We bring you good news today, headphone fans.
Naim has launched a ‘Headphone Edition’ of its multi-Award-winning Uniti Atom just-add-speakers streaming system. The new just-add-headphones variant essentially gets rid of the power amplifier and speaker output stages and instead goes big on the headphone output. To that end, there are three headphone sockets on the front panel – the standard 6.3mm, plus balanced 4-pin XLR and Pentaconn.
While the standard Uniti Atom has a headphone amplifier feeding a 3.5mm jack, the Uniti Atom Headphone Edition has been “fully re-engineered” to deliver a more advanced headphones listening experience. Using technology trickled down from its flagship Statement amplifier, Naim has developed a new discrete headphone amp which it says is capable of driving even the most premium headphones. Naturally, Naim would point you to Focal's high-end pairs, while the relatively niche balanced connections lend themselves to accommodating further examples of such.
- Read the Naim Uniti Atom Headphones Edition review by one of What Hi-Fi?’s Australian sister publications
The Atom's internals are based around an all-new discrete transistor circuit design, too, with a new transformer design providing power to it.
Like the existing Uniti Atom, but unique in its implementation in a headphone amplifier design, the Uniti Atom Headphone Edition is a fully formed music system, with built-in streaming smarts and connections aplenty. At its core is Naim’s streaming platform, a gateway to streaming services (such as Qobuz, Tidal and Spotify), internet radio and DLNA playback. Support for AirPlay 2, built-in Chromecast and Roon builds on that streaming savviness. Analogue and digital connections, including USB, coaxial, optical, RCA and phono, are also onboard for connecting additional sources.
While the new Atom has been designed with headphones users in mind, it can of course also be used as a streaming preamplifier, either connected to a power amp, or a pair of active speakers.
The Naim Uniti Atom Headphone Edition is available now, priced in line with the standard Uniti Atom at £2399 ($3290, AU$4299). And, while it probably has more niche appeal than the standard Atom, if it's as good for headphones as its sibling is for speakers, we're looking at another desirable member of the Naim Uniti family.
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