Naim goes Class D for new Nova

If you’ve ever eyed up Naim’s acclaimed Uniti streaming range but found it coming up short in the power output department, you might be pleased to know that the brand has just announced its most powerful streaming player to date.

Almost doubling the power of the regular 80 watts-per-channel Uniti Nova, the Uniti Nova PE (which stands for 'Power Edition') is a convenient just-add-speakers streaming amplifier that packs 150 watts per channel (into eight ohms).

It should therefore be capable of driving even the most demanding of loudspeakers, to fill the largest of rooms. However, there is something of a twist — and audio purists might want to look away now.

The big news here is that Naim’s general preference for Class AB amplification has been sidelined for Class D amplification. Of course, the British company does have some experience here, having implemented it within the Mu-So family and its 'Naim for Bentley' in-car system, but this is perhaps its most notable inclusion yet.

Naim says the resulting sound will be punchier and expressive yet still as eloquent and considered as we have all come to expect from this eminent product range.

Just like the original Nova, the Uniti Nova PE offers a plethora of connectivity options for music playback. For digital sources, that includes two pairs of optical (up to 24-bit/96kHz) and coaxial (up to 24-bit/192kHz, DSD 64) inputs, plus one BNC (up to 24-bit/192kHz, DSD 64) and HDMI. There’s a USB-A input both at the front and rear for attaching external drives.

As for analogue, there's a choice of RCA and five-pin DIN inputs, a second set of RCA outputs for bi-amping your speakers or adding a subwoofer, should you wish to, and a headphone output.

Wi-fi is onboard (802.11 b/g/n/ac) for direct access to internet radio stations and music streaming services and platforms, including AirPlay 2, Chromecast, UPnP, Tidal Connect, Spotify Connect, Qobuz and Apple Music. Roon Ready support is also on the menu, as is aptX Adaptive Bluetooth and the ability to use it in a multi-room environment with other Naim players via the dedicated app.

This is all wrapped up in a familiar brushed aluminium casing with a five-inch colour screen and, perhaps you’ll agree, one of the best volume dials known to man. There are a handful of quick-access buttons next to the display, but further controls can be found on the included remote, which handily doesn’t require line of sight to work.

The Naim Uniti Nova PE costs $18,500.