Every CES show reporter I bumped into would start the conversation with, "So, Herb what have you seen that you liked?" Or, "What's the coolest new product?" The second I walked it the Naim room, I knew the answer to both questions. Their new Mu-so wireless loudspeaker ($1500) is so cool and so hot—it froze my gaze and warmed my innards with its totally deluxe sound.
The Mu-so's beautifully proportioned brushed aluminum cabinet, its full rear-spanning heatsink, its slender mirrored base, and its sculpted 3D grill (which comes in several colors) push it immediately to the top rank of present-day industrial design. The crowning glory of the design is the Mu-so's illuminated circular volume control/touchscreen programming interface. It comes with a remote, but I doubt anyone will use it.
Hidden behind the Mu-so's bas-relief grille are two three-way loudspeakers. Each of the six drivers is powered by its own discrete 75W, class-D power amp. That's 450W total! Besides optical (24-bit/96kHz), USB, and 3.5mm analog ports, the Mu-so features aptX Bluetooth, Airplay, UPnP, Spotify Connect, and thousands of internet radio stations.
