ATOM vs NOVA vs DAC+AMP

Sounds like it’s a run in issue. I’d leave it always on. Particularly if you are not using it a lot, as it will be having to warm up every time you use it and you’ll never get to optimum performance.

Thanks, I’ll do just that and see what happens...

When I was doing my review/overview I set the Atom up and ran it at very low volume for a week until I really started listening to it..  You could hear the difference over time.  Not dramatic but it sweetened up.

In my testing after that, I found very little difference from power on.  I alway kept it plugged in to power but not playing.  I had been running it as a second system with a pair of Neat Acoustics iota Alpha speakers.  Makes a really NEAT system.  

I am going to be moving on and put my budget into my main system.

Well I have spent the last couple of weeks throughly evaluating the Atom and ancillaries and for my particular set up I have made the following conclusions:

• Speaker placement is more critical than I have encountered before. I eventually found a great position, but it requires moving the speakers each time  I listen, but that’s OK. (B&W 707S2)
• With the speakers in the wrong place, the system sounds pretty bad, it means it’s not good for background music but it’s great when everything is in listening mode.
• Qobuz app using chrome cast is worse than UPNP bubble using UPNP which is worse than Audivarna on my Mac which is worse than Bubble using chrome cast on my Nexus 5, so it’s the latter I’ve settled with. 
• Main issue with UPNP is less bass and harsh top end
• The sound quality still varies, but, when everything is in listening mode it’s degrees of good rather than ever being unlistenable.
• Even when running in ‘as good as it gets mode’, whilst it is very good, I’ve a sneaky feeling an upgrade won’t be too far away.
• Wherever I go from here I’d like a consistently fuller/richer sound without the harshness.
• its likely that tweaking would get a better sound, but having tried a lot of combinations in the last two weeks, I’m not sure where to go. I’ve ended up with:
• Atom connected by Wi-fi, streaming Qubuz Hi-Res using Nexus 5 with Bubble using Chromecast. Speakers are 170cm apart, listening position a little less - it means the speakers are in the middle of the room and strangely close to the listener. I may still have to play with the position.

Anyway, enough babbling, still work to do to get the best, which I want to do before deciding whether to upgrade.

So, what would you do next to try and improve things?

I would look at changing the speakers. The Atom may be the entry-level Naim unit but it shouldn’t need you to move your speakers into the middle of the room to work properly.

best

David

Christmas is a dangerous time, too much time available and general sense of goodwill and happiness permeates your mood. I took the opportunity to listen to a Nova and it isn’t really that much better than the Atom... said no one. Ever.

Spent an enjoyable morning comparing the two but the difference is night and day and so quickly moved on to roadmap the future, i.e. buy the Nova now and replace the speakers as soon as. As a hardened B&W fan I tried the 805 D3 but didn’t enjoy listening to them at all and then tried something I hadn’t never heard of before. Marten Duke 2.

These speakers are absolutely mesmerising. At first I wasn’t sure I was going to like them, probably as they are so different to the B&W signature sound. But after an hour I was hooked. The soundstage is immense and they are beautifully balanced, warm, rich and detailed. Maybe the bass could have been a bit tighter, but overall these were brilliant and a great match for the Nova and no doubt, for whatever might come after that.

As for the Nova, spent 8 hours last night (home alone) and it is a joy out of the box let alone what is to come. I ended up explaining the difference to the dealer (for me) thta at lower volumes, the Atom didn’t generate enough bass so sounded a bit thin and was not pleasant as a background source. As you ramp up the volume the bass comes and there is a sweet spot where all frequencies are connected. As you go beyond that spot, the top end races away presenting a rather harsh sound once again. The Nova’s sweet spot seems to extend from low volume through to too loud to practically listen to.

So be warned, only compare the Atom with the Nova if you are ready to upgrade. Now I need to replenish the Piggy Bank for those Marten’s.

Flachead posted:

Christmas is a dangerous time, too much time available and general sense of goodwill and happiness permeates your mood. I took the opportunity to listen to a Nova and it isn’t really that much better than the Atom... said no one. Ever.

Spent an enjoyable morning comparing the two but the difference is night and day and so quickly moved on to roadmap the future, i.e. buy the Nova now and replace the speakers as soon as. As a hardened B&W fan I tried the 805 D3 but didn’t enjoy listening to them at all and then tried something I hadn’t never heard of before. Marten Duke 2.

These speakers are absolutely mesmerising. At first I wasn’t sure I was going to like them, probably as they are so different to the B&W signature sound. But after an hour I was hooked. The soundstage is immense and they are beautifully balanced, warm, rich and detailed. Maybe the bass could have been a bit tighter, but overall these were brilliant and a great match for the Nova and no doubt, for whatever might come after that.

As for the Nova, spent 8 hours last night (home alone) and it is a joy out of the box let alone what is to come. I ended up explaining the difference to the dealer (for me) thta at lower volumes, the Atom didn’t generate enough bass so sounded a bit thin and was not pleasant as a background source. As you ramp up the volume the bass comes and there is a sweet spot where all frequencies are connected. As you go beyond that spot, the top end races away presenting a rather harsh sound once again. The Nova’s sweet spot seems to extend from low volume through to too loud to practically listen to.

So be warned, only compare the Atom with the Nova if you are ready to upgrade. Now I need to replenish the Piggy Bank for those Marten’s.

Well done. I upgraded to the Nova this year and are absolutely loving it. Enjoy, and it will improve over several months.