As some know I went for a demo today to see if a Naim Nait XS amp or UnitiQute amp/dac/ streamer would improve my (already darn good) streaming audio system.
First the positives: the Naim UnitiQute is simply one of the most amazing bits of kit I've ever seen. It's really small and does everything, stream digital audio, DAB & FM, internet radio, makes the tea and gives you a foot rub etc.
I took my MacBook and optical cable to go into their rDAC.
So first up is a base-line to emulate my system. Naim Nait5i amp but sadly no Dynaudio speakers like mine, but never mind, it's the relative difference in amps I'm interested in, so a pair of dinky PMC DB1s are used. The listen is similar to mine but I guess I'm used to the Dynuadio sound. But female vocals of Sarah McLachlan and Patty Larkin sound great, but the instrumental separation behind lacks, and I guess that's one of the areas I'm trying to improve.
Change 1 - in comes the Nait XS amp
So at £1495 it's almost double the price of the Nait5i. OK, hold onto your hats, this should be good. Hmm, well the vocals improve with a little more weight and realism, but really that's it. Really quite disappointing for a £1500 amp.
Change 2 - enter UnitiQute (£1425) via rDAC
OK, we're onto something here. But hang on, it costs less than the XS which is just an amp and here we have a DAB & FM radio, an internet radio, an audio streamer, a DAC etc etc for about the same dosh.
But it sounds sweeeeeeet - putting that Je n'say pas - back in the mix. Hard to explain, it just had more character, more life, more heart and soul. The vocals sounded more real and more integrated with the rest of the music. I'm sorry I can't describe it better.
Change 3 - does the UnitiQute need the rDAC?
What a vertitile bit of kit as we simply whip the optical cable out of the rDAC and into the optical input of the Qute. I'm expecting for things to turn bland but no, in my opinion the onboard DAC is equally good, if not better than the rDAC, a little warmer and softer perhaps. James, from SevenOaks however disagrees, preferring the use of the rDAC (he's not trying to sell me one as he knows I've already got one).
So why the word 'disappointment' in the title?
Because I'm looking for that next step up and while the Qute sounded good it wasn't really any better than what I have now. I was really hoping for wham bam, I'm sold, here's my credit card. But if I'd bought it I'd have a nice toy but nothing in the way of improved sound quality. I'm looking for that 'wow' I got when I first listened to my Naim kit over the Arcam stuff I was expecting to like but didn't. I wanted to be saying, 'so that's what I've been missing', but sadly didn't.
Change 4 - give me some Dynaudio man!
So I get James to change the speakers to some £1765 Dynaudio Excite X32 floorstanders. OK this is more my bag. I'm clearly a Dynaudio disciple, but speakers are not what I came in for but let's give 'em a whirl with the different amps
-- XS amp. Forget it. Get back in the box. Don't know what all the fuss is about with this amp. It really is nothing special over the Nait5i.
-- our cute Qute back in. OK better still, I prefer the Dyns to the PMCs (they're £700 more so I should). It's a sound I like but am I going to now buy the Qute AND the Excite 32s? No I'd be spending over 3 grand to get more or less what I've got already.
So I've had a great hour or so with a wonderful chap James from Sevenoaks (Audio T until this week) and I leave it that I either need a home demo or I at least need to bring my own speakers in. However, on getting home and spinning up my own system I'm simply reminded how good it is and how much I like it.
So from this afternoon I conclude three things:
1.The UnitiQute is very good. If you want a brilliant, stunning in fact, all-in-one, a fantastic audio streamer or an easy route into Naim kit, then actuallty £1425 is silly money. You could get one of these and it could be the last hi fi you ever need. Given its size it could go in the kitchen or bedroom too. However, with my current kit I just don't need it.
2. I think the 'next step up' for me just isn't in the £1500 amp mark. I reckon I'm probably going to have to look in the £3000 amp area, which I can't afford at the mo.
3. My hearing might not be that good. I have a little tinnitus from wind noise on a motorbike and I wonder if there are frequencies I just can't hear any more (I'm 42).
