A do-it-all streamer amplifier, the Naim CI-Uniti 102 aims to seamlessly blend into a living space. Mat Daley checks it out.

I’ll admit from the onset here that before receiving The Naim CI-Uniti 102 Streamer Amplifier to test, I was not overly familiar with Naim and where they sat in the market. I was surprised to learn that Naim has been around for over 50 years and is closely aligned with Focal speakers who of course have an undeniable pedigree across hi-fi, pro audio, automotive and custom install speakers.

Focal and Naim co-exist under the VerVent Audio Group umbrella as a matched pair but don’t need to be exclusively used together. With such close ties, there are some compelling reasons to do so though. Naim essentially is the electronics match to Focal speakers. Knowing the quality of Focal speakers from my years working in studios and selling studio monitors, I was immediately more eager to get into this unit and see what it is all about.

So, what is it? The Naim CI-Uniti 102 is a premium two-channel streaming amplifier aimed at the custom integration market with all the inputs, outputs and control options an integrator could want.

Looking to raise the bar in terms of audio quality, function and features, The Naim CI-Uniti 102 might just be the streaming amplifier you are looking for to level up your projects and deliver your sonically awakened clients something more than the norm when it comes to their multi-room audio system.

Straight out of the box, it is evident that Naim is not looking to be just another streamer but to offer something of a higher quality and value than the consumer standard. In terms of form, CI-Uniti 102 is a simple, rack-mountable 1RU streamer with rack ears included that would look at home in any high-end professional rack. The front panel is a beautifully understated translucent gloss black finish which in standby mode shows nothing but the Naim logo and the power button.

When active though, the few small backlit dots and channel numbers provide plenty of visual status info with their ability to change colour to indicate various modes and warnings like clipping. The overall build quality and prestige of the unit are immediately noticeable from its weight to its quality speaker terminals and overall finish. It just feels like a refreshingly solid piece of kit that is going to do some serious work.

Setup

Focal & Naim app

There are two ways to setup and configure the unit. The simple end user Focal & Naim app which is available on Android and iOS and the also generically named but integrator-focused desktop app Focal & Naim Manager. This offers a deeper level of setup and customisation not available on the app.

Getting the unit up and running was refreshingly pain-free. Not having a manual with my test unit (who reads those anyway!) I jumped straight on the app store and within a few minutes, the onscreen prompts guided me through a simple WiFi connection by confirming the colour of the indicator light on the front of the unit, my network and that Bob was indeed my uncle.

At this point, streaming with Tidal, my speakers came to life, and I was in business. This process was simple enough for any end user and most would be happy to leave it at that but as integrators of course we need more!

Focal & Naim Manager

This is where the Focal & Naim Manager software comes in. Okay, I should have started with it but again, no manual for me. Focal & Naim Manager which is available for Mac OS and Windows gives you a greater level of control and setup regarding both configuration and audio manipulation. It’s also a great way to simplify the end user’s experience by removing unused inputs and services from the app.

One big feature of this unit accessible from the manager is the suite of speaker profile presets available for all of the Focal CI series speakers. This makes it a compelling pairing for Focal speakers of course but there are enough options at your fingertips to make this a super versatile platform to get the most out of any speakers.

Going through the setup options you first set up your inputs or more importantly disable any unused inputs, so they don’t show in the app to the end user. Inputs can all be given friendly names if needed but they are all pretty self-descriptive as is. Each input has its own input trim and lip sync if applicable and for the streaming input, you can also select your preferred streaming quality up to hi-res 24-bit 192kHz depending on the streaming source.

A standout feature of the CI-Uniti 102 for me is its ability to be used as a Dante endpoint. With Dante quickly becoming more prevalent in larger residential systems this function gives an added layer of flexibility and the ability to pair the unit into a non-Naim ecosystem. Beyond the obvious advantage of this inclusion, this also just gives me confidence that Naim understands the systems that their products are likely to be used and that this is truly a professional solution.

Output configuration is the standout and what allows you to fine-tune your speakers to their environment. If you’re lucky enough to be pairing the amp with Focal speakers you can simply select the preset for your speaker model and make finer adjustments from there but if you are using any speaker, you have everything you need here.

Coming down the signal chain it starts with a max volume limiter, something that should be applied to every job in my opinion, an optional loudness curve (weak, medium, strong) and a ‘tickable’ option for Night Mode. There are no prompts to tell you what that is exactly, but my guess is it is a lower bass setting like you see on some AV receivers.

From there you dig deeper where you have an independent LR trim and overall zone delay to time align with any adjoining zones and the option to pick a Focal preset or start tweaking. The level of EQ control is impressive and has everything that you could need. On top of your basic crossover for your sub out, you have up to four concurrent EQ filters that you can apply with the selectable filter types being low pass, high pass, low filter, high filter, parametric and notch.

As a final customisation option, an overall compressor is a helpful inclusion to protect the client’s no doubt expensive speakers. The unit also packs a little more punch than most streamers outputting 150W @ 8Ω and 260W @ 4Ω which will drive most speakers with ease with headroom to spare.

All in all, this is a more capable suite of tools and higher output than most competitors to help you give incredible audio results to your clients and their multi-room solution. I didn’t hit any hurdles in getting this up and running either which gives me confidence that the deployment of a Naim system in the field would be quick and efficient, something we all look for of course.

Control

Drivers for IP control from your usual players like Crestron, Control4, Elan and Savant are all available as expected however I did not get to test these as part of this review. It’s worth noting that you also have two 12V triggers on board.

At the end of the day, this is likely to be a system set up and finely tuned by us, the professional integrators and handed to our clients as a working system. With that in mind, Naim has delivered a functional, premium product and platform that cleverly balances the right integrator tools for high-level audio installations paired with a polished app and user experience for the client.

Conclusion

Overall, I was impressed by the entire package here. It looks and feels like the premium piece of kit that it is both physically and within the user app. It offers a great degree of flexibility for integrators without ever losing sight of their simple goal of delivering great audio quality. For your clients who appreciate audio quality, the Naim CI-Uniti 102 and the greater Naim platform are a worthwhile consideration.