Thanks for this review! Despite one of the other comments here, you showed more parts of the physical product than I've seen anywhere else. And very thorough explanation of the sound.
Thanks you so much for including the near field listening comments, I am looking for a good quality speaker for my upper desk, that’s just what I wanted to know. Excellent! I got out of the Naim endless upgrade loops many years ago before it got out of hand, and I moved over to valves. But still love the Naim sound.
FYI, I went for the Mu-so 2 in the end. Very pleased with it, great sound, tight, bright and detailed as expected from Naim. Handled the Qobuz high res albums with ease, as well as some I’ve got on the hard drive, Apple Music is what it is but it managed to get as much as is possible from the ‘lesser’ files. Not as visceral or engaging as a high end system but easy to use and set up/position, excellent for the money imo.
@@lisette2060 Yes, still very pleased with the MuSo. I am now using ROON, partly because the MuSo is a ROON endpoint and integrates really well. Great bit of kit!
Had a similar problem with the app and the information it was giving me but all is good now. 'Tidal' £19.99/month after 90 days trial. Bloody hell. Blue tooth function and wi fi functions excellent . though. Great sound quality: "punchy, quite focussed, quite detailed, ........very confident feel" Thanks for the advice about raising it up and the removing the grill. Good review
I'm now moving away from hifi to a high quality headphone setup, so, for me, this is excellent for streaming low bit rate internet radio without all the boxes.
You are right that Naim also gets more oriented at `Live Style` products but many companies do the same. They also make great amps and network players. I don`t mind unless companies lose their roots, like Sony (old SACD players were great) and Nikon (which once was an pro oriented SLR company)....
Very helpful! I’m what my 17 year old calls a ‘dinosaur’ so my Naim hifi doesn’t yet feature streamers and all that guff, in fact that’s exactly what I’m looking at now....adding a decent Naim streamer in my listening room with one or possibly more Miso 2 elsewhere. As you say, lifestyle not hifi....but that’s what I want and your review gave a lot of clarity thanks!
I had the first one and had all the same software issues which is ridiculous at its price range. They do sound great as long as you don't mind constant software issues and don't care about stereo separation and soundstage.
It’s a stand alone … better than Sonos etc. so it is what it is. Not really intended as a ‘main system’ there are continual ‘step improvements’ available within the Naim ranges
Hello, what do you think about the beosound 2? I was thinking on buying one but I see the Naim MuSo 2 Gen and I think because of your video that is an amazing speaker although I never heard one in person, It would be nice to know your opinion, how this speakers compare with each other ?
Hi @The Audiophile Man, Thank you for the very detailed and informative review. I just bought the naim mu so 2 and can't wait to get home and set it up. What in your opinion is the best source of music for this set up? And is it worth going the extra mile to get a TIDAL subscription or are the likes of Spotify and Amazon Music good enough? Is there a clear distinctive deference between these platforms?
Hi Gabriel - Actually, I quite like Qobuz. It recently decided to stop using MP3s and features hi-res music. Streaming sources are often a personal thing, though because of the variety in interface types. I would take advantage of free trials and see how each system feels to you. Every service has its own quirks so you need to see which of those irritate you the least :)
Hi there. I was considering buying this to replace my bowers and Wilkins wireless zeppelin. Before I I do that it would be nice to hear what you think of the Zeppelin before I commit. Many thanks.
Gump1Gump2 Thanks for your question. I thought the Zeppelin offered detail, highly focused mids, tight bass but I also thought it veered towards the bright side on those upper frequencies.
The Audiophile Man many thanks for your quick reply. For the money it’s worth now im not sure they are worth selling to achieve a slightly better sound from a newer ‘lifestyle system’. The zeppelin still sounds fantastic and to achieve a more superior sound I would be looking at spending 3 times the amount!
@@Gump1Gump2 The Zeppelin is an ideal lifestyle, luggable, music source and - just looking at the face of it - I would see that as a complement to any new Naim box, rather than a replacement. I see the Mu-so as another weapon in your lifestyle source armoury. One that sits in place in a semi permanent position. A place you regularly listen to music. The Zeppelin I see as a source that travels with you around the house, etc. For example, cooking in the kitchen, working in your office, tinkering in the garage. Things like that. If you can, I'd keep both.
