Naim’s high-end all-in-one system boasts Dolby Atmos support alongside HDMI eARC and an expansive streaming suite
High-end Focal driver tech meets Naim amplification
by Harry McKerrell · What Hi-Fi?
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Naim has announced its latest high-end all-in-one wireless music system, the Mu-so Utopia.
We travelled to Naim and Focal’s respective headquarters for a hands-on preview of the new system ahead of launch – you can read our first impressions via the link below.
- Read our Naim Mu-so Utopia hands-on review
Following on from the excellent Focal Mu-so Hekla we tested earlier this year, the new system combines Naim-powered amplification with trickle-down technology taken from Focal’s high-end series of Utopia loudspeakers.
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Inside, the do-it-all system packs 720 watts of Class D and A/B amplification driving a whopping 15 drive units, teasing an “immersive experience” that will happily cover rooms up to around 50m² in size.
The majority of the drivers are powered with Class D amplification, including a pair of 2.75cm ‘M-shaped’ midrange woofers and four full-range drivers housed at the sides and top of the unit.
Twin 25mm ‘PRISM’ tweeters – derived from those found in Focal’s more prestigious Scala and Diva Utopia loudspeaker ranges – are driven using Class A/B power, with Focal’s engineers informing us that A/B gives greater control to the upper frequencies.
On the streaming side, Tidal, Qobuz and Spotify are all on board in their ‘Connect’ forms, as are AirPlay 2, Google Cast and Bluetooth 5.3 with standard AAC and SBC codecs. UPnP streaming lets you play stored files from your local network, and you can create a multi-room setup with compatible Naim and Focal products.
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The Naim Mu-so Utopia is capable of handling hi-res files up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM alongside DSD128, while Dolby Atmos support is a major part of the system’s appeal. There are plenty of sound modes from which to choose, ranging from a Dolby Movie mode to ‘Sphere Music’ which uses beamforming microphone tech to build a three-dimensional audio experience.
Physical connections include HDMI eARC for integration with a home cinema system, as well as an optical input and an RCA output if you want to connect to a subwoofer. There’s also an ethernet port for a physical connection to your wi-fi network.
The Mu-so Utopia follows a similar design language to the Mu-so Hekla and Naim Mu-so 2 systems that preceded it, with an anodised aluminium chassis accented by a red trim that runs lengthways across the main body. Just be aware that, at 40cm in length and weighing around 14kg, this mighty Mu-so will need plenty of space.
An illuminated white dial is found atop the Mu-so Utopia, from which you can control volume by turning it to the side, with the dial also acting as a touch screen for selecting your input and switching power on/off.
The Naim Mu-so Utopia will set you back £4499 / $5500 at launch, a good deal more than the £3000 / $3600 for the Hekla we took for a spin earlier in the summer. Once we have put it through its paces in our test rooms, we’ll know whether it’s worth the extra outlay.
MORE:
Read our Naim Mu-so Utopia hands-on review
And our established Focal Mu-so Hekla review
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