Introduction
NAIM is quite well-known in the high-end audio market. NAIM had put the Mu-so on the market several years ago. That was already a pretty good-scoring WiFi speaker. With the additional HDMI connection, the Mu-so 2nd Gen is a real soundbar… with quality!
Specifications
Let’s start with the specs.
Audio Inputs
HDMI
ARC in with CEC
Streaming
Apple AirPlay 2, Chromecast Built-in, UPnP, Spotify® Connect, TIDAL, Roon Ready, Bluetooth, Internet Radio
Analogue Input
3.5mm Jack
USB
USB2 (Type A connector)
Digital (S/PDIF)
Optical S/PDIF up to 96kHz
Connectivity
Multiroom
Sync up to five Naim Streaming products and control via the Naim App.
Network
Ethernet (10/100Mbps), Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n/ac), BLE v4.2
Formats
Internet Radio Formats
Windows Media-formatted content, MP3, ACC, Ogg Vorbis streams, and MMS
Internet Radio Provider
vTuner Premium 5*
Audio Formats
WAV, FLAC and AIFF – up to 24bit/384kHz
ALAC (Apple Lossless) – up to 24bit/384kHz
MP3 – up to 48 kHz, 320kbit (16 bit)
AAC – up to 48kHz, 320kbit (16bit)
OGG and WMA – up to 48kHz (16bit)
DSD- 64 and 128Fs
Bluetooth – SBC, AAC
Note: Gapless playback is supported on all formats
Other information
Warranty
Two Years
Physical
Finishes
Burnished and anodized aluminum casework, CNC milled, bead blasted, and anodized aluminum heat sinks, Dual tone grey and black fabric grille.
Grille color options in Olive, Peacock, and Terracotta.
Weight
11.2kg
Dimensions (HxWxD)
122mm x 628mm x 264mm
Power
Amplifier Output
450W – (6 x 75W)
Mains Supply
100V, 115V or 230V, 50/60Hz
Power Consumption
Typical use: 17W
Standby mode: < 2W
Deep sleep (No-network standby mode): < 0.5W
Speaker
Speaker System
Stereo 3-way; DSP-optimized vented box acoustic system
Supplied with
Dual tone grey and black grille, remote control, mains cables (market dependent), reset pin-hole tool, and information booklets.
User Control
Handheld
A remote handset is included and an optional control app for iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, and Android devices
Product
Touch control user interface with rotary volume control
Remote Control
Infra-red (RC5)
Unpacking
From Naim, I received a Mu-so 2nd Gen and a Mu-so Qb (2nd generation). In this review, I take a closer look at the Mu-so 2nd Gen.
The Naim Mu-so 2nd Gen has quite a few options:
Chromecast built-in, AirPlay 2, TIDAL, Spotify® Connect, Bluetooth®, Roon-Ready, Internet Radio, UPnP™ (Universal Plug and Play), HDMI ARC, Multiroom Ready, Digital/Analogue Inputs, USB, Remote Control, App Control (iOS™ & Android™), Loudness Control, Room Compensation, Alarm Clock, Qobuz, 450W Digital Amp, Remote Control.
In any case, the Mu-so 2nd Gen is neatly packed. A soundbar neatly in a piece of cloth, in a box inside a box… Not bad with a glass look (actually made of plexiglass) at the bottom!
Naim supplies two plugs (one European and one English) with the Mu-so 2nd Gen power cable, manual, and remote control.
The latter is not very exciting, by the way. It is a small and light remote control but fits perfectly in your hand. Since the Mu-so supports 2nd Gen HDMI ARC, 9 times out of 10 it will not be necessary to use the remote. When listening to music, it’s nice to be able to turn the volume up/down remotely (if you don’t do that via the app) or via the Mu-so itself (I’ll come back to how this works later).
Once unpacked, it can finally be seen in full. The Mu-so 2nd Gen is truly a beautiful device. The curve in the front looks nice. The plexiglass bottom makes for a beautiful sight.
The dust cover can be easily detached. If, for example, it is unexpectedly damaged, you can continue with a new cover in no time.
With a total of 450W – (6 x 75W) of power, it is quite a large system. And that can be heard too! What a power.
Below the tweeter is the IR for the remote. This way you can control your Mu-so 2nd Gen!
