Housed in a chassis similar to the Uniti Nova’s, the Uniti Star Lite incorporates much of the same technology, but at a lower price.
Overall, this new model retains the Uniti Nova’s amplifier-streamer functions, as well as the 5-inch LCD screen on the front panel and the large dial on top. Its power output is reduced by just 10 W, to 70 W per channel into 8 ohms. In terms of analog inputs, it also loses one 5-pin DIN and one pair of RCA jacks (though it retains one of each), while it loses its 4-pin DIN output, retaining only one pair of RCA jacks and a 3.5 mm headphone jack.
On the digital side, the DAC remains fully integrated via two optical ports, one coaxial RCA port, one BNC port, one HDMI eARC port, and two USB-A ports. It also serves as the streaming module, capable of playing all Internet radio formats, since the Uniti Star Light no longer includes the DAB/FM module found in the Uniti Nova.
Supported audio formats include PCM up to 384 kHz/24-bit and DSD128 for streaming, and up to 192 kHz/24-bit otherwise. The device is compatible with most current ‘connect’ platforms and modules, in addition to featuring its own management app, Bluetooth aptX Adaptive, and Roon Ready functionality.
As mentioned at the beginning of this article, its price is more affordable than that of the Nova (4 999 €), coming in at 3 999 €/£ 3 199. This allows you to enjoy a nearly identical device, with only slightly fewer features, but for 20% less.