Naim launches all-in-one NaimUniti home entertainment machine

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UK audio manufacture gods Naim is taking a step into the unknown this morning with the launch of their first all-in-one unit. The NaimUniti comprises an integrated amplifier, CD player, DAB/FM tuner, internet radio player, iPod & MP3 dock, digital to analogue converter, USB & network-stored music file player and network streamer. Kitchen sink not included.

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You get 10 inputs with 50-watt-per-channel amplifier action and the idea is that it sits as your all purpose box in pride of place in your living. Under the telly springs to mind. You can play music from USB, stream media over your network and you can start plugging in your satellite box, DVD player and games console too.

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It’s available now for a pretty reasonable £1995 with the n-link iPod connector cable for another £95. While you’ve got your wallet out, Naim also recommends a pair of £770 Naim n-SAT speakers as the perfect accompaniment.

NaimUniti Specifications

Audio Outputs – Speaker output Line output (L+R RCA) Sub output (2 Mono outputs via RCA) Pre-amp output (DIN)
Tape Output Fixed – 275mV, 600
Preamp Output load -10k to 8
Frequency response – 20Hz – 50 kHz
Signal to Noise Ratio – 80dB
Phase response on CD – Linear phase, absolute phase correct
Power output – 50WPC into 8Ù 90WPC into 4 Ù
Other outputs – Headphone 3.5mm jack
Antenna inputs F type
Analogue inputs – 3.5mm socket on front 3 x RCA 1*DIN with power to support
Stageline phono stage
Digital Inputs – 5 SPDIF (2xoptical, 2xcoaxial, 1*3.5mm jack) Input overload 27 dB (Rear panel connections) (Front panel: 33.8 dB) USB Front panel socket
Other inputs – Ethernet and iPod (analogue)
Remote input – Rear panel
RS232 – Rear panel
Audio files supported – Internet radio (WMA, MP3 Streams, MMS) Playlists (M3U,
PLS) MP3, AAC (up to 320 kbps, CBR/VBR) Apple Lossless (from iPod) Windows Media-formatted content (up to 320 kbps) WAV, FLAC, OGG Vorbis CD formats disc compatibility Redbook and CD-R Supply Voltage 100-120V or 220V to 240V, 50/60 Hz
Dimensions (H x W x D) – 87 x 432 x 314mm
Weight – 11.3kg
Finish – Black

Naim

Marantz go "budget" with the CR502 CD/Tuner mini system

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Most products from Marantz usually get me nodding with approval and their CR502 CD/Tuner mini-system has already got my neck muscles twitching.

First up, it looks great and, if you’re after something compact that’ll fit into the right kind of space in your luxury pad, then aesthetic concerns are probably fairly high up your list. It’s got a nice sleek aluminium chassis and all the cables are carefully tucked in around the back.

Tick. So what about the…

BenQ announces the nStation i91 and i221

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Display manufacturer BenQ looks like it’s branching out – it’s announced two all-in-one PCs. There’s an 18.5″ model, as well as a 21.5″ one. Let’s look at the former first.

The i91 (pictured above) has a 16:9 widescreen display, with an AMD Sempron 210U processor, 1GB of RAM and a 160GB hard drive. That’s not too impressive, really. There’s a a webcam and a card reader, too.

Sat on the bottom-right of the display, though, is a whopping great big hi-fi-style knob for adjusting the volume, and shutting down the PC. Interesting move. It’s evident that this is being pitched for a multimedia market, then.

Then there’s a slightly larger model, the 21.5″ i221. No word on any detail on that yet though, and no word on release dates or price for either model. Oh well.

Dell's XPS One 24 all-in-one desktop PC now on sale in the UK

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Dell has announced that its all-in-one desktop PC with whopping 24-inch display is now available in the UK.

To my taste, the profile of the XPS One 24 isn’t as nice as the iMac (which, rightly or wrongly, is what we all compare these all-in-one systems to) but it does benefit from a wireless mouse and keyboard and all the other connection ports neatly on the back of the display…

Sony launches VAIO NS1 notebooks and JS1 all-in-one desktop PCs

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Sony continues to speed ahead with the rollout of its new VAIO range of PCs, with the introduction of the NS1 Series of notebook PCs and the JS1 Series of all-in-one desktops.

Sony states that the PCs are designed for everyday home use, which would suggest that they’re not the most powerful systems the company has ever produced. They’re no pushovers either.

The NS1 Series of notebook PCs feature an Intel Core 2 Duo T5800 processor, 4GB RAM, 320GB hard drive, a Blu-ray combo drive, 15.4-inch X-black 1,280 x 800 LCD, and ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3430 graphics unit…

Kodak to launch two all-in-one inkjet printers with low-cost ink refills

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Kodak has announced its latest series of inkjet printers, the ESP 7 (pictured) and ESP 9, featuring the ability to print, copy, scan, and fax documents. Nothing particularly new there, but what is welcome is that Kodak claims to offer the lowest ink replacement cost in the industry.

Printer consumables is where the serious money is made, but Kodak’s printing technology and premium-quality inks could save users up to £75 per year (has anyone thought about setting up an ink cartridge price comparison site?)…

Shiny Video Preview: HP TouchSmart IQ800


Yesterday I got a hands-on preview of the latest TouchSmart model from HP, following the IQ500 earlier this year. It’s huge and lovely, but a little bit limited in terms of software. Watch the video above. That means there’s now two TouchSmart models available – the whopping 25.5″ beast in the video, and a smaller 22″ panel. Both are all-in-one units…