High end audio veteran Naim Audio caused something of a ripple on the home audio scene in 2014 with the release of the mighty Mu-so wireless music system. This was followed two years later by a more compact flavor called the Qb. We're now in second generation territory, and following the launch of the Mu-so 2 a few months back, a new Qb has been announced.
The Mu-so Qb 2nd Generation has received a few modest design tweaks to bring it in line with the styling of its big brother, and is built around the same proprietary music streaming platform. The touch control panel up top has filtered down too, with the same proximity sensor onboard that lights up the display when an approaching user is detected. The Qb 2 can also be controlled using an updated Naim mobile app or a remote handset.
Naim has treated the 210 x 218 x 212 mm (8.2 x 8.5 x 8.3 in) system to all-new speaker drivers that have been optimized in conjunction with French audio house Focal, but the output is the same as the first gen at 300 watts. The brain has been refreshed though, with the multi-core DSP now capable of more than 10x the processing power of the previous model.
The system can handle music files up to 32-bit/384 kHz resolution, and can stream through UPnP, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, TIDAL, and Chromecast is included too for access to even more streaming services. Wi-Fi has been upgraded to 802.11ac, though Naim has opted for Bluetooth 4.2 rather than the latest version.
Those who want to hard-wire their internet connection can do so via the included Ethernet port. The Qb 2 also supports playback over USB, and rocks an optical input for connection from the living room TV.
Multi-room audio with both first and second generation Mu-so units is possible via the Naim iOS/Android app. The compact all-in-one can also go multi-room with AirPlay 2-compatible speakers or Chromecast devices. Naim reports that the unit is Roon Ready too.
The Mu-so 2nd Generation will go on sale from September 2 for a suggested retail price of US$899.
Source: Naim Audio
