The Atom does indeed have the option to alter the loudspeaker balance.
Within the Naim app, there is a cog wheel in the top right corner of the screen (iPhone user here) and when you tap that, there is an “Audio Settings” option.
One of the parameters there is “Loudspeaker Balance”.
Your suggestion to “try at home” is clearly the best option, if available to Sorabji.
Sorry, I thought I’d replied to AlexP. Even stranger, it now reports I did reply to AlexP. I blame my fingers!
Sorry but they where in my demo with dealer and he agreed. It maybe the style of music I listen to is not best suited to them or they need something with more oomph but I did not enjoy them. The Tabs where a significant step up at same price with the TabS even more so. Speaker choice is pretty personal no disrespect was meant to the SX3 I am sure it sounds fine in some systems and rooms.
That’s where it is. Thanks Blythe
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Hi AlexP,
I appreciate your feedback. That all sounds like good advice.
Cheers,
Sorabji
Thanks Roger,
A lot of good advice there, I will certainly take up any option of hearing the gear at home before a decision, though I do wonder how compliant dealers are likely to be in these times with COVID? I live in the Lakes (Cumbria) and it’s some way to the nearest dealer.
Have a great evening,
Sorabji
No problem.
Just a few more thoughts:
- look at what ‘package deals’ certain dealers put together with the Atom - may give you an idea of which speakers work well with the Atom.
- the SX2s are small floor standers. In the long term this may work to your advantage as one way of making a system sound bigger and more room filling at all volume levels is to add a subwoofer or two. Something like a BK could do the trick and they are relatively inexpensive. Larger floor standers can set off room problems that prove difficult to cure but a well integrated sub can give you the advantage of larger speakers but with more setup control and positioning flexibility to deal with those more ‘troublesome’ rooms. You could even run with the sub on/off depending on programme material/time of day etc.
and @Sorabji
Great response, especially the last paragraph. That’s mine and most likely many others situations as well.
Mine is in a 13 x 25 foot living room, and down the right side are a large mirror, a 4 1/2 foot archway, and a 65 inch wall mounted TV. Ridiculous!
It’s impossible to balance the sound naturally, so the Balance control is always to the left.
Because it’s all Naim gear, the soundstage is still very good, and if one speaker was a foot or two forward from the other, I sure it could balance out just fine.
I actually have an empty 15 x 18 foot room upstairs that I could use as a listening room, but the wife and I listen to music while we’re doing things like cooking, or playing Dominos, or entertaining, etc.
So, we listen to a lot more music when it is where we are.
Dave
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Thank you AlexP,
That’s sounds like a really good tip. The information is mounting.
Cheers,
Sorabji
Dear David1111,
Sounds like we have a lot in common, only with us it’s backgammon rather than dominoes 
Thanks for the reassurance and have a lovely evening,
Sorabji
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If I read your question well, you are restricted to place the speakers so they beam out to half of the room across the width of it? I would look for speakers with a wide dispersion characteristic if you want to hear ‘decent’ sound in the whole room. as for SQ, you describe a preference that sounds like mine (I may prefer a little more forwardness and deep bass notes). So -unless you need to place them real close to a wall- here I go again promoting the Dynaudio EMITs (great VFM and loads of detail, but a touch forward-sounding!) but without a subwoofer. Although you would have enough budget left for a good one 
Oh, and they sound great at low levels too.
Hi pbode,
I do appreciate the suggestion of the Dynaudio EMIT, though unfortunately I don’t have the option to bring them away from the wall (maximum 30cm), any more would be blocking a doorway on one chanel. And you’re right about how you’ve pictured the room. That’s why I was thinking about the KEF R3’s, given their Uni-Q driver array, it sounded to me as the listening position wasn’t as critical as with other speakers. But I noticed nobody really mentioned those in their response, only the NEATs. Perhaps there’s something I’m missing about the KEF R3’s?
Cheers,
Sorabji
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I think you are right about the listening position, but I recall from a bunch of reviews that KEF R3’s also need room to breathe at the back. Don’t go for small room speakers, even if they beam out to half of your room, it isn’t small.
Am the owner of the KEF R3 loudspeakers in conjunction with the Atom and dimensions similar to op room (23ft x 13ft ).The Kefs are at one end of the room about 2ft away from the wall and a large window covered with curtains at the rear.As you pointed out the sound does tend to be a little less direct with these type of speaker cones but discovered that although the Atom was coping admirably with them I had the chance of a nap 200 at an excellent price and only five years old .( I too could not stretch to the Nova price!)
Now the difference is not in your face but does seem to fill the room but not lose focus of the relevant instruments that are playing.I certainly do not profess to be as expert as the many of the posters here but thought I would just offer the view from a KEF R3 owner who was quite happy with just the Atom on its own but discovered that a little more in the engine room seems (to me ) a more satisfying result .
I must add I had a very pleasant month demoing various standmount and floorstanders before I plumped for the kefs.
Dear Vertenna,
That’s really good feedback,thank you. It covers a lot of my situation. What I’m a little confused about is whether the slight lack of oomph in the Atom/KEF R3 combo is apparent only when you crank up the volume, or is it also apparent at lower volumes, as most of the time I will be listening at low volume?
Regards,
sorabji
Hi pbode,
Thank you. That answers an important question regarding whether I’m actually dealing with a large or a small room.
Regards,
Sorabji
I think what pbode has intimated is correct in that the kefs do seem to be more comfortable away from the rear walls, ( main reason for my predicament is that my record deck is fixed to the corner of that wall and need access to it ,basically it’s a question of compromise and the kefs suit that position as well).
You did mention if I am correct that You cannot place speakers away from your rear surface so that may be an issue with the kefs.
If possible can you demo the kefs at a dealers and ask to place them close to wall and then away from wall ( the amplification does not necessarily need to be the Atom but at least an amp with a similar power output just to indicate the speakers properties regarding placement to you )
In answer to the low volume result the Atom does this with floorstanders (Accoustic Energy AE 30 if I remember correctly )I demoed and the kefs So it depends what your idea of low volume is compared to mine !!! ,again in a demo you will get a fair indication if the kefs are for you .
Hope this helps
Hi Gavin,
Thanks for the interest. If you use the big plant in the middle of the room for orientation between the 2 pics. In the shot showing the length of the room, you can just see a stool and the corner of a piano on the right. The piano is being replaced by a sofa, which will be the main listening position – and that’s the position from where I’ve taken the second shot. The left speaker will replace the plant, and the right speaker will go where I currently have the dinky speaker sitting on the floor. I can probably get the right speaker about 30cm away from the wall on the right before I start blocking the door, maybe more depending on the amount of toe in that’s acceptable. Left speaker shouldn’t be that much of a problem, with a little toe in there should be plenty of space behind it.
Cheers,
Sorabji
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Either side of the arch, facing the sofa under the window?
I like the room too - but I can see why you’re struggling to place speakers!