Products of the Year

Headphone Product of the Year

Naim Uniti Atom HE headphone amplifier/streaming DAC ($3290; reviewed by Herb Reichert, September 2021, Vol.44 No.9 Review)

Finalists (in alphabetical order)
Ampsandsound Bigger Ben headphone amplifier ($4950; reviewed by Herb Reichert, April 2021, Vol.44 No.4 Review)
Benchmark HPA4 headphone amplifier ($2999; reviewed by Herb Reichert, February 2021, Vol.44 No.2 Review)
Focal Clear Mg headphones ($1500; reviewed by Herb Reichert, September 2021, Vol.44 No.9 Review)
RAAL-Requisite HSA-1B headphone amplifier ($4500; reviewed by Herb Reichert, October 2021, Vol.44 No.10 Review)
T+A HA 200 DAC/headphone amplifier ($8999; reviewed by Herb Reichert, February 2021, Vol.44 No.2Review)

Naim's Uniti Atom HE headphone amp/ streaming DAC was made for competitions like this: It's an immaculately engineered, polished product.

Despite not being a card-carrying flat-earther, headphone guru Herb Reichert was smitten by the "HE" (for headphones) version of the Uniti Atom, finding it beautiful and interesting and thoughtfully designed. As for the sound, on a recording by the young Icelandic pianist, the "Atom's DAC and line stage seemed forceful and clean-glass transparent, but it put a faint, aurora-like glow around the soundfield of Vïkingur Ólafsson's piano. It wasn't much, but this subtle, almost tubelike infusion of burnished vibrancy elevated this recording into a memorable experience of piano sound." Herb played "scores of albums," finding that the "grainless in the extreme" Atom DAC "spoke with radiant, captivating vigor." Meanwhile, the line stage had "excellent drive and a penchant for invisibility."

About the Vote
This one wasn't close, but three other products—the T+A HA 200 DAC/headphone amplifier, the RAAL-requisite HSA-1B headphone amplifier, and the Benchmark HPA4 headphone amplifier—scored well.