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Hifi News Review of Naim Statement

I'll have you know that these polyester trousers are freshly ironed, my cream shirt has only recently had its collar turned so there's another couple of years in it, and my cardigan is made with the finest acrylic money can buy. Anyway, what's wrong with Lovat green over grey?
 
So the Naim Statement is rather expensive, to the point where some of you are offended by the vulgarity of what it represents. Why that gets your knickers in a twist if you are not in the market for one is beyond my comprehension. I'm not offended by anyone wearing Patek Philippe or driving a McLaren, unless they are behaving badly. It's not as if a Naim Statement owner could take his hifi for a walk or drive to wave it about, is it?

The thing that interests me about the Naim Statement is the power output. I do understand that proper dynamic range for realistic levels require considerable electrical muscle. But how many people listen that loudly? In my averagely sized room (5.8 x 4.1 x 2.7m), I struggle to hear the dynamic difference between a pair of 125W monoblocks and an ancient 30W Pioneer when playing music at my preferred listening levels. Conveniently, that's the same headroom difference between the Statement and the NAP500, which is about 6dB. But qualitatively, I much prefer the way the Pioneer sounds. Maybe it is the class-A operation, and maybe it is all in my nostalgic mind. But others who have heard the comparison share the same view that the lower-powered vintage Jap amp sounded better than the higher-powered modern Danish amp. So, I don't think power is all there is to it.

I'm unlikely to hear the Statement in my parts, and it is improbable that I'll ever buy hifi with that kind of price tag. So the Statement is irrelevant to me. However, finding the right combination of products and careful configuration of the listening environment goes a long way on the road to audio nirvanah, and much more satisfying than simply getting something that is reassuringly expensive. I don't feel remotely jealous, envious or even slightly annoyed by the Naim Statement nor the people who buy them.
 
James said:
So the Naim Statement is rather expensive, to the point where some of you are offended by the vulgarity of what it represents. Why that gets your knickers in a twist if you are not in the market for one is beyond my comprehension. I'm not offended by anyone wearing Patek Philippe or driving a McLaren, unless they are behaving badly. It's not as if a Naim Statement owner could take his hifi for a walk or drive to wave it about, is it?
Click to expand...

Others can speak or themselves, but Naim are marketing this equipment as their finest, and making it exclusively available to a tiny percentage of their market.
So you can have what they tout as the best hi-fi if you are stinking rich.
That sickens me, to the point that I'd never purchase one of their products again.

Even worse, such products are sold on a lie. The perfect amplifier needn't cost a fraction of this thing.

I don't divorce moral considerations from the companies I buy from or endorse.
The list got a little shorter.
 
It's all marketing puffery and posturing to me. If there are misstatements of fact, then the astute buyer can moderate the amount of salt to add. Naim has done this for decades.

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I'd like to see a brave Statement owner short the loudspeaker terminal at full tilt.

Aside from the exclusivity inherent in the price, there probably isn't much that can't be achieved for considerably less money. I'm sure as good as a McLaren P1 is, I'd have just as much fun in a Subaru BRZ with far FAR less emotional baggage.
 
I am neither in the market for an amp like the Statement nor even remotely interested (and I've not heard it). But I am appalled by the number of PFMers who are willing to diss a product purely on their own (misguided) beliefs, envy or disgust without even listening to it.

How can you come to the conclusion without listening that it's not worth it or that it doesn't do something quite 'special'?
 
hockman said:
I am neither in the market for an amp like the Statement nor even remotely interested (and I've not heard it). But I am appalled by the number of PFMers who are willing to diss a product purely on their own (misguided) beliefs, envy or disgust without even listening to it.

How can you come to the conclusion without listening that it's not worth it or that it doesn't do something quite 'special'?
Click to expand...
Not sure if that is directed at me, but I'm certainly not dissing the product. It is quite likely to be exceptional. My only question is what benefit arises from having 750W per channel, when 100W is plenty for most people in a domestic situation.

I'm all for high-quality amplification, just as I'm all for a nicely balanced and handling car. But I don't really need one that can do 0-60 in 3 seconds nor do I regularly travel at 180mph. I suppose those in the market for the Statement are likely to have big rooms to fill and hence need to power.
 
Robert said:
Others can speak or themselves, but Naim are marketing this equipment as their finest, and making it exclusively available to a tiny percentage of their market.
So you can have what they tout as the best hi-fi if you are stinking rich.
That sickens me, to the point that I'd never purchase one of their products again.

Even worse, such products are sold on a lie. The perfect amplifier needn't cost a fraction of this thing.

I don't divorce moral considerations from the companies I buy from or endorse.
The list got a little shorter.
Click to expand...

