Welcome at theForum @AndyKH. I had the Uniti Atom until recently and have now switched to Nait50 with ND5XS2. Since last week I have also integrated an NDac.
The normal Atom (not HE) is a great device - I think the best from Naim in terms of price-performance ratio. With a better power cable and careful positioning it sounds really good, only slightly worse than a Nova and with similar sound characteristics. But it doesn’t have a phono stage. It also routes the signals at the analogue input via the internal Dac and then converts them back into analogue signals. So it doesn’t seem to me to be the best choice for phono applications.
Nait 50+ND5XS2 together cost twice as much as the Atom. In terms of sound quality, they are clearly on a much better level (higher resolution, wider sound stage, better differentiation of instruments, etc.). The sound is faster, clearer and more precise in the mid and high frequencies. In the fundamental and bass range, however, both are slimmer than the Atom. The effect of this depends on the speakers. In my case, the NDac restored the balance. There is a very detailed thread on the Nait50 here in the forum (Click here). Many members there report that the phono stage and the headphone amplifier on the Nait 50 are very good (I haven’t tried either). The combination offers more flexibility. I also quickly got used to the fact that the Nait 50 doesn’t have a remote control and I don’t see this as a major problem. The ND5XS2 is very easy to operate via the Naim app. If it’s financially feasible, it’s the better choice for your requirements.
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