Wireless speakers are now a massive part of the music world. For a long time, the most successful have been in the £50-£500 bracket, but there’s a growing range of high-end wireless, multi-room speakers appearing. They come from both established hi-fi brands and from newer manufacturers melding tech prowess with more old-fashioned audio virtues.
We’d pick UK hi-fi brand Naim as being the progenitor of this new breed. Its original Mu-so wireless speaker was the first to cost around £1,000 and be a big success. It also redefined what a wireless speaker could be in terms of quality of sound and design, and it still looks as stunning now as it did in 2014.
This issue, we’re taking a look and a listen at that speaker’s successor – called, logically enough, Naim Mu-so 2nd generation. It’s up against the new speaker from another hugely prestigious UK brand, the Series 3 from Scotland’s Linn. Also competing is the Phantom Reactor (now available in sexy black) from France’s hi-fi disruptor Devialet.
None of these speakers looks like a traditional speaker, but they are all intended to get you to splash reasonably large sums to enjoy classic hi-fi quality, via that there new-fangled streaming.
1 Linn Series 3
Linn helped to pioneer high-end digital hi-fi. The Series 3 is a serious bit of kit, but unlike the brand’s previous entries into this market, this one can at least be set up at home by you – past Linn streaming speakers have required a dealer with a laptop to come and optimise everything to suit the room you placed it in. Reviewed here as a single speaker. £2,950 (£5,450 if you want a stereo pair of them), linn.co.uk
SPECS
CONNECTIVITY Wi-Fi, ethernet, Bluetooth including aptX HD, HDMI
RESOLUTION Up to 24-bit, 192 kHz
This story is from the January 2020 edition of T3 Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the January 2020 edition of T3 Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
LIGHT FLIGHT DJI Mini 4 Pro
The world's best-value pro-style mini consumer drone for taking hi-res imagery
SURFACE TIME Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2
The second-gen Surface Laptop Studio shows Microsoft is still willing to experiment with unique kit and it sure is special
PROUDLY LOUD KEF LSXIILT
Offering audio clout without the massive cost, the 'LT' represents KEF's 'lite' paredback version of the LSX II system - and very capable it is indeed
OPEN QUESTION Bose Ultra Open Earbuds
Bose's Ultra Open Earbuds don't go into your ears and always allow ambient sound in – but are they good full-time earbuds?
OPEN AND SHUT OnePlus Open
OnePlus's first foldable phone has some tricks even established competitors can't beat. So will this new king of foldables reign supreme?
HOLE IN ONE OnePlus 12
The OnePlus 12 packs in a top camera and blistering performance, while looking better than almost anything else
THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO...Portable projectors
You don't need a home cinema to supersize your viewing. With a portable projector, you can cast gigantic images just about anywhere
SMARTER SMART SECURITY
Yale upgrades its smart security offering and the results are great
HELLO HERITAGE
The latest batch of UNESCO World Heritage Sites doubles as a great source of inspiration for future travel plans. Here are our favourites
SOFORT, SO GOOD Leica Sofort 2
This is a brilliant hybrid instant camera with style - and it's the cheapest way to get some Leica in your life!