Let’s take a spin on the Mu-So to see what it looks like on the sides and back. I must confess that I like the way the cabling is concealed.
The only thing that is difficult to get rid of is a USB port. This is to be able to play music via a USB connection. For all your high-quality 128 kbit MP3s! 😀
No kidding, the Naim Mu-so 2nd Gen plays quite a few files!
WAV, FLAC and AIFF – up to 24bit/384kHz
ALAC (Apple Lossless) – up to 24bit/384kHz
MP3 – up to 48kHz, 320kbit (16 bit)
AAC – up to 48kHz, 320kbit (16bit)
OGG and WMA – up to 48kHz (16bit)
To the left of the USB connection is an LED and reset button. This works especially well if you (like me) are busy with your WiFi and continuously use other boxes for testing. Just press the reset button and via the Naim app you can set up the speaker again in no time.
The different colors of the LED shows whether the Mu-so has contact with the internet, can be installed or the like (this is all explained by the app, I’ll get to that later).
And yet I find that handsome, even the back of the Mu-so 2nd Gen looks classy.
The heat sinks on the back do get quite warm too. So the transfer of heat is a warm welcome in this case (sorry, silly humor – I’m going to be a father, so that’s okay! :P).
With 11.2 kilos, the Mu-so 2nd Gen is also rock solid. It can also carry quite a bit of weight. For example, in a test, I put a 55-inch TV on the Naim Mu-so 2nd Gen. And that held up without any problems. In addition, the Mu-so does not bend.
The top and sides have a nice brushed steel look. The rotary knob, that’s totally cool. I’ll show that later in the photos.
The bottom of the Mu-so 2nd Gen is made of a fairly thick layer of Plexiglas. And that ensures that the Mu-so looks just a bit nicer and is immediately a lot sturdier.
On the left is the bass reflex. At the top left LEDs illuminate the logo (I’ll come back to this later), and on the right are the connections.
The connections are as follows: Network, Analog input, Digital input, HDMI & Power.
Impression of the products
Once connected, it’s time to admire the Naim Mu-so 2nd Gen!
The LEDs on the bottom illuminate the Naim logo on the Mu-so 2nd Gen. This gives quite an elegant look! Even during the day, it is visible.
And to show it completely well, let’s put the studio lights on a more ‘normal’ level.
The cool thing about the Mu-so 2nd Gen is that when you put your hands near the touch panel and dial, it reacts. Also when turning up the music, the LEDs indicate how loud the music is.
In addition, it is also possible to adjust the music/inputs, etc. via the touchscreen!
Even though the lighting can also be turned off completely, the menu on the touch panel also disappears after a short time.
It’s funny, but I can look at this design for hours. I think the Mu-so is beautiful. I can appreciate this design and especially the attention to quality.
Touchscreen
It is time to take a closer look at the touchscreen.
The touchscreen has a total of 15 areas that you can touch. From preset/favorites 1-5 (for example for preset internet radio stations), up to and including the external inputs and USB.
For example, clicking on the star opens the presets/favorites menu. These are customizable via the app, by the way!
And clicking on the three dots at the bottom opens the inputs/outputs menu.
The volume is affected by turning the outer (illuminated) ring.
App
Naim has an app for all Naim products (which can be installed on both iOS and Android). In my case, I use the iOS variant.
The installation of both the Mu-so 2nd Gen and the Mu-so Qb is very easy. The app walks you through the options.
On the right side, an LED shows the status of the soundbar. In this case, it is flashing purple. Then the app searches for the soundbar.
Through iOS, the AirPlay configuration is opened where the WiFi data needs to be entered. After selecting the correct SSID and password, this data is pushed to the Mu-so 2nd Gen.
The updates can also be installed via the app. However, installing/updating takes quite a while.
It is time to name the Mu-so in your network. In this case, I choose living room (so the product is then also displayed in Airplay/Spotify, etc…). Of course, you can also choose a name yourself.
The Naim app also gives the option to set up Chromecast via Google Home.
The setup is dead simple. A signal is played through the Mu-So, on which you can indicate whether you have heard it or whether you want to play it again (should you hear nothing and you press retry several times – the app will register that as no, and you will be given other options).
Separate rooms can also be created within Google Home, for example, I have already set up three rooms myself. In this case, I also put the Mu-so 2nd Gen in the living room.
