Naim UnitiLite All-In-One & KEF R300 Speakers - Great Combo

Sitting at a friend's place this evening for a Jazz and Scotch (The Dalmore Cigar malt) session. The TIDAL HiFi stream through the UnitiLite's built-in TIDAL app and internal DAC driving a pair of well-seasoned KEF R300's sounds absolutely great. This all-in-one and speakers are a great combination. Everything - and I mean everything - is there: rock solid bass, bass clarity, detail, a sweet midrange that is warm and detailed, and a treble range that extends with great definition and no fatigue whatsoever.

Many members ask from time to time about great combinations at various price points. The $2500 Naim UnitiLite and the $1500 KEF R300 speakers are terrific together. It's a true, very complete audiophile system (CD, FM, TIDAL HiFi, network player and a good control app for iOS and Android) for under $5000.

The UnitiLite integrates a Naim CD transport. It seems to be a stripped down Naim CD5. The drive is physically quiet, responds acceptably quickly to remote commands, and most important, is a very good player. For anyone looking for an all-in-one that includes a very good 24/192 DAC, a solid and reliable CD transport, a preamp and amp that compete with and beat many well-respected integrated amps at the price point, a creditable FM tuner, Internet radio, TIDAL, Spotify, uPnP (for accessing music elsewhere on your home network), with enough power and (more important) plenty of reserve current to drive a vast selection of speakers, the UnitiLite is a great choice.

The Naim UnitiLite is a few years old (at least in consumer electronics years), but still current in the Naim lineup and it can hold it's own against any other all-in-one and many integrated amps at its retail price. It was extremely well reviewed when it was first hit the market, and is every bit the home run it was touted to be.

I have felt for a couple of years now that the KEF R300 is the sweet spot in the KEF R-series, and dollar-for-dollar just about the very best value in the entire KEF lineup. It has most of the attributes of the R500 and R700 floorstanders, but without the size. It's a hefty bookshelf speaker that does best on heavy 24" tall stands. It also provides just enough of the stellar sound of the KEF Reference 1 to impress at every turn. The lastest-gen UniQ coaxial driver and the 6.5" woofer make the R300 a true 3-way (rear ported). I think the system as it stands is something that many, many music lovers and many, many audiophiles could happily live with for years.

 

Other than the Naim UnitiLite, which integrated amplifier would be a suitable pairing with the Kef R300 in the $2000 to $3,000.oo range ?

 

There are several in that price range that work great with the 300's--

Sugden A21 / A21SE

Rega Elex-R / Elicit-R

Rogue Cronus Mag II

Rogue Pharaoh ( a touch over your price point)


.....just to name a few.

 

I heard and really liked the Yamaha A-S1100, Rega Elicit-R and the Hegel H160 driving the R300s. I did not like the sound of the Arcam A39, Cary Audio SLI-80, Marantz PM14S1 or the Simaudio Moon Neo 250i driving the R300s.

 

Thanks Agitater & GoldprintAudio. I will audition the Rega Elicit-R at Bay Bloor Radio in Toronto this Saturday.

 

I've got a nice Naim 'stack', centred on a Nait XS2; but I've been very impressed on the occasions I've heard the UnitiLite, particularly so considering the price and features. I'm hoping it stays in production for a good long time ... just in case!

 

Interesting. What were the negative aspects when you tried them with the Arcam? I have an Arcam and I am happy with the sound, but then again, I haven't tried the R300 wtih any other amp at home, so maybe I am missing something. I wouldn't mind a slightly less bright sound if that makes sense, but not sure if that is more the speakers design than the amp.

 

I think the Arcam FMJ A39 is a wonderful integrated amp - truly class-leading in some respects, without a doubt. I have owned an A49 and prior to that home-demoed an A39 for a week. I used the A39 to drive the aforementioned KEF R300, Kudos Cardea Super 10, Bryston Mini-T, KEF LS50, Monitor Audio Silver, Focal Electra 1008 BE, Toitem Hawk, and half a dozen other speakers. The Arcam sounded like its neutral, powerful, effortless self with most of the speakers, but seemed constrained by the R300 load and the Kudos Super 10 load. The normally stellar Kudos sounded peaky and just a bit harsh.

I thought the Arcam A49 and A39 were ideally matched to the Totem Hawk, Bryston Mini-T and the Focal Electra - really great combos. Like you, I thought the R300 sounded tipped up in the treble when driven by the A49 or A39 - not as well balanced and not as easy to listen to over long periods of time as the either of the Arcams driving the speakers I favored. Among other integrated amps I tried with the R300, the Simaudio Moon Neo 250i (with all its positive but not really gushing reviews) was/is another ideal match with the R300. There's no comparison between the Unitlite and the 250i though because the Unitlite does everything while the 250i is a straight up analog integrated amp.

