Don’t they have downward firing bass drivers?
That seemed to rule them out for me as my man lair is directly above daughter’s bedroom and she already moans about her dad’s dodgy taste in ‘old’ music.
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The Prisoner
One of my fav shows ever
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Thanks @PeakMan - the Iota Alphas are on my radar, but as I’m really after some desktop speakers for the next 12-18 months before moving to either bookshelf (or perhaps even floor standers) after I’ve completed some renovation work, I’ve ruled them out for the time being.
Mine too. Chose the avatar as it seemed apt during the first lockdown when I stumbled on this forum trying to set up the Muso I’d bought to liven things up at home .
Trouble was that was the gateway drug for another spending splurge on more kit including the Atom (bringing us back on topic).
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The floor standers look really good and slim …
Depends on what you mean with close. It’s a myth that rear ported speakers need to be (much) further away from the wall vs. front ported.
But a port needs to have enough space so airflow isn’t inhibited. As a rule of thumb think the diameter of the port as minimum distance. Anything above that and it won’t make a difference which side the port is.
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The bass driver does indeed fire downwards so I’d be wary in your situation. They also have a rear port and are fussier about position than basic Iotas but when well set up they can sound remarkable.
Roger
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I demoed Evoke 10s about 25cm from rear and side walls and the bass was well controlled. I’m sure it would have been tighter still with a bit more distance of course. However, I agree that much closer than that will probably sound bloated and boomy.
The Aria 906s worked well very close to the wall as they are front ported, and have magnetic grilles to boot.
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Hi, i had demo with NEAT Motive SX3 & was great. I think it is worth to try.
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Nice summary list!
The Iotas do have a rear facing port btw.
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They’re my main speakers, very nice too 
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Thanks @gthack - you’re right that they do, but I can forgive them that given their diminutive size. Really curious to see how they sound. I did read somewhere that they don’t work so well at low volumes - what’s your experience with them?
It’s a bit hard to tell tbh. We use them for the TV and second system on a UQ1. They are a long way from any rear wall re-enforcement. They sound fine, but bass light as you’d expect. When I tried them in my main system they were great, I think they image better than my SX3s, but the bass wasn’t as detailed, if I had to call it out. They did need a bit more through them, but they’re less sensitive than the SX3s, 2dB I think, so hard to listen back to back without some volume adjustment error creeping in. I have to say I would be far from fed up if I had to have them as my main speakers!
They are tiny though. That’s at least a part of their appeal. They suit us as speakers for the TV, without being too obtrusive, and don’t sound half bad (actually very good!) when used to listen to music in their current poorly optimised position.
If forum rules and lockdown restrictions allowed I’d be very happy to see if you wanted a listen to mine. Though Yorkshire tea and Hasbean coffee is the limit of my hospitality X)
Edited to add, I do listen to them late at night, turned down, they’re in a 4.5m x 5m room
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We have some Iotas in the study, with a UQ2. They are on wall brackets, a couple of inches from the wall, and work very well. They do sound better a bit louder, but then so do most speakers. Wall mounting is probably the ideal way, but they do tend to droop a bit, despite being on the recommended brackets.
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I use thre 906’s with my atom in my dining room and it’s an awesome combination (IMO) and I’ve not craved for more bass at all.
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I’ve partnered my Atom with Triangle BRO3s and I’m enjoying the match. Yes, the Triangles do represent considerably less investment in speakers versus source, but I’m good with this for now. The throw a decent sized stage with a lovely top end and a good amount of bass for a 10’x12’ room with 8’ ceiling (basement setup). They are also 8 ohm with a 90 db sensitivity which helps with amplifier peaks. It also helps that the ports are forward facing.
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Thanks @gthack - I’ve got somewhere fairly local that I can audition them, so going to do that. The small size is a definite attraction. Will report back after I’ve head them.
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I use dali mentor menuets with the unitiqute and it is quite good.
I think there is a newer version of the speaker now and u should give it a try if possible.
In my experience power is almost everything in hifi. without adequate power it will sound lifeless. with limited power amps make sure that the speakers are very easy to drive.
I see mention of B&W, Totem and Dynaudio - which speakers are notoriously power hungry imho.
Naim Uniti Atom’s “suggested system” according to naim itself is the focal aria series - probably the 906. also the 905 if u can get it.
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how about the triangle bro3 - 8 ohms/90dB - horn loaded tweeter - and great reviews everywhere!
and super cheap to boot!!!
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No one’s mentioned the Russell K 50 speakers. Stunning with the Atom. Musical with great timing and easy to place. Worth the effort to audition.
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