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Hi-Fi Corner
1

Hi everyone!

I have a fairly new Atom used with my aging Proac 1SCs. Wondering if I should upgrade my speakers or amp streamer first. Love female jazz and medium sized room. Have been considering Leben 300, Naim Supernait or Prima Luna. Also thinking of open baffle speakers.

Thank you,
Colin

2

First think about budget and where you want to go, for example how many boxes is too many because upgrading the atom includes almost all options.
For example-

  1. Stay all in one and get a nova

  2. Swap your atom for the atom he and then grab a second hand 250

  3. Streamer either nd5xs2 or ndx2 and sn3 (with option of a second hand hicap dr)

After that your getting into full separates territory and that opens up a load more options.

Your choice of speakers affects what electronics you need. For example lots of people enjoy the Proac tab 10’s with a nova.

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3

Additionally with your preferences in music I’d offer the Harbeth p3ESR xd as an option for speakers as the types of music you listen to are the ones they shine with. They aren’t bass heavy but have a lovely midrange particularly female vocals.

Edit: I looked up the non naim amps you mentioned and it looks like the last one is a tube amp? I think you have a lot of demos in your future. I think you need to narrow down what sound you prefer and wether open baffle speakers suit your room. Because with solid state and tube amps being on the table as well as different styles of speakers that gives you an insane number of options.

4

Option 3 brings to mind the current promotion of SN3 & NDX2 that is being offered through all Naim dealers at the moment @Bake10. Your Atom would also be able to go as trade in I’m sure😉

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5

Another option worth considering would be Atom HE with a pair of PMC speakers from their new active range.

As others have said some idea of budget would be helpful in narrowing choices down further.

Roger

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6

Atom seems like a weak point here

7

Those Proacs were good speakers. Depends on budget:

Uniti Nova
NDX2/SN3 on offer at present

and on the newer platform
222/250

8

I certainly didn’t enjoy Tab 10s with a Nova, and nor did others. There was very little bass and it was a sound I couldn’t live with. PMC twenty5.21i work well with a Nova.

The OP’s ProAcs are likely to be too much for an Atom.

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9

I’ve owned a succession of small bookshelf speakers, and all of them seem to be happiest with some serious amplification up them. I’m currently running ProAc Tablette 10 Signatures with a 552DR/300DR, and it’s a very happy combination.

It seems like a paradox - small speakers belong with similar amps - but, to my ears, the extra grip and punch is needed to make the most of the constrained bandwidth, and to let their best qualities shine.

If I needed to switch to an integrated amp, I would be looking at a bigger, more sensitive speaker for long term satisfaction.

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