Well thanks for reading if you've not nodded off. Any comments really welcome.
First the positives: the Naim UnitiQute is simply one of the most amazing bits of kit I've ever seen. It's really small and does everything, stream digital audio, DAB & FM, internet radio, makes the tea and gives you a foot rub etc.
I took my MacBook and optical cable to go into their rDAC.
So first up is a base-line to emulate my system. Naim Nait5i amp but sadly no Dynaudio speakers like mine, but never mind, it's the relative difference in amps I'm interested in, so a pair of dinky PMC DB1s are used. The listen is similar to mine but I guess I'm used to the Dynuadio sound. But female vocals of Sarah McLachlan and Patty Larkin sound great, but the instrumental separation behind lacks, and I guess that's one of the areas I'm trying to improve.
Change 1 - in comes the Nait XS amp
So at £1495 it's almost double the price of the Nait5i. OK, hold onto your hats, this should be good. Hmm, well the vocals improve with a little more weight and realism, but really that's it. Really quite disappointing for a £1500 amp.
Change 2 - enter UnitiQute (£1425) via rDAC
OK, we're onto something here. But hang on, it costs less than the XS which is just an amp and here we have a DAB & FM radio, an internet radio, an audio streamer, a DAC etc etc for about the same dosh.
But it sounds sweeeeeeet - putting that Je n'say pas - back in the mix. Hard to explain, it just had more character, more life, more heart and soul. The vocals sounded more real and more integrated with the rest of the music. I'm sorry I can't describe it better.
Change 3 - does the UnitiQute need the rDAC?
What a vertitile bit of kit as we simply whip the optical cable out of the rDAC and into the optical input of the Qute. I'm expecting for things to turn bland but no, in my opinion the onboard DAC is equally good, if not better than the rDAC, a little warmer and softer perhaps. James, from SevenOaks however disagrees, preferring the use of the rDAC (he's not trying to sell me one as he knows I've already got one).
So why the word 'disappointment' in the title?
Because I'm looking for that next step up and while the Qute sounded good it wasn't really any better than what I have now. I was really hoping for wham bam, I'm sold, here's my credit card. But if I'd bought it I'd have a nice toy but nothing in the way of improved sound quality. I'm looking for that 'wow' I got when I first listened to my Naim kit over the Arcam stuff I was expecting to like but didn't. I wanted to be saying, 'so that's what I've been missing', but sadly didn't.
Change 4 - give me some Dynaudio man!
So I get James to change the speakers to some £1765 Dynaudio Excite X32 floorstanders. OK this is more my bag. I'm clearly a Dynaudio disciple, but speakers are not what I came in for but let's give 'em a whirl with the different amps
-- XS amp. Forget it. Get back in the box. Don't know what all the fuss is about with this amp. It really is nothing special over the Nait5i.
-- our cute Qute back in. OK better still, I prefer the Dyns to the PMCs (they're £700 more so I should). It's a sound I like but am I going to now buy the Qute AND the Excite 32s? No I'd be spending over 3 grand to get more or less what I've got already.
So I've had a great hour or so with a wonderful chap James from Sevenoaks (Audio T until this week) and I leave it that I either need a home demo or I at least need to bring my own speakers in. However, on getting home and spinning up my own system I'm simply reminded how good it is and how much I like it.
So from this afternoon I conclude three things:
1.The UnitiQute is very good. If you want a brilliant, stunning in fact, all-in-one, a fantastic audio streamer or an easy route into Naim kit, then actuallty £1425 is silly money. You could get one of these and it could be the last hi fi you ever need. Given its size it could go in the kitchen or bedroom too. However, with my current kit I just don't need it.
2. I think the 'next step up' for me just isn't in the £1500 amp mark. I reckon I'm probably going to have to look in the £3000 amp area, which I can't afford at the mo.
3. My hearing might not be that good. I have a little tinnitus from wind noise on a motorbike and I wonder if there are frequencies I just can't hear any more (I'm 42).
Well thanks for reading if you've not nodded off. Any comments really welcome.