Naim Uniti Atom Review (Streamer & Amp)

[sarumbear]

No need to have the TV on. Just the AVR.

Am I being stupid now? How can you see the album art, see the track list, switch between music services, search on them, etc. that you do not a streamer without a TV on an AVR?

 

[sarumbear]

It's not that good looking, though.....neither the gear nor the little of the room I see.

I thought good looking is a subjective term?

 

[sarumbear]

No need to have the TV on. Just the AVR. Sure I change the album all the time. Isn’t that the fun of it?

I appreciate if you can send me the user manual of your AVR and I expand my knowledge. But meanwhile a quick question: where do you see the album cover?

 

[Chrispy]

I thought good looking is a subjective term?

Apparently. How some look at that box of electronics and think its particularly attractive is beyond me....especially if it costs as much as the Naim does for the litttle performance you get....that just makes it look worse and worse

 

[HarmonicTHD]

Am I being stupid now? How can you see the album art, see the track list, switch between music services, search on them, etc. that you do not a streamer without a TV on an AVR?

Ah that’s your question. I use my iPhones / iPads mainly, PC sometimes. But the UI does not define whether a device is capable of streaming or not, it is just a different UI. You might prefer a remote, I am fine with an iPhone etc. simply a matter of preference.

 

[sarumbear]

Ah that’s your question. I use my iPhones / iPads mainly, PC sometimes. But the UI does not define whether a device is capable of steaming or not, it is just a different UI. You might prefer a remote, I am fine with an iPhone etc. simply a matter of preference.

I’m sorry but why do you need a streamer when your iPhone is the streamer?!

Back to the subject: for many a physical remote is what’s called a remote. The other is an app. What intrigues me is how do you see the album art on the AVR remote app? What make is it?

 

[enricoclaudio]

You have obviously not understood the concept of an all-in-one streamer device. For starters you need a TV in order to use an AVR. Since when listening music requires a TV? And, you need a Room system with a server, which is outside the scope of an all-in-one streamer.

The AVRs I have mentioned don’t need a TV to stream music. Just need either the remote or your phone to run their apps or Roon and all the info, including album artwork, streaming service and sample rate will show up in the AVRs screen and in your phone.

 

[HarmonicTHD]

I’m sorry but why do you need a streamer when your iPhone is the streamer?!

Back to the subject: for many a physical remote is what’s called a remote. The other is an app. What intrigues me is how do you see the album art on the AVR remote app? What make is it?

The iPHone is the “remote” and that’s where you see the album art etc. Yes it uses an app so … the data is not streamed from the phone it solely tells the Denon where on the eg Quobuz, Tidal, Synology server it finds the song data to play.

But we are getting way OT. PM me or start another thread if you are interested

 

[sarumbear]

I think many confuse between the terms streamer and streaming.

A streamer is a device that works by itself playing music tracks locally or stream from music services. Streaming is a function of an audio or AV device which can stream like a streamer does.

 

[sarumbear]

The iPHone is the “remote” and that’s where you see the album art etc. Yes it uses an app so … the data is not streamed from the phone it solely tells the Denon where on the eg Quobuz, Tidal, Synology server it finds the song data to play.

But we are getting way OT. PM me or start another thread if you are interested

What make/model is your AVR?

 

[Ken1951]

You level-matched the amps? And knowledge of the amps under test was removed?
Else?

And It could well be that the speakers are indeed to drive but the Denon is supposed to be able of high current and low impedance drive...
Still... stay and learn... You will soon realize, that the notions of "thin" and compressed are most often in our minds and, eyes...

Peace

Waste your breath, you do.

 

[PeteL]

I’m sorry but why do you need a streamer when your iPhone is the streamer?!

Back to the subject: for many a physical remote is what’s called a remote. The other is an app. What intrigues me is how do you see the album art on the AVR remote app? What make is it?

On most network streamers, the UI and remote control is an IPad or an Iphone but it streams from your home network wirelessly or trough an ethernet connection (my preference) and ultimately from the cloud, or a media server. The Iphone doesn't stream anything.

