PRODUCT 02: NAIM MU-SO QB (2ND GEN)
A triumph of elite sound quality at a size you can fit in any room.
The Naim Mu-so Qb (2nd Gen) is the smaller sibling of the Naim Mu-so (2nd Gen) – but while that speaker will take a whole shelf to itself, the cube-like Mu-so Qb measures 210x218x212mm. That may be bigger than the likes of the Amazon Echo, but it’s much more compact than pretty much anything else that delivers 300W of audio power, and will fit on a desk easily, or on top of a chest of drawers.
The Mu-so Qb 2 features AirPlay, Chromecast and Spotify Connect wireless streaming, and supports Roon, Qobuz and TIDAL – plus it has Bluetooth built-in for playing easily from anything else. It also has a 3.5mm jack, optical input and USB port. Anything you play on it sounds just fantastic – from classic arrangements to banging drum ’n’ bass, the Mu-so Qb 2 has the gears to make your music sound full, precise and rhythmic.
Squeezed into the Mu-So Qb 2’s frame is a three-way system, consisting of five drivers: a bass driver facing forwards, and then a left-firing tweeter and mid-range combo, and a right-firing set of the same. These are powered by 300 watts of amplification, and you’ll wonder where the hell Naim managed to store all of this.
The design is premium and impeccably made, although several years on the from the original Mu-so Qb’s launch, the soft undulating waves of the grille and clear base don’t feel like cutting-edge design. However, the large volume dial on top is tactile and satisfying to turn.
Despite featuring angled drivers, you shouldn’t expect a real stereo effect from the Qb 2 – what these achieve is spreading the sound around the room evenly and with clarity, but the sound still comes from a single point. It’s robust and weighty in the bass without ever feeling flabby and it’s structured in the mid-range in a way that lets every instrument pop through the mix, while maintaining the musicality. Meanwhile, the treble is airy and clear, dancing out of the lower ranges without getting bright or harsh to achieve it.
This is a high-end hi-fi system squeezed by mad scientists into a cube that could fit into a living room… but that has the sound quality to fill a ballroom if needed. The audio quality is magnificent, the streaming and file support is near-perfect, and it even has a great big volume knob to play with. There are bigger one-box speakers that can beat it for sound quality, but at this size, it’s peerless.
What these achieve is spreading the sound around the room evenly.