Hi.
Has anyone got an opinion on which would be the better choice for low volume listening. I’m thinking of using Neat Iotoas with maybe the Uniti Atom but have doubts over them close together / compact space restrictions + can’t really turn up the volume much what would be best? Thanks,
Best Gus
My choice would be the mu-so given your space and volume restrictions.
interesting, I currently have the first edition Muso, I appreciate u commenting,
If you will have the iotas a metre or more apart then you would get better stereo imaging but within its parameters, and considering the cost implications, I’d pick the mu-so.
To compare, I have a unitiqute plus nap100 and pair of totem dreamcatchers, on a sideboard, speakers 1m apart. Its a great system but the mu-so would have been a smarter choice.
Hi Thanks for sharing, I think the Muso is the more fit for purpose decision. The design of the Atom is awesome however. Best 
What are your space constraints? I have Atom/Iotas in the small bedroom I use as an office. The speakers are wall-mounted and only about 1.2m apart. This gives me a surprisingly good stereo spread when sitting at my desk. Sound-wise it’s a significant step up on a Muso, but so it should be at more than twice the price
My concern would be listening at low volume. I have found the Iotas need a bit of volume to really come alive, but IME this applies to most speakers. At least the Muso has a loudness setting which might help so could be the better option if low volume listening is critical.
Roger
@PeakMan what I have heard is the new Muso v2 is a lot better to listen to at lower volumes , very thin walls with neighbours to think about. I appreciate the Atom + Iotas is double the price so it should be a superior and different league. I think the space constraints say Muso, but the fun colour choices of Neat + design of Atom = combination difficult to ignore. …Best
I have a Mu-so Qb v1, and it’s so amazing I just bought an Atom and a pair of Focal Chora 816 towers. I’m in a condo but am buying a house soon. But to your question, for one thing I’ll know soon if my Focal 816s and the Atom are too much. (well the Atom is ordered and he said it may be a while with covid) And for the other, the only negative with either Mu-so (or Qb) is lack of stereo separation. But it’s really not missed because they (at least my Qb) seems to throw sound all over the room. I read a review that stated the Qb may have more bass than the Mu-so. I don’t know, haven’t heard a Mu-so. But the Qb has almost too much bass. It is insane. So…aside from stereo separation, the Qb even would work for you. Or the Mu-so, which I confess I do wish I bought just…because it’s bigger. lol. But I wasn’t sure how much I’d like the system. And I do. But the Atom is only 40 watts, and the 816s are efficient, so I hope I it isn’t too much for me. I’ll let you know if you aren’t buying immediately.
Yes the Atom/Iotas were a treat to myself in our first lockdown. I make a practice of auditioning, usually at home, before buying hifi, but we were not allowed out of the house, so it wasn’t possible and I bought untested. That’s why I went for a well-reviewed combination, though I admit looks were a factor as it sits on my desk. Anyway, the little system has given me a good deal of pleasure and is great value, in my estimation.
Roger
I must admit to be leaning towards the Atom Iotoa combination, looking at second hand prices its perhaps a better value proposition, however. I would appreciate some advice on the minimum speaker cable length. Reading the forum I’ve seen over 3. 5 metres as the minimum, I can move the system in time, but is 1 metre really a no no?
Thank you for any thoughts.
I have both an Atom and a Qb2 -
The Atom undoubtedly has the better sound quality, is a very elegant design, and excellent value. It responds to a Powerline upgrade, and it actually sounds best as an integrated amp with a good external source (which is how I am using it today in my main system, as I am waiting for a new incoming Naim pre/power to arrive).
It is good too as an all-in-one streaming solution - but Naim couldn’t make it too good as that would cannibalise sales from higher up the range 
The Qb2 has the convenience factor, and improves a lot with higher-resolution (FLAC and even Hi-Res level) streams - going from being tiring to listen to (background) to being listenable all day with the better quality stream… e.g. RP FLAC.
There are other threads about speaker wire length - the 3.5 metre guidance with Naim-specific cables doesn’t apply to the later amplifiers, including Uniti. I use TQ Diamond Blue (2 metres) with the Atom as it gives it a slightly deeper sound compared with other cables I have tried.
My Atom/Iotas are installed in my small office. The Atom appealed in part because it was an attractive box to have next to me on the desk and the Iotas appealed because whatever speakers I bought had to be wall-mountable and were recommended with the Atom. However, in spite of going against my usual practice of auditioning before buying, I am very pleased with the combination. Bob Surgeoner, head and founder of Neat reckons the Iota is his proudest design achievement and it is astonishing what comes out of those tiny boxes. Having said that, if I was not confined to wall mounting, I would probably have gone for Iota Alphas, but I doubt you’ll be disappointed with standard Iotas.
On the question of cables I only compared Sarsen with NACA5 (which I already had spare). I did not find the Chord cable lacking in comparison which was enough for me, given its practical advantages. Also the speakers were running in at the time, so that may have influenced the comparison. On cable length mine are 5m. Atom to floor is about 1m, floor to speaker about 1.5m and distance round the skirting board is 2.5m so I chose 5m for practical reasons and this raises an issue with cable length. Realistically, I don’t see 1m per side as practical. You’ll need to raise the speakers from the floor and that will use up most of your 1m. Also with any realistic stereo separation, you’d need to put the Atom right between the speakers which might not be ideal on SQ grounds and limits your positioning choices. Only you know your budget and room size, but speaker cables which are too short can be very frustrating if you ever want to experiment with moving things around. I think these considerations may be more important than the effect of cable length on the amplifier.
Roger
@T-elmi . @PeakMan. much appreciate hearing that, very grateful for your advice, and I will keep the thread posted, best thanks again
If you need low volumes because of neighbours, and are space constrained, why not go for a headphone setup of some form? No space issues, excellent stereo imaging, and no volume issues either…
A headphone setup is not really a practical way to go because of where the chair/listening area seating is. My listening position is opposite the hi fi placement, so if I had headphones plugged in I would be attached to them with the wires under my feet sort of thing.
you can put a headphone amp pretty much anywhere… can have a simple connection to the sources, or stream direct to it…
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