Naim Mu-so

I had to go today to an Apple Store to have my phone replaced.

While waiting for the "Somewhat Smart Dude" from the juice bar (I have a hard time calling them "Geniuses") I saw something I never saw before.

It was a something called a Mu-so. By a company I thought made hi end audio gear.

Basically, an all in one music player, I am pretty sure it said "Naim" and was $1500.00. I thought this will be interesting to listen to. One of the "Somewhat Smart Dudes" came over and listened to it with me.

He said something like, "incredible isn't it?"

All I could think was that it was incredible, indeed. Incredible that something so expensive could sound so crappy.

Now that I am thinking of it, maybe I added an extra zero. If it goes for $150.00 it might be a good bathroom radio.

Catering to the Apple Watch crowd I guess?

Mu-so by Naim is an excellent piece for folks who want a good sounding lifestyle solution for a small room or living space that they don't want dominated by HiFi. Correctly setup it's a heck of a nice piece of kit that many non Naim dealers are selling. Those who put it down probably didn't get a proper demo and didn't care enough to ask more questions.

http://www.whathifi.com/naim/mu-so/review

It's amazing what DSP correction can do for speakers these days. Amplifiers have gotten so cheap that it's viable to use one per driver, and dispense with passive crossovers and all their inherent issues.

I loved Wired's review, and their cautionary note at the end.

http://www.wired.com/2014/10/naim-mu-so/

Here’s the rub, though: The Naim mu-so is a gateway drug that will lead to late-onset OCD and financial ruin. It may start innocently enough: streaming ALAC files from an iPhone, sampling the Mood Booster playlist on Spotify, maybe blasting Urge Overkill while screening Pulp Fiction on the Vizio. Sure, the expansive and thoroughly convincing soundstage this Mighty Mouse unit projects is downright eerie. And the iOS/Android app, with all its customization options and metadata, is certainly convenient. But this glorious honeymoon will end. Eventually you’ll find yourself pricing Bentleys and toying with the idea of selling your house and moving to Kentucky in order to afford a “proper Naim sound system.” Listen to this thing at your own risk.

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I heard the Mu-So a couple of times and thought it sounded pretty good for what it is - a lifestyle product. If I was looking for an all-in-one solution I suppose I could live with it.
I also had a chance to listen to another lifestyle product, the Devialet Phantom, and while I found it to be mighty impressive I realized I could never live with that type of sound. Punchy as hell but just too mechanical.

Art K. said:

Mu-so by Naim is an excellent piece for folks who want a good sounding lifestyle solution for a small room or living space that they don't want dominated by HiFi. Correctly setup it's a heck of a nice piece of kit that many non Naim dealers are selling. Those who put it down probably didn't get a proper demo and didn't care enough to ask more questions.

http://www.whathifi.com/naim/mu-so/review

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I guess I am the latter.

Lifestyle solutions that one buys out of a box are for Hurly Davidson owners.

Apple stores are rather sucky places to listen to music.

I tend not to linger around things I don't like and can't afford. I had a bad experience at a Bently dealer.

I still think the mu-so so would be a fine bathroom piece for people with a lot of money... like Russian oligarcs, defense contractors and football players.

Eat the rich, right. :thumbsdn:

Mu-so is for folks who love music and have no interest in HiFi. I see nothing wrong with that. An affordable one box solution for folks who have no interest in a component HiFi system

I don't see anything wrong with the OP sharing his audition of the gear in question be it positive or negative.

Having said that, $1,500 doesn't sound like a Russian oligarch kind of price either. It sounds pretty reasonable especially from Naim.

The problem is that he didn't audition it.

I heard the Mu So at CEDIA for the first time last year and thought it sounded very good FWIW. Hell, some sound bars are are going for $800 to $900 so this isn't really outside the realm of mainstream.

Fit and finish is SUPERB. It is actually the product that got me started down the Naim path. Very happy I'm there now.

Art K. said:

The problem is that he didn't audition it.

