VERDICT
There's no denying that Naim's Mu-So Qb makes a big impact, but its controls and setup can be frustrating, especially at this price.
PROS:
- Stylish looks
- Small form factor
- Full and vibrant sound
CONS:
- Expensive
- Setup can be painful
The original Mu-So was a phenomenal-sounding speaker with a great control scheme that was ultimately packaged into a form factor that didn't quite make sense to me.
You might find it strange, but my problem with it was its size. Hear me out: the Mu-So's width meant it didn't sit nicely on a side table, and its depth and top-located control panel meant it couldn't work underneath a TV either.
For those with a living space big enough, and had the budget for a £1,099 ($1,499) speaker, Naim's Mu-So was a wonderful piece of kit. But, at that price point, most audiophiles would be considering a hi-fi system comprising two or more high-quality speakers, rather than one large cabinet.
All this is a long-winded way of saying that I think the Qb makes so much more sense as a product than its older brother, due to its much smaller size.
Dimensions and connectivity
Measuring just 210 x 218 x 212mm (W x H x D) the Qb might be taller than the original Mu-So, but it more than makes up for this with its significantly reduced width. This new form factor enables the Qb to fit perfectly on a side table, which makes more sense for a streaming device.
The extra height isn't a problem, either. Since the controls are located on top of the device, that vertical space wasn't going to be useful for anything else.
The Qb's connectivity ports are located on the rear of the device (another improvement over the original's weird bottom-facing ports); you'll find analogue, optical and USB inputs alongside an ethernet port and power connector.
Naim Audio Mu-So Qb
However, the bulk of users are probably going to connect to the Qb wirelessly, and here the speaker is compatible with most standards out there. You've got UPnP support for streaming files from a computer on your home network, aptX Bluetooth and Apple Airplay support.
Supported files range from MP3s to hi-res WAV, FLAC and AIFF tracks at 24-bit/192kHz, but know that any Wi-Fi streaming will result in these tracks being downsampled to 24-bit/48kHz (for reference, CD quality is 16-bit/44.1kHz).
You can also use the USB port to play files stored locally on an external hard drive, and if you have a second Mu-So these files can be wirelessly streamed to that device, even if they're currently being played on the first Mu-So.
Just don't expect to be able to pair two Mu-So's together in stereo like you can with a Sonos system. This is a system meant for multiple rooms, there's no option to sync a single song across two speakers.
There's also the Naim app for Android and iOS that you can use to listen to iRadio on the speaker. From the app, you can also set five preset stations which can then be accessed later at any time, even when you don't have your mobile device laying around.
Design
It's worth taking a moment to just appreciate what an amazing piece of design the Qb is. The review sample provided to techradar included the 'Burnt Orange' speaker grille, and although I usually prefer my equipment in a neutral color that blends into its surroundings, I was really pleased with how the Qb ended up looking in my living room.
Naim Audio Mu-So Qb
While it might not stand out to some, I thought the transparent stand is another great addition to the look of the device.
But it's the capacitive touchscreen volume dial that really sells the Qb as a piece of high-end electronics.
The Mu-So Qb 's physical buttons, like those seen on Ruark Audio 's R-series of music systems, are slightly more responsive. But, for the most part, the Qb's controller is purely aesthetic since this is a device that you're going to mostly be controlling with your phone.
Setup
The setup of the Qb, like the original Mu-So, happens through Naim's app, but it's not quite as clever as I'd have liked it to be.
The Qb has a single LED light which changes color based on what stage in the setup process you're at. You then report its color to the app, and it tells you the next stage in the setup process.
This process more or less works, but you might have a problem if your thumb slips at any point during the setup process.
I managed to accidentally select my neighbor's Wi-Fi network. This sent the Mu-So happily attempting to connect to a network which it didn't have the passcode to, and since all the Naim app does is read the Mu-So's LED light it was powerless to stop the process.
Resetting the device a couple of times allowed me to start the process afresh, but it took longer than it needed to.