I'll stick with my 2019 Ruark R5; it rivaled the Muso 1, sounds good at low volume, no fatigue, has the latest bluetooth, and it cooks your tea. When they put a CD in, things might change, but they have been told that a billion times with no result. Not enough to take the living room, and I don't have a sodding smartphone.
The Ruark is a lovely bit of kit and so it doesn't surprise me that you favour it, sandydenny lives. And if you're happy with how ir performs that that's the main thing, of course :)
@@TheAudiophileMan Thanks for the reply. I do like the Ruark sound, crystal clear and warm without a hint of bloat, but when hopefully soon I get a living room I may wan't dem olde speakers. The Audiolab cd transport has me seriously looking, it might do with the Audio etc amp and a nice Chord. I'm a radio head as well, so if the Chord can help there through the amp with a tuner I'll be sorted. I worry a little about long term reliability with Audiolab, but we'll see. Speakers are a whole other matter of course. I can go to about £3K.
@@sandydennylives1392 Would you be looking for stand-mounted or floor standers? Any particular type, variant or technology that you prefer? What sort of sound do you like in general terms? Balanced, bass emphasis, clinical mids, etc?
@@TheAudiophileMan Floorstander's, I like a balanced warmth with emotion, and full clarity and accurate timbre. A bit of SS is nice. A Ruark on acid, like Roksan. Not Musical Fidelity. I'm CD's and DAB/Internet radio. Don't get hooked up on warmth. I might go to Qobuz etc, but not anytime soon. I don't use a pad or smartphone, maybe a remote. No Vinyl. Mostly Jazz, some Classical a bit of African, some Reggae, but mainly Jazz.
Hi - thank you for the detailed review! Much appreciated. May I ask how you connected the A&K player to the Muso? I am currently running a B&W Zeppelin Wireless, streaming Apple Music via Airplay, which I have always found to be bright? flat and pretty lifeless during the time I’ve had it. Wondering if a source change would spice things up …. Otherwise, will look to moving up to the Muso. No where in Mumbai (where I reside) that I can audition one unfortunately.
How would you say this speaker 🔊 sounds compared to The Bowers and Wilkins Formation Wedge especially when it comes to separation and bass? I tend to listen to hiphop and reggae more than any other genres so just asking which one would you recommend the Formation Wedge vs Naim MuSo 2nd Generation? This speaker will be in my bedroom hope this helps. Any assistance you can bring is greatly appreciated thanks 🙏.
I haven't compared the two myself (although I find the Wedge's app a bit clunky) but colleagues say if you want refinement go for the Wedge. If you want bass, go for the Naim.
How does the Mu-so 2 perform as a soundbar? I need a relatively small form factor, and not too concerned about stereo separation as much. Is the speech content clear at low volumes? In my current set up the dialogue often gets drowned out by the bass
It performs well - that is certainly an option. I didn't do speech-related testing but was happy with the overall clarity. A big part of the overall performance will depend on the quality of your TV source, though. You may also need to experiment with the EQs and the grill on/off choices.
@@TheAudiophileMan Thanks for that. One of my concerns was the limited EQ options in the unit. You can only stipulate distance from the wall and turn the Loudness setting off. Are these quite effective?
@@matthewmccafferty4180 I mentioned the Loudness control, there's the Room Compensation thing and the grill affects sound too. That's it, though, you're right. The basic clarity is useful though and I would *expect* that to help speech, etc.
Nice and clear review, i am close to purchasing one due to the fact i no longer can have traditional HIFI set up, shall be running normal web based music service and also cd's, any other options before buying? I listen to many types of music and apreciate low volume quality and seperation over loudness. Keep up the good work, enjoy your reviews both written and video
Purchased the unit, after the first day these are my thoughts, fiddly to set up, app could be better, as an alternative to hifi it does not work, quite obvious due to that one point of source can never be as good as a two speaker (active or passive) set up. I have limited placement option, so for me it works. Sound quality, good considering it is one point of sound, decent mids and trebels, lows are suficient for my mixed musical taste, projection depending on the recording is hit and miss, if there are tracks with many mucial instruments it can get a little messy, overall i am happy, audioman is spot on saying it is a lifestyle producto. BTW i have it placed at the front of the TV and sit around 3 meters from the center of the unit, sometimes a little sterio effect seems to get through but not often.
