Полочная акустика — Node Audio Atom 525

The Atom 525 is a three-way stand-mount loudspeaker from Node Audio, the company based in Cambridge, UK, whose first speaker was the Hylixa of 2018. It was priced in the region of GBP 13,000, with a matching stand at about GBP 1,700.

Key specs that matter

It uses a 5.25 in long-throw paper cone woofer, two 2 in spiderless magnesium alloy midrange drivers and a 0.85 in neodymium soft dome tweeter. Crossover frequencies are 250 Hz and 2,750 Hz. Bandwidth is 34 Hz to 27 kHz at -3 dB, and sensitivity is 84 dB at 2.83 V. The speaker measures 450 x 285 x 360 mm (height first), with the stand at 520 x 285 x 360 mm.

Engineering and use context

Bass is loaded by Node's patented Helical Transmission Line, HTL, which directs the woofer's output into a central chamber and then along a helical path, reinforcing low frequencies and extending the low-frequency response of a small cabinet. MonoCell damping, also patented, replaces fibrous damping with an additively manufactured internal lattice that acts as continuous bracing, forming a rigid monocoque enclosure and reducing cabinet resonance. The two midrange drivers have no spider suspension, reducing mechanical resistance, and sharing the midrange between two units lowers the excursion of each. The tweeter and midrange drivers are placed closely together to keep the output coherent in both horizontal and vertical planes. The sculpted cabinet has no flat surfaces or sharp edges, which reduces diffraction. Cabinets are wrapped in multi-layer acoustic fabric or leather, with a fabric option and seven leather finishes, adding vibration control, and structural parts are machined from billet aluminium. Node designs and manufactures the Atom range in Cambridge. It was first demonstrated at the UK HiFi Show Live at Ascot in September 2025 and shown in production form at Audio Show Deluxe in March 2026.

Pairing

Given its low sensitivity, the Atom 525 needs an amplifier of 100 W or more. The dedicated plinth stand sets the correct height and isolation, in rooms of 15 to 30 m2.

Alternatives

Node Audio's Atom 650 is the floorstanding model of the Atom range with the same HTL bass system.