I like the Unitilite and the R300 together more than I did many more expensive amp combinations with the R300.

 

Hi Agitater,

My local dealer is having a sales. R300 is now $1300 a pair. May I know if you like the R300 more than the LS50?

I have said in multiple occasions that I prefer my Paradigm Studio 10 over the LS50. But I am thinking about using 3 ways speakers for my front. I wonder if it would be worth it to give R300 an audition.

Thanks!

 

I think you’ve reached the point where a thorough audition is absolutely necessary. Your ears, your sense of hearing must be the final judge.

The LS50 and the R300 are both broadly capable speakers - very versatile. I describe the LS50 as a really fun speaker, but not one I can now personally listen to for hours on end. The R300 is better balanced, just as detailed and just as resolving, but pleasurable to listen to during long sessions.

Only you can tell which one will work best for you. A full audition is recommended.

 

Thank you for this perspective. I loved everything about my LS50 save for the fatigue that would set in. I can't put my finger on any specific problem they had (on the contrary, they sounded stunning), and wouldn't necessarily have picked up on it in a dealer demo. But I'd love a speaker that did all they did and that I could relax with. Better bass would be a bonus.

 

I currently use a Marantz PM8004 with my R300s which I enjoy. I've owned my PM8004 since 2015 and recently purchased my R300s in November. I was looking at the Arcam A29 but have never heard it. I like your recommendation about Naim UnitiLite but that has been discontinued I think. I came across a couple used Naim Nait 5i-2 which I've also never heard but wondered how other Naim integrated amps would stack up?

 

The Naim 5i and 5i-2 were okay in their day. Critics referred to them variously as class-leading and average. Owner opinions were never overwhelmingly positive. My own brief time with a 5i-2 was not memorable. The sound tended to flatten out at listening session volume (not anything overly loud at all). I think there are many better choices at various price points.

If you have no need for the Unitilite’s integrated CD player or FM section, but still want access to high quality streaming (i.e., TIDAL, Spotify), local network streaming (i.e., from network connected computers and storage drives or a NAS at home), and Internet radio, the Naim Uniti Atom is highly recommended. It has even more of the signature Naim drive and musically enjoyable sound than the excellent Unitilite. Admittedly, the new Uniti series components are also part the very newest generation from Naim so they should be a notable step up and they are.

The current generation of the Nait 5-series - Naim Nait 5Si - is a killer integrated at the price. Its direct British competitor, the Rega Elex-R is just as good and some say even a bit better. They’re both terrific integrated amps. Beware of one thing with Naim though - once an owner purchases and installs one, the unit remains on all the time. That’s part of the Naim design. While the circuit throttles down into an idling mode when not used for fifteen or twenty minutes, it’s a far more aggressive idling mode that many other integrated amps’s standby mode because the main filter caps and more of the main circuit board remain live. What that means is only that a five year old Nait 5Si Will need a $350-$450 recap in a couple of years. (Naim sells recap kits to authorized service people) because doing so is actually recommended by Naim.

All that said, if I was asked to make a choice between the Naim Nait 5SI and the Rega Elex-R, I’d go for the Elex-R every time. The Elex-R is a home run for Rega, just like its little brother the Brio-R and the newer Brio 2. Mind you, auditioned a 5Si and an Elex-R side-by-side is a hell of a lot of fun and may present a difficult choice.

Basically, there is no wrong choice among these particular units.

Personally, the older 5i-2 would not be on my radar.

I’ve owned two different Arcam FMJ-series units, both briefly. The FMJ A49 monster integrated was astonishingly powerful, utterly neutral in sound - it literally had no sound of its own that was readily discernible. The FMJ A29 was actually more interesting, but neither one provide a genuinely enjoyable musical experience for me. Let me temper all that by making it clear that the friend who purchased the A29 from me was and is absolutely delighted with it. To his ears, it’s a musical revelation. He sold off an NAD 326BEE that he’d owned for six years after auditioning the A29 for a week or so. Obviously, my own sense of hearing is just not syncing up with whatever Arcam is doing with its integrated amps.

All of these integrated amps can drive KEF speakers of any kind brilliantly. These integrateds can actually drive almost any speakers brilliantly.

 

Wow! Thank you for the informative response. The Elex-R looks pretty sweet at that price point. What is the biggest difference between Brio-R/2 vs Elex-R? More power I assume first and foremost. I've seen good deals on the Brio before. Wasn't sure how it stacked up against my Marantz.

