Review: Naim Mu-so AirPlay 2 speaker will fill your home with style & powerful sound

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2021
The Naim Mu-so Wi-Fi AirPlay 2 speaker is a stunning work of art that is capable of filling a house with its powerful, crisp sound with an equally powerful price.

Naim Mu-so
Naim Mu-so


Speakers come in a variety of categories. You could opt for a portable Bluetooth speaker to take with you on the road. Alternatively, you could prefer a Wi-Fi connected speaker capable of streaming content without the need for a host device. For Apple users, you may be looking for an AirPlay 2 speaker which carries all its own benefits. The Naim Mu-so falls into the latter two categories.

This speaker isn't small and is easily overkill for small spaces. It puts out impressive, clear, loud sound that retains its fidelity no matter how loud you crank it. If you're looking for a smaller -- yet still capable speaker -- maybe gander at the Mu-so Qb.

The Mu-so doesn't just sound stunning, but it is eye-catching as well with its sleek and modern design, swappable grille, transparent illuminated base, and metal body.






Let's not gloss over this though, time to get into the details.

Modern aesthetics

Mu-so has the uncanny ability to quickly catch one's eye with a modern design language that Naim has chosen. There is quite a bit of heft to this speaker, due in part to the massive amplifiers internally, but also the aluminum enclosure. The top and sides are brushed aluminum while the back has a row of metal fans that double as a heatsink.

Naim Mu-so
Naim Mu-so


Under the unit is a clear piece of acrylic with the Naim branding etched into the left side. A series of white LEDs from above will illuminate this base when situated on your shelf. Low light settings make this pop even more, but if you happen to be one of those who isn't a fan of the stylish lighting, it can be dimmed or disabled as well.

Naim Mu-so
Naim Mu-so


The only inputs/outputs are located on the far right-hand side. There is a standard 3.5mm audio port, a USB-A port, and a status LED. A tiny pinhole sits to the left of those and is used to reset the device.

Hidden on the underside is the power input which is largely kept hidden from view, other than the cord protruding. With the heatsink along the back, this was the best way to keep the visible exterior unmolested.

Naim Mu-so
Naim Mu-so


Perched atop to the left are the only controls you need for the speaker. A tactile ring can be rotated to adjust the volume which gives feedback through a series of LEDs on the internal side of the ring. Also, there are options to change inputs, power the speaker on/off, track controls, and a quick-access radio button.

All of the buttons are touch-sensitive with no physical moving parts and a cleaner surface. Unused buttons don't illuminate when unnecessary which makes the interface even simpler to use. When we used the controls, we felt we had to apply a bit more force than we initially expected. A quick, light touch may not activate the buttons. Touching the buttons with purpose ensures they are properly triggered.

Lastly, the front of the speaker has a swooping 3D grille that adds to the whole experience. In the box is a standard black color, but additional hues can be picked up. Orange and red look great but we are particularly partial to the blue.

Input options

This speaker has an large number of input options available to ensure you can play back your content whichever is best for you, in the best quality possible. Have music on a Mac, PC, or a NAS device? Shoot it over via Universal Plug n' Play (UPnP). If you don't want to connect over Wi-Fi, you can stream over Bluetooth with AptX support.

Otherwise, you can use digital optical, internet radio, USB, Tidal streaming, Spotify connect, or AirPlay.

Multi-room playback

Naim natively supports multi-room playback with Mu-so and Mu-so Qb or other Naim streaming products. You can cast audio to up to four speakers via Wi-Fi and a fifth if connected over Ethernet.

Naim Mu-so
Naim Mu-so


For Apple users, AirPlay 2 also offers this functionality. AirPlay 2 was added in 2018 via a software update and comes with several new features, but most noteworthy is multi-room streaming.

You can then stream to more than five rooms wirelessly and aren't limited to Naim speakers. From your iPhone or Siri, you can play your favorite tracks on your Sonos Beam, HomePod, Libratone Zipp, and Mu-so all simultaneously from anywhere in your house.

