Hi - I’m thinking of setting up a new system after break away from the hobby.
Previously, without a SWMBO to reign in the path to audio perfection I had the luxury of a multi-box system, floor standers, optimised room and placement with acoustic panels etc.
I’m now looking to set up a modest, bedroom set up that should be musically enjoyable, without being too intrusive.
As I’ve previously owned a Naim Dac V1 which I personally thought sounded good I was thinking of a Unitiqute 2 and the HTS7s.
My questions are:
Does this sound like a sensible little system?
I know the ATC’s would benefit from better amplification but would the “Qute” be enough?
Would an Atom be “that much” better than the Qute considering it will be around 2 - 3x the price in the UK?
ATCs do have a reputation for liking an amp with a bit of power, justified in my experience. I’m not saying HTS7s wouldn’t work with a UQ2 as I’ve not tried that combo, but I would be cautious. Neat Iotas were designed with the UQ in mind, can be wall mounted and are generally less demanding on power. The recently introduced Mk II versions are a similar price to the ATCs, but you should be able to pick up a pair of the original version a good deal cheaper. The speakers do sound different, with the ATCs tending more towards the analytical and the Neats a tad warmer.
On the electronics, the extra power of the Atom, might help but I’m going to suggest an alternative. How about a Nait 50? At its present bargain price you could combine it with something like a WiiM or Blusound source for much less than an Atom. I recently replaced my Atom with a N50 and, fronted by a WiiM Pro plus, found the SQ competitive with the Atom into Iotas. I now have a Chord Qutest in the chain and that setup at around the cost of an Atom is a significant step up in SQ.
On the assumption that having the system in the living room is verboten, have you considered a headphone setup, so you can listen without disturbing anyone? The Atom HE would be brilliant here, and you can add active speakers if you fancy them later.
I once used Neat Iotas with a UQ2 in our study, which is the 4th bedroom and only about 2.5 by 2m. Unless it was turned up pretty loud the speakers were completely gutless, so it’s worth bearing in mind. They are lovely when given a bit of welly however.
The UnitiQute 2 is great. The HTS 7s are great. I agree with PeakMan though - I would be cautious about pairing them. The 7s need a 250 to come alive. They are also extremely demanding of the source.
I have gone from Qute2 to Atom to Atom HE/250. I use this with ATCSCM11s in my second system.
Is the Atom worth it? I’d say yes, it is a class above sonically than the Qute . There’s a reason it has won so many awards, and that is before taking into account the ergonomics and Qute screen-fade issues. The Qute isn’t poor by any means, but has limitations.
I agree with others re the ATC option. The bookshelf SCM7 and 11s I auditioned didn’t just like a bit of power but also decent volume to come alive. Possibly not ideal in a bedroom system if the wall mounts are similar.
Maybe search the Forum for nearfield listening speakers etc? Less sensitive/revealing speakers than ATCs might work OK with a Qute too.
One point of clarification: do the speakers need to be wall mountable? Since you mentioned HTS7s, I assumed this was a requirement, hence the Neat suggestion. (Incidentally, I don’t agree with HH or @Farthings-cat about them being gutless, particularly in comparison with ATCs.)
But if you can accommodate small stand-mounts and want a single box of electronics I’d go for a used Atom. That way you’d have the latest streaming platform and good sound. A few years ago, at a show, one room had just an Atom with little Dynaudio Emit 20s and many agreed it was one of the most enjoyable rooms there. You should be able to pick that combo up for under£2k.
BTW Good though the AE1s are, I’d be cautious of active speakers as both channels will need a mains connection which could be tricky in a bedroom.
I did hear the iota’s at a dealership when they were launched. I popped in for something else and the dealer was running them in and they were just sitting on some floor standers being powered through a Musical Fidelity M1. Admittedly, the dealer was giving them some welly but they did sound rather wonderful!
ATC 19A’s would be fantastic but I won’t have the budget or space for these.
I’m looking at a budget of around £2k and the speakers will either need to be wall mounted or sit on two chest of drawers.
The only positive is it is an older house so the internal wall are solid to the point they destroy masonry drills!!
A dealer I spoke to a couple of years ago, following their ATC open day, confirmed that many of his customers happily matched an Atom with ATC SCM7s. No reason to my mind why the wall mounts should be much different.
My parents had some ATC HTS7 with a Uniti Atom and they worked really well together. Prior to purchase I asked Richard Newman from ATC at a show which speaker would be most suitable for the Atom, he said the 7’s would be perfectly fine but the 11’s were actually easier to drive.
They were installed during renovations whch were revised after purchae and my parents couldn’t settle on repositioning so they bought some Neat Iota’s instead. They sold the HTS7’s to one of my best friends who had just acquired a Unitilite, he absolutely loves that system and having heard it many times I agree. I think the Unitilite has more power than the Qute but not by much.