 

The Rega Elex-R plays in the same sound quality sandbox as the current model Marantz PM8006. So as good as the Brio-R is, and as good as your aging PM8004 is it as well, the step up in power, clarity, detail, drive, current delivery and sophistication from the Elex-R and the PM8006 may be obvious to even only moderately attentive listeners, IMO. Then again, maybe not.

The newer PM8006 provides an even-handed, well balanced sound that is really enjoyable. The Elex-R is race car-fast on trasients and provides (to my ears) just a bit more and clearer bass weight and detail.

I should have posted this in my earlier reply, so I’ll do it now. Your Marantz PM8004 was and is a very good integrated amp. It may not play with the audiophile best, but that doesn’t alter the fact the it remains a really good design and a really good-sounding integrated amp. You may or may not hear all of the differences between the PM8004 and the Elex-R or the PM8006. Frankly, a few of the difference are more obvious than others at the same time as some ears just don’t hear any important differences at all. That’s not to say that my hearing is superior or anyone else’s hearing is superior, rather only that we all each hear things a little bit differently.

All of these integrated amps in the US$1400-US$1900 price point are intensely competitive, AFAIC. To take a step up - a geniunely easily audible step up - I think an audiophile should serioiusly consider going from a Marantz PM8004 up to the Marantz 14S1. Now that’s a stellar integrated amp that represents a difference - a wonderful all-around improvement - that anybody can hear and appreciate, IMO. Whether or not a budget can stand the hit is another matter I agree, but if it’s possible in the cards in the not-too-distant future, it’s well worth the money. The throat-constricting price of the truly stellar Naim Supernait 2 may put it out of reach for many budget, but that’s the Naim integrated I recommend for anyone interested in truly great, end game audio. The friend of a friend of mine decided to take my advice on the matter almost two years ago, then took a little over a year to fatten his budget for a Supernait 2. Neither he nor any other Supernait 2 owners have ever looked back.

If budget is the biggest consideration, my view is that an audiophile should stay away from potentially sideways or slighly angular moves and instead save funds for a longer period of time in order to pay for a major step up.

I know that I’m interfering with your perfectly straightforward question, so I apologize. But what I’m suggesting is that your Marantz PM8004 is very good and that replacing it with an Elex-R or even PM8006 or a Naim 5Si might have you wondering if the expenditure was actually all worthwhile even after a few weeks of getting used to one of the newer integrateds.

 

I try to avoid sideway moves because I have done a lot of those in the past and as I grow older and become a better listener I'm all for saving a bit more money to really get an improvement. I paid $600 for my PM8004 which was a dealer demo, it has been my amp for different sets of speakers that I have had since I started a dedicated 2ch system. It has driven in order of what I've used & sold, Pioneer SP-BS22LR, Paradigm 5seMkII, Monitor Audio Bronze II and now my KEF R300s (white finish) which I absolutely love.

The Marantz Reference 14S1 has peeked my interest before, especially when I see open box demos for around $2300.

Thanks again for taking the time to answer my questions.

 

I'm planning on moving from an 5si to a Supernait 2 soon. There is something in the Naim sound that I found...fun. I've been a very happy owner from the 5si for two years.
IMO, it plays in a different category than the Brio-2, not sure about the Elex-R, as I haven't heard it.

 

Did you purchase the Naim SuperNait 2 ?

 

Sort of. I had it for around 3 months. Outstanding amp, but maybe not the best match for my current speakers.

 

Have you heard the R300's with PS Audio gear? I'm close to pulling the trigger on a Stellar stack and possibly R300's down the road

 

I haven’t heard the combo. PS Audio components get along beautifully with every speaker on the market. The KEF R300 is easy to drive, and PS Audio designs superb components. I can’t imagine the combo sounding anything less than wonderful.

 

Thanks for the info my good man. Right now I'm in a pretty small room, 10x12, and using Elac UB5'S, but we may be moving in a year or two, and my wife promised me a big room. If that happens, I've got a mint pair of Dahlquist DQ-20's that I absolutely love that I'll pair with the Stellar stack. If the room is similar to what I have, I may go for the R300's

 

An 8' x 12' room is for sure the smallest space I'd ever recommend for KEF R300 speakers.

 

I have a pair of R300s and I’m looking for an integrated amp with Dac for around $1500. Any suggestions? Sorry to barge in on your thread but you seem to know the R300s well. Thanks!

 

Sounds like a great system match..My main concern with streaming is that even with lossless playback the content is mostly re-mastered versions of albums and songs..Which are normally more likely to be brickwalled and compressed..With Cd's you can seek out the best sounding master of any giving album.Which tends not be be the latest remaster.