I know what you’re thinking - another blog another product, but just hear me out with this one… In our current world of streaming, there aren’t many products quite like the Naim Uniti Atom. Here at Audio T Enfield we usually use the streamer to play background music on our shop floor, providing those ‘good vibes’ for you, the customer. It’s convenience is unmatched - we open up, stick the kettle on and press the Atom’s ‘on’ and ‘play’ buttons. Internet Radio begins to play, which we then change to a playlist (because no-one wants to hear adverts after every 3 or 4 songs) and voila, we have our good vibes. Really straightforward and easy right?! Today we’ll be taking a closer look at what makes the Atom super special, and hopefully by the end of this article, you’ll be convinced to invest in this lovely product.

What’s In A Naim?

I’m sure many of you appreciated the pun I just used. Even though it just sprung to mind this second, I’m certainly not the first person to use it. Although it lacks in originality, it’s an attention grabbing sub-title and its meaning holds significant relevance to what you’re about to read. “What’s in a name?” was originally quoted by Shakespeare in his play ‘Romeo and Juliet’. In basic terms, it means that a name itself does not hold much meaning, so one can be called anything else and the qualities the object/person holds don’t change. “How is that even remotely relevant?” I hear you ask. Well I’ll explain.

Julian vereker - the founder of naim audio

While not completely clear, there are a couple of theories as to why Naim is called ‘Naim’. The first being the obvious explanation of it simply being a play on the word ‘name’. Certainly plausible, but maybe a bit superficial. The second theory is that Naim sounds like ‘sweet sounding’ in Hebrew, so definitely a more full-bodied definition with added sentiment. Either way, the reason for its name doesn’t actually matter too much. ‘Naim’ is pretty basic and stands out just enough for consumers to remember, but it’s abundantly apparent that the manufacturer chose a simple name so that the focal point would be on the innovation and quality of it’s electronic products. And that’s perfectly fine, because the brand will always hold its qualities despite its name, bringing this full circle and back to that famous Shakespeare quote. See what I did there? *mic drop*

A Household Naim

Since its founding by Julian Vereker, the brand has gone from strength to strength and is now one of the UK’s leading Hi-Fi manufacturers, with some of it’s most well-known products including the 250 power amp, the CD5si and Nait 1 power amp to name a few.

In the late 60s, Vereker and his friends formed a band and produced/recorded music. However he became increasingly frustrated with the current products available on the market not producing the quality of playback he craved, so he turned his attention from race-car engineering to building and experimenting with amplifiers. Naim was officially founded in 1973, with the Salisbury-based HQ having both demonstrating and manufacturing facilities.

As technology and Hi-Fi itself evolved over the years, their products have accompanied this. Streaming was introduced in 2009 through the very first all-in-one player, the Naim Uniti, which was combined with a CD player and an integrated amplifier. Over time these players expanded, with the SuperUniti, NaimUniti 2, UnitiLite, UnitiQute 2 all released over the course of 3 years (although all have since been discontinued) between 2010 and 2013. The Atom was released in 2017 along with the Uniti Star and Uniti Nova, and in 2014 the Mu-so Gen 1 came into distribution. The difference between an all-in-one player and all-in-one system is that the latter doesn’t need speakers - they are built in along with everything else. But I digress…

Being an all-in-one player, the Naim Uniti Atom requires speakers (which isn’t the end of the world considering its capabilities). As of 2019, the Atom has been upgraded to include HDMI as standard, meaning it can be used as the central hub of your home entertainment system.

In 2021, Naim released the Atom Headphone Edition, which as its name would suggest., was geared more towards headphone enthusiasts. This version of the Uniti Atom doesn’t have a built-in amplifier, but that’s not to say you can’t include an additional amp or connect directly to a pair of active speakers.

Set-up is totally straightforward. Simply plug in your power cable along with your speaker cables and that’s the practical side done. Ensure you download the Naim app on your phone/tablet and follow the instructions on there for wireless configuration.

Spec-tacular!

For the tech-heads out there, here are the Atom’s specs:

Dimensions and weight:
95 mm x 245 mm x 265 mm (H x W x D)
7 kg

Connectivity:
Audio Inputs
2 x Optical TOSLink (up to 24bit/96kHz)
1 x Coaxial RCA (up to 24bit/192kHz, DoP 64Fs)
1 x HDMI ARC
1 x RCA
2 x USB Type A socket (front and rear)

Audio Outputs
1 x Stereo power amplifier
1 x RCA sub/pre output
1 x 3.5mm headphone jack

Streaming:
Chromecast Built-In, Apple Airplay, TIDAL, Spotify® Connect, Bluetooth (AptX HD), Internet Radio™, UPnP™ (hi-res streaming), Roon Ready

You can read a more in-depth article on the specs here.

Say my Naim, Say my Naim…

So if you fancy moving on to streaming, or upgrading your current streaming system, the Naim Uniti Atom should definitely be a product you consider. Whether you’d listen through speakers or headphones, the crisp detail you’ll get from playback is pretty astonishing. And considering it’s so straightforward to set up both practically and on your phone/tablet, you won’t have any trouble listening to your favourite tracks, albums or podcasts. At the reasonable price point of around £2500*, you’ll get a huge amount for your buck! If we haven’t convinced you to purchase, then hopefully we’ve persuaded you to at least take a listen, which you can do so by booking a listening session with us today.

Contact Us to book a FREE demonstration!

Thanks for reading!

Elena & John – Audio T Enfield

If you have any questions about any of the equipment featured in this article, or any other Hi-Fi or home cinema enquiries, be sure to Contact Us.

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