Of course, if you manage to escape the setup process error-free you might only have to spend about five minutes total, as I found out when I was setting up my second Mu-So.
Once you've managed to setup the Qb, however, the device is incredibly easy to use.
I tested out the device in Bluetooth and Airplay modes, as well as directly hardwiring my iPhone into the USB port.
In all three modes playback on the device was as straightforward as you'd expect, and switching between connected devices was handled by tapping the top of the device.
Naim Audio Mu-So Qb
My biggest gripe with this feature is that it wasn't clear if a touch had been registered, causing me to cycle through every available input trying to get back to the one I wanted. For the most part however, the Mu-So is pretty good at selecting the correct input automatically anyway.
Sound quality
All the fantastic industrial design in the world doesn't matter if the Qb has failed to squeeze its bigger brother's audio fidelity into a smaller form factor, and thankfully there's no cause for concern here.
Naim has done a fantastic job squeezing five drivers (two tweeters, two mid-range and a single subwoofer) into a speaker of this size. Combined, the five produce 300W of amplification.
This means that bass ends up having punch without overwhelming the overall soundscape, and sound separation is impressive for a speaker of this size. A sample listen to Mozart's Le Nozze Di Figaro revealed a nice amount of detail in the string section, with individual bow scrapes audible on the track.
You'll get the best results if you hardwire your music directly via a USB cable, but the trade-off between portability and sound quality using AirPlay or AptX Bluetooth was one I was comfortable making.
Streaming over standard Bluetooth is also supported, but the punch it takes out of the sound means it's not worth using if you can avoid it.
Listening to Like Clockwork... by Queens of the Stone Age over Bluetooth saw Homme's vocals get lost in his guitar backing, and the drums didn't cut through the mix like they did when I hardwired an iPhone playing the same hi-res track fromTidal .
Naim Audio Mu-So Qb
The sound isn't quite as broad as the larger Mu-So, but what Naim has been able to achieve in this form factor is impressive all the same.
It would have been nice to have the option of pairing two Qb's to broaden the sound into stereo. But admittedly, with its premium price tag, this would probably be an option that very few consumers would end up using.
You can also perform a limited amount of tweaking on the Qb's sound through the app. There are two settings depending on how far away the speaker's backside is from a wall. (It will compensate with more bass if there isn't a wall reflecting bass back into the room.) Should you want to keep things a bit quieter, another 'Loudness' setting can be turned off for those of us living in flats above noise-sensitive neighbors.
What we liked
Naim's Mu-So Qb is a frankly stunning-looking piece of kit, especially if you bravely opt for a more colorful speaker grille than the standard black. The glass plinth creates a great floating effect, and the brushed aluminium finishes off a look that's simply in a different league to rival Sonos.
Thankfully, as well as looking great, the Qb is no slouch when it comes to belting out the tunes. It manages to fill the room with sound without being overwhelming, and the detail it manages even near max volume is impressive.
What we disliked
There are a couple of niggles I had with the Qb which, depending on how you plan on using it, might end up being more or less of a deal than it was for me.
The volume dial and controls on the top of the device are great for simple tasks like volume control and input selection. But, if you have to rely on them more often than that, you might end up wishing you had physical buttons to press.
And while the setup process is more or less intuitive, making a mistake during the process is costly and will set you back a few minutes while you reset the system to start from the beginning.
Finally there's currently no option to pair two Mu-So's together in a single room to get stereo sound - a feature that's available on some very inexpensive Bluetooth speakers. At its price point this might not be an option most audiophiles can afford, however it would be a nice feature to have in case you really want to double down on Mu-So's latest offering.
Verdict
The Mu-So Qb has a lot to like about it: It sounds fantastic, and its design means it fits well into a modern living space. But at almost £600 ($1000) the Qb is an expensive piece of kit.
If sound quality is your primary aim then you'd do better to investigate building a hi-fi out of a separate amp, speakers and dock, but if you want all of that combined into an exceptionally neat and stylish package then the Qb might be exactly what you're looking for.
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