So here we are, we finally made it to 2022. No doubt with many a New Year’s resolution to try and uphold, the New Year heralds a time of new beginnings and fresh starts. Sadly, it is an unfortunate statistic that January is often a prevalent month for breakups and divorce. This doesn’t have to be limited to relationships between humans…

Perhaps you’ve fallen out of love with your existing Hi-Fi? Time has taken its toll. You’ve grown apart. Circumstances have changed. It’s not them, it’s you… Whatever the reasoning, perhaps it’s time to clear out the old gear and upgrade. What we have for you this month could have the potential to buck the trend and end up as true “soul mates”.

Here at Audio T, we like to think of our Hi-Fi and service as a lifelong love. We certainly don’t condone marriage/divorce as often as Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor and you certainly shouldn’t be swapping your Hi-Fi out that often, you’ll barely have time to hear how good it is, to paraphrase a quote from the great Ivor Tiefenbrun, founder of Linn and the brainchild of the great Linn LP12 turntable.

All will be revealed as I launch into this months blog about the latest “Hollywood couple” of Hi-Fi. The Naim Uniti Nova streaming amplifier/DAC and Dynaudio Contour 20i stereo standmount speakers.

I have written several blogs on specific brands and models as well as my Facebook Vlog series “Great Pairings”, so I thought adding a little glamour might be a nice way to start 2022.

Fidelity takes on a new meaning . . . .

First up is the Naim Uniti Nova, a member of the Naim Uniti range comprising of the Atom, Atom HE, Star and Nova plus the Naim Core, which can act as server/storage and finally, the Naim Muso Qb2 and Muso 2, which are all-in-ones that are proving to be very popular at the moment.

The Naim Uniti Nova came out in 2017 and has many advancements in streaming technologies over the previous models, the Unitiqute and Superuniti range, with a ground-up development programme that has many years of future-proofness (not sure that’s a word, but if not, I just invented it!) built in, to such an extent, one can safely say that it is still at the head of the pack in 2022.

As with all of Naim products, there is upgradability built-in. A power amp can be added, such as the Naim NAP250DR and the Naim Powerline, about which I’ve blogged before here.

Contours that your Geography teacher never taught you about . . . .

Going back to my student years, I was a big fan of Blackadder. In Series 3, one of my favourite quotes, was from an episode with the Prime Minister of the time, William Pitt, declaring, “Tougher sentences for Geography teachers.” I don’t remember being taught in school about contours of the type I’m writing about in this blog, so I wholeheartedly agree.

Joking aside, not wishing to put off any potential Audio T customers who teach Humanities, the smooth lines of these Dynaudio Contour 20i allow Hi-Fi listeners to reach new levels of audio fidelity and enjoyment.

Listening taken to new heights . . . .

The sheer transparency, imagery and musicality of the Dynaudio Contour 20i take your breath away, to the same degree as a mountaineer might experience when the aforementioned contour lines on a map narrow as they approach the summit of the world’s second highest mountain in the Himalayas, Mount K2.

Imagery and lifelike spatial cues the Dynaudio Contour 20i conjure up on the live recordings of Neil Young, Bob Dylan and David Bowie albums leave you gasping for air. There really is a reach out and touch quality to the sound of this system and it does amplify the fact, pun intended, that the Naim Uniti Nova is a quality source and great match for the Dynaudio Contour 20i’s.

Even though the Dynaudio Contour 20i’s had effectively arrived from the mountaintops and were cold, straight out of the box, the sound enveloped you in a richly detailed and warm, yet dynamic sound. Heaven knows what they will sound like with a few hundred hours on the clock, roughly how long it will take for my jaw to remove itself from the floor of the listening room here at Audio T in Brighton. Sadly, Bill Livingstone, our man from Dynaudio, had to take them back home to run in, although I did volunteer our facilities to do the same, if he wished.

Back down to earth . . . .

Listening to this combination of quality components has emphasised, to me at least, the importance of symbiosis. A marriage made in heaven really does require more than one component and it certainly helps if they have the looks of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie thrown in. The Naim Uniti Nova and Dynaudio Contour 20i’s not only have that, they certainly win on the fidelity front!

All of this also begs the question, just how good would the Dynaudio Confidence 20 sound on the end of the setup? Not wishing to encourage the divorce of the components mentioned in this blog, I guess you’d have to climb Mount Everest to find that one out!

Contact us if you have any questions or wish to demo any of the products mentioned.

Thanks for reading - Ade - Audio T Brighton

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