Naim ATOM volume control

[Pauljdh]

Hi, Is the Atoms volume control considered a digital one or is it an analogue pot? If digital is there merit in a a conventional preamp in the system?

Thanks

[Mark84]

If i recall correctly it is a digital one, but alters the volume in the analogue domain. You couldn’t really place a pre-amp in the system anyway as it only has pre outs. This means the output comes from the preamp. There is no way of getting round the Atom’s internal pre amp. However, you can add o power amp.

[Eoink]

Naim Uniti volume digital or analogue?

Hi @mathewf1 All Uniti based products have analogue domain volume controls, but the attenuation value wanted is controlled by a cpu. This gives the best of both worlds that modern services that assume ‘digital volume’ work as intended, while the DAC’s full resolution is used. On ‘Green screen’ Uniti and Qute it uses a LM1972 vol IC which is an old fav at Naim. SuperUniti & NAC272 uses a discrete volume circuit as designed inhouse by Naim. Atom uses the LM1972 but with DSP resolution enhanc…

[ChrisSU]

It’s perhaps worth noting that Naim only use analogue volume controls. Some of them, including all the Uniti range, use digital controls to adjust them, but they are still analogue controls.

(The only exception to this is that the separate streamers have an optional digital control which is really just a convenience feature for use with AirPlay, Roon etc. but for best sound quality Naim would expect you to be disabling this and using a separate preamp.)