I’m a bit torn for several reasons on a home office set up. I originally thought an Atom would be a great fit for the room (10 feet wide and 15 feet deep). Speakers would fire 15 feet deep. Then the Naim Brain took over and started thinking of these NBL’s I have and maybe they would be a fit with a Supernait 3 in there. But I kind of wanted an all in one streamer/amp so started thinking of the Nova. Now i’m back to just thinking of an Atom with a good set of bookshelf speakers but I see the NBL’s looking at me saying give me a shot! I don’t know. Help!
I can’t demo any of these items unfortunately and the NBL’s need their tweeters replaced. If i get an atom or nova, will it talk to the Core I have on the network and on my main system?
I’d not make a whole system decision around those NBL’s especially given their need for some TLC.
Atom or Nova can utilise a Uniti Core no issue, if you went the NAIT route you’d need a digital source so that adds cost/complexity to the mix and more space requirements.
I’d be inclined to keep it simple and not over specify the setup. A sensible speaker pairing with an Atom will provide a lot of enjoyment and in a simple setup without a lot of cost outlay.
Over the next few months there will most likely be a lot of gear traded in to Naim dealers with the new products being released. You may be able to find a used SN 3 with a ND5 XS2 or some other combination. Perhaps even a used Nova if an all in one is where you want to go. A little patience and you may be able to stretch your buying power.
As it turns out, a Nova hit a used site yesterday from a dealer. About brand new at a real reasonable price. I jumped on it and look forward to putting together my office! Next step is some speakers. I do plan to connect the NBL’s to it once I fix them. If those are a fit, I’ll keep them but would like to try out some bookshelf speakers or small floorstanders. Thanks for the replies!
For an office that size I would go for an Atom and a pair of Proac Tab 10’s IMO. Depending on how wedded you are to separate speakers, a Muso Gen 2 also excellent but a lot cheaper. Depends whether you will be doing dedicated listening or background while working. Good luck!
I use Atom and it is a nice device. I compared it to the Nova at the dealer and I didn’t find the difference that big compared to the significant extra price. The choice of speakers is crucial and I’m not sure if repairing the NBL is actually worth it. With Speakers the sound differences are impressive and each manufacturer has their own sound signature and philosophy. I would put the emphasis here and compare exactly (possible with home demo). Many users in the forum use the Proac Tab 10 with good success in smaller rooms. I myself have Vienna Acoustics Haydn, which go well with Naim components. With the Atom, the speakers should not have much below 90db sensitivity and a well behaved impedance response. Then the Atom will drive them in their rather small room with no problems. Also important with the Atom is good accessories, especially a good power cable (the Atom’s standard cable is poor and limits sound quality considerably-I use Vovox Excelus). Also important is a resonance-free setup (rack or absorber platform) and good speaker stands (highly recommended Solid Steel SS6) as well as other good cabling, especially speaker cables. Thus, the Atom will also come to shine, at a fairly reasonable price.
I kept my Nova when I moved my main system to NDX2 and SN3. I bought a pair of Kef LS50s to go with it and use it in my office.
I have a Muso 2 in the kitchen. Muso 2 is great in the kitchen which is a noisy environment, but the quiet of when I’m working is much better served by the Nova/Kefs. I listen to it a surprising amount if I’m not on a video call when WFH.
Thanks again everyone! Should take delivery of the Nova next week! Look forward to experimenting with some speakers along with the NBL’s when I get the tweeter replacements.
