Say 'Hello' To Your Little Friend

Naim Audio might not be the fi rst company you think of for enhancing the sound of your TV, but its Atom one-box system gives Ed Selley plenty to applaud

- Ed Selley

ONE OF THE big growth areas in stereo audio over the last few years has been in all-in-one systems. These single chassis units offer a variety of inputs and features, plus onboard amplification to which you simply bolt the speakers of your choice. Naim was an early competitor in the category – its original Uniti arriving nearly a decade ago and eventually becoming an entire range. Tested here is the first of an all-new second generation of Uniti models that intends to build on the strengths of its predecessors. The Atom, as the name implies, is the smallest of three systems, but its specification is hardly diminutive.

As well as onboard streaming with internet radio, Tidal and Spotify integration (through dual-band Wi-fi or Ethernet), you get AirPlay, aptX Bluetooth, Chromecast built-in, three digital inputs – two (24-bit/96kHz) optical, one (24-bit/192kHz) coaxial – and a phono analogue stereo connection. These are supported by a pre-out connection and two USB-A inputs that can read content and, if you wish, serve it to other devices on your network. There's also a 3.5mm headphone socket.

Power comes from a class A/B amplifier rated at 40W-per-channel, adapted from Naim’s entry-level (although at over a grand, the term is relative) integrated amp, the NAIT 5si. Now, 40W doesn’t sound hugely powerful but historically Naim equipment hasn’t struggled with demanding loads and the Atom has been perfectly happy driving a hefty pair of PMC twenty5.24 floor standers during my audition. Note that Naim's speaker terminals require the use of loudspeaker cable with 4mm plugs.

Under the hood, Burr-Brown DACs and a 40-bit SHARC DSP join forces with proprietary Naim software to promise a premium audio performance.

HDMI upgrade