Our favourite amps - The smart ones!
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- čas přidán 16. 06. 2024
- I continue my discussion with Ian White, (Ecoustics Editor and Chief). This time we select our favourite streaming amplifiers between £1,000 and £3,000.
Link to my Patreon
/ abritishaudiophile
Link to Ecoustics website
www.ecoustics.com/
Link to manufacturers' webpages
Naim Audio
www.naimaudio.com/product/uni...
NAD Electronics
nadelectronics.com/m10/
Cambridge Audio
www.cambridgeaudio.com/gbr/en...
Roksan
www.roksan.com/en/product-ran...
Cyrus Audio
www.cyrusaudio.com/cyrus-adop...
Time stamps:
Intro 0:00
Naim Unity Atom 0:47
NAD M10 2:38
Naim streaming app 3:26
Nain Unity Atom Vs NAD M10 6:08
The competitors 10:18
Don't forget the Lyngdorf TDAI-1120. It might not have a flashy touch screen, but it has excellent I/O + streaming and game changing room correction.
Love these videos. Keep up the good work!
Thank you buddy 👍😊👍
This discussion was incredibly interesting & helpful. Many thanks 👍
Thank you LD. Much appreciated 😊👍
I use the Marantz PM7000N and I’m happy with it, great amplifier with connections for cd, tape , phono stage, bleutooth, Apple Airplay 2.
It is sounding great, it does all the things I need.
Greetings Ludo
Thank you Ludo 😊
Always good content, many thanks.
Since I heard an Atom, ive been astonished at quality of sound for the price, and it re invigorated my enjoyment and consumption of music.
As a roon compliant device, its ease of use to browse and discover my own network and qobuz/tidal from an armchair tablet has been revolutionary for myself and my wife, with full on off and volume control right in the playback bar.
Ive long heard about the musical timing of naim amps, and the Atom appears to exhibit it aplenty, so i finally got to live with naim sound after many years of admiring from afar.
Some people imagine there's inevitably a compromise when you merge a streamer and an amp, but living with the Atom for a while now , its hard to see what was compromised and im convinced its an 'audiophile bargain'.
Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences 😊👍
Always looking forward to your videos. Tqvm.
Thank you 😊
Please do more of this, thank you
Thank you. I hope to 👍
Tarun, another great video! Always fun to watch! The Goldnote IS 1000 Deluxe Streaming Amp should be in your list!
Thank you. I appreciate the heads up 😊
BluOS is such a wonderful platform. I use it through out our home. M33 in the living room, T778 in the den, M10 in the bed room, Node in the kitchen and Power node on the patio. Everything is controlled through our phones.
Indeed. Thank you for sharing 😊
I recently traded in my Hegel H90 and Cambridge CXNII for the Naim Uniti Atom. Just wish I had started there to begin with. The Cambridge app is also pretty decent but not near as nice as the Naim's. The Hegel's claim as being a streamer is pretty poor with no app use. But you guys are correct. The sound of the Naim is beautiful but so is the piece itself. Even being older than some of the others, its looks are a big plus. The designers nailed it on just about everything but the speaker terminals. The only real reason I did not audition the NAD M10 is because I'm one of the few out there that hates touch screens, at least for volume. Another good review. Thanks
Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences 😊
I connected a Bluesound node to my Hegel h120 (digital connection). Apart from the Spotify connect function, every other streaming function is done by the Node. Satisfied with that, but would be nice to find BluOs within the Hegel in the future!
Thank you Robin 😊
Cyrus with BluOs will be an interesting contender. It hasn't got the screen like the NAD or Naim, but they are sweet sounding and robust amplifiers with a very long lifespan.
It is a good move for them to include BluOS 😊
Much appreciated for this video , wanna hear your Auralic mini review
Thank you 😊
I love the Naim Uniti Atom Headphone edition. It sits next to my bed and I listen to music every night (paired with Focal Clear's). I like them enough that I am considered adding a unit to my listening room and pairing the unit up with a power amplifier and a pair Magnepan LRS+ speakers (and a turntable).
Cool 😎
Cool video chat. Comparing both devices, my heart goes to Naim's Atom. Although the one to get is the expensive Nova. For me, Naim wins on fuller and simply more fun sound, and that amazing wheel knob on top!
Thank you Raphael 😊
Usually when people say a unit has a fun sound it's usually a "V" shaped sound.
