My first post here. I have been offered a lightly used 1st gen Muso from a friend of a friend. I have always loved the look of the Muso and realistically will use it to connect my TV to and use it for streaming Spotify over Bluetooth from my phone and some internet radio. Just looking for opinions if the 1st gen would still be suitable for my requirements or any issues I might face? Or would there be a better option out there for the £300 I can get it for?
It will be based in my living room 18m2 in size.
Hi @Fletch77 welcome to the padded cell😉
Not sure if my experience will be very helpful, but we run a MuSo2 in our lounge.
It serves as TV/Media audio system and provides music via Qobuz.
It replaces a Sonos Beam 1 and is hugely better in all aspects of performance.
I heard a MuSo 1 years ago, but can’t remember enough about the sound or performance to answer your specific enquiry.
I’ve previously owned a 1st generation Mu-So Qb and now have a 2nd generation Qb. There’s nothing wrong with the 1st generation but the 2nd generation sounds better IMHO (particularly on speech) and has a more robust Wi-Fi, plus a few other tweaks. I’ve heard a Mu-So 1st generation and believe that the same comments apply.
However, the 2nd generation Mu-So is likely to cost more than the budget that you mention. If I hadn’t have had the funding, I’d still be happily using my 1st generation machine.
Still using my 1st Gen Mu-So which works fine. As has been mentioned the wi-fi connection is stronger in later generation, so you could wire to your router for a better result. Research the TV connection to set this up properly.
I’ve had my Muso v1 for years now and it works without a hitch and the SQ is great. I use it mostly for multiroom but functions fine stand alone. I paid half of retail for it new so I wouldn’t expect to pay too much used.
I upgraded from a 1 to a 2, always wired. The latter has much better sound, doesn’t need resetting as much, works better with the app. But for your requirements I think a 1 would be fine.
Thank you all for your input. You have reassured me that it’s still going to be good enough for my requirements. Just going to see if I can knock him down a bit.
Amongst other Naim bits and pieces, I’ve got both a 1st and 2nd generation Muso QB. They’re still both great - sure, the gen 1 doesn’t do everything that the gen 1 does, but it still sounds great, and I can play everything I’ve got on my Uniti Core (uPNP server), and Roon plays to it (over AirPlay) just fine.
We have a x 2 Gen 1 QB’s and a Gen 1 Muso and we love em! Work and sound quality is excellent.
Just as an FYI I had issues with connection on WiFi. When I ditched the BT router and discs in favour of a Draytec router and Unifi discs all problems disappeared!
I have a Gen1 Muso in the living room and a Gen1 QB in my basement ‘mancave’. Very satisfied with both. Connecting to Ethernet is always a plus. While streaming via BT works fine, the difference in sound quality is quite noticeable when using a higher resolution source. Gen1 doesn’t support Tidal connect, a feature I would love to have (which the Gen2 has). The app / software is ok; it can’t quite match that of Bluesound streamer though. 300 quid may not be a complete bargain, but it’s hardly a rip-off either.
If you intend to frequently turn it up, you should know that the sound gets kind of ‘thick’ at higher volumes, and there’s only few settings to tweak the levels.
Naturally, the sound stage will be limited due to its compact size, but overall build and sound quality will be hard to top for the money. It’s great for background / radio use, and also very enjoyable for listening sessions at or near the sweet spot.
Also check the review on whathifi.
Cheers
I have a first generation. Bought it on release. Aside from the occasional connectivity issue, which really was always there, it still works great. I suppose Sonos has a nice line but for 300 pounds that is a steal