High Lifestyle
THE ORIGINAL Mu-so wireless music system released in 2014 was a first in the emerging “lifestyle audio” category—a truly highend, wireless, multiroom speaker from one of the most respected brands on the planet. I auditioned the Mu-so back then, and what I remember most from the unboxing was its nearly 30-pound heft, and the manly, finned heatsink that ran the width of the back panel and threatened to cut any flesh that wandered too carelessly in its direction. What I recall from using it was the cool Lucite plinth with backlit logo upon which the console rested; the sensuous, tactile spin of the illuminated volume ring; and the smooth, authoritative sound.
Flash ahead to 2019, and it was déjà vu all over again. The second-generation version Mu-so that arrived for review, simply dubbed Mu-so 2, shares essentially the same form as the original (review at soundandvision.com). But it has been updated in so many ways that Naim declares it 95 percent revised. Let’s get into it.
The Mu-so 2 is a rectangular box measuring 24.7 x 4.8 x 10.4 inches (WxHxD). Its brushed aluminum case is broken on top only by the control dial/volume ring, which spins effortlessly and endlessly in either direction but affects change only to the defined volume limits. Inside the ring is a capacitive touch panel that, in this new version, has 15 control options—everything from track transport to input selection to five preset buttons that can be programmed to instantly call up favorite Spotify playlists or internet radio stations. Thanks to a new proximity sensor, the unit wakes from standby and exposes the backlit touch buttons with the