What definition are you using for a "fun" sound
I've had my Naim Uniti Atom for over a week, and I have to say, I am thoroughly impressed. It's hooked up to KEF LS50's and the 40 watts acts like a much larger amp. Zero regrets. I have a parasound HC3 Jr for my vinyl and sound glorious.
Great 👍
Great chat.
My Atom does like you say have a full-ish mid-range. Some firmware versions have however given it some 'bass thump' - not a pleasant listen at times. The last version has toned this thump down a little which is welcome.
The Atom can also be a little harsh in the top end. My speakers are very neutral so I would not like to think what it would be like with revealing speakers.
The Naim app is quite good but has some usability issues. e.g too many clicks to play tracks.
Overall though I'm please with it. - not heard the NAD.
Thank you Ian. Great to learn about your experiences 😊
I got a NAD M10 V1 refurbished for $1500 USD. Essentially half the price compared to when it came out.
Very happy listening to MQA via Tidal.
Cool 😎
Great review
Thank you 👍
Something to keep in mind I inre Atom vs. M10 is that both digitize incoming analogue connections. So, even the best phono preamp is “compromised” by the ADC on both.
I wasn’t aware that the Atom did that. Something I will look in to if I ever review it 😊
@@abritishaudiophile7314Good luck getting a non-nebulous answer on that lol. Naim support is almost as flimsy as NAD's. As far as NAD goes, I still can't determine if the M10 uses a high-pass filter when adding a subwoofer.
I’m glad you spoke so much about the app, it’s so easy for people to forget when buying streaming hifi equipment because many dealers will focus on the sound. I have seen reviews of the Cary streamers, and the app is an abomination, it is not acceptable for an expensive product to offer an ugly, unintuitive app.
Thank you 😊
Another great video. I wonder of the sound quality difference with say Marantz PM8006 (or midfi analog amp) + Bluesound Node vs NAD or ATOM. I understand we are going with all in one solution...
I hope to check out some current Marantz products 😊
Great video as usual, you really have got me into 2 channel. I love a movie but I'm listening to way more music and even going to more concerts because of you so thanks. This might be a stupid question but are the better speakers for different types of music?? I.e. I love live music and I love reggae music. Are the companies I should be focusing on???
Thank you Leon. You have to consider the whole system but yes there are speakers that have traits that flatter certain genres of music 😊
After researching a LOT of integrated amplifiers, I just pulled the trigger on an M10 V2. I came close to buying a couple of others, but to get the ease of streaming that I wanted I would’ve had to add a Node. In the end, I figured it made more sense to go with the M10. A lot of my listening is vinyl, so I do have some concern that I might should’ve gone with another approach.
David…there is so much great gear out there, yet with all the choices and their inherent caveats it is REALLY difficult to thread the needle for our changing needs. Enjoy your gear& music.
Thank you for sharing 😊
From what I hear Dirac is the game changer and doesn't make sense to get anything else
Great chat again, I really hope you stick with this tier the majority of the time. I've just cancelled my Stereophile subscription and gone back to What Hi-Fi. Yeah I know I know but realistically I'm never going to buy a £60,000 pair of speakers and I rather see reviews of equipment I can aspire to!!
Thank you Chris 😊
Surprised that Hegel was so clearly disfavored. Interesting comparison of the Naim and NAD products. Thanks
Hegel is limited as a streaming amp. Thank you for watching 😊
I think it makes more sense to add the phono stage of your choice, especially on a streaming amplifier.
With the resurgence in vinyl we are seeing more integrated with built-in phonostages 😊
Lyngdorf tdai 1120 kind of makes this whole conversation redundant in my opinion. It’s significantly better in terms of sound, features and usability via the app than both for me. Bluesound may be a better streaming app, but the overall control and ease of use with the lyngdorf is just spot on. To my ears I also think Room perfect is a significant step up from Dirac.
I did audition the TDAI 1120 last week but it ran out of power for my Sonus Faber Sonnetto III speakers. I agree with you it was very flexible and sounded great. The uplift to the 3400 more than doubles the price though so looking for alternative. I saw one review on here which suggested using the 1120 as a preamp with separate power amp but that means you cannot use a sub or two as there is only one preamp out.
@@rbmmessaging5386 Consider REL sub with speaker wire connection. maybe with a sub (or two ) you may have sufficient combined sound output with the 1120
@@kirkaparty4143 You can't use REL subs from the main speaker out's on the TDAI1120. There's a giant warning in the manual against this.
