Naim Mu-so Qb Generation 2

Naim Audio really does have all the hi-fi bases covered. In its earliest days as an amplifier-centric UK hi-fi company it grew a deeply-entrenched base of fans who were true believers in its views on amplification (then considered ‘out there’, now accepted as common wisdom). And the company evolved, taking its core base of hi-fi amplification to new levels (witness the $200k+ Statement pre-power amplifier), while investing well ahead of the pack in streaming audio trends. It had already been making its own loudspeakers, but its 2011 merger with French speaker company Focal brought new abilities and facilities in terms of drivers and design, and a few years later came its standalone wireless speaker, the Mu-so. Somehow this one-box speaker retained Naim’s emphasis on audio excellence while shifting into this potentially populace-pleasing product area. Critics loved it (it won a Sound+Image award), and it proved highly successful with consumers. A smaller, roughly cubic, Mu-so ‘Qb’ then followed.

Five years on from the original Mu-so came Mu-so Generation 2, in first the full size, and now this smaller Qb Gen 2. What’s changed?

Equipment

Much has changed, claims Naim, stating that the new Qb has