Focal and Naim Ash Grey edition is an Anglo-French audiophile's dream

If colour choice was the only thing holding you back from investing in a top-end music system/speaker combo from British soundmeisters Naim and French outfit Focal, it might be time to start reaching for your wallet. The two firms have just unveiled the Focal Aria K2 926 & Naim Uniti Star Ash Grey, a premium package with exclusive new looks.

The Naim Uniti Star music streamer usually only comes in classic Naim black colours, but now gets a unique Ash Grey anodised aluminium casing. Likewise, Focal usually reserves the Ash Grey finish for its flagship Utopia Evo speakers, but is opening up the Aria K2 926 speakers for the same treatment.

Focal’s three-way floorstanders use an updated version of the firm’s classic K2 speaker cone, with a 25mm inverted dome tweeter, 6.5in midrange driver and twin 6.5in bass speakers. They’re also packing a solid aluminium-alloy base for extra rigidity.

On Naim’s side of things, the Uniti Star is an all-in-one streamer that promises top-notch CD playback, the option to rip discs to your digital archive, and top-to-bottom streaming support including Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal and Qobuz. Apple AirPlay 2, Chromecast and Bluetooth are all built-in, and it’ll play nicely with your TV via HDMI. You can also hook up a turntable for a bit of analogue listening.

This latest joint effort follows on from the brands’ 10th anniversary celebrations last year. Naim and Focal aren’t putting a hard limit on the number of Ash Grey systems they’ll produce – but given the hand-built nature of both the system and the speakers, early birds get the audio worm. Dawdle and you might be waiting a while.

If you’re looking to give your home audio setup an Ash Grey overhaul, the complete Focal Naim system is available worldwide this month. Expect to pay £6799 / €7899 / $8999, with a pair of NAC A5 cables and three months Tidal and Qobuz memberships thrown in to get you hi-res streaming straight away.

Related: The best wireless speakers on sale today

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A tech addict from about the age of three (seriously, he's got the VHS tapes to prove it), Tom's been writing about gadgets, games and everything in between for the past decade, with a slight diversion into the world of automotive in between. As Deputy Editor, Tom keeps the website ticking along, jam-packed with the hottest gadget news and reviews. When he's not on the road attending launch events, you can usually find him scouring the web for the latest news, to feed Stuff readers' insatiable appetite for tech.