Ah! This is the kind of thing I want to know. Was not aware of this and that would put it right back into contention for me again. Thanks for the info!
There is some information about the amp here.
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Thanks!
I did read that but I understood under Streaming Platform to be the integrations API not the actual chipset implementations. So if it uses the same chipset tech as my Star I will see a nice bump on headphones.
What does “all-round” mean in this context? The overlapping functionality is the pre-amp and streaming board, and they use the same streaming board. So I’m guessing it’s mostly the pre-amp? I do recall reading that the pre-amp section was also greatly improved. So would I infer correctly from your statements that as a pre-amp it’s Nova → HE → Atom? If so, does the Star still sit below the Nova, or has it now been surpassed by the HE?
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I could see a Core, Atom HE and a 200 NAP offering a very competitive sound and features , mind you I have wanted to see some half width mono amplifiers for some time , maybe to go with the fabled 272 replacement .
Pipe dreams , very pleased with my Nova
Well we’ve more or less been told that there will be no matching power amp! Imagine how popular the 272 would have been if Naim had discontinued the 200 and 250 before it was released.
The HE seems to me like another means to increase Focal’s market penetration rather than a regular Naim product, good though it will no doubt be.
I get it, it’s a streaming headphone amp, which is bang on trend.
The fact that it has balanced and unbalanced pre amp outputs is a bonus, well I like the idea.
As a colleague pointed out to me earlier this morning the new Atom HE could also sit nicely in a desk top system of one box with Focal (or other) active speakers sat either side.
I may have just talked myself into a purchase.
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Exactly that.
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It’s more complex that that. You don’t just get more power as you move up the Uniti range, you get more functionality/connectivity - and in the case of the Nova, the highest-grade components and (due to the extra space on offer) superior isolation. That’s reflected in the pricing of each unit.
The overwhelmingly majority of Uniti users enjoy them as the optimised one-box systems they are first and foremost intended to be.
If you’re in the tiny minority planning to add a power amp - and you’re also keen on headphones - the Atom HE is definitely worth auditioning as both a pre-amp and headphone amp. But it’s not a replacement for anything - it’s its own unique product in the range.
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You’ve been told there are no immediate plans for a matching power amp. Never say never! If there is a huge demand, it’s something we could consider. After all, there were no immediate plans for Uniti Atom Headphone Edition, but we developed it based on global requests for such a product.
I can see the HE being popular for dual purpose home use as many people use both speakers and headphones, so I’d have thought a matching power amp would be very popular.
The most compact system would be Atom HE + active speakers - no need for another box…
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Hi Clare,
thanks for the answer, even if I don’t think it covers my points. Like what’s mean with all-round for example or where the Star fits in.
I’m indeed enjoying my Uniti very much, and bought it specifically as an all-in-one. I am now considering moving to a two box system, i.e. adding a power amp at which point I might as well look at the HE as a pre-amp.
My question though, was specifically about the Star, where that would fit in. I don’t have a Nova. As I think we’ve already established in a previous thread that the Nova doesn’t actually offer more isolation than the Star (although perhaps superior components?) would you say that the Star is also better “all-round”. (meaning as a pre-amp)
The Star offers CD playback and ripping - if you still enjoy/want to rip your CD collection, it’s unique in the range. Also, if you’re using it as a one-box, it’s a clear performance jump up from Atom.
Personally, I haven’t heard Star vs Atom HE purely as a pre-amp, but i’m sure your local Naim dealer would be happy to oblige!
With the footprint, I found it a very attractive proposition.
Sure, for streaming/headphone output in a smaller footprint - there is the Chord 2Go/Hugo2 but that doesn’t provide as much power to drive demanding headphones nor headphone out other than SE 3.5mm/6.3mm. It is also about the same price. I would be quite interested in comparing the two although Chord and Naim have different house sound signatures.
I see the Uniti Headphone Edition as a streamer/DAC/Headphone amp all-in-one in a compact space. With all the common I/O a headphone listener requires i.e. 4.4mm ; 6.3mm, 4-pin XLR. IF it also drives IEM’s well without noise, that’s an added bonus. The 4 ohm output impedance is a bit higher than I like though I’m more interested in how it sounds, rather than the actual numbers.
For driving speakers only, there are probably better solutions than a headphone edition
Unfortunately, the courier didn’t arrive today as anticipated so my first listen has been delayed.
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True, and I’m sure that will be an attractive option for some, but it does narrow down the choices considerably in the all important area of choosing the right speakers for your room and personal tastes.
I don’t see how adding another option in the Uniti range narrows down choices - it just adds an alternative.
It’s a very interesting product for someone who seek, from scratch, an independent solution to enjoy music via headphones but it would have been very nice to see Naim offering a solution to plug a headphone amplifier to the owner of Nova/Star/Atom and enjoy superior DACs of the Nova/Star.
Understood. But as previously noted, this isn’t about adding boxes, it’s about a streamlined solution.
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Yes, it’s easy to try the Atom HE with a power amp, just about any power amp except a Naim power amp! I think it was a mistake not to provide a DIN output, which after all is found on the Nova. Maybe there wasn’t enough room after adding that new-tangled balanced output…
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