We use AirPlay 2 often and find it to be more than suitable for streaming audio with great quality and no lapse in playback. In this case, it lets you keep a speaker such as the Sonos Beam on your TV stand and not strictly need a second speaker just for multi-room music playback.

Naim app

Much of the speaker can be controlled via the Naim app. Switching inputs, controlling the light, adjusting the volume, setting up multi-room, and changing room modes are all available from your iPhone or iPad.

Naim Mu-so
Naim Mu-so


The app is cleanly laid out and is fairly easy to use, but we often got more annoyed with it than we should. It frequently had issues discovering the speaker on our network, even though the speaker was on and available to use as an AirPlay 2 destination. A couple times we were forced to restart the speaker to get it working once more.

On the positive side, we rarely needed to use the app. AirPlay 2 lets you adjust the volume which would have been the biggest use of the app for us. Hopefully, in the future, Naim will continue to push app updates to increase the stability and discovery abilities.

Audio fidelity

As we do with any speaker or headphone review, we turn to our audio testing playlist on Apple Music which we streamed over AirPlay 2.



As we settled in to listen to one of our go-to songs for high-volume audio -- Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody -- we were blown away by the sheer volume and soundspace this speaker is able to output. Even with the fullness of the sound it was able to traverse the acoustic nuances of the song with ease, keeping a sense of energy about it.

Due to the six 75W class-D amplifiers internally, this thing is able to put out some noise. Even at the highest volume, which was tough to stay at for long periods of time in a smaller room, the audio stayed as crystal clear as it was when set to 20-percent. It did thicken up a bit on the high end but retained its overall fidelity.

Highs were abundantly crisp with just a bit of an edge that we like to hear. The bass was forceful and we could feel it in our chests in bass-heavy tracks such as Joe Cocker's Come Together.

Naim Mu-so
Naim Mu-so


With any hi-fi speaker, songs containing any instrumentals really come to life. The live recording of All for You and the subtle touches in Glitter & Gold are easily picked up on and are not as muddled as we normally hear with lesser speakers.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Where to buy

If you'd like to up your audio game and pick up the Naim Mu-so, you can grab it from Crutchfield for $1,349.99.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 10
    mobirdmobird Posts: 752member

    Audio fidelity

    As we do with any speaker or headphone review, we turn to our audio testing playlist on Apple Music which we streamed over AirPlay 2.
    Would you be kind enough to share your Apple Music Testing Playlist?
    ivanhwatto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 10
    mobird said:

    Audio fidelity

    As we do with any speaker or headphone review, we turn to our audio testing playlist on Apple Music which we streamed over AirPlay 2.
    Would you be kind enough to share your Apple Music Testing Playlist?
    Queen and Joe Cocker? Really? EGAD.

    How about unamplified music recorded in concert halls? Orchestral. Choral. Chamber music. Lieder. Opera. That's the best way to test audio fidelity. 

    I have NAIM hi-fi equipment and it's fantastic stuff, so I would imagine this to be quite good.. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 10
    "Nam Mu-so AirPlay 2 speaker will fill your home with style & powerful sound". This review reads like PR marketing fluff. "Mu-so has the uncanny ability to quickly catch one's eye with a modern design language that Naim has chosen." Yep. And no table of specs.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 10
    The Specs from NAIM…



    Audio Inputs
    Digital (S/PDIF) 

    Optical S/PDIF (TosLink) up to 96kHz

    USB 

    Side USB Type A

    Analogue 

    3.5mm jack

    Other Inputs 

    Internet Radio

    Streaming 

    UPnP,™ AirPlay, Spotify (Connect), TIDAL, Bluetooth (with aptX)

    Connectivity
    Remote Control 

    Infra-Red (RC5)

    Network 

    Ethernet (10/100Mbps), Wi-Fi (802.11b/g) 2.4GHz

    Multiroom 

    Sync up to five Naim Mu-so, Mu-so Qb or any Naim Uniti or Streaming products. Control via Naim App.

