Really interested to know if anyone has done a comparison between the Atom HE/Nap 250 vs a Nova. Obviously vast improvement for headphone use but what about a speaker setup?
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For me it’s the hard driving, bouncy bass that I’m loving with the Focal Utopia. They had no weight with the Hugo 2. They sounded full with the Chord Dave/mscaler but now after owning the Naim HE, I think I prefer the fun bouncy presentation over what may have been Dave’s more accurate presentation.
This is still with the stock power cord. I have pointed out it took about a month for fully break and get to the nice open sound I’m now hearing. Running 50 hours straight and then a few hours a day after. I’ve seen what an improvement a headphone cable can make, so maybe down the line I’ll check out the powerline power cord.
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Has anyone tried the Sennheiser IE900 with the HE? If so, how would you describe the sound without EQ? Are you feeding the HE Tidal, Qobuz, or Roon?
As both the HE and IE900 are severely backordered, it may be unlikely that anyone here has both, but I suspect that the resulting sound signature from this combo may be a good fit. I have not heard either, so this based purely on reviews I have read for each.
Delighted to share that Uniti Atom Headphone Edition has been named a CES 2022 Innovations Award Honoree. The CES Innovation Awards program is an annual competition honouring outstanding design and engineering in 27 consumer technology product categories. An elite panel of industry expert judges, including members of the media, designers, engineers and more, reviewed submissions based on innovation, engineering and functionality, aesthetic and design.
More on our fellow UK and European nominees here:
https://www.ces.tech/Innovation-Awards/Paris-Amsterdam-Innovations.aspx
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This came up in another forum but wanted to see if the Naim Uniti Atom HE is a truly balanced design. I was making the assumption it was since it has 2 balanced headphone out options and the preamp has balanced output as well. But as seen in other designs like Chord TT2, this doesn’t mean the design itself is balanced. The other argument is there are no specs released to show the balanced headphone outputs have twice the power of the single ended connections.
A journalist asked the same question. This was Steve Sells’ excellent answer:
"The pre-amp output is pseudo balanced i.e. balanced impedance. Great for long runs (for example, to active loudspeakers) and cancels noise pick up. The headphones are actually single ended. There’s only a stereo amplifier driving them. The advantage of the 4 pin XLR and Pentaconn is not to have a balanced connection but to have a 4 wire connection. This connection allows for a separate ground for Left and Right channel. On a 3 pin headphone socket the ground connection for L&R is shared. This shared connection degrades the sound.
Having a true balanced drive would not affect the headphones themselves. Headphones are just a coil in a magnetic field. It doesn’t matter if one end of the headphone coil goes negative and the other end goes positive or if one end stays at ground and the other end moves 2x as far. There will be no pick up like long runs of interconnect cable.
Having balanced headphone amplifiers (or bridged) could in some circumstances sound worse. Not because of the headphone but because now there’ a more complex amplifier driving the headphone. A balanced amplifier will cancel its low order even harmonic distortions such as 2nd. It will then add the odd ordered harmonics such as 3rd. The cancellation of 2nd psychoacoustically exposes the increased 3rd. The 3rd may sound a bit more forward and fatiguing. Each half of a bridged headphone amp effectively sees half the impedance compared to a single ended amp for the same impedance headphone. This again increases 3rd harmonic. Best to keep the harmonics low order. 2nd harmonic is barely audible."
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Well, I’ve jumped in with both feet. My trusty Naim dealer was installing a 500 level system and he sent me a NAP 250 DR from the trade-in. I’ve ordered a Chord Signature 2RCA to XLR to use with it.
When it arrives, I’ll see if the Atom HE->NAP 250 will satisfy me. If so, it will replace ND555/NAC 552/NAP 300/Chord Music IC’s/Ansuz D2 level IC and Ethernet cables.
I chose the Signature as good enough and not crazy costly like the Musics and D2’s.
The speakers and space I have simply can’t justify the system I have.
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I’ll be interested how this goes, it’s an interesting option, especially compared to the Nova as it would be a better headphone setup and the 250 would give more drive.
If it doesn’t work, I’ll probably go with an SN3/NDX-2 plus the HE.
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I am really curious about your findings! Can’t wait. 
I have a 3-4 week wait for the Chord cable so it’s going to be a while.
Big change!
It’s motivated by age and health reasons along with space. My Harbeth 30.2’s limit what the 500 system can do.
Another reason is my choice of music. I like to joke that my favorite music was either created or performed by people who are now dead. That’s a bit of an exaggeration but not too far from the truth.
I’m also motivated by ease of use. I love the Atom HE and it’s remote. Roon can control everything and I only need one remote. The same with my Gen 2 Mu-So.
If the Atom HE is good enough to front the 250 DR, it will be the perfect system for me.
I can always add an NDX-2 or go back to an SN3/NDX-2. In either case, the Atom HE will remain as my headphone amp.
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My dealer tells me it is. I’m going to have a listen tomorrow again.
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What cable is your dealer using?
I didn’t ask, but last time he mentioned that he can supply a cable.
Try the Atom HE into active speakers. Currently running HE into ATC SCM40A 
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I just bought a NAP 250 DR and a Chord IC to go with it. I also don’t want to give up my Harbeth’s.
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Extremely happy with atom he into ae1 actives, can’t even think what it could do with those.
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