On the M10 if you turn off Dirac then the analogue in, remains analogue. I checked this with Taresh Vadgama.
Hi Tarun,I hope you had a good Christmas,and have a great new year!…I am thinking of starting from scratch with my hifi-could you tell me what you think of a naim atom headphone edition,that has class a xlr output and using xlr cables on ae1 active speakers?
Thank you Adrian. Happy new year to you too. I think that will work but you may want to get even better Active speakers to get the best out of the Unity Atom HE 🥳👍
Uniti Atom set out to be a great Streamer with a superb, fluid, engaging sound and it nailed that brief so well it still stands comparison with anything that has followed including the NAD. I can understand Taruns points about the M10 and since I have only heard the NAD unit twice although having access to the Atom quite a bit over the last year, I didn't fully appreciate the merits of its class D Design, so I would still likely go for the Naim if I was in the market for one of these pieces. Although I may be tempted to look for a used Star. I agree with some here, Naim are right and would not compromise on the Phono stage but I don't think it even figured in any part of the design brief, trying to be all things to all people is a recipe for disaster IMO. I agree with Naim if you want to run a turntable, there are many really great, relatively inexpensive phono stages which can be tucked away and connected via the line inputs. This machine set out to do streaming in the best way possible, having heard one and used it regularly, I can say it has form and function nailed.
Thank you Gerard. Very well said 👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thanks Turun keep up the great work 👊🏾
There are few contenders in this market because the Naim Atom, Star and Nova are pretty much as good as you can get for the money. NAD sounds thin and weedy compared. The Naim app is excellent, I wish I could use it on my Auralic Altair.
Thank you for sharing 😊
Skipped over the Uniti Atom to the Buchardt A500s but I was very sold on it right up to the end...
Thank you for sharing 😊
Thank you for this comparison. I know there are limits but would have appreciated greatly the inclusion of the Lyngdorf 1120. Will you be looking at this in the near future? Thanks.
Thank you. I hope to get to it in time 😊
Thank you. By the way, I love your channel and your approach to explaining kit and this hobby.
@@garyphillips8812 much appreciated and very kind of you to say 😊👍
Excellent video. How about the Primare I 15 prisma How does it compare ?
I haven’t heard it yet 😊
Question. Whats the importance of peak currents and high currents for amps? I recall Audiolab 6000 had 9amp output, is this basically then P=I2 R? Parasound advertises as "high Current" amp with 45 amps for some models. thanks
A bit too much to get into there but it is an indication of how much current an amplifier can provide in a short burst 😊
Owned a Unity Atom and sold it to be able to afford a Unity Nova for my "mancave". Love both. Now also own a NAD M10v2 for the living room because it was a great deal and the reviews were pretty good.. in retrospect this was a mistake - couldn't care less about the VU meters display - still prefer the Unity Atom...much better speaker control, "pizzaz" and "fun" how it produces music. And - one can navigate Tidal and locally USB stick stored music via the remote and screen.. just prefer interacting this way - might be old fashioned, I agree.. but that's me and my choice...I totally respect if others like the app better, but not me.
The included remote with the M10v2 is pretty useless..plus the software has a series of bugs or "design flaws"...contemplating offloading the M10v2 and getting a Unity Atom again...just have a hunch there is going to be an upgraded model soon...damn life choices......
Thank you for sharing your experiences 😊
@@abritishaudiophile7314 I have both an original M10 and an Atom. The Naim has a fuller sound, but is fuzzier in the bass. It sounds thicker but less resolute. The NAD has more clarity but sounds a bit lean.
The biggest difference for me though is the bass management and Dirac. This puts the NAD ahead for me, as I run dual subs and listen to EDM.
With the Naim you have a beautiful but more traditional piece of kit. It’s a plain stereo amp, doesn’t even have tone controls. With it you are at the mercy of your speaker characteristics and setup within the room.
For this reason I prefer the NAD. It’s more adaptable to different rooms, constrained speaker placement, and systems with subwoofers.
I think both are great products and highly endorse both.
@@billythestalker thank you. Great to have the perspective of someone who has both amps 😊
My biggest issue with BlueOs is that it doesn't support CZcams Music and you cannot Chromecast from the YT App. Trying to find an amp which will Chromecast, run 250w in to 4ohm speakers and have eArc and some element of room correction is more difficult than expected. I can't wait to see some reviews for the ARCAM AVR21/31 which seems to have all boxes ticked.
