The legendary British brand Naim has done a great job of staying current with technologies in the high fidelity market over the past 50 years. Ultimately, not a ton has changed compared to other tech sectors, but their all-in-one Uniti amplifier line has really captured the moment with its compact size, built in streaming capabilities and Class AB amplification. However, many of the models were somewhat constrained by the required size of the unit and the needs of the amplifier topology. The flagship Nova topped out at 80 watts per channel, good enough for most use case scenarios, but not everything for everyone (especially really hard-to-drive speakers). With this week’s annoumcent of a new Nova variant dubbed the Naim Uniti Nova PE (Power Edition) the wattage is amped up to 150w per channel (into 8 ohms, 250w into 4 ohms). The surprise news for most will likely be the switch to class D design to help achieve this feat, which is somewhat a rarity for Naim. This is a growing overall trend within the HiFi market in recent years, and Naim has also exercised the option in several of their products already including their Mu-So and Bently Motor projects.
More details in the press release below.
“ISE (Barcelona) – January 30 – Uniti Nova PE (Power Edition) is the new all-in-one player from Naim, the British brand that excels in the creation of high-end Hi-Fi systems. With 150W of power, this high-resolution audio player and stereo amplifier is the ideal all-round solution to combine with a pair of powerful Hi-Fi loudspeakers. It complements Naim’s Uniti range, which is hailed worldwide as the range that includes the best all-in-one players on the market.
THE BEST OF STREAMING AT HOME
Uniti Nova PE joins Uniti Atom, Atom Headphone Edition, Star, Nova and Core: these players are a benchmark in terms of their component quality, amplification performance, and their wireless and network-based listening features. It includes Spotify Connect, Apple Music, TIDAL and Qobuz for high-resolution music streaming and offers access to a multitude of internet radio stations. Thanks to the built-in AirPlay2, Chromecast, UPnP™, Roon Ready and Bluetooth® AptX HD technologies, it couldn’t be easier to play your music from a smartphone or tablet via the Focal & Naim app. To enjoy listening wherever you are in the home, it is also compatible with all Naim streaming devices, to facilitate a sensational multiroom setup.
PERFECT POWER FOR SUPPLYING LOUDSPEAKERS
With a sleek design, brushed aluminum box and LCD screen, Uniti Nova PE has been developed to meet the needs of demanding hi-fi loudspeakers. It provides 150W per channel (70W more than Uniti Nova) and features Class D amplification, which provides all the energy needed to animate hi-fi loudspeakers with musical resonance and power. With Uniti Nova PE, Naim once again demonstrates its ability to design all-round, easy-to-use products with a very high-quality sound, made for pure listening pleasure.
The Naim Uniti Nova PE will be available February 2024 for $9,999 USD and $12,999 CAD.”
More info: Naim Uniti Nova PE