The Naim Audio Mu-so 2nd Generation is a pricey all-in-home home audio solution, but it’s supremely capable, incredibly flexible, and it sounds like heaven.

Since I've made much of the comparison between Apple's offering and that of Naim, I'll wrap with an analogy. Making a determination regarding HomePod vs Naim vs whatever is sort of like a Porsche enthusiast trying to decide between a Boxster, a Cayman, or a 911. Anyone who possesses the requisite discretionary funds will likely go for the power, prestige, and history of the 911. For the rest of us, it's the Boxster or the Cayman... or no Porsche at all.

£1,300 is quite a lot of money. It hovers at the point where a respectable, streaming system could be assembled for the same money that would be fairly free of compromise. The Mu-so 2nd Generation isn’t quite at the point where its big brother the Uniti Star is, where I can’t easily assemble an alternative in my head that does more than it does better than it does. The Mu-so, by contrast, does at least have recognisable competition - not least in the form of the Bowers & Wilkins Formation Wedge which - in basic form at least, is £400 cheaper.

The Mu-so delivers on Naim's stated intention: to get people—audiophiles or not, even analog devotees—to engage more with their music. It's small and inexpensive for what all you get, but it's plenty good enough to capture, or recapture, sublime musical moments and memories.

Finally, the Naim Audio Mu-so 2nd Generation is still as fun to use as that QB back in my Syracuse office. It’s still an audio product that you buy and then waste an entire weekend just playing around with it. I still miss that old QB and the sense of discovery it instilled. I’m glad to revisit those feelings with the new Mu-so.

Normally, packing up products is a reality for any audio reviewer but I am not sure that I am going to be allowed to do that with the Naim Mu-so sounds as it has so much utility that it is hard to imagine that there isn’t a place for it in my home. I wouldn’t argue with you if you felt the same way.

Setting aside true stereo separation, if you were to build a system that is capable of all of the things the Mu-so 2 can deliver you’re likely going to spend more than its asking price of roughly $1700. A NAIM Uniti Atom with an HDMI input will set you back more than three grand and that’s before you add speakers, which if you go with Focal speakers you’re looking at maybe an additional $1000. So for the right person, or environment, the Mu-so 2 really IS a complete digital two channel system in a single chassis. The fact that it is also a satisfying and competent soundbar for movies is another feather in its cap. As part of a whole home NAIM ecosystem the Mu-so 2 is a no brainer, for paired with a Mu-so QB or even our Uniti Atom in our main system it’s high-end distributed audio at its finest. But more than that, what makes the Mu-so 2 so good, is that it keeps you listening and that really is the point of any system, isn’t it?

Still not selling my vintage system but Naim has done its homework. I would recommend this without hesitation.

The Naim Mu-so 2 systems have improved on the originals by providing more connections, more power, and great sound in a compact, easy to use product that exudes style and quality.

The Mu-so 2 is a devastatingly fine-sounding slab of metal – part-wireless speaker, part-soundbar and entirely captivating

If you were to price out all the components separately you'd be out considerably more to reach the same level of performance as the Mu-So 2. We've been floored by the performance of the Mu-So 2, especially when it comes to Apple users and AirPLay 2.

A superb-sounding, fully-featured wireless speaker that justifies its considerable expense

There's increasing competition in the 'premium wireless speaker' market, but Naim Mu-so 2 just crushed it. An awesome, thumping wall of sound and reliable, versatile software platform make for the perfect 21st century music experience

When it comes down to it, though, we think the Mu-so 2 is worth every penny. In a world where phones are now costing four-figures, the long-term investment and sheer joy that this system's audio prowess will bring to your home is enough to bring a tear to the eye (or your neighbours' eyes, given how impactful it is, sorry neighbours). Really, the Mu-so 2 is a superb soundsystem with little compare.

If it’s drama you’re after, Devialet’s £1290 Phantom Reactor 900 has it in spades. It’s a more visually arresting speaker than anything else on the market – and that’s doubly the case once it starts making music. It can’t quite match the Naim’s spaciousness of sound, and everything it does it seems to do in a hurry, but its native 24bit/192kHz DAC puts it ahead of Mu-so 2 – on paper, at least.

On the face of it, Naim has gone to an awful lot of trouble to deliver a product that only differs from the one it replaces in how much more expensive it is. But, as should be obvious, that’s not really fair. Mu-so 2 is a fuller, richer, more detailed and louder (let’s not forget ‘louder’) listen than the model it replaces, and it’s every bit as handsome and decorative. It has more rivals to face than the Mu-so ever did – but those B&W, Devialet and B&O alternatives (to name but three) only exist because of the new ground broken by Mu-so. And Mu-so 2 seems more than capable of maintaining its predecessor’s position at the front of the pack.