Thank you for watching and sharing 😊
Great work.. naim uniti atom all the way
Thank you 😊
I think Naim dropped internal phono stages 20 years ago when they face-lifted from the olive series. I might be wrong 'cos I'm not up to speed with their range anymore.
Thank you Mike. Their current XS3 and Supernait 3 seem to have them 😊
@@abritishaudiophile7314 @miketierney452 the NSC 222 also has a phono stage.
I think Naim thought for the size of the unit and price they couldn't produce a worthy phono stage that would be better than a cheap separate phono amp from the likes of Project, Rega etc.. The right call imho.
I think that makes sense 😊
I have lost some hair trying to pick product from this category. I have older Nad M10 and now wanting to upgrade to Naim Atom 🙃🙃
I feel your pain 😢😂
Very interesting
Thank you 😊
🤗👍THANKS TARUN…WE ARE ON YOU AND YOUR WIFE’s SIDE😉…THIS TIME AND AS ALWAYS WE LEARN SOMETHING USEFUL 🤗😍😍😍
Thank you my friend. Very kind 👍😊👍
Good to review the best known brands .However, there are some very interesting up and coming industry disruptors to also consider such as HIFI Rose. They use their own bespoke streaming software which blows away Bluos in every department. Higher price point but one to watch out for
I plan to review one of their streamers 😊
Can anyone help me ? The Nova Atom looks great and the price is high but how does the Big jump in the Nova price deliver in value and sound ?
Interesting chat. I couldn’t agree more with the conclusions regarding how vital the operating software is.
Blu sound is king at the moment.
It will be interesting to see where Roksan and Cyrus would take it. I just hope they power the amps with class A/B and not class D.
Currently I have a Node 2i/Pontus 2 dac going into my class A/B integrated amp and it sounds far superior to either the Nad or Naim. I understand they are more lifestyle products but for sound quality there’s no comparison. If the app works as it should why would you want to pay for costly screens on the device, it’ll be on your lap in the form of your iPad or phone?
Good points. Thank you Jim 😊
What class d have you been listening to? Sighted test?
@@fdude555 Hello.
I’ve heard a few Nad amps. The Nad D 2030 and the M33 and some of their more affordable amps.
I’ve also heard the Cyrus 100.
Please don’t get me wrong they all have positive points and some additional features, like room correction etc but for me and my system just miss out.
Any view on how either of these 2 compares with the CA EVO 150 from a sound quality PoV perspective only? Just in the process of deciding which one to use (NAIM Unity vs NAD M10 V2 vs CA EVO 150) for my KEF R5 META
I haven’t compared them 😊
I recently got a great deal on the Uniti Star, but had to return the unit because the CD ripper was unreliable. It’s a shame, as I loved the Star otherwise. I am currently evaluating the M10 v2. It’s not as fleshed out in the mids as the Naim, but it’s close enough. Funnily enough, the Yamaha R-N803 I’m seeking to replace sounds pretty darned good as well, but the NAD is just so much more modern.
A tough decision Bill. Thank you for watching 👍
Sadly NAD is not service friendly as Yamaha when something breaks.
@@SacreDro Indeed. I can't even access their support site in any Windows browser, though Safari can in iOS. Luckily, my vendor (Crutchfield) will replace the unit during the warranty should anything go wrong. I fear that will be my only real option as NAD support is weak to non-existent.
The are some others to listen to, like Rose HiFi Rs250 or Atoll SDA200 signature....
I hope to get to them 😊
Please review Marantz NA 6006 and Denon DNP 800NE
These are affordable plus available in all regions
I hope to 😊
I want to build a system incorporating a streamer and a turntable I’m confused with DAC, streamers with and without amplifiers. Any recommendations?
Lots to consider on that decision 😊
I wonder....would one of the Sudgen family be a good upgrade for my Naim NAC 172 preamp and QUAD 909 power amp driving Focale 926 in a 4.5 x 6m room?
Not necessarily it will have a different presentation 😊
I am using both the BluOS Controller app as well as the Yamaha Musiccast Controller apps here at home for various products I have from both respective companies. It may surprise you guys, but it is actually the BluOS app that appears to be designed by school children, compared to the Musiccast app. The BluOS interface is confusing, graphics are sub-par and overall user experience is atrocious, compared to how smooth Musiccast is. It's a pity that Musiccast doesn't get the coverage it deserves nowadays. Don't get me wrong, I love my BluOS ecosystem and use it daily. But Musiccast is at another level altogether, at least from my view as a long-time user of both.
