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Naim: Is it personal?

Uncle Roach

Uncle Roach

pfm Member
I’m sure that not everyone is in love with Naim around here but I’m just curious to know as to why so many people have an intense dislike of the “brand” . I cannot think of any other Hifi company that divides opinion in such a scale.
 
You had to be around in the 70's to appreciate just how much Linn and Naim rocked the boat in the UK. People got upset, feathers were ruffled, prejudices ran wild and free.
There had been nothing like it before, and would be nothing similar after it.
Some folk haven't forgotten or forgiven, and that isn't going to change until that generation has gone.
 
Uncle Roach said:
I’m sure that not everyone is in love with Naim around here but I’m just curious to know as to why so many people have an intense dislike of the “brand” . I cannot think of any other Hifi company that divides opinion in such a scale.
Click to expand...

LINN do similar
 
Never heard Naim but did Linn (and wondered what all the fuss was about) the two were so inextricably linked from the start that it still happens today.
 
nws56 said:
You had to be around in the 70's to appreciate just how much Linn and Naim rocked the boat in the UK. People got upset, feathers were ruffled, prejudices ran wild and free.
There had been nothing like it before, and would be nothing similar after it.
Some folk haven't forgotten or forgiven, and that isn't going to change until that generation has gone.
Click to expand...
I was around in the seventies and I remember the rivalry between Naim and Linn. But ruffled feathers and prejudices? Neither forgiven nor forgotten ? Not here. But maybe that is because I am an actual grown up.
 
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i bought it as i like it - had plenty of other brands and likely will in the future but for now its the sound and convenience of naim nova that suits family life
 
I think the “controversy” is twofold:

a) Naim along with Linn pushed a then new ideology (subjective appraisal/‘tune dem’ > specs, front end first etc) and along with a complicit audio press caused quite a stir in the UK market. It made the UK a very different audio market for a decade or two, possibly to this day.

b) Naim as a company have changed hugely both in management/ownership and intended marketplace. They are a very different company today than in the 1970s-80s.

I enjoyed my Vereker-era ‘chrome-bumper’ kit a lot. I lost interest in the ‘olive’ era and in time moved on down a very different path. I always preferred a classic Linn/Naim system to one from either brand alone. Regardless I really don’t understand the hostility on some threads, though I suspect I’ve isolated the trigger points above. Certainly none of it is from me!
 
To add to Tony's post, I think one's age plays a part. My serious hifi journey coincided with the flat earth revolution and Linn/Naim was considered the only serious option in the UK. I don't regret it but it would have been nice to have more choice (or for me to be better informed). I fell out of love when I tried CDX/82 in an acoustically difficult room, blaming the equipment when I should probably have blamed the room. I enjoyed LP12/32.5/HC/250 for over 20 years.
 
I used and enjoyed Naim amps for about 15 years, had and enjoyed an LP12 for about as long. I've since moved on to amps and sources with fewer and far less pronounced limitations.

To come back to OP's question:
- For me, the two brands have priced themselves out of my range of considered options (value for money has, in my opinion, plummeted compared to other brands)
- The "evangelism" of those possessing items from either or both brands is about as annoying as vegans trying to impose their food choices at a Texan barbecue

I'm not hostile to the brands, just opposed to the idea that one-brand-fits-all and that any brand is perfect :)
 
I have never owned Naim or Linn kit. I am neutral towards them and have so far studiously avoided posting to threads about them.

However I think on-line animosity does appear to build towards brands that: (i) are successful; and (ii) are perceived to base their success on the "wrong" ideology (according to today's local fashion).

There's a train-wreck thread on another forum about ATC whose "wrong" ideology is to not be "state-of-the-art" according to the most vocal participants' approved fashion.
 
So essentially Naim (& Linn) pushed the “front end first, garbage in garbage out” way of system building, & some hifi magazines got on board with the idea. And this was in the 70’s….50 or so years ago?
Bloody hell, I thought my wife held grudges for a long time!
Other than people who didn’t go along with this way of system building, & thought Ivor & Julian were a bit too pushy, I can’t see the why the hatred is justified.
I’m certainly no Naim fanboi, I thought the idea of cable-shaking was cobblers ( don’t they get shaken enough in the back of the van driving out of Salisbury?) & the build quality of the highline was not good enough.
It’s business at the end of the day. They have a duty to market their products how they see fit & we consumers have a massive choice of brands to choose from.
 
uncl_nigel said:
... The "evangelism" of those possessing items from either or both brands is about as annoying as vegans trying to impose their food choices at a Texan barbecue ...
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Yes but not exactly, I think.

I see some such evangelism actually but not that much. However, I frequently see such evangelism perceived by some as excessive primarily as a result of the brand's presence due to success, and complained about as though it were actual.
 
Is it personal? I don’t know. All I know is that Naim bashing threads make me laugh so much especially the expert passive aggressive delivery of one or two posters. It’s entertainment that I would miss if it went away. It does bring out my mischievous nature though which isn’t a bad thing as I get older. :)
 
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