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Didn't he say it sounded crappy?

davidro said:

Didn't he say it sounded crappy?

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Yes he did. That does not mean he auditioned it. That means he heard it. I don't see those as the same thing, YMMV.

YMMV ok. Then he's heard it, and didn't think much of it. Nothing wrong with sharing the experience as far as I'm concerned. He's clearly entitled to judge whether he likes it or not. In fact I'm glad he did because I'd like to see varying accounts of the experience on this forum.

I have no problems with a discussion about a product based on it's merits or demerits, if you will. This thread seemed more like an assault on a class of people than the product. I see no need for that. Pros and cons of a product based on audition or actual experience can be a plus. Gives folks an idea of what the product looks like in real world use. Again that is just how I see it.

I think Mu-so is a great product. I have no need for it as my home is so small that there is no need for such a product with multiple systems available and a wife who likes HiFi. If I had a vacation home I would buy one in a heartbeat.

davidro said:

YMMV ok. Then he's heard it, and didn't think much of it. Nothing wrong with sharing the experience as far as I'm concerned. He's clearly entitled to judge whether he likes it or not. In fact I'm glad he did because I'd like to see varying accounts of the experience on this forum.

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He heard it in a terrible place to listen to music, an Apple Store. They aren't set up for listening, they are set up to be loud so they seem like a happening place. Lots of reflective surfaces, lots of talking and action, people playing with computers. Frankly everything sounds like poop there. Not a fair test for the Mu-so.

Point accepted. However, I'd have thought playback in that sort of environment is one thing they had in their mind when they designed it. They're not separate component gear. Meant to be for social scenes, living room etc. For that reason his account should have some merit.

The way I see it, the guy listened to it and it sounded like crap to him, so I'd call that an audition. If I had a vacation home, don't think I'd want a Naim boom box either, and just judging from other posts around this place, either would Art. But since it costs a lot, and has the Naim name one it, hard to say what he would select.

Cheers!

Just to clarify:

I DID listen to the NAIM Mu-su in an Apple Store for about five minutes. That was enough for me. The experience did not impress me with a positive result.

In my opinion, Apple stores are NOT the place to listen to music. Too noisy, a lot of reflective surfaces, etc. But, that is where I was exposed to the thing. I did not think to ask the people at the Apple Store if I could take one home to listen to. I am not in the market for anything like that... I was killing time. If I was in the market for something like that, based on my limited experience with the thing, I would not even want to take it home to try.

If I did have $1500.00 to spend on something like that, I would like to listen to it in a better environment. If any supplier wants people to hear their audio products properly they have every opportunity to be selective about who and how their equipment is marketed.

Naim (I am guessing here) is going after a market that has a lot of money and wants simplicity. I don't believe NAIM is a household name along the lines of BEATS, BOSE or even B &W. So, I am thinking NAIM/ Apple are selling the Mu-su on price point rather than sound quality coupled with a mass marketing program. (I had no idea the Mu-su existed until I saw it in the store.) My opinion is based on LIMITED exposure (as previously stated) to the thing and believe it is over priced. Again, my opinion is based on my experiences in the store in which I was exposed to the Mu-so.

In my opinion, people that have enough money to buy stuff on price point alone are the rich. I don't laugh at all rich people. In my opinion, people that earn or inherit their money fairly are free to do with it as they wish. I find it funny that people have enough money to buy stuff based on price rather than quality.

I also think most of the "accessories" found in the Apple Store are over priced. I think people are happy to buy stuff in an Apple Store because of the Apple Store Experience. One can go over to Best Buy and find much of the same stuff for less money. But, if you are buying a new computer, tablet or telephone, it is convenient to buy accessories from the same place at the same time. The buyer is till paying a premium for purchasing from the Apple Store.

I personally like the design of the muso. I could see it having great WAF because of the simplicity and looks. That being said I listened to one in a Stereo store where it was a good environment for listening, but too much other exceptional gear for it to compete with. I like it when manufaturers think outside the box(or in this case inside the box) and try to change our perception of how an item should be.
Beer