Interesting. Thank you for sharing 😊
The Bluesound app is so easy to use compared to other streamers I've tried. I've found that only Sonos comes close to it. I think KEF made a big mistake with their original LS 50 Wireless by having an amateurish App. I didn't purchase the system because of this.
Good point Edward 😊
I presume they've paid some attention to the Naim controller app because the version I used with my unitiqute was awful and completely unreliable. I've now moved onto a innuos Zen which are currently trialing their own controller software rather than the previous squeezelite compatible apps.
I hope to find out how good it is myself 😊
How about the Linn Majik DSM 4?
I hope to get to it 😊
I think Cyrus used a Volumio OEM solution for their streaming products until they now switched to Bluos.
Cool 😎
PlayFi is so terrible as a platform I sold my Quad Vena 2 which was actually a lovely amp. Currently have a Roksan K3 with a CA CXN v2 but can’t help think about going down the one box route. Any ideas on how the Evo 150, M10 or Uniti Atom would compare vs the Roksan/CA combo?
I haven’t compared them 😊
@@abritishaudiophile7314 shame. I know this may be impossible to answer but would you expect a dedicated integrated such as the Roksan or similar (£1400) + dedicated streamer to sound better than the Evo 150/NAD M10? I love the idea of the convenience but not to the detriment of sound quality.
Ian White is wrong. Tarun rightly pointed out that the Uniti Atom converts the analogue line level inputs to digital, then back to analogue. Hence vinyl playback with the Atom is disappointing, to say the least. So, for Naim to include a phono stage would not only add to the price but the performance would be compromised with vinyl.
Thank you for clarifying Bart 😊
Bluesound Powernode or Nad C700? I would like a small integrated amp to us in my bedroom. Thanks!
I haven’t tried the C700 but the Powernode is a good solution with the right speakers 😊
They are very similar in terms of sound quality, it really comes down to wether or not you want a LCD screen or not.
Thanks, albeit belated.I would not use a built in phonostage lol
Thank you for sharing 😊
Add an external phono stage. Better that than to raise the price quite considerably for a minority of users. It also conflicts with the "futuristic ethos" of digi-centric devices. Turntables are lovely, but expensive and "vintage". These new devices ooze "future". Deliberately. And definitely on target.
Thank you Juan 😊
Lyngdorf one model up from 1120
I hope to get to it at some point 😊
Why are so many reviewers of this category ignoring Linn‘s Majik DSM?
I hope to review one 😊
Hi, I found your territorial very interesting, I have been thinking and looking at Roksan K3 integrated amp but I was told the Bluetooth part of it has been disconnected or no longer in use and I’m trying to find out whether there is actually a problem with it or whether it’s now up and running in I know a device which I think you said ATessa, Sorry not sure if I have spelt that right, At the moment I’ve got an NAD314 which was going into a Cambridge power amp from the late 70s early 80s putting out about 100 W, Do you still think it’s better to go with separates i.e. preamp , amp .
Do you think I should stay with NAD or shall I branch out and go for Roksan , And I’m power in a pair of transmission line loudspeaker cabinets,
Which have Seas drivers in 8 Ohms 150w , and I have a budget of around £2K , I look forward to hearing from you and your comments.
Phil from the moulin France.
why not the NAD C399 blueos!!
There are a long list of amps that could be considered. We just went through our favs 😊
@@abritishaudiophile7314 I understand . I still love watching your reveiws .
Cheers,, 🍻😎👍
Thx 👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 ❤️
Honestly, I think phasing out phono stages is not an issue and if it helps with improving the quality of the product then so be it. Turntables are niche of the niche products. Can you please provide the number of turntables sold in the last year? How many turntables were purchased by first time turntable buyers? I am sure Naim and other companies are doing their research. It's like saying car manufacturers made a colossal mistake by not adding CD players to cars any more. The upcoming audiophiles are bred on convenience and freedom of wireless. Most people don't want to carry around physical media. Attention spans are getting shorter and listening to an album start to an end is a thing of the past. Very few folks I bet still do this. I imagine most like to listen to a song on repeat, or go through all the hit tracks without having to be tied to an artist or a single album. And don't be like well most people I know do this. The people you know are those on the forums, who share your interest and are a small part of a niche group of people. There are maybe a few dozen very active forum members as opposed to millions of people outside of it who don't even know you guys exist.
