New Atom user here. Like many others I can find little to complain about other than the screen. The issue of not being able to keep song details permanently on the screen is really unbelievable as the info is clearly there, was apparently implemented before release of the product and I can only think that someone on the design team simply dropped the ball and no-one since has, for whatever reason, corrected this omission. Any cheap streamer or DAB radio shows song details so this continuing issue on a product at this price level is (possibly) unique. Secondly, the screen for me is way too bright, particularly any white sections, and should have a dimming option like the rest of the lights. Finally, it takes four clicks to turn the screen on or off. I would really expect a one click option on the remote and app to toggle this conveniently.
The IT side of Naim leaves much to be desired with them relying on the sonic qualities, which is short-sighted in the longer run. I cynically think Naim’s view is that their way is the right way and we need to shut up and put up with it, which will I believe come back to bite them. That being said despite all the hassles I have had with my Star I am mostly happy with it and will be continuing my 40-year history of being a Naim owner.
I think that’s right as the future is clearly pointing towards all in one units with many manufacturers now producing these at various price points. It will be quite annoying if the screen issues are left to be fixed in a future highly priced replacement product.
You talk about the scenario, where the screen is always on, but switches to display full-screen cover-art instead of the detail information screen? Which, I guess, is a matter of taste / use-case.
I guess, this is targeted at people, who anyway know, what they play and/or look it up in the app.
I agree, and option to configure “show details / show cover art” would be an improvement.
Or did I miss your point?
Yes that is the point, as many others have mentioned. There should be a one click toggle both for screen on/off and cover art/song details for both radio and streaming music. It seems crazy that the app shows details but the unit doesn’t (only flashed up for a few seconds which is pointless).
Well, “pointless” is a matter of taste - if you anyway are far away from the unit, have bad eyes, or simply know what is playing, having the cover art on is a viable option. (And you can enable the display of details with remote or from the front of the unit.)
But I agree, depending on source (random, like iRadio or streaming vs. “known”) the one or the other option could be better.
I assume the screen was a fairly expensive component and to only be usable for cover art seems a real waste. I sometimes wonder what the cost saving would have been without the screen and the pleasing but indulgent and entirely unnecessary volume control.
Less 1000€ ( UQ2 it’s the answer)
I guess all this shows how hard it is for a manufacturer to satisfy everyone. I find the screen implementation great and using the proximity sensor to briefly display more data works well for me, but my Atom is next to me on my desk. Given a set of options, I’d set it up exactly as it is now. When streaming locally I don’t need the metadata and streaming from Qobuz, I prefer to use the iPad or phone for more detailed info. I do find radio info from say BBC R3 lacking, but suspect this may be to do with what the BBC and/or vTuner provides. Oh and I just love the volume control. I guess I’m just shallow.
If asked to gripe it would be more with the awkwardness of controlling it with the front panel buttons. Ideally, I would make the display touch sensitive so I didn’t need to use an iPad/phone at all but I know many would see that as a retrograde step.
Roger
Well the radio info is also there as you can see on the app but again cannot be permanently shown on the screen. I suspect it was either a genuine error not implementing song details on the screen in production (it was clearly implemented originally) or there was some technical reason along the lines of some services not providing consistent information or something like that but as virtually every other manufacturer of streamers with a screen provides this detail it is just a bit strange.
Well I seem to remember once listening to Choral Evensong on BBC R3, wondering who the composer was and needing to go online to find out. Couldn’t find it in the app, but things have probably improved or more likely I wasn’t looking in the right place. I’ll try again when I’m reunited with the Atom in a week’s time. Thanks for the tip-off .
Roger
I don’t know exactly what info is supplied for each radio station and programme (I suspect that it’s not entirely under control of the app) but was just making a general point that some form of info on the music playing is always shown on the app for all radio stations I have listened to.
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