The beneath connections and side usb makes very little sense …. Unless… it’s to do with internal interference, which Naim would understand more than me 😉
I got one of these and my opinion is very mixed. It looks nice, and sounds pretty good, but the app is absolutely rubbish (with no sign of improvement). Connecting is difficult as you said, and Wi-Fi periodically drops meaning I have to reboot the unit. For aesthetic purposes I tried it as a sound bar (partner dislikes speakers by TV) and was impressed by the clarity of sound, but underwhelmed by the overall soundscape, it was "noisy". I'm perplexed as to why people rate this so highly, for £1300 you can get some hifi bits which would blow this out of the water sound-wise. I realise that's not always what people want and this unit is about convenience. I confess I haven't used it much, the combo of abysmal app and thinking for 1300 pounds the sound should be better has probably put me off. Great review - very much appreciate how articulate and descriptive you are.
DSD can be supported up to 128. Not only does the Muso 2 *not* have aptX HD, it does *not* have aptX at all! I'm not sure where you heard that it did? Here's an official quote from the company, I hope you find it of some use: "...if you want to direct stream from devices, [Naim] would suggest using AirPlay 2 and Chromecast built-in, both of which typically offer a better-quality experience than Bluetooth (which is, of course, still included for convenience.) Mu-so’s integrated music streaming, including Spotify and TIDAL gives yet more options, as does its support for Roon."
무조2 네트워크 및 페어링 트러블 저세상 개념이다. 매일 초기화하고 기기 등록하는 자신을 발견할 때 즈음 의문이 들 것이다. 내 돈!!! 이걸 오디오 갤러리에서 정가 주고 산 내가 흑우다. 사은품으로 준 포칼 헤드폰이 만족도 훨씬 좋은 기이한 현상이다. 와 내 돈!! The others are better than mu-so which has trouble with networking and pairing definitly. If you may have mu-so2, you have to see yourself who resets it everyday!
You stand the unit on its end to plug everything in. Yes it's not ideal but doing it this way is much easier, and is suggested by Naim. Also, their software is absolute garbage. They have never been able to get anything right, even since the DVD5 days. The loudness control reduces 'effectiveness' the higher the volume.
I didn't say it wasn't 'hifi', I did note the form factor and design choices and also the target audience and sonic comprises though. All detailed in the video.
Hi Chris, we all have our own style preferences in terms or video and the written review. I’m exactly the same. So no worries if my style is not to your taste. I always recommend that readers seek out a critic who is more sympathetic to their own views, approach and requirements. Maybe I’m just not the critic for you.
Thanks for this review! Despite one of the other comments here, you showed more parts of the physical product than I've seen anywhere else. And very thorough explanation of the sound.
Very kind of you to say, hagoo.
I see reviews complaining it’s so expensive. Look at a Radio Shack catalog from 1978. Receiver, box speakers and turntable on the cover. “Only $1,200”
Thanks you so much for including the near field listening comments, I am looking for a good quality speaker for my upper desk, that’s just what I wanted to know. Excellent! I got out of the Naim endless upgrade loops many years ago before it got out of hand, and I moved over to valves. But still love the Naim sound.
FYI, I went for the Mu-so 2 in the end. Very pleased with it, great sound, tight, bright and detailed as expected from Naim. Handled the Qobuz high res albums with ease, as well as some I’ve got on the hard drive, Apple Music is what it is but it managed to get as much as is possible from the ‘lesser’ files. Not as visceral or engaging as a high end system but easy to use and set up/position, excellent for the money imo.
@@simon_b_0014 Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Still satisfied with your choice?
@@lisette2060 Yes, still very pleased with the MuSo. I am now using ROON, partly because the MuSo is a ROON endpoint and integrates really well. Great bit of kit!