Once the installation is complete, the Naim app can be opened.
At the top are several options;
– Servers (for example a media server on which music is stored),
– Internet radio,
– USB,
– Tidal,
– Qobuz,
– Spotify,
– Chromecast Build-in,
– Bluetooth,
– Analog,
– Digital,
– HDMI.
The presets (from 1-5) are the radio stations marked as favorites. These can of course be adjusted via the internet radio.
Via the library button (top left) you can search for stations and songs on Tidal and more! Ideal.
The menu can be opened at the top right at the cogwheel. There are quite a few options through the menu!
1. Standby,
2. Sleep timer (off/5 min/10 min/15 min/30 min/1 hr./2 hr./
3. Alarms (regularity – should this be every day or on specific days?)/Input (Naim Radio 320K)/Name (Alarm),
4. Styles (Different theme colors),
5. Set input,
5.1 AirPlay,
5.1.1 Input activated (on/off),
5.2 Analog,
5.2.1 Input activated (on/off),
5.2.2 Input Name (Analog),
5.2.3 Adjust input (-10/10 (0 is the default)),
5.2.4 Lip sync (0-50),
5.2.5 If selected, dim the lighting (on/off),
5.3 Bluetooth,
5.3.1 Bluetooth activated (on/off),
5.3.2 Activate Bluetooth pairing mode (on/off),
5.3.3 Input name (Bluetooth),
5.4 Digital,
5.4.1 Input activated (on/off),
5.4.2 Input Name (Digital),
5.4.3 Adjust input (-10/10 (0 is the default)),
5.4.4 Lip sync (0-50),
5.4.5 If selected, dim the lighting (on/off),
5.5 Chromecast Built-in,
5.5.1 Open Google Home,
5.6 HDMI,
5.6.1 Input activated (on/off),
5.6.2 Input Name (HDMI),
5.6.3 Adjust input (-10/10 (0 is the default)),
5.6.4 Lip sync (0-50),
5.6.5 If selected, dim the lighting (on/off),
5.6.6 HDMI Auto Select (Off/On HDMI Input/On All Inputs),
5.7 Qobuz,
5.7.1 Input activated (on/off),
5.7.2 Place Qobuz favorites on the home screen,
5.7.3 Quality (MP3/CD/High/Very High),
5.7.4 Logging into Qobuz,
5.7.5 Open Qobuz app,
5.8 Internet radio,
5.8.1 Input name (Internet radio),
5.8.2 vTuner MAC Address (xxxxxxx),
5.9 Spotify,
5.9.1 Input activated (on/off),
5.9.2 Spotify bitrate (Normal, High, Extreme),
5.10 TIDAL,
5.10.1 Input activated (on/off),
5.10.2 Place TIDAL favorites on the home screen,
5.10.3 Quality (Normal, High, HiFi),
5.10.4 Logout,
5.10.5 Open the TIDAL app,
5.11 Servers,
5.11.1 Input activated (on/off),
5.11.2 Input Name (Servers),
5.12 USB
5.12.1 Input Name (Servers),
6. Register your product
7. Check for updates
8. Other Settings
8.1 Room name (Music room)
8.2 Time zone (Europe/Amsterdam)
8.3 Network Settings
8.3.1 DHCP (on/off)
8.3.2 IP Address/Mask/Gateway/DNS1/DNS2
8.4 Time to autom. standby – 20 min default (Never, 5 min, 10 min, 20 min, 30 min, 1 hour, 2 hours)
8.5 Set lighting (louder/softer)
8.6 Amazon Store (UK)
8.7 Stay connected (on/off)
8.8 Volume control (slider, on-screen buttons)
8.9 Tap for options (on/off)
8.10 Share user data (on/off)
8.11 Delete Cache cover art
8.12 Reset app
9. Helpful Tips
10. About
10.1 More
10.2 Statements
11. Help
For example, if we go to Tidal via the app (you have to log in with your Tidal account), then we can either search for our playlists or public playlists. The only thing I miss about Tidal is that there isn’t a good community integration like Spotify – where you can search/listen to lists that have been created by someone – but that’s a downside of Tidal.
Use/Music
Hand on my heart, this is a different caliber than the soundbars I was allowed to test before. And that while this does not even necessarily have to be used as a soundbar.
