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One Shade of Grey….new Naim bestseller!?…

JoeJoe

pfm Member
There’s comments-a-plenty on the Naim forum about a concrete grey, limited edition ‘tin’ 10th anniversary release.
A system that comprises a 282, 250, HiCap and expensive Focal speakers, other bits and bobs too. (Personally I think grey with black knobs would have looked aesthetically more pleasing with the Naim logo in blue, but what do I know?) What I do know is this; there’s lots of orders in for Naim standard black with long waiting times and the immediate availability of grey celebratory system has pissed off a number of Naim devotees…

Pretty sure this is a French led incentive but for me it seems Naim are being placed in more and more compromising positions from this unholy alliance with Focal. They seem to have lost their direction. Now, I’m not a huge fan of the Naim marketing and their cultists but I have respect for their unique sounding products. Does anyone on here share my sadness to see recent snails-pace development of product and this quarantining of much in demand Naim stock to shift Focal speakers?
 
£28k!!……streuth. What happens when you want to swap HiCap out for SuperCap (…this is the Naim way…), do you get the Royal Navy paint chart out to colour match?…..lol
I'm sure that Naim will support upgrades. If they don't, a car respray place can fix it for a few tenners. If you can afford £28k that's hardly going to be a real breaker.
For me, it's about as relevant as the price of upgraded leather seats on a Ferrari. You want extra shiny shiny on your rich man's toy? Of course Sir, step this way. It's all reassuring ly expensive.
 
On the used equivalent market that's probably less than a 3K system!

original late 82 serviced £1k
the APX4 David Paterson has in classifieds £450 (a lot better than 1xHCDR)
Pair of SBLs £500 or stretch to Ovator 400's (price but not sound) £1000
Wang a Benchmark dac3 on the front £1000 ish

Obviously used has to cost less than new but seriously, Naim need to be looking at the £6 to 8K range surely?
 
…..never really understood why they went down the venture capitalists route, they were strong enough at that time….not that I had access to their books mind….lol! They just seemed to be the kiddies on the block back then and buoyant….
 
On the used equivalent market that's probably less than a 3K system!

original late 82 serviced £1k
the APX4 David Paterson has in classifieds £450 (a lot better than 1xHCDR)
Pair of SBLs £500 or stretch to Ovator 400's (price but not sound) £1000
Wang a Benchmark dac3 on the front £1000 ish

Obviously used has to cost less than new but seriously, Naim need to be looking at the £6 to 8K range surely?
Clearly their marketing dept think otherwise. If you want to go luxury, go luxury. Clearly the BMW 3 series and £500 Seiko don't do it the way a Ferrari and a Rolex do.
 
As ever, if you wanted to spend £28k on a stereo you could end up with something genuinely unique and at least as good as what's on offer here, but the people wanting this kind of reassuring ly expensive male jewellery generally don't have the imagination.
 
Actually my £500 Seiko does it better than a Rolex. Water resistant 200m and accurate to within a second per year. No Rolex mechanical watch can achieve that (or at least not the accurate bit).

Horses for courses. I buy equipment based on sound quality. If you buy for "willy waggling" then entirely different world.

I have an old Naim system from a previous time, If I had to replace it I certainly wouldn't be looking at their current range and prices. ATC and Genelec all the way but I'd keep my DAC3. New TT would be a struggle!
 
I do wonder how many former Naim devotees, having left the fold some time ago, have been sufficiently attracted by what's now on offer to make a return trip. Feel free to self-identify.
 
I do wonder how many former Naim devotees, having left the fold some time ago, have been sufficiently attracted by what's now on offer to make a return trip. Feel free to self-identify.
I'm pretty confident that it's a different market sector. Brands can move sector. Burberry did it. So did Audi. Also VW, years ago. Skoda, more recently. Mini. Land Rover.
 


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