Synergy

It’s not often that everything falls into place in this hobby but when it does it’s pure magic. This was one of those rare moments. Our system, by the job, sounds insightful, neutral and rather analytical because we want to hear everything and need to register every change. Don’t get us wrong, this system sounds great but using the Naim Uniti HE as a preamplifier/streamer/dac adds a subtle touch of English flair. It’s as if someone with a can of stardust makes all our music sound otherworldly. Yes, we are exaggerating a bit but we are trying to reflect what we are experiencing. The trio of Naim, Benchmark, Revel provided the ultimate synergy in our listening room.

The Sound

Our test list passes the review and nowhere do we notice anything that disturbs or is out of balance. If we have to put this in audiophile terms, we end up with a slightly polished treble, clearly audible with Lana Del Rey, an open and rather fresh midrange but with plenty of air and refinement and a full bass with punch and definition. Thanks to the Benchmark of course.

The Naim allows our Benchmark to perform optimally and holds nothing back. The stereo image is wide and deep and imaging is top notch. The sound is sparkling, clean and alive with color and texture. Not digital or analog, not the ultimate resolution we hear in our test system but rich in detail without emphasizing anything.

Naim is often labeled with PRaT and we have to admit that it largely applies here but with something extra. There is a kind of ‘get up and go’ feeling at the beginning of each track and with vocal work there is a ‘sense of urgency’ that we rarely experience. One falls a slight glow over the music that makes the sound irresistible. End of praise.

Listening through the Revels

Allison Ponthier with her new “Faking my own death” is the first album we put through the Uniti HE and it doesn’t sound wrong. Instruments are nicely woven into the mix and nothing jumps out. We mostly hear the Benchmark and that’s a plus. This unit is a neutral pass-through but there is more. Music comes off nicely from the speakers and there is a nice spread in the soundstage. Vocals, as mentioned, are polished a bit but that works great for regular recordings and still all the details are there. Low notes resonate for a long time and offer additional pleasure. The album is over in a sigh. Enjoyment!

Lana Del Rey is an excellent litmus test for any d/a converter and because the Naim doesn’t over-excite the s’es and t’s, you can enjoy more recordings. Sharp edges have been lightly filed. The songs sound musical by which we mean that the music prevails. No forensic look at every part of a song but a balanced sound with lots of flow and finesse. At the bottom punch and balls. Really nothing to complain about. The Uniti HE gets the best out of all our music.

We are waiting for new work from Stella Donnelly but we still regularly listen to her debut “Beware of dogs”. A wonderful album, beautifully recorded, full of clean songs that never get boring and stay fresh. Through the Uniti HE we hear a lot of detail, but it is not the “core business” of this device. We hear not only the AHB2 but also the dac in the Uniti HE and it is particularly good. Again, nothing to complain about by our insightful Revels. A tour de force.

Listening through the Focal Clear MG

We would almost forget that the Uniti HE is actually a headphone amplifier. Since we only have a modest Hifiman Sundara ourselves, a beautiful pair of Focal Clear MG headphones (55 Ohm, 104dB) was included. This allows us to do full justice to the Naim Uniti HE. When you connect headphones the volume goes down automatically for safety. You can control three different headphones at the same time if you want. We usually had two playing at the same time and that was no problem at all.

We have been fans of The Weather Station since the very beginning and also their latest album “How is it that i should look at the stars” can charm us although we like their earlier work better. Still, there is plenty to enjoy and Tamara Lindeman’s voice does not bore us for a second. This album needs several listens but that is no punishment because of the Focal Clear MG. On the contrary. You listen just a little more attentively to a text through headphones and those texts come through crystal clear. There’s plenty of bass without it being distracting or bonkers. It is a fast bass that does not slow down the rest of the playback. There are headphones that reproduce emotion in a voice better but like the Sundara, the MG is a neutral pass-through that opts for a pure, open sound without coloration. The Focal, however, goes a lot further in every aspect.

Some sturdier work now with the Belgian Charlotte Adigéry who, together with Boris Popul, makes wonderfully twisted music but full of content and originality. This music is not for everyone but we love it. The beats, samples, vocoders and so on create a real wall of sound. What a party! Also the Focals are made for this kind of music because they keep control at all times despite the hectic pace of many songs. The class A amplifier in the Uniti HE is transparent, open and fast and fits our Benchmark perfectly.

Nilufër Yanya, an English singer-songwriter with Turkish roots. “Painless” is a bloodily beautiful album full of captivating lyrics and excellent arrangements. Yanya’s angelic voice comes on top for free. The song “Shameless” is balanced from start to finish by the Uniti HE and Focal Clear MG. Again, we wouldn’t know what could be better. We let our gaze wander to the screen for a moment where the beautiful cover complements the music perfectly. Excellent! There is a lot of great music being released in recent months and we can use it in these harsh times.

Special thanks to Manu Clarys of Latham Audio for providing a Focal Clear MG for this test