Had a similar problem with the app and the information it was giving me but all is good now. 'Tidal' £19.99/month after 90 days trial. Bloody hell. Blue tooth function and wi fi functions excellent . though. Great sound quality: "punchy, quite focussed, quite detailed, ........very confident feel" Thanks for the advice about raising it up and the removing the grill. Good review
I'm now moving away from hifi to a high quality headphone setup, so, for me, this is excellent for streaming low bit rate internet radio without all the boxes.
You are right that Naim also gets more oriented at `Live Style` products but many companies do the same. They also make great amps and network players. I don`t mind unless companies lose their roots, like Sony (old SACD players were great) and Nikon (which once was an pro oriented SLR company)....
Very helpful! I’m what my 17 year old calls a ‘dinosaur’ so my Naim hifi doesn’t yet feature streamers and all that guff, in fact that’s exactly what I’m looking at now....adding a decent Naim streamer in my listening room with one or possibly more Miso 2 elsewhere. As you say, lifestyle not hifi....but that’s what I want and your review gave a lot of clarity thanks!
I had the first one and had all the same software issues which is ridiculous at its price range. They do sound great as long as you don't mind constant software issues and don't care about stereo separation and soundstage.
Thanks for explaining your experiences kcsal - many thanks.
It’s a stand alone … better than Sonos etc. so it is what it is. Not really intended as a ‘main system’ there are continual ‘step improvements’ available within the Naim ranges
Hello, what do you think about the beosound 2? I was thinking on buying one but I see the Naim MuSo 2 Gen and I think because of your video that is an amazing speaker although I never heard one in person, It would be nice to know your opinion, how this speakers compare with each other ?
The Beosound is a good looking piece of kit and admirable in many ways but I'd probably stick with the Nai in terms of sound, if comparing the two.
@@TheAudiophileMan Thanks for answering
Hi
@The Audiophile Man,
Thank you for the very detailed and informative review.
I just bought the naim mu so 2 and can't wait to get home and set it up.
What in your opinion is the best source of music for this set up?
And is it worth going the extra mile to get a TIDAL subscription or are the likes of Spotify and Amazon Music good enough? Is there a clear distinctive deference between these platforms?
Hi Gabriel - Actually, I quite like Qobuz. It recently decided to stop using MP3s and features hi-res music. Streaming sources are often a personal thing, though because of the variety in interface types. I would take advantage of free trials and see how each system feels to you. Every service has its own quirks so you need to see which of those irritate you the least :)
@@TheAudiophileMan
Many Thanks!
OMG..... “Space” one of my all time favourite albums.
Has anyone done a comparison between the NAIM Mu-So 2 and the McIntosh RS200?
Hi there. I was considering buying this to replace my bowers and Wilkins wireless zeppelin. Before I I do that it would be nice to hear what you think of the Zeppelin before I commit. Many thanks.
Gump1Gump2 Thanks for your question. I thought the Zeppelin offered detail, highly focused mids, tight bass but I also thought it veered towards the bright side on those upper frequencies.
The Audiophile Man many thanks for your quick reply. For the money it’s worth now im not sure they are worth selling to achieve a slightly better sound from a newer ‘lifestyle system’. The zeppelin still sounds fantastic and to achieve a more superior sound I would be looking at spending 3 times the amount!
@@Gump1Gump2 The Zeppelin is an ideal lifestyle, luggable, music source and - just looking at the face of it - I would see that as a complement to any new Naim box, rather than a replacement. I see the Mu-so as another weapon in your lifestyle source armoury. One that sits in place in a semi permanent position. A place you regularly listen to music. The Zeppelin I see as a source that travels with you around the house, etc. For example, cooking in the kitchen, working in your office, tinkering in the garage. Things like that. If you can, I'd keep both.
Did you try it connected to the TV ?
I'll stick with my 2019 Ruark R5; it rivaled the Muso 1, sounds good at low volume, no fatigue, has the latest bluetooth, and it cooks your tea. When they put a CD in, things might change, but they have been told that a billion times with no result. Not enough to take the living room, and I don't have a sodding smartphone.
