Hi All I am fairly new to all this Hi Fi stuff but decided I wanted some decent sounds to enjoy in my final years. I went and bought some Ovators s400 on sale but required the correct amp etc and went back the next day for a Naim Atom which ticks all my boxes . I am very happy with the sound and there is no issues whatsoever , But someone here mentioned that the Atom isn’t the correct choice for the the Ovators . My question is would I notice a difference between the Atom and the Nova. Ideally I would like the best sounding system possible and am open to any suggestions Thanks In advance
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Nova has more power and can grip the ovators better, but if your budget can go higher there is more to be revealed from the classic range.
Another option following the nova would be to later add a power amp eg nap250.
Thanks Robert_h for the reply I can safely say when you put the Atom on 50 % on the volume the sound is mental and 60 % just makes everyone smile , It really does sound superb. I dont need any more volume but if there was a difference in quality I think it would be worth looking at . I did post a similar Question and ChrisSU more or less explained that it would mean a Nova or getting different units , I am very happy just having the one box
I think a good measure of an amp with speakers is how it sounds at lower volume.
Atom HE & dedicated power amp like the Nap 250 would be an option.
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I agree. Atom HE and a NC 250 would be excellent.
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Thanks Gary It sounds good at 20% but better at 30% volume
If that makes sense
Thanks Ardbeg10y That could certainly be an option
But would it improve the quality I wonder ?
Thanks BrendanD If someone could say yes
It’s a better sound that could work
That’s often the case with Ovators. My Nait 50 sounded stunning at mid volume, but somewhat lightweight/thin at lower volume. With my SBL the Nait 50 sounds superb at any volume. My Ovators sound happier with the 82/SC/250.2 at low volume.
Thanks Gary I think you might be on to something there
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It’s not about power as in volume, it’s about authority control grip ability to eke out detail etc regardless of the volume.
All cars (within reason) can do 70mph on a motorway, as an analogy. But some you hardly notice the effort.
I’m sorry if I raised doubts in your mind when I questioned whether the Atom was up to the Ovators in the other thread. As others have said it’s not about volume, which is very much down to the gain of an amplifier.
When I had Naim SL2 speakers I changed from a 250DR to a 300DR. It wasn’t louder but it made the speakers seem twice as large. The overall control and drive were so much better, the whole thing sounded more authoritative and composed. It was just better to listen to, more relaxed.
If you try driving speakers with an underpowered or otherwise inadequate amplifier it can sound exciting because the amplifier isn’t totally controlling the speakers. But with a better matched amplifier the whole experience is more controlled and much better to listen to long term.
All that said, if you are happy with what you have now, then great. Don’t buy anything else because someone on here says you should. If I were you and if I had the wherewithal I’d borrow a Nova from my dealer and compare it against the Atom. If you hear no improvement then stick with the Atom. If you find it better, I imagine you want to stick with an all in one, but if not an NDX2 and Supernait 2 or 3 would be a really nice pairing that would suit the Ovators well.
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I went from Atom to Nova driving my Audiovector R3. Big difference. Also the Ovators are 4 ohms speakers that isn’t ideal for the Atom. I used 4 ohms speakers my self for the Atom without any issues, but Naim doesn’t recommend it.
Hi gasmarc - you have three active threads, concerning Ovator 400s, so it just might be possible for @Richard.Dane to merge them.
So to try and address the three questions you have asked.
Naca5 is directional as others have indicated.
If you are currently using Atom, just make sure, direction of speaker cable is correct and use quality plugs. If you step up from Uniti series, then certainly source Ovator plugs. I’m not sure these are still available from hq, but just a few uk dealers have stock, it seems.
No less important is correct setup of your Ovator S400s - more than one pair here so some experience.
First try various positions.
Second the Ovators, unless recently re-torqued, will vastly benefit from loosening and resetting the various torque settings - search is your friend here, but ask if you need help. Drive units and including bases.
Third all Ovators are now some ten years old, others years older; a crossover service would be of significant benefit if you wish to get the best from a great set of speakers. (I have a pair about to be updated, after success with another pair).
An update to your profile would be useful, since we don’t know where you reside and much of the posts here will be uk centric!
Finally to the subject. Atom is a great piece of kit - still with a UQ2 here.
However I drive two pairs of S400s in different rooms. One pair with Nova and one, used for more extensive listening with NSC222+NC250. Only the later, allow the S400s, to really show their quality. Indeed some recent posts have highlighted forum peps using NAP300 or even NAP500s to drive S400s. NAP250 (OC or NC) from separate pre/streamer is the base for worthwhile performance.
A few posts earlier, there have been suggestions of adding NAP250 to either an Atom or Nova. It seems none of these peps actually have that configuration in their system.
Caution is needed with adding a NAP to a Uniti unit. There are some who believe it is beneficial, remarkably few actually own such a combo. Those of us with experience, will suggest it isn’t vfm, perhaps even less sound benefit, which after all is the aim!
I have tried Nova + NAP250DR (at the time newish) and it is fair to say, this is not a combination worth considering; ymmv. The amp section becomes redundant and it then simply does not do much more than display the mismatch or more bluntly, show up the streamer weakness - which is simply not there, when used as an all in one system.
Nova (and Atom) were not intended to be a gateway to separates. S400s work best with the latter.
Hope that helps! Enjoy your S400s.
Hi HungryHalibut No worries I have bigger fish to fry atm so these issues are trivial lol . This certainly give me something to think about as the plot thickens , Thanks for the heads up appreciate it
Yes sorry about that Richard
So long as you are not frying halibut! There are few bigger fish.
Hi Sound-hound Oh my days so much new information to consider , Who would have thought I could open such a can of worms lol in a good way . So hopefully next Christmas I can get my Ovators retorqued and the crossovers serviced. This hobby really is mental . Thanks for all the information appreciate it .