    Formats
    Audio Formats 

    WAV, FLAC and AIFF – up to 24bit/192kHz
    ALAC (Apple Lossless) – up to 24bit/96kHz
    MP3 – up to 48kHz, 320kbit (16 bit)
    AAC – up to 48kHz, 320kbit (16bit)
    OGG and WMA – up to 48kHz (16bit) 

    Bluetooth - SBC, AAC and aptX

     

    Note: All formats to 48kHz maximum over wireless network

    Internet Radio Provider 

    vTuner premium 5*

    Internet Radio Formats 

    Windows Media-formatted content, MP3, ACC, Ogg Vorbis streams and MMS

    User Control
    Product 

    Touch control user interface with rotary volume control

    Handheld 

    Remote handset included and optional control app for iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch and Android devices

    Power
    Amplifier Output 

    450W - 6 x 75W (into 6Ω)

    Power Consumption 

    Typical use: 17W
    Standby mode: < 4W
    Deep sleep: < 0.5W

    Mains Supply 

    100V, 115V or 230V, 50/60Hz

    Physical
    Dimensions (HxWxD) 

    122 mm x 628 mm x 256 mm 

    Weight 

    13 kg

    Supplied with 

    Black grille, remote control, mains cable (+ plug adaptor market dependant), reset pin-hole tool and quick-start guide

    Finishes 

    Brushed aluminium casework, silver anodised heatsink, black fabric grille.
    Grille options in Deep Blue, Vibrant Red, Burnt Orange.

    Speaker
    Speaker System 

    Dual, three-way

    Other information
    Warranty 

    Two-Year
    Details here.

    watto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 10
    GeeAyeGeeAye Posts: 37unconfirmed, member
    "Digital (S/PDIF) 

    Optical S/PDIF (TosLink) up to 96kHz"


    Is that in the 3.5mm jack?


  • Reply 6 of 10
    Apple Insider reviewing something from Naim?  Wow! 

    Please note, the Mu-So has been Roon tested.  What that means is it can work with the most powerful and innovative musical interface available which also integrates with the complete library of TIDAL and Qobuz.  Very exciting times indeed!

    watto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 10
    mobird said:

    Audio fidelity

    As we do with any speaker or headphone review, we turn to our audio testing playlist on Apple Music which we streamed over AirPlay 2.
    Would you be kind enough to share your Apple Music Testing Playlist?
    Queen and Joe Cocker? Really? EGAD.

    How about unamplified music recorded in concert halls? Orchestral. Choral. Chamber music. Lieder. Opera. That's the best way to test audio fidelity. 

    I have NAIM hi-fi equipment and it's fantastic stuff, so I would imagine this to be quite good.. 
    No thanks, Joe Cocker it is.
  • Reply 8 of 10
    fallenjtfallenjt Posts: 4,053member
    Maybe I’m old school. When I saw $1350 price tag, I’d stick with these of mine. Mine also supports AirPlay2, Alexa, Google Home, MusicCast, Bluetooth and Wifi of course and bunch more streaming apps:

    watto_cobra
  • Reply 9 of 10
    k2kwk2kw Posts: 2,075member
    GeeAye said:
    "Digital (S/PDIF) 

    Optical S/PDIF (TosLink) up to 96kHz"


    Is that in the 3.5mm jack?


    Did they test the multi-room streaming?    It didn't sound like they have a second unit.    Would be nice to know how these work in multi-room support without using AirPlay to test if there are any network drops with the software.    I don't have any problems with my Sonos units but am wondering how other systems like BlueSound and PlayFi work.  But AirPlay2 is definitely handy.
  • Reply 10 of 10
    How can an amp push out 450w of power if the system only chews 17w?

    PowerAmplifier Output 
    450W - 6 x 75W (into 6Ω)
    Power Consumption 
    Typical use: 17W
    Standby mode: < 4W
    Deep sleep: < 0.5W
    Mains Supply 
    100V, 115V or 230V, 50/60Hz


    watto_cobra
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