Naim has added a new premium streaming amplifier to its Uniti range, called the Uniti Star Lite, which has all the same streaming features, connections, hi-res specs and design as the original five-star Uniti Star we effusively reviewed in 2018.
The big difference? It no longer has an integrated CD player and ripper, hence the "Lite" version.
That isn't Naim being contrarian and deciding CDs are passé just as the silver disc is growing in popularity; this "renewed focus" is the result of a supply issue.
As reported by US hi-fi site ecoustics, there was speculation earlier this year on the Naim Audio Community forum about the original Uniti Star's potential demise, with Naim's Richard Dane (who manages the forum) confirming that Naim had "run into difficulty in sourcing the CD drives for the Star" and had therefore decided to "pause production" while it looked for a suitable alternative or decided whether a "more extensive re-design is required".
Dane confirmed in a later post in August that, since the mechanism "suddenly ceased production", Naim had been unable to find a suitable replacement, and thus would stop production of the Star entirely and preserve any remaining CD mechanism stock for repairs and servicing.
Dane further stated that there is a "logical solution to the problem", which we're seeing now in the form of the streaming-focused Uniti Star Lite.
The Star Lite sits between the compact Uniti Atom (currently £2299 / $3799) and the full-size, more powerful Uniti Nova (£4399 / $6899).
Even without the CD player, the Uniti Star Lite is a stacked product in terms of streaming and connections. It boasts the same 70W per channel into 8 ohms of Class A/B amplification as the original model. Naim says the Lite will be "preserving its audio performance", so we're expecting it will retain the excellent sound quality of the original Star. Update: Naim has confirmed to us it has made improvements to the sound quality, too.
Everything from AirPlay 2, Google Cast, and internet radio to Tidal/Qobuz/Spotify Connect is available, with UPnP compatibility that lets you access and play vast digital music libraries stored on connected NAS drives. Bluetooth is now updated to the aptX Adaptive codec.
Ethernet and dual band wi-fi is on board, while everything is controlled via the established Focal & Naim app, a comprehensive and elegant platform that also lets you connect up to six compatible Naim and Focal streaming products.
There is ample connectivity, from RCA and 5-pin DIN analogue inputs to optical, coaxial RCA and coaxial BNC digital inputs. There is also an HDMI ARC input, two USB-A ports, and a 3.5mm headphone port.
File format compatibility is also extensive, with hi-res files up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM and DSD128 supported (via USB), and 24-bit/192kHz files supported across most other inputs.
All of these features are identical to the original Star, as is the stately aluminium-clad design, which features a 5-inch display and the stunning illuminated volume/control dial on top.
The dimensions are identical, too, although the new Uniti Lite is 1kg lighter due to it no longer having an optical CD drive fitted.
Naim says the Uniti Star Lite is a "natural evolution" of the Star, and while it's a shame that the one feature that made the Star stand out is now missing, we must also applaud that Naim has stuck to its standards and hasn't simply fitted a disc drive of lower quality into a premium streaming product and called it a day.
The one upshot here is that the Uniti Star Lite has also shed a few hundred pounds in price: £3199 / €3999, compared with the original, now discontinued, Uniti Star, which cost £3499.
We're also told that the Star Lite will only be available in the UK and Europe markets, which won't be such good news for the rest of the world.
MORE:
Read our original Naim Uniti Star review
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