I should probably clarify a bit - as “essentially” implies, they are not exactly equal, the 222 is better … but that is really in a careful and dedicated A-B comparison. I had 2 home auditions before I finally bought the 222 and that was not just for the sound quality but my overall setup (and of course Steve Sells and his wonderful helpful contribution here to blame!). When connected through the SN3/SCDR i.e. with a second preamp, they were next to identical and I would challenge anyone to make the difference in a blind test. Directly to a power amp the 222 was better in A-B but they are close, having a very similar character and both just so hugely enjoyable.
… and by the way I would be surprised if I liked the 272 more than the Atom HE (a while since I listened to the 272 so memory is fading) but it seems I do like the Atom HE presentation and may be what people call the “new sound”?