Naim Nait XS / UnitiQute demo dissapointment (long)

[roger06]

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.

 

[CnoEvil]

Hi Roger

Interesting to hear how you got on.

It just goes to show, that if you have a well chosen system that you like, it can take a substantial investment to get a really worthwhile improvement.

Regards

Cno

 

[True Blue]

Are you sure the XS was run in and warmed up??

If not like you, I think the step up large, pre/power........................??????????????

 

[roger06]

Well good question True, you never really know do you?

Bloke in shop did reckon pre / power was probably the answer. Ain't got the dosh nor the room in the rack sadly...

 

[AlmaataKZ]

I have not heard Qute but agree it is a fantastic package!

have you considered active speakers option?

 

[roger06]

Can't see the point - think it would be too restrictive.

 

[Craig M.]

Can't see the point - think it would be too restrictive.

apart from needing to upgrade power amp and speakers should you want an upgrade, how? traditional seperates wouldn't get near mine for sq, unless you spent a lot more. and even then... you should try to demo some, you might find you'll never go back.

 

[Dan Turner]

Roger - If you're contemplating amps up to the £3k mark and you like the Naim sound then have a look at the Naim SuperNait, which also has very good built-in DAC....

 

[chebby]

Why has no-one mentioned the NaimUniti yet?

£500 cheaper than a £3K amp and has the amp/CD innards from the 5i models with DAC + FM + DAB + internet radio and streaming and iPod/iPhone configured USB input. (As well as optical and coax digital inputs and wireless of course.)

More power than the 'Qute and will have the same 5i sound the OP already loves.

 

[roger06]

Why has no-one mentioned the NaimUniti yet?

I'd be paying for a CD player I didn't need Chebby...

 

[chebby]

I'd be paying for a CD player I didn't need Chebby...

Maybe try the Rega DAC with your Nait 5i. (Unless you have already and I missed it.)

If that works out well, you could sell the unwanted CD5i (and rDAC) to pay for the Rega DAC. (Should easily cover the cost with a small profit.)

 

[roger06]

That was indeed suggested at the demo. So I'll give it some consideration. I guess selling the CD player and rDAC could fund the Rega DAC and some very tasty interconnect!

On another note Chebby - which courier did you use when you sold your Naim kit? The one I used to use trashed a pair of Kef floorstanders and a PowerBook so can't risk this with my CD player!

 

[Anonymous]

I guess it is because you played around with sideway changes instead of real improvements.

Add a NAP200 for Real improvement.

 

[chebby]

On another note Chebby - which courier did you use when you sold your Naim kit? The one I used to use trashed a pair of Kef floorstanders and a PowerBook so can't risk this with my CD player!

I used ParcelForce24 for all of it. The tracked service that is guaranteed to arrive by 12 noon the next working day. (It means it's with the courier for the least possible time.)

I also pay for appropriate insurance/compensation on top of that to cover the full value of the goods. (Although I don't charge that to the customer as it's for my benefit.)

Please don't forget to use the transit screw to lock the CD mechanism in place (and make it clear it's there with a photo if necessary - in an email to your customer - along with brief instructions on how to select RCA or DIN input via the remote control. Not everyone uses a Naim amp with DIN connection, and not everyone is Naim 'savvy', and not everyone reads the instructions first. It will save potential hassle from someone unable to get the 'door' open or thinking it is non functional despite being plugged in!)

I had to do a lot of box scrounging/building/modifying to ensure the Naim carton had a slightly larger box to be packed into along with two thicknesses of bubble wrap around it.

 

[Anonymous]

I had a look at a Naim Uniti - but didnt hear anything it offered over my current setup.

For music I use either winamp on pc, or a A.C.Ryan playon!hd mini2 - both streaming from a NAS and connected via hdmi to a Denon 4311 and a pair of KEF XQ-40s.

Dont think u really have to worry about your hearing till you reach 55 or so

 

[DIB]

On another note Chebby - which courier did you use when you sold your Naim kit? The one I used to use trashed a pair of Kef floorstanders and a PowerBook so can't risk this with my CD player!

I used ParcelForce24 for all of it. The tracked service that is guaranteed to arrive by 12 noon the next working day. (It means it's with the courier for the least possible time.)

I also pay for appropriate insurance/compensation on top of that to cover the full value of the goods. (Although I don't charge that to the customer as it's for my benefit.)

Please don't forget to use the transit screw to lock the CD mechanism in place (and make it clear it's there with a photo if necessary - in an email to your customer - along with brief instructions on how to select RCA or DIN input via the remote control. Not everyone uses a Naim amp with DIN connection, and not everyone is Naim 'savvy', and not everyone reads the instructions first. It will save potential hassle from someone unable to get the 'door' open or thinking it is non functional despite being plugged in!)

I had to do a lot of box scrounging/building/modifying to ensure the Naim carton had a slightly larger box to be packed into along with two thicknesses of bubble wrap around it.

The double packaging mentioned above is absolutely vital to give yourself the best chance of it arriving in one piece. It's a bit unfair to single out any one carrier as good or bad, whomever you use you could just be unlucky. I work in the industry and have seen some quite staggeringly bad examples of packaging where the shipper is completely oblivious to how bad their packing is. A couple of months ago I went to pick up some Mission floorstanders which were going to the Czech Republic. The speakers were just put into the boxes with no bubblewrap, polystyrene or anything to stop them moving about freely in the thin cardboard boxes. I refused to pick them up as I said there was absolutely no chance of them arriving at their destination undamaged.

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