I grew up with LPs, had 100's in my collection, then had 100's of cassette tapes, 500+ CDs, etc etc but now all my music systems are built around streaming. I have sold all my physical media for music as it is now in my books considered unnecessary. The only reason movie media is on disc is because no streaming network or service provides bit perfect streams for movies and therefore physical media is still superior. Mainly because of the amount of data that would need to be streamed would be colossal. Probably 1000's of GB's a month per household, if people were streaming bit for bit in movies in 4k.
Internet bandwidth is at a point where a full CD in high res can be buffered in seconds and it is not a lot of data either. Thus streaming audio is equal and in some cases better than CD. Also there is an ongoing debate about which sounds better, vinyl or digital. And the answer is: The recording. If a track is recorded well, it will sound good regardless of format.
Even at Axpona, most of the showrooms were using streaming audio. Almost no one was using LPs to demo 5 figure speakers and electronics. There were a few, but very very very few. A few had CDs, extremely rare LPs, but mostly all were digital streaming. So much so one room was even allowing CZcams music demos just to showcase how well their speakers worked with compressed audio.
Audiophile dinosaurs' habits should not dictate what the future of audio should be. The upcoming generation has more info about audio setups than ever before, and they have different preferences than what were back in the 70's, 80's and 90's. Convenience, ease of use, form factor, minimalist setups are higher up the preference. Thus we are seeing integrated amps with nice large screens and streaming built in.
Why no love for Primare prisma amps?
I haven’t reviewed them yet 😊
@@abritishaudiophile7314 is it on the cards?
@@TheVoicefrombelow not at the moment but on my radar 😊
I'll never understand this obsession with screens on these amps. Firstly, they're objectively not 'good' screens by the standard of most of the hardware that people will now be using in other screen-based devices. Secondly, they're far too small to enjoy album art on to any great degree....are you really peering at that from your sitting position, or leaning over/kneeling in front of your rack? Lastly, if you're really in to streaming music, much of the benefit of the medium comes via the UI design, recommendation AI and adjacent editorial content the major platforms give you, something obviated by using that front panel. Streaming is as much about music discovery as anything. I guess if you have ten albums you cycle through on repeat...
Unless you have set up via a remote device only, using a screen is the most effective way of of allowing a user to set up and control such a device. I wouldnt want to choose sources and modes, set up network acess points etc without a screen.
Its also handy when using a unit too. If im selecting a favourite radio station by hitting the favorites button I will usually circle till I hit the station I want from the large clear graphic giving me feedback. Yes I could launch an app on my tablet and go and seek a station, but why do that when i can turn on and select with two button presses.
The album artwork on my Atom, is clear and recognisable, I like to see it. The iconography helps you make easy selections with a simple button on the remote. The interface allows me to use the unit even if my router goes down or tablet fails. Those that dont want it can switch it off. Anyone with any experience of living with and using these units, will understand the advatages of having a screen display.
When I want to discover, i use Roon, imo nothing else comes even close, and of course i switch on the atom and control its volume directly in Roon. When its used like this, the screen is a pretty light that simply reflects my picks in Roon, and nothing more, but its still essential for when im not using roon :)
I couldn't agree more, you spoke my mind! Why on earth do I need a screen on the amp, when my proprietary "source" so to speak is the screen I have in my hand running Tidal!?! Also, how much extra power and heat sink - and COST, is that stupid screen adding to the amp unnecessarily. The person above mentioned screens being useful in set up - so I use the screen once and then don't need it!?!? Ive got a Raumfeld connector streaming box, zero screen, one set up button on the back and a power switch. I open the Raumfeld app on the phone, press the setup switch on the box, tap in my wifi code and that's it. Stream music. I dont need a fugly toy like screen on my amp!!! Thats my main bug bear! Just how toy like and teenage these streamers with screens look! Aesthetics in quality hifi are so important to me, and quite literally the ONLY nice Looking integrated amp/streamer on the market right now that I can find is the quad Artera Solus - even that has a tiny screen but its purely for volume and track number - which I can well do without but its forgivable. It almost feels like a generational thing with modern streamers, as though they're catering solely to folk who have grown up staring at a screen and have to be entertained with visuals or they switch off in 20 seconds. Can someone PLEASE just manufacture a high res streaming unit, in brushed steel, with zero screen/lcd interface whatsoever, with basic tone controls and solid switches and a beautiful volume knob. I do not need a volume knob the size of a plate, or garish glowing logos/glowing switches/glowing anything, or a stupid screen throwing up all the information i have in my hand on my device! Grrrrrrrrr
You're missing the purpose, it's about being able to identify tracks at a glance, it's not for artwork appreciation
Volumio integro for example has hdmi output, you can connect to any tv for nice album art
Nice……..👍
Thank you 👍
It's funny, I bought naim separates almost 40 years ago and they were so ugly that if thieves came in they'd leave em behind. Too fancy arsed now.