The Ruark is a lovely bit of kit and so it doesn't surprise me that you favour it, sandydenny lives. And if you're happy with how ir performs that that's the main thing, of course :)
@@TheAudiophileMan Thanks for the reply. I do like the Ruark sound, crystal clear and warm without a hint of bloat, but when hopefully soon I get a living room I may wan't dem olde speakers. The Audiolab cd transport has me seriously looking, it might do with the Audio etc amp and a nice Chord. I'm a radio head as well, so if the Chord can help there through the amp with a tuner I'll be sorted. I worry a little about long term reliability with Audiolab, but we'll see. Speakers are a whole other matter of course. I can go to about £3K.
@@sandydennylives1392 Would you be looking for stand-mounted or floor standers? Any particular type, variant or technology that you prefer? What sort of sound do you like in general terms? Balanced, bass emphasis, clinical mids, etc?
@@TheAudiophileMan Floorstander's, I like a balanced warmth with emotion, and full clarity and accurate timbre. A bit of SS is nice. A Ruark on acid, like Roksan. Not Musical Fidelity. I'm CD's and DAB/Internet radio. Don't get hooked up on warmth. I might go to Qobuz etc, but not anytime soon. I don't use a pad or smartphone, maybe a remote. No Vinyl. Mostly Jazz, some Classical a bit of African, some Reggae, but mainly Jazz.
I'd encourage you to take e look at Spendor's speakers.
Des this speaker Excellent for big room like Bose SoundTouch 30 or not?
Indeed it is, yes.
Hi - thank you for the detailed review! Much appreciated. May I ask how you connected the A&K player to the Muso? I am currently running a B&W Zeppelin Wireless, streaming Apple Music via Airplay, which I have always found to be bright? flat and pretty lifeless during the time I’ve had it. Wondering if a source change would spice things up …. Otherwise, will look to moving up to the Muso. No where in Mumbai (where I reside) that I can audition one unfortunately.
Pretty sure it was via optical, Jamshed.
@@TheAudiophileMan - got it. No chance of that on the Zeppelin Wireless! Thanks for your prompt reply.
How is this for use connected to a TV 📺 and smaller room? Do you actually hear a stereo image from the speakers being so close together? Thanks
It will perform well in a small room but don't expect a great stereo presentation.
How would you say this speaker 🔊 sounds compared to The Bowers and Wilkins Formation Wedge especially when it comes to separation and bass? I tend to listen to hiphop and reggae more than any other genres so just asking which one would you recommend the Formation Wedge vs Naim MuSo 2nd Generation? This speaker will be in my bedroom hope this helps. Any assistance you can bring is greatly appreciated thanks 🙏.
I haven't compared the two myself (although I find the Wedge's app a bit clunky) but colleagues say if you want refinement go for the Wedge. If you want bass, go for the Naim.
How does the Mu-so 2 perform as a soundbar? I need a relatively small form factor, and not too concerned about stereo separation as much. Is the speech content clear at low volumes? In my current set up the dialogue often gets drowned out by the bass
It performs well - that is certainly an option. I didn't do speech-related testing but was happy with the overall clarity. A big part of the overall performance will depend on the quality of your TV source, though. You may also need to experiment with the EQs and the grill on/off choices.
@@TheAudiophileMan Thanks for that. One of my concerns was the limited EQ options in the unit. You can only stipulate distance from the wall and turn the Loudness setting off. Are these quite effective?
@@matthewmccafferty4180 I mentioned the Loudness control, there's the Room Compensation thing and the grill affects sound too. That's it, though, you're right. The basic clarity is useful though and I would *expect* that to help speech, etc.
Nice and clear review, i am close to purchasing one due to the fact i no longer can have traditional HIFI set up, shall be running normal web based music service and also cd's, any other options before buying? I listen to many types of music and apreciate low volume quality and seperation over loudness. Keep up the good work, enjoy your reviews both written and video
Purchased the unit, after the first day these are my thoughts, fiddly to set up, app could be better, as an alternative to hifi it does not work, quite obvious due to that one point of source can never be as good as a two speaker (active or passive) set up. I have limited placement option, so for me it works. Sound quality, good considering it is one point of sound, decent mids and trebels, lows are suficient for my mixed musical taste, projection depending on the recording is hit and miss, if there are tracks with many mucial instruments it can get a little messy, overall i am happy, audioman is spot on saying it is a lifestyle producto. BTW i have it placed at the front of the TV and sit around 3 meters from the center of the unit, sometimes a little sterio effect seems to get through but not often.
