Hi there,
I am considering to buy Audio Physic Classic 3 speakers (compact/bookshelf) and want to combine it with a Uniti device. I am not sure which one to choose.
The context is:
we do want a compact system, both speakers as well as system
we use Spotify and are trying Tidal now
i do have CDs, but I think after I have ripped them, I do not need a CD player anymore
We listened at the dealer at three speaker setups:
Dynaudio Evoke 10 - bit muffled
Monitor Audio (I think it was the silver 50) - good but not great
Audio Physic Classic 3 - we loved it
We hooked up the audio physic with both atom and star. Star provided more detailed and dynamic sound.
My considerations are:
Atom has all I need function wise
Star sounds better but I do not need the CD ripper
Buying the Nova would be āunbalancedā with the speakers we have tested (thatās the dealers advice).
The dealer is bringing the star with the audio physics to our home for testing in about 2 weeks.
Any comments from more experienced Naim users on the above?
If you loved the sound of the Atom with the Audio Physic then why donāt you go for that. No point spending more money if you have heard something you really like. Atom is a great piece of kit
I have a Star and rarely use the CD player/ripper. Still itās a nice to have even if rarely used, so consider it a bonus, but judge the sound. Since you preferred the sound of the Star, just decide if the difference is worth an additional 2k?
If unsure ask your dealer if you can have the Atom at home as well.
My guess is that your dealer means you should be allocating more of your budget to the speakers with a Nova. If you listen to it, I would be very surprised if you didnāt hear a significant improvement driving them with the Nova, so if the speakers sound good and suit your room, I wouldnāt rule them out.
The Audio Classic speakers you are looking at seem to be priced at Ā£1200ish.
I use a Nova with ATC SCM 7 cĀ£800! The Nova is a great all in one unit. The sound is incredible for the cost. I have a full 500 system as well and the Nova is just as enjoyable to listen to, it doesnāt have the same scale or detail but actual listening wise I love both systems. Of course the 500 system is ābetterā but the Nova is damn good. I think if you can stretch to the Nova just do it. Get some decent cables made up, I use NacA5 on the Nova but you have other choices.
The Nova is a Source, Pre & Power amp. If you allocated Ā£1200 (speaker price) to each of those you get to almost a Nova price. I would think a Nova with the Audio Classic speakers would be well balancedā¦
I have a Nova with Dynaudio Focus 110ās, which were the model before the Evoke 10. The sound certainly isnāt muffled, so I suspect that the Atom probably lacks a little bit of grunt for the Evoke 10ās. Thatās the only reason I didnāt get the Atom myself. I did think about the Star but I already have a CD player and hence the Nova was the obvious choice. Having said all of that, if you like the sound of the Atom with the Audio Physics, I would go for that and save yourself some money, plus the form factor of the Atom is unbeatable.
Did you try the Classic Compacts? A bit more money, but they might make up a bit of the difference between the Atom and Nova (which is a lot more). I drove mine just fine with a 110, though my 160 makes them bigger and deeper. I would imagine an Atom falls somewhere in the middle. Youād be quite happy. Just a thought.
Hi guys, thank you for the advice. Indeed i will ask to bring atom, star and nova for demonstration in my home. We try to judge wether we think the sound improvement is worth the extra money.