UnitiLite with budget(ish) speakers

Posted by: Seanh on 23 April 2015

Although I am yet to audition one, on paper a UnitiLite might be the solution to what we are looking for. I am looking for a one box solution to replace my Arcam/Kenwood/Kef separates. We have listened to various combinations of Japanese systems and are coming up wanting. Is anyone using a UnitiLite on say £200 bookshelf speakers, I have a set of Kef Q15 on Atacama stands and its not an option to change them at the moment.

i will try and audition a UnitiLite with my Kefs before deciding but wondered if anyone has been there before me. 

Posted on: 23 April 2015 by hafler3o

Maybe look at things from another perspective, if you think a UnitiLite would fit the bill, ask your dealer to run the Lite with Kef LS50 or any other sub £1k set of standmount speakers. This will give you an idea of what the Lite is really capable of, and whether it is the sound you are after. If yes, you can then change those older speakers when funds allow.

 

You might also consider the UnitiQute2 (which I think is a better listen than the Lite in modest sized rooms) Cash left over can go on some ex dem Neats perhaps?

As for speakers I think the Focal Chorus 806 W are extraordinary vfm, they run my PMC twenty.21s close and cost me £370 brand new (French sales barg!)

 

Posted on: 23 April 2015 by ChrisSU
I'd agree that a Unitiqute might be worth considering as long as your room isn't too large, especially as it could free up funds for better speakers.
Posted on: 23 April 2015 by dayjay

+1 unitiqute 2,  brilliant value for money,  superb sound,  and much louder than you might expect

Posted on: 23 April 2015 by Tom Mitchell

It seems like (from what I keep reading on this forum) that the Qute is better than the Lite...

 

Is that true?

 

 

Posted on: 23 April 2015 by Seanh

Thanks for the replies folks, I can't use the Qute though because it has no CD player which unfortunately is the deal breaker. I think 12 months down the line will see a set a fresh set of speakers but just not initially.

Posted on: 24 April 2015 by ChrisSU
The Qute isn't better than the Lite. It's just better than you think it's going to be when you look at it, compared to many other small all-in-one boxes. If you must have a CD player, the Lite is the way forward, although personally I'd probably go for a Qute and a NAS.
Posted on: 24 April 2015 by hungryhalibut

The Lite will be absolutely fine. I've used some little Kef speakers that cost me £35 on the end of my SuperUniti and they sounded very nice. If you get the Lite now, you can get speakers once you've saved up some more money. Go for it.

Posted on: 24 April 2015 by feeling_zen
You might be suprised how easy it is to match Naim with budget speakers. There are so many around and the competition is so fierce that the percentage of excellent budget speakers (for their price range) is higher than for more expensive speakers. It is harder to go wrong. Budget speakers are generally easily driven in most cases so you find matching with Naim easier to since Naim's decent current delivery really gets the best from them.

I put a pair of Qacoustics 2010i on a UQ2 at GBP 160 thinking I would upgrade them later but never did.

I don't  think matching budget speakers with your UL is going to be a problem.
Posted on: 24 April 2015 by ChrisSU
I agree, get the Lite set up properly with your current speakers and just enjoy it. You can upgrade them later if you feel the need.
Posted on: 24 April 2015 by Huge

Does your existing CD player (the Arcam I presume) have a digital out?

 

If so, use that as a CD transport to feed a Qute 2 (a S/Pdif signal) and have the best of both worlds.  As others have said this will allow you to upgrade the speakers as well.

 

When you've finished ripping all your CDs to a NAS, than you'll almost completely forget about CD replay, only using it if someone loans you a disk.

Posted on: 30 April 2015 by Seanh

Still pondering over this one, I am in London this weekend so might try and pick up a demo somewhere but an cosidering another option.

Wife is talking about May be a blue ray player, so another option would be to clear out the CD player, current amp and DVD player, replacing with a unitiqute and a reasonable blueray player with a digital out? That would replace 3 large boxes with one large and a compact, adding streaming, dab, Internet radio and blueray. As well as a sonic upgrade.

Posted on: 30 April 2015 by hafler3o

I have a cheap Sony blu-ray as standby option with my Qute, sounds absolutely fine as first alternative...

Posted on: 01 May 2015 by Huge

Ironically, I use a Sony BD-360 connected to my ND5 XS (optical connection) for A/V use.  I also use this for playing CDs if I don't have the opportunity to rip them to the NAS.  Whilst it works surprisingly well (it's actually better than the previous Exposure CD2010s that I used to use) the ND5 playing files from the NAS is better still.

 

I think the same arrangement (but using a Uniti Qute2) may be the best option for you.  Rip your CDs to a NAS via  a computer, and any disks you need to play 'casually' play via the BD player.  This also means you'll get much superior sound when watching blue ray disks and DVDs.

 

This will be cheaper and leave more funds available to upgrade the speakers at some time (or for other purposes).  The Qute can drive the the Q15s quite happily, but can also do justice to much better speakers than those.

Posted on: 01 May 2015 by Seanh

My mate has a oppo 105 blueray spinner for his home cinema and the cd sound from it is stunning so i might look down that route.

 

Looks like i should be auditioning a Qute as well as a Lite then. I will let you know how I get on :-)