Sorry I couldn't reply soon enough to offer alternatives to you. Yes, there are compromises in sound terms but I'm glad to see it's working for you.
The beneath connections and side usb makes very little sense …. Unless… it’s to do with internal interference, which Naim would understand more than me 😉
I got one of these and my opinion is very mixed. It looks nice, and sounds pretty good, but the app is absolutely rubbish (with no sign of improvement). Connecting is difficult as you said, and Wi-Fi periodically drops meaning I have to reboot the unit. For aesthetic purposes I tried it as a sound bar (partner dislikes speakers by TV) and was impressed by the clarity of sound, but underwhelmed by the overall soundscape, it was "noisy". I'm perplexed as to why people rate this so highly, for £1300 you can get some hifi bits which would blow this out of the water sound-wise. I realise that's not always what people want and this unit is about convenience. I confess I haven't used it much, the combo of abysmal app and thinking for 1300 pounds the sound should be better has probably put me off.
Great review - very much appreciate how articulate and descriptive you are.
Many thanks, Michael.
Excellent report! Lots of thnx ❤️
Naim Mu-so2 👌 👍 ❤️
2 things first thing is that I thought the muso 2 couldn't play dsd files 2nd thing is i thought muso 2 did play aptx hd.
DSD can be supported up to 128. Not only does the Muso 2 *not* have aptX HD, it does *not* have aptX at all! I'm not sure where you heard that it did? Here's an official quote from the company, I hope you find it of some use: "...if you want to direct stream from devices, [Naim] would suggest using AirPlay 2 and Chromecast built-in, both of which typically offer a better-quality experience than Bluetooth (which is, of course, still included for convenience.)
Mu-so’s integrated music streaming, including Spotify and TIDAL gives yet more options, as does its support for Roon."
The Audiophile Man thank you for your response.
무조2 네트워크 및 페어링 트러블 저세상 개념이다. 매일 초기화하고 기기 등록하는 자신을 발견할 때 즈음 의문이 들 것이다. 내 돈!!! 이걸 오디오 갤러리에서 정가 주고 산 내가 흑우다. 사은품으로 준 포칼 헤드폰이 만족도 훨씬 좋은 기이한 현상이다. 와 내 돈!! The others are better than mu-so which has trouble with networking and pairing definitly. If you may have mu-so2, you have to see yourself who resets it everyday!
High end kitchen radio!
My impression as well. Some people seems to have loads of money, and likes spending them on fancy tech ...🤔
You stand the unit on its end to plug everything in. Yes it's not ideal but doing it this way is much easier, and is suggested by Naim.
Also, their software is absolute garbage. They have never been able to get anything right, even since the DVD5 days.
The loudness control reduces 'effectiveness' the higher the volume.
Ok it goes on top of a cabinet. Get over it. How does this mean that it's not HiFi.?
I didn't say it wasn't 'hifi', I did note the form factor and design choices and also the target audience and sonic comprises though. All detailed in the video.
I'll stick with my 2007 Bose Wave.
There main thing, of course, is that you're happy with the hardware you're running, olanzipMK2. Hope you're enjoying yourself :)
This review has convinced me not to get it. Setting it up sounds a bit too complicated for me.
A sophisticated loudspeaker with mediocre sound quality?
Yes, I'm afraid that's how it felt for me!
Too much of your face and not enough of the unit. So I will have to think harder about buying it.
Hi Chris, we all have our own style preferences in terms or video and the written review. I’m exactly the same. So no worries if my style is not to your taste. I always recommend that readers seek out a critic who is more sympathetic to their own views, approach and requirements. Maybe I’m just not the critic for you.
@@TheAudiophileMan Great response.