The Mu-so is the first tentative step by the illustrious Naim into the wireless speaker market. Naim, who have a long standing history in the Hi-Fi world, is also the stereo of choice for the luxury car company Bentley and have been crafting in-car music systems for them since 2008.
The wireless speaker market has been saturated by Sonos for some time and the Naim Mu-so weighs in at a hefty £895, putting it in a bracket high above much of the Sonos range.
The question has to be, is it worth it? In short, yes… It really is.
The heavy brushed steel cabinet oozes style. The clear mirrored base boasts a glowing Naim badge and the top is adorned with a stunning luminescent volume dial. The control ring is light to the touch and houses a simple yet sleek touch screen to control inputs. Despite coming with a glossy black remote control and a free to download App to setup and control the system, you will find yourself turning up the volume manually just for the joy of doing it.
One side of the unit includes a discrete USB jack and headphones socket as well as a simple LED which is used to set up the system. The set up process was straightforward and I was listening to music within 10 minutes, with only minor delays due to bluetooth connectivity. The underside houses the power and network cables and inside it boasts 450W of power. There are six custom-designed drivers that include two dome tweeters, two mid-range and two ‘racetrack’ bass drivers each powered by a 75W digital amplifier.
All of this tech creates a sound so rich and unctuous I was hit in the face with memories of when high quality stereo systems used to rule the lounge. Although wireless speakers have been around for some time I have not been exposed to many of the high end models. The Naim Mu-so has shown me that the Hi-Fi is back and no home should be without one. The deep bass seemed to caress the room and I felt the reassuring vibration in my feet. The mid-tones were crisp and clear and cut through the room even when placed in an open plan space of 1400 sq ft.
When it comes to streaming, the Naim can play songs from a wide variety of devices. There’s Airplay, aptX Bluetooth, UPnP, Spotify Connect and a myriad of internet radio stations. The USB both charges and plays Apple devices as well as any USB-stored music and the optical and analogue inputs cater for the more tech-minded music lover.
The Mu-so comes in black as standard but can be personalised with a selection of grill covers for £70 each and come it red, blue and orange.
Overall, the Naim Mu-so will make a huge impact on the wireless speaker market, the sound is fantastic and the design and finish is simply stunning. The amount of inputs and services is excellent and the phone control is intuitive. At the highest volumes the sound is a little muffled and the price will put it outside the comfortable range for many, but for those who take the plunge, they will not be disappointed. I have already recommended the Mu-so to family and friends and for those who can stretch their budget, it is a wonderful piece of kit. The Mu-so really does bring the Hi-Fi (and music) back into the home and makes it accessible to all.
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