Good day. Thank you for admitting me in this forum. I have auditioned the Uniti Atom recently and it was great. Few questions on the atom as follows,
In view of the display quality and life span, could NAIM shed some light on this. I would definitely turn off the display by default when playing tracks from the Uniti Atom. I believe this would be the ONLY way to prolong the life span. The dealer has reverted to me that this display most probably would need a replacement within 7-8 years/depending on usage. Please do advice if this is true?
On HDMI ARC, my new SMART TV Model from Samsung is UA50TU8500KXXM. Appreciate if the latest firmware patch into the ATOM has made this compatible with this model
I hope to hear from all of you before making my decision to invest in this ATOM.
Re. the display, I’m not aware of this - maybe your dealer is confusing with the earlier OLED displays in the previous generations streamers. Unfortunately we seem to all be discovering that while OLEDs have many advantages, they don’t always last as long as other display types. This is why it’s recommended to not have an OLED display on all the time, just when a function is executed. FWIW, personally, all my devices with OLEDs (not just Naim) are still OK (nice and bright), and some are now almost a decade old - then again I have never left them on all the time, but they do get used all the same. The current displays in the new Units are a different type and I think should last longer.
As for HDMI ARC, unless someone has tried this exact model with the current firmware, it would be impossible to say. Such is the way with HDMI ARC…
Hi Logan
I would just add to Richard’s comments that as the Atom has only been around for about 3 years, I don’t think anyone can yet say how long the screen will last. The old Uniti models have had screen failures, but they are completely different screens.
As for HDMI, it seems to be a very loosely defined standard and this has led to widely different implementations from different manufacturers, resulting in compatibility issues especially when used between devices from different brands. It’s great when it works, but an optical connection from TV to Atom is much more reliable.
Thank you very much for the inputs. I guessed as much that the only way to have a work around solution is to be kind to the display and to disable it upon executing a function. This prolongs the components theoretically. Yes, on HDMI ARC, I would explore this in time and if there is an issue would go for an Optical connection as such.
Just a general comment: I have multiple devices with TFT displays (e.g. MacBooks, screens/monitors, …) which have been used daily, e.g. in office or privately. Some for more than a decade.
No problems with aging/defects.
So the technology seems at lest in principal very robust. (But I have „display off enabled as well; it’s sometimes just too bright in dark rooms or when watching movies… and „keeping it cool“ usually helps long-run in prolonging life.)
My opinion is that display technology will improve over time and the beautiful Naim display will look somewhat shabby in time. Must say when I first discovered Naim, I wondered about the green monochrome pixelated screen. Like NAD, I think the screen will eventually be a touch screen and buttons will disappear, giving way to a larger screen and more contents to be shown, which is pretty much the trend with streaming services. That said, CPU will have to go faster lest there will be lag. And all these will happen before the screen dies or fades.
Like most, I turned off the display as soon as Naim made that option available. I would love to turn off all the lights too, including the Naim logo.
Naim did use a colour touchscreen on the HDX, but I can’t imagine it becoming popular. Who wants to crouch in front of their HiFi rack every time they need to control their music? That’s what iPads are for.
Ah, I didn’t know this! Thanks @ChrisSU, mate of mine has a NAD M10 and liking the touch screen. I get it, especially for a near field listening device, not with my Naim. While I don’t like smearing finger prints all over the display (like I already do to the Uniti remote), having a touch screen for buttons can open up more options for UI design and bigger screen, esp if it were to support Spotify / Tidal / Qobuz / Roon interface etc.
May be the Naim logo can be the one button that remains and use that for standby / reboot / reset.
I like! I hate using iPads or phones as remotes. Too many activities: need to pick it up, unlock, open the app, wait for it to connect etc. I much prefer using remote and button on the unit itself. Besides when I pick up the iPad to lower the volume for example I end up checking this forum. iPads and phones are distractions.
So for me such control is important. Also as my Star is in the living room and used by my children, the necessity for iPad or phone interaction is no good. I want them to spend less time on their phones or iPads, not more. In this respect I loved the old Uniti products which could be fully operational by the remote. I think if the Star’s remote was more functional and supplemented by a functional display there would be no need to use phone or iPad 90% of the time for me. Having said that I am user of Room so it’s not that I refuse using ‘devices’ to control my Star it’s just that most of the time it would be not necessary if there would be proper remote and display functionality.
@woj, I imagine years down the track, the remote will sport a large touch screen so it will show cover artwork, support search and provide bio and production details, etc. That’s the phone!
As long as there will be no other distractions on it like FB and advertising I am happy with such developments.
Going back to the main topic. I would not worry about the screen service life. I have a TFT screen in my car for 7 years now. The screen is subject to vibrations, changes to temperature etc and it works well all these years so I do not see any reason for these displays installed in the Uniti range to last many, many years in our rooms. I do not see a reason to switch them off then in trying to prolong their life. I think we will replace our units well before these displays will fade out.
I honestly cannot understand what Naim were thinking when they decided not to let their swanky new Zigbee remotes control the Server, Tidal and Qobuz inputs. What I was questioning, though, was the idea that you’d want a touchscreen.
Realistically, lets face it, you need an iOS device. If you want to keep it simple I would just buy a basic iPad Mini, put the Naim and Roon apps on it, and absolutely nothing else. Then it’s pretty much useless for anything other than as a remote, and won’t distract you.
