2. digital
  3. 130246-3795

Naim Atom alternative?

Must have been over ten years since I last posted here - family life etc.and getting older taking a toll, I guess...which is partially the reason for my question, as I'd like to simplify things a bit.
To this end the new Naim Atom caught my attention, as I'd like to get such a streamer/DAC/pre-amp/power amp all rolled into one box. But preferably I'd also have a single box to which I could add an internal SSD drive. I believe, a HDD can be connected to the Atom via USB and they also have a dedicated file storage unit or one of the more expensive NAIM units even comes with an HDD. But that adds either more clutter or significantly increased cost. In terms of tcost, I'd actually prefer to go a bit cheaper.
As I'm a bit out of the loop, I was wondering, if there are alternatives to the Atom out there costing more around $1.5 - 2k and that would allow me to add an SSD (or that have one already integrated).
Thanks!
pipetman

Showing 1 response by donnedonne

donnedonne
19 posts
 
I lived happily with a Naim Atom and Naim Core combo for many years. They’re both half width in size, so together they’re not very bulky.

The Core adds convenience (and sounds better than streaming over Ethernet) but yes is an added cost over a usb hard drive. If you wanted to cut costs, check out Hawthorne Stereo. They often have demo units for sale at 20% off for both atom and core. Other dealers do as well

in terms of lower cost afternatives, you may want to look into the Cambridge EVO products. I haven’t listened to them yet but worth investigating. Entry level Hegel as well. 

More to discover