NEW! Uniti Atom Headphone Edition – and streaming pre-amp!

That is the combo I would be using when/if I get the HE…

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I got an offer from the dealer to connect the new Atom HE to the NAP 200 DR, does it make sense? which cable is best to connect it ?

You’ll need an RCA Phono to DIN4 interconnect. Naim do a lavender/grey one which should be ideal. Note though that the benefits of the DR pre-amp supply within the NAP200DR can’t be realised when used with the Unitis.

Thank you for your quick reply, but can you explain exactly why such a set will not be fully used? Hope you have patience for the novice :slight_smile:

Only that the Unitis have their own power supplies so don’t need to be powered off the power amp (or a dedicated separate power supply).

I’ve been waiting to see if Naim offers a replacement for the NAC 100 but I’d be interested to know how using the NAC works for you.

Besides what Richard says, the DR in a NAP 200DR only powers a connected preamp. It does nothing for the power amp in the NAP 200DR, unlike any of the more expensive NAPs where the DR powers only circuitry in the NAP rather than a connected preamp.

Best

David

I just got around to testing Qobuz on he Naim app vs with roon. The Naim app sounds noticeably better. There is better soundstage and seems a little more dynamic.

I know on my last streamer I could switch between roon endpoint and Squeezebox end point both controlled by roon and the Squeezebox one sounded like what I’m hearing with the Naim app. I’ve heard others complain about the roon’s endpoint. Doesn’t really make sense to me why they’d sound different.

I just upgraded the Nordost Heimdall Ethernet cable from my Ansuz PowerSwitch to my Atom HE with an Ansuz A2 Ethernet cable.
It made a significant difference.
The Heimdall is a first class cable. Probably only bettered by a ChordMusic or the Ansuz cables.
I compared with both Roon and the Naim APP. I did this to see if going through the a Roon Core would degrade the sound. It would have if I was still using an iMac Core rather than a Roon Nucleus but now I prefer using Roon.
Note that using Roon causes an extra pass through the Ansuz PowerSwitch which lowers the noise floor even more.
Headphones are Focal Utopias w/DanaCable Reference HP cables.

Some say it’s the how vs the why kind of presentation. Naim is more on the why side I feel.

Do you have a source for that information perhaps?

I’m using similar setup except have a roon Intel Nuc rock setup and I’m using wireless. No need to even use an Ethernet cable at all, zero dropouts. I also have Focal Utopia’s with the Danacable Lazuli Reference.

Try listening to the new St Vincent album and see if it doesn’t have bigger soundstage with the Naim app. It opens things up a little more. Also hear just slightly different presentation that I prefer. Or try the new Garbage album and listen to 2nd track and hear the difference. Naim app is much more immersive. Roon gives a more analytical presentation. With the Naim app, I’m surrounded by the guitars.

Remember that the Naim app is simply a dumb controller of your NAS or whatever streaming service. Qobuz, when using the Naim app, feeds directly from the Qobuz server to your Naim box.

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We listen to entirely different music genres. I never listen to electronically generated music.

The last album I listened to was Benny Goodman at Carnegie Hall recorded in 1938. Gene krupa. Lionel Hampton, Harry James, etc.
Light years different than Garbage.
It only goes to prove we seldom compare apples to apples on this forum.

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Interesting is the album does indeed sound better with roon. It’s almost almost too sharp and center focused with Naim app. But this is an old mono recording, so not sure that anything to do with it. But yeah, much better with roon.

And sorry if I offended you with my music choices. I am open to all kinds of music except country. And that Benny Goodman album is really enjoyable.

I just got my basement office 24/96 Unitiqute back from a screen repair (a bit over $400 including shipping there). In the meantime I got a Matrix Audio Mini-i Pro 3 to tide me over, and to satiate some curiosity about the whole new crop of all in one DACS. Like the UQ, I ran it as a preamp into a 110. The sound quality was very good, but different from the Naim. Highly detailed, and after three months, somewhat fatiguing, and maybe TOO engaging, if you know what I mean. I was streaming to it via USB with a microrendu 1.4 and TP LPS. Better than the onboard Roon streaming imo.

Anyway, slotting the UQ back in it was like putting on a worn in pair of slippers after wearing in a new pair of dress shoes(still feeding the 110 > Moon Audio RCA>DIN), and Roon via the Bridge app on the microRendu (being finicky, of course). Just right, and much more relaxing, perfection be damned. The UQ is also like a mini cast iron toaster on the desk, compared to the diminutive but quality profile of the Matrix, but can’t have everything…

The Matrix does a lot of things really well and is great VFM (the 4.4 headphone out is night and day from the UQ1 - I don’t even bother unless I have to), and I got in on the Matrix before they raised the price so won’t lose much in the sale. Anyway, it is the DAC chip choice - I guess I prefer the deeper presentation of name’s choice vs the ESS neutral precision. The Naim is more ‘musical’ to throw about a cliche.

And this from an all in one (well two now, the 110, and with an FMC preceding it) that’s over a decade old (mine bought NOS five plus years ago). I love my opticalRendu>V1>160BD combo so much I really can’t imagine anything else, at least for the price. So I can see how this Atom just might be a beast, and is pretty much the only thing I’d have a look at to replace the oR/V1 combo. Naim do get the sound right in a way. I consider it a very live sound, whether it be a chamber quartet, a jazz combo, or down in front pounding your palm on the stage. Hope to hear or demo one sometime esp the 4.4 with my Amiron’s.

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When I was a Marine stationed in San Diego, I heard Gene Krupa vs Buddy Rich live on stage. Those were the good old days.

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I am sure Leitmotiv will agree with you. Specially if the only tool is the ears . :joy::joy::joy:

For science I just tried the same track on the Naim app as what I was listening to Roon on my Atom HE. Not like I have not done it plenty of times before and come to the same conclusion.

So far, on my Star and my Atom HE, I have been unable to detect a difference between Roon and native streaming via the Naim app. My ears are unable to detect a difference. The do, however, detect quite a difference between the Star’s headphones amp and the Atom HE!

I do not use any DSP in Roon at all and using Netgear Orbi mesh WiFi system with the Roon Core as well as the Naim streamers wired into satellites with decent cabling.

FWIW I use Sennheiser HD660s headphones so cannot comment on the same experiments using Focal Utopias.

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I ended up back with roon since Naim Qobuz is a hassle compared to roon. In the end, not sure if one is better than the other, just subtle changes in soundstage and presentation.