plan to remove HDMI lead and just accept it will not work as sold/advertised.