You notice how nice it is to have these options, especially when setting up multi-room options. Especially during my reviews I regularly walk through my apartment, and then it is great to have the background music on.
Let’s start with some music.
Last year I came across the song below… And oh, how wonderful that is! During this song, you can hear right away what kind of quality the Mu-so 2nd Gen is. To be honest, I was shocked by the punch that the Mu-so 2nd Gen packs. The sound is full, this is really how it is meant to be.
The YouTube version is slightly different (and longer) than the Tidal version.
Whatever you throw at it in terms of music – via Tidal or Spotify – it sounds as it should be. The speakers provide a full feeling of the music, it feels as if you are hearing things that you have not been able to hear before. The bass is full, but not terribly heavy. So it’s not that your crockery shifts a meter with every beat.
When the Mu-so 2nd Gen is also connected to a television via, for example, HDMI (ARC), then watching movies is fun. The Dolby Atmos settings ensure a full but above all clear sound. Speech is gigantic and well-balanced. Normally you have TV speakers or a 2.0 set that often dominates the sound. At least with the Mu-so 2nd Gen, you hear what they say, and then the sound comes around beautifully. A real experience.
I’m quite a fan of the Marvel movies, John Wick, etc. And with the Mu-so 2nd Gen I’ve re-watched several movies, and that feels great. It feels like hearing a Ferrari V12 roar, it gives you goosebumps. I got that with some of these movies. Not because of the films themselves, but how the sound was presented.
And as I wrote, I’ve been able to review quite a bit of audio equipment in recent years, and this is really another level. And of course, the asking price is accordingly… But that is with almost everything in life…
Conclusion
In the years that I listen to audio equipment, you think you have gained quite a bit of experience regarding the quality of products. And then the Mu-so 2nd Gen is right in front of you, you turn it on… you listen quietly and then you get a slap in the face that says “no, you are not prepared for this”. Naim has launched a great wireless speaker/soundbar with the Mu-so 2nd Gen.
In addition, watching movies (especially with Dolby Atmos) provides a true cinema experience. For what you can expect from a soundbar.
Not to dismiss the soundbars – which I have previously been allowed to review, but this is really a different class! Not only the quality of the audio but also the finish. What a beautiful thing the Mu-so 2nd Gen is to look at. The finish is higher than that of many other soundbars. The HDMI connection ensures that a TV can play its audio through the speakers, making it a soundbar. The first generation of the Mu-so did not have this.
As a wireless speaker, it’s also a great device. Especially if you don’t want too much fuss in your living room.
My wife came home from work and listened to the Mu-so 2nd Gen for 5 minutes. Her first reaction to that was; “Can’t we keep this one better instead of the pillars/amplifier” – you know that meme of the crying cat? That’s almost how I sat there…
The app on the phone is good, but not great. For example, I miss the option to adjust the sound via the buttons on the phone while streaming music (via Tidal or Spotify, for example). In my opinion that could be a little better. I don’t want to constantly open the app to control the sound or use the remote. Nevertheless, there is a widget for, for example, an iPhone to influence the sound.
The only thing the Naim Mu-so 2nd Gen doesn’t have is an old-fashioned equalizer. However, there are several preference settings at Audio Setup > Loudness ON/OFF. You can also adjust the EQ under the heading Room compensation > No compensation / Near a wall / Near a corner (so that the best situation can be chosen).
I’ve said it before, music moves you. And that only works if you have something where you can fully enjoy music. A pair of headphones that cost 30 euros sounds different 9 times out of 10 than one that is ‘a bit’/much more expensive. And I notice that with this soundbar too. I have been able to test quite a few soundbars and other audio equipment, but the Mu-so 2nd Gen is really of a different caliber. And that while it doesn’t even have to be a soundbar. Even as a speaker on a sideboard, it is not only a beautiful sight but also a pleasure to listen to.
If you find 1500 euros under your sofa cushions, and you are looking for something ultimate, then take a look at the Naim Mu-so 2nd Gen. This one is really on another level for me. Although the asking price is also on a different level, the Naim Mu-so 2nd Gen gets 5 out of 5 stars from me. It is well worth it!
In the meantime, I’ll keep listening. Until the next review, of the Mu-so Qb 2nd Generation.
