THE HI– FI HEADLINES
NEWSLETTER No.233
The most anticipated release for any product in the industry for some time has been the new Uniti range from Naim. This range was announced – with some fanfare – during the last quarter of 2016. The range consists of four products. At the time of writing we have begun to receive stock of some models. The good news is that if this first release is any indication, the wait will have been worth it. This model – the Uniti Core – is a hard-disc server/ streamer. This is well-built, simple to configure, intuitive to use and, above all, sounds great. Also in-store by the time you read this, is the Uniti Atom. This is a compact amplifier/streamer, ideal for smaller listening environments where performance is of high importance. In the near future we will receive the two final pieces, the Uniti Nova (due any day) – a high-end version of the Atom – and the Star, an all-in-one amplifier/streamer/ CD Player/ripper.
At the heart of all Uniti products is Naim’s (recently upgraded) App. There are thousands of App-driven products on today’s market, and the Naim App is certainly one of the best out there. Irrespective of how good a piece of audio equipment is, any enjoyment of it will soon fade if it is difficult or clunky to operate.
Also new in-store is the new range of Aventage AV receivers from Yamaha – the eighth generation of this excellent series. This release is more evolutionary than revolutionary with the major difference between this and their predecessors being the replacement of the AM radio with DAB+ digital radio.
Another new release is the excellent Nu-Vista 600 integrated amplifier from Musical Fidelity. This high-end amplifier, utilising Nuvista valve technology, is a lower-powered (220 watts per channel) version of the Nu-Vista 800 – which is recognised as one of the bestsounding integrated amplifiers ever built.