 

[sarumbear]

All ARCAM AVRs, JBL and AudioControl not only have build in streamer, they are Roon Ready. Same for NAD AVRs, they work with BlueOS app and also are Roon Ready.

I studied the AVRs you mentioned. I can verify that Arcam and NAD have front panel displays that can display album art and has a UI which is similar to what a standalone streamer will have. Thank you for the information. I didn’t know such devices existed.

However, I cannot see how JBL Synthesis nor AudioControl can operate as a standalone streamer. May I ask your guidance to show me how?

 

[sarumbear]

On most network streamers, the UI and remote control is an IPad or an Iphone but it streams from your home network wirelessly or trough an ethernet connection (my preference) and ultimately from the cloud, or a media server. The Iphone doesn't stream anything.

That is why I keep using the adjectives standalone and all-in-one so that we can make functional comparison to this model in review.

 

[AudioSceptic]

The CEOL-N10? I've heard the similar Marantz Melody, which is probably at least one-tenth as good as the Uniti Star by price.

​

It was the CEOL DRA-N5 (2013), about ¼ the price of Naim's bottom-of-the-range streamer-amp. Denon had a great rep here for their mini systems and I already had a UD-M30. In effect I was replacing the CD player function with a streamer and iPod dock. <https://www.whathifi.com/denon/ceol-piccolo/review>

 

[enricoclaudio]

I studied the AVRs you mentioned. I can verify that Arcam and NAD have front panel displays that can display album art and has a UI which is similar to what a standalone streamer will have. Thank you for the information. I didn’t know such devices existed.

However, I cannot see how JBL Synthesis nor AudioControl can operate as a standalone streamer. May I ask your guidance to show me how?

The AudioControls and the JBLs receivers/processors are based in the ARCAM AVRs/Processors architecture. All of them run the same firmware (developed by ARCAM) so the streaming capabilities are the same. AudioControl and JBL AVRs/Porcessors also have the same screen as the ARCAMs and are also Roon Ready. The only processor that is not based in the ARCAMs is the JBL SDP-75 which is based in the Trinnov processors instead.

 

[sarumbear]

The AudioControls and the JBLs receivers/processors are based in the ARCAM AVRs/Processors architecture. All of them run the same firmware (developed by ARCAM) so the streaming capabilities are the same. AudioControl and JBL AVRs/Porcessors also have the same screen as the ARCAMs and are also Roon Ready. The only processor that is not based in the ARCAMs is the JBL SDP-75 which is based in the Trinnov processors instead.

This is what I can find from JBL Synthesis. No model has artwork capable screen.

Electronics

JBL Synthesis surround processor preamplifiers, multichannel amplifiers, and digital equalizers for systems scalable from small to large

www.jblsynthesis.com

So are AudioControl models.

AudioControl Pro

AudioControl Pro

www.audiocontrol.com

What am I doing wrong?

 

[Jimi Floyd]

An all-in-one streamer like this allows you to decorate your living room like in the following photograph. Can you imagine a computer, DAC and amplifier in the place of this unit? If you do, such devices are not for you.

View attachment 214643

Thank you so much!

I guess I don't need one then

 

[DMill]

Apparently. How some look at that box of electronics and think its particularly attractive is beyond me....especially if it costs as much as the Naim does for the litttle performance you get....that just makes it look worse and worse

Your point is fair and see you are keeping it light hearted… it certainly looks better than a mass of interconnects, power cords and an outdated laptop in my living room to me. But only my wife’s opinion matters there. My point is there is an aspect of being a lifestyle device with something like this. UI and UX are studied user preferences very similar to the Harmin curve we often see here on ASR. I doubt Naim did any real testing around this as only giant corporations have the capital to fund this kind of research. I just think it looks nice on the table despite its obvious technical shortcomings.

 

[AudioSceptic]

On most network streamers, the UI and remote control is an IPad or an Iphone but it streams from your home network wirelessly or trough an ethernet connection (my preference) and ultimately from the cloud, or a media server. The Iphone doesn't stream anything.

Actually, if the streamer supports Airplay, you *can* also stream from the iDevice (or a Mac).