Upgrade from the uniti atom

Hi everyone,
I have the uniti atom and would like to upgrade, really would like to see a significant improvement in sound quality overall, better separation, wider and deeper sound stage and a more 3 dimensional presentation. More natural tone. I was thinking of the nova or maybe the supernait and a separate streamer / dac, I know budget is a factor so used is definitely an option. Thanks everyone for your feedback.
Gerald

Many of the things you seek come from the speakers. What are they? Maybe you could add a picture of the setup in your room.

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Hi hungryhalibut,
I have a pair of dynaudio Sp 40, 86 db at 6 ohms in a 10 by 16 foot room

Waiting ā€¦

If you donā€™t give us a budget we are just going to suggest every possible permeation up to the 500 series :joy:.

So first serious suggestion nd5xs2 and a second hand ndac with either

  1. an sn3
  2. or second hand 282/hcdr/250dr

these options involve discontinued products which is part of why I mentioned second hand.

If you only buy new
3. would be nd5xs2 with a chord qutest dac or ndx2 without a separate dac with a sn3

Moving away from old classic is
4. 222/nc250 with optional 300 power supply

Iā€™ve had the atom then the nd5xs2 on its own with the sn3 and now have nd5xs2/ndac/282/hcdr/250dr
each upgrade i have done has been a major step up in music range and soundstage. I also changed my speakers. At this point I believe I now understand the type of sound I enjoy most.

Budget is not huge ā€¦a used supernait with a ND5 XS2 maybe . Adding a poweramp possibly. Nap 200?

The NAP 200 probably would not give you much more than the SN3 alone.

NDX2/SN3 with suitable system supports etc is a nice 2 box front end. Part of the decision will be based around future intentions. Old or new Classic separates as opens up future upgrades such as power supplies etc.

Bruce

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As I mentioned I had the nd5xs2 with sn3 the nd5xs2 is great on itā€™s own you can always look for a separate dac later. Both are popular items so should be relatively easy to find second hand also some more general hifi shops sell open box gear cheap.

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Great suggestions. Lots of options there for sure.

Dynaudio Special 40ā€™s need more power than your Atom can supply. However, they work very well with the Nova. They were paired together for a couple of reviews and I have heard them together and they are excellent. Now that 222/250 is out a lot of Nova owners have upgraded to that ( me included) so you can get a good deal on a s/h Nova now

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Yes. I was thinking selling my atom
Or trading on a nova ā€¦ thereā€™s a few for sale here in canada but prices are still fairly high.

Iā€™m not sure if you have a local dealer but maybe you can see if you can demo any of your options that way you could see if it makes the change you want.

Yes. Thatā€™s possible

I also had an Atom for a few years and found it to be a good device with a nice closed sound image with suitable speakers, a good set-up and proper cabling. I listened to the Atom several times at my dealer in comparison with the Nova and found the improvement in sound quality to be too small compared to the additional price. Some good suggestions for an upgarde have already been mentioned above. If you donā€™t want to invest that much, the Nait50 with ND5XS2 is a very good alternative. There is a detailed thread on the Nait 50 here in the forum (Click here). It is an exceptionally good amplifier in relation to the price, although it is a limited edition. There are currently still a few units available at a significantly reduced price from approx. 1700 euros. ND5XS2 and upgrade options, e.g. with NDac and XPS, are also available second hand at an attractive price. I went down this route and now have a great sounding system that I enjoy every day. The Nait50 also seems to harmonise well with the Dynaudio Special 40. There is a video on youtube ā€˜unboxing the Nait 50ā€™ by ā€˜Signalsā€™ in which it is also demonstrated with the Special 40. The disadvantages are: the Nait50 has no remote control (which doesnā€™t bother me) and the number of boxes then increases rapidly. A rack (preferably Fraim lite or full Fraim) and appropriate cabling is then also necessary. If you are prepared to put up with this, you will get a great system, well beyond Atom or Nova.

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Hi Ger,

i come from a Uniti Star and i bought a SN3 & NDX2 this year and for me it was the best purchase.
So, for the beginning you can use your Atom as Streaming client in to a SN3 and after a while you can buy a NDX2 with great integrated DAC. How it is better for your wallet.
Step by step.

Cheers

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Thatā€™s a great option, Iā€™d definitely want a remote though.

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Another great option, I wonder would a ND5 XS2 be good enough, what about the xs3 with the ND5

With the Atom you are quite short on amplification for the SP40 so trying a more powerful amp may be the first thing to do to see if it changes things? But I also wonder if these are the speakers for you? The SP40 may appear a bit too smooth, disciplined and lacking ā€œflareā€ especially with some types of music? But with more power, at higher volume and with classical or e.g. electronic or rock music they can be quite something.
If I were you, I would first take the time and visit dealers if possible to listen to some different speakers and combinations within budget.

I really like the Sp 40, actually was led me to explore a better amplifier and a better digital front end is that I have a Macintosh 12000 intergrated and a bartok dac /streamer, Iā€™m storing it for a friend of mine and of course itā€™s very expensiveā€¦ higher end gear , it really improves on all aspects of sound quality as it should for the price over 40,000 Canadian, actually the atom has stood very well given to cost difference. But of course thereā€™s a huge difference in a 5000 component verus a 40,000 components . Iā€™d like to see how close I can come for a lot less money.

An ND5 XS and an XS 3 would also be an excellent combination.