NAIM MU-SO 2ND GEN
The current T3 Award holder for Best Multi-room Speaker is another classic
You can also use it as part of an AirPlay, Spotify or Chromecast setup
Despite looking almost traditional in the company of its rivals here, this is still a striking bit of design. The huge and tactile volume dial, the heat-sink fins on the back and the sheer girth of the thing make it instantly iconic.
Naim has honed everything about the original Mu-so for this successor. The result is a brilliant-sounding slab of sound, with rock-solid streaming over Wi-Fi or ethernet and a good range of other connectivity options – Bluetooth, analogue and digital inputs, a USB audio port that also charges your phone, and HDMI Arc. The latter is quite apt, as the Mu-so does resemble a soundbar, at least when viewed from the front.
Naim’s app is notably better than Linn’s, especially if you use Tidal, as the implementation of that service’s features is head and shoulders above any other speaker’s. But you can bypass its app entirely if you prefer, and use Apple AirPlay 2, Google Chromecast or Spotify Connect instead. Bluetooth is also supported, although again, we can’t quite see why you’d spend this much on a speaker and then use Bluetooth with it.
Where the Linn Series 3 beguiles, the Mu-so 2 has a more forceful presentation. That’s not to say it isn’t capable of subtlety – far from it – but this big, long speaker is best when you turn up the volume and let it get aggressive with your favourite rock and electronic tunes. As you’d expect from a speaker this shape, the sound stage is W-I-D-E for a single speaker, although naturally it can’t handle stereo as well as a pair of speakers can (and you can’t pair two in stereo). You can connect up to five of them – and the smaller Mu-so Qb 2, and earlier Mu-sos as well – into a multi-room system. Underlining the versatility of the thing, you can also use it as part of an AirPlay, Spotify or Chromecast multi-room setup.
Particularly if you have a room where cramming in a stereo pair is tricky, the Mu-so is our go-to pick for anyone wanting a wireless speaker that sounds truly great. Placement is easy, helped by very competent room optimisation, although clearly you will need to clear a space for its nearly 63cm of be-grilled girth.
The Mu-so clearly isn’t cheap, although having now experienced the Linn Series 3 it suddenly seems more affordable. With such brilliant performance and all the extra connectivity options, you can’t deny that you get a hell of a lot for your money from Naim’s wondrous box.