An atom without the screen and volume knob at a decent price would be a great choice in second system for sure. Come on naim bring back the ugly!
Thank you Mike. A pint sized integrated perhaps 😊
Hmmm…Ian has to be talking about HEOS when referring to the grade-school app.? I have learned to live with it….I am old…and don't really care, LOL…but I wish that my Marantz products (I have two), had gone BlueSound….it would be a much better interface!…HEOS will never get updated either, now that the brand has been sold-off to a med/tech corp... 😕
I have to ask him off camera next time to confirm. There are a few contenders for poor apps 🤔
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Tarun…I would like to know the others to avoid them. 🤓
On a side note: The new Mercury Streamer by Pi2Design about to be released is something that I have my eye on. It's based on a Raspberry Pi w/hat, and will be relatively inexpensive. It will deliver exceptionally clean streaming with I2S output to quality DACs, eliminating the need for expensive D to D converters. Now…if it would only stream my Amazon Ultra HD! 😦…it’s always something! LOL! That product is right up your ally if you stream Qobuz or Tidal it will definitely float YOUR tech boat and pocketbook, me thinks.👍🏼
Arcam SA30?
I haven’t heard it yet 😊
Don’t agree with you regarding phono stage in the Naim, they have music servers that they have spent a lot of money for and online streaming services also these is less reason for them to invest in vynyl anymore.
Nobody has a clue about streamers. I bought an Innuos Zen Mk 3 only because it streams/rips/stores- for $2.4K -paid last year. Now your guy suggests Naim but he is not convincing. Naim is pretty but NAD beats its by 2". Darn, where have I heard that before?
I don't get this product category whatsoever unless it slides seamlessly into your AVR setup and then it should have 3 front channels of amplification (or none).
Not everyone wants or can accommodate a surround sound setup 😊
@@abritishaudiophile7314 True, and not everyone is a left handed ginger. Apparently Yamaha sells ~ 200 AVR's for every stereo receiver/integrated. I could link it bit I think it's best not to.
Surround sound rubbish is for clueless folks.
@@morespinach9832 I'm sure you grind your own wheat as well eh grandpa.
I don’t want or need a streaming amp, I just need Apple to bring out a streamer that I can control with my iPad, that way I can hardwire the streamer to my amp and get highest quality audio while chilling in my comfy chair 🍹
😫 Apple do not care about sound quality just convenience and their profit margin!
That space is already taken by some fine high quality streamers.
Get a Node (in white) with BlueOS to control from yer iCandy-thingy today!
🎶😉🎶
@@carlitomelon4610 I heard that Apple might be getting into the high end audio stuff. Maybe now that they offer lossless and high res on the music app they will bring out a streamer. I know they favour wireless tech in everything but I am hopeful they will offer a wired device in the near future.
@@aussie8114 I'm a wireless internet technician, and know from experience that Apple products get the worst reception off Wi-Fi...
Just because you pay more for their products doesn't make them better.
Be iWare!
🎶🤔🎶
@@carlitomelon4610 My hearing is not that good these days. Deteriorated over the last 5 years sadly. But I still enjoy my music. Have a very good amp and speakers. I’m very happy with Apple Music I would just prefer not to have to rely on airplay because it’s a little unreliable compared to when I plug the iPad into the amps USB input, I can also get lossless and high res with it plugged in, but I can’t control the music without getting my lazy butt out of the comfy chair. So a wired streamer or being able to control one iPad with another iPad would be good. For now I either use airplay or connect the iPad to the amp and random play a 200 track playlist I created of very well recorded tracks.
Thank you for sharing your experiences 😊
Yamaha streaming app is the worst... followed by the Audiolab things. BluOS is indeed amazing.
Thank you for sharing 😊
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Naturally this is very much an undies and socks scenario and the next person might find both super comfortable ;)