All-in-one streamer for Dynaudio 1.3SE

Urm those 1.3se are a tricky load.   That really need a NAP 200    Suggest a Superuniti. 

Regards,

Lindsay

I would think a Superuniti would be a better bet than the lesser Unitis for the extra power - or a 172/200. 

I have these speakers and agree with the above, they need power and current being low sensitivity and a difficult load. Below a Superuniti or 200 won't do them justice, but they'll sound great with either of these

Thanks for the comments! Sounds like i need to plan for Unitiqute + 200 or superuniti then. 

Do you think that the Unitiqute will work for lower listening volumes or would the unitiqute struggle on all levels?

The SuperUniti has a bigger, bolder sound than the 200, which is more fleet of foot. If you go in that direction you could also consider the 172. It's just been discontinued and can be found at good prices ex-dem or used. But then that's a two box system and you are after one. 

Not so sure about UnitiQute plus 200. Without having done the comparison I would assume a much better preamp and streamer in the SuperUniti. Also available at great bargain prices!

Guys, please bear in mind that the OP asks about an all-in-one solution ... 

The new Uniti range is just coming out, the Nova which'll be the range-topper will certainly have the grunt, but is not inexpensive. The Atom which is already out has been demoed and tried with some heavy duty loads, I saw it driving Sopra 2s at Bristol and it did a pretty good job, there are a couple of threads on the board about it.

Klout10 posted:

Guys, please bear in mind that the OP asks about an all-in-one solution ... 

He also mentioned a Qute with a 100 or 200, so maybe he's a bit flexible on that?

Thanks for all the comments. The best thing would be to stick with a all-in-one solution, but I do think that a small pre + power would work if a single unit is compromising the sound too much.

Fueller posted:

I have these speakers and agree with the above, they need power and current being low sensitivity and a difficult load. Below a Superuniti or 200 won't do them justice, but they'll sound great with either of these

[@mention:13956224330497166] Was there a particular Naim combination that did not work or are you speaking generally?

I will probably be using this primarily on lower volumes due to neighbours and just using it for background music. How well would the Unitiqute and Superuniti work for this purpose? Would the Superuniti also perform better at lower volumes in terms on dynamics and bass reproduction? The loudness function on the unitiqute is actually not a bad idea if it can engage more at lower volumes. I also tend to enjoy a "laidback" soundstage due to less listening fatique - any comments on this on the UQ or SU?

The Atom also sounds like a good candidate if it can bring the Dyns to life. 

I've moved up through nap150, Supernait and Nap200 with these speakers and although the 150 (50w same as nap100) worked ok, the Supernait and 200 were a big jump in grip and drive. I've heard a Superuniti and to me it has a smooth sound that might suit, but if you have to listen at low volume the Dyns themselves could be the weak point - I think they come alive with a powerful amp at decent volume and can sound a bit flat otherwise. Probably not what you want to hear but a Qute with speakers from say Neat would probably be a more engaging system for low level listening

Agree that UnitiQute with Neat SX3 is rather nice, also with ProAc's Tablette. A while ago I listened to these two combos and thought they were really good matches. But SuperUniti might be more future proof. Well it might take longer before the upgrade bug bites...

I had a UnitQute  with Guru QM1O's both alone and with 122x/150 and if it were my choice I would go for SuperUniti they are going for less than 2,000 pounds used now a total bargain.

Thanks again for the comments. It seems like a Superuniti might be the better choice here. 

I think the low volume performance is ok with my current setup (Using Electrocompaniet amps), so hopefully this will still be pretty decent with the Superuniti. 

I used to have a Uniti 2 (as opposed to a UnitQute) and this ran out of puff with some MA floor standers. I have also owned Dynaudios before and know they present a tricky load. I eventually added a NAP 200 to my Uniti 2 and this helped, but I would not suggest this path for you.

If you want a one box streamer solution with grunt then I suggest you wait for the new Uniti Nova to arrive. It will likely better the current SuperUniti it replaces by some margin.

As mentioned from others here, there`s a level where the added power amp exceeds the quality of the Qute. My thinking is, why not find some "more easy to drive speakers" instead. That will give you more to choose from upstream and it may lower the total cost as well. Qute/ Atom and some easy to drive speakers such as Kudos, Neat, Focal etc, would make it a long way....... at least imo.

S

Although replacing the speakers would be a solution as well, I would like to keep the Dynaudios since I think these are great speakers! 

I have gotten several offers on SH Superunitis and thus I might try one of these. I am however a bit worried that I will end up thinking that the sound is "colder" and more fatiguing than the Electrocompaniet amplifiers (which are known to be quite warm sounding). Do anyone of you think that Dynaudio + Naim sounds bright and fatiguing? How would you describe the sound of Dynaudio + Naim? 

Magpal

I have had Contour 1.3's with Naim for a long time and I understand why you want to keep them. I frequently meet people who say they wish they had never sold theirs.  I certainly don't intend to sell mine  

I would describe the sound as dynamic, tonally neutral and natural and musically very involving. Certainly not bright, cold or fatiguing. I now have them on a 202/200 and the 200 made a big difference to the bass especially - more control but also more texture and nuance in the bass. 

I would encourage you to try a SH Superuniti, I'm sure you'd love it but if you don't you could resell and the test won't have cost you much at all. 

Olly

Thanks for weighing in, Olly! And it is good to hear that I am not the only one sticking with these speakers. 

Also great to get some comments on the Dynaudio 1.3 + Naim sound stage. It all sounds very promising and I think I will go for the Superuniti. If it doesn't work I will just pass it along to someone else.