To me the beauty of the Atom HE is the balance between sound quality, the minimal number of boxes, the superb operation, the volume knob, wide support of streaming services and the headphone amplifier at the price. It’s the total package really rather than just sound quality.
I’m glad we don’t have a hifi rack in our living (family war zone) anymore. If the 272 successor arrives we could consider that, but for now we are very happy with the balance.
I guess it depends if you like the Naim musicality or auralic detail… personally I found auralic a bit tonally cold
I have both the Vega G2 and the Atom HE and have compared them directly (for the comparison powered by a SN3). OK, the transparency and resolution of the Vega DAC is in a different class, however I enjoy them both, and in many ways equally, in different setups, and I find them both very musically rewarding. If I have to live with just one, it would be the VEGA but luckily I don’t have to:)
For some reason I like how the Atom sounds beyond what I remember with the ND5XS2 or NDX2 (slightly different system back then but if anything it was more separates). And I even leave aside the Atom’s flexibility with a good preamp and the more than decent headphone amp which make it even more special in the Naim line up. I believe it would remain so even after whenever a next 272 arrives.
I guess we basically need a Nova HE/372!
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