I understand it could take months for a new unit to burn in, and I do hope the sound gets warmer but to start with, I am amazed at how much better this sounds than the integrated amp it replaced (Roksan K3). I splurged on getting this unit and it has surpassed my expectations and I believe it’s worth every penny.
I can feel the effort put into the instruments (the energy put into strumming the guitar, kick of bass drum) and hear the breathe of the singer, and now understand when people say they have an emotional connection to the music. It sounds like the players are practically in the same room as I am. I think I also understand now what stereo imaging means. There’s depth and layering and sounds I never heard before from some recordings.
And surprisingly, I thought without a touchscreen and using an app or remote would make me less engaged with the unit, but I feel more connected to it than pressing buttons on my integrated amp.
Now I know first hand why Naim has such popularity. Wow.
Had a Star for a long time. For sound it really is a great unit to have.
The sound will mature over time but keep in mind that the Star will always keep its more sparkly sound. That is not a bad thing at all. I remember when I upgraded to the Star how struck I was on how clear the top end of the sound was. Without ever being harsh.
So depending what your idea of warm sound is, the clearly rendered high end brings exactly what you love, hearing so much more detail than you had before.
Perhaps nog the time to start with more upgrades but upgrading the power cord should also give an audible improvement to the Star. The recommendation is the Naim Powerline and if you can justify the cost of the cable then it is the way to go. Personally I got quite a nice upgrade with a Shunyata Venom HC cord.
Bought mine at the very first covid lockdown. It kept me sane. Plus I could use the free time wisely by ripping my complete CD collection. Upgraded my bookshelf speakers, but no urge whatsoever to upgrade the Uniti, love it.
BUT the dealer let me try it out first before buying. I’d suggest you do the same. And wait for the Star to run in first otherwise you may think that sound improvement from it running in comes from the cable.
You may notice that @davidhendon suggests the opposite. And yes opinions about various cable upgrades are divided. However Naim thinks that there is something in cleaner power supply to the units in offering cable upgrades and even power supply upgrades for the higher end units.
But again, like all things, don’t buy before you try. If you don’t hear a difference, don’t get it.
Yes Power cables make a big difference in sound and are a big step foreward with Naim Unity devices. Powerline is designed for Naim products and many user had very good experiences with it. But Powerline is not cheap in relation to Uniti Star (if you buy new - there are also prelovede ones available). I use Vovox Excelus with a very good result for half the price. Power cables modify the sound signature and it would be the best way to lend some different power cables from your dealer if possible. From my expierence Vovox is very neutral, Audioquest is warmer but with to much bass for my system and room.
