Интегральные усилители — Naim UNITI NOVA

The Uniti Nova is the top all-in-one player of Naim Audio's second-generation Uniti range, designed and built by the British company in Salisbury. It combines a network streamer, DAC, preamplifier and 80W-per-channel power amplifier in one chassis, with more inputs than the Uniti Atom and Uniti Star.

Key specs that matter

The power amplifier delivers 80W per channel into 8 ohms in Class A/B. Digital inputs are two optical (up to 24-bit/96kHz), two coaxial RCA and one BNC (up to 24-bit/192kHz, with DSD64 via DoP) and HDMI ARC, plus two USB-A sockets and an SD card slot. Analogue inputs are RCA and Naim 5-pin DIN. Streaming supports WAV up to 32-bit/384kHz, FLAC, AIFF and ALAC up to 24-bit/384kHz and DSD64 and DSD128. Outputs are speaker terminals, an RCA sub/pre output and a 3.5mm headphone socket. It connects over wired Ethernet or 2.4/5GHz Wi-Fi, typical power consumption is 140W, and the chassis measures 95 x 432 x 265mm and weighs 13kg.

Engineering and use context

Naim used the space inside the Uniti chassis for discrete components and a large toroidal transformer, with isolation between the digital, analogue and amplifier circuits. The power amplifier is cooled by finned aluminium heatsinks along the sides, a design borrowed from Naim's Statement flagship amplification, which dissipate the heat of the Class A/B output stage without fans. Streaming covers Chromecast built-in, Apple AirPlay, TIDAL, Spotify Connect, aptX HD Bluetooth, internet radio, UPnP and Roon Ready. A large internal buffer holds several minutes of streamed audio, reducing dropouts on unstable networks, and the Nova can join up to six Naim streamers in multiroom party mode or serve up to 20,000 tracks stored on attached USB drives to other players on the network. The front panel carries a 5-inch colour display and Naim's illuminated volume control with a proximity sensor, and the unit is controlled by the Naim app for iOS and Android or a Zigbee RF4CE remote. HDMI ARC takes TV sound, and firmware updates arrive over the network.

Pairing

With its Class A/B output stage, the Uniti Nova drives most stand-mount and floorstanding speakers directly. The sub/pre output allows a subwoofer or an external Naim power amplifier to be added later, following Naim's traditional upgrade path, and the DIN input suits Naim sources.

Alternatives

Naim's own Uniti Star adds a CD drive to a 70W Uniti chassis with fewer inputs.