Uniti Nova review in HiFi News

Everything get a badge in Hifi news - 75/87 points for almost every product..... 

still it is a good read but sometimes it makes me crazy that it carefully avoids important questions and comperisons  about a product...

Totally agree Emre - outside of the lab test there has been more valuable information on this forum than from the HiFi news reviewer. It came across as a rather superficial piece. True he compared it with his own integrated amplifier; but nothing about the effect of adding an external power amp - or even which speakers he used. Sounds like he took the test unit home for a week, looked for something positive to say and prefixed it with a woffly description of its features. From the review the 'outstanding product' seems more of a stamp than his opinion-although he did go on about the 'powerful sound' . . . 

Emre posted:

Everything get a badge in Hifi news - 75/87 points for almost every product..... 

still it is a good read but sometimes it makes me crazy that it carefully avoids important questions and comperisons  about a product...

 

When I flick through HiFi World reviews in Smiths nearly every review ends with the summary 'Outstanding Product' or 'Excellent Product', whats the difference and is there any point in reading their reviews..?  If the magazine only chooses to review 'very good' products then I would imagine this magazine is only for the 'elite' audiophiles.

Come to think of it I can’t think of many reviews that slate products, even HiFi Critic and they don’t even take advertising. Entertaining reads most are but trust thine own earlugs at the end of the day

Ravenswood10 posted:

Klout10 posted:

Can someone help me getting a pdf copy of this review? I'm very interested!

You could try subscribing - it’s an excellent read. The best out there along with Hifi Critic of course

Sometimes reading HiFi reviews or listening to the results of the Eurovision Song Contest is an inardvertent study in politics involved...

The Issu app if downloaded has this issue for free?

Gazza, just pop into your local newsagent and buy a copy.  It's money well spent - whether a fan or not, HFNRR is something of an institution and well worth supporting.  Better yet, subscribe, then you won't miss anything.  The music features a good and the retrospective vintage kit reviews are also quite an eyeopener.

Richard, I do from time to time, and issu mainly has old copies, it seemed odd a new publication was available. I am well aware it cannot be free from new forever. I do buy them as well, mainly when I go on vacation to whet my appetite for the next plan....

Thanks to Gazza's (?) suggestion, earlier in thread I subscribed to Issu and downloaded edition - all for free - helpful when one lives abroad! I felt the Nova review to be  a bit cursory, despite the word count, and it didn't  cover some of the topics I wanted to hear about. I approached a UK dealer whom I trust and asked him what he thought about the Nova vs 272. His opinion was that the 272 is clearly better - more weight, texture, insight into recordings - I guess I will have to fly over and do an audition. 

@ Richard, are you aware if the 272 is due a refresh in the forseeable future - to take advantage of the new streaming platform and 'low noise' pre-amp components in the Nova?. 

I decided on your last comment to buy the Nova and a second hand 250dr as it was close to the 272/250 performance and would keep its value better when the 272 is replaced. Now the Nova has settled in I have compared to my friends 272/250 and I am not disappointed, they sound different, but not a huge difference. Dealers tend to go for the 200, not the 250, when comparing, if at all.

RBB, I'd imagine that a replacement for the NAC-N272 is inevitable at some point in the coming years.  As to exactly when that might be, I have no idea - and even if I did, I couldn't say.

Richard Dane posted:

RBB, I'd imagine that a replacement for the NAC-N272 is inevitable at some point in the coming years.  As to exactly when that might be, I have no idea - and even if I did, I couldn't say.

I take it it's imminent then?

more obtuse than central bankers. 

.sjb

The big question other than when this will happen is if there will be a 372 closer to or better than the 252.

Claus

Naim having had an extended period when they didn't get the anticipated income from the new Unitis, I doubt they will want to risk stalling sales of the 272 which is one of their best revenue earners from the legacy ranges.

So looking into my crystal ball, I see a 372 first, but not yet I think. And at quite a price premium to the 272, so as to distance the two markets. And then after a further pause of a year or so, maybe a 272 Mk2.

Of course I could be completely wrong, which is what makes this sort of pointless speculation fun!

best

David

True - actually a new 272 might tempt people to skip the Nova- it certainly would apply in my case.  The new entry level Naims have a simialr look ad feel and with the white lighting echo the Statement. Maybe a 272 mk 2 in the same mould with screen, new streaming platform and DR power supply for 5k? Is there a Naim suggestion thread? Could be quite useful for Naim to get the 'Voice of the Customer'