Are you bitter about something? Don't worry - Ed Miliband is going to ban Naim and UK manufacturing in general, and distribute drab lowest-common-denominator shite to the masses.
 
Robert said:
Others can speak or themselves, but Naim are marketing this equipment as their finest, and making it exclusively available to a tiny percentage of their market.
So you can have what they tout as the best hi-fi if you are stinking rich.
That sickens me, to the point that I'd never purchase one of their products again.

Even worse, such products are sold on a lie. The perfect amplifier needn't cost a fraction of this thing.

I don't divorce moral considerations from the companies I buy from or endorse.
The list got a little shorter.
Click to expand...

Weird. One point about being stinking rich is that you get to play with more expensive toys than the hoi polloi. 'Twas ever thus.
 
People take this stuff very personally, are people just as personal about fridges, cookers and washing machines (and yes my cooker is more expensive than my HiFi)
 
hockman said:
I am neither in the market for an amp like the Statement nor even remotely interested (and I've not heard it). But I am appalled by the number of PFMers who are willing to diss a product purely on their own (misguided) beliefs, envy or disgust without even listening to it.

How can you come to the conclusion without listening that it's not worth it or that it doesn't do something quite 'special'?
Click to expand...

It's strange to be sure. Most of the vitriol seems to come from the trade members, doesn't it? Wonder why?
 
Robert said:
Others can speak or themselves, but Naim are marketing this equipment as their finest, and making it exclusively available to a tiny percentage of their market.
So you can have what they tout as the best hi-fi if you are stinking rich.
That sickens me, to the point that I'd never purchase one of their products again.

Even worse, such products are sold on a lie. The perfect amplifier needn't cost a fraction of this thing.

I don't divorce moral considerations from the companies I buy from or endorse.
The list got a little shorter.
Click to expand...

So, let me get your position completely straight, because I'm obviously a bit fuzzy on this.

You were perfectly happy to recommend (and borrow - free of charge - for your National Audio Show demonstration, IIRC) Naim Audio equipment when the top of the company's tree only cost as much as a Porsche Cayman. But now that the top of the tree costs as much as a top AMG Mercedes S-Class, suddenly its products are to be airbrushed from your history. Is that your position? If it is, this Audio Lazarus role you've cast yourself in doesn't look quite so robust, does it?

For my part, the products sold to those with considerably more (or for that matter, considerably less) wealth than I do not matter to me. What matters instead is that the products I can afford perform their function well, and should I want a roadmap to what I consider 'better', that those products are within reach and achieve what I consider 'better'. My role as reviewer in some respects is to cast myself in the role of that someone with considerably more or less disposable income, to see how any given product fits into that potential person's audio experience.

The fact there is a layer of products that are an order of magnitude further up the pipeline that someone may probably never afford, never justify, and may not be able to justify even if they could afford simply doesn't figure. If it has any figuring in the decision-making process, it would be that there might be some aspects of the top-line performance trickling down to the equipment they can afford. That should be all that counts, not some attempt at political grandstanding. However, I doubt you can see the logic of this argument, because it must be hard to read it sitting atop your high horse.
 
I am appalled by the number of PFMers who are willing to diss a product purely on their own (misguided) beliefs, envy or disgust without even listening to it.
Click to expand...

That's the free market for you - if you don't like choice and the way people make choices, other systems are available, as has been pointed out above. I will say though, that if more people had heard this amp the thread would be more interesting and probably a lot shorter.
 
You can't really blame manufacturers for making a product to fill a perceived or actual niche, whether the amp is actually any better is another question.
Keith.
 
James said:
So the Naim Statement is rather expensive, to the point where some of you are offended by the vulgarity of what it represents. Why that gets your knickers in a twist if you are not in the market for one is beyond my comprehension. I'm not offended by anyone wearing Patek Philippe or driving a McLaren, unless they are behaving badly. It's not as if a Naim Statement owner could take his hifi for a walk or drive to wave it about, is it?

The thing that interests me about the Naim Statement is the power output. I do understand that proper dynamic range for realistic levels require considerable electrical muscle. But how many people listen that loudly? In my averagely sized room (5.8 x 4.1 x 2.7m), I struggle to hear the dynamic difference between a pair of 125W monoblocks and an ancient 30W Pioneer when playing music at my preferred listening levels. Conveniently, that's the same headroom difference between the Statement and the NAP500, which is about 6dB. But qualitatively, I much prefer the way the Pioneer sounds. Maybe it is the class-A operation, and maybe it is all in my nostalgic mind. But others who have heard the comparison share the same view that the lower-powered vintage Jap amp sounded better than the higher-powered modern Danish amp. So, I don't think power is all there is to it.

I'm unlikely to hear the Statement in my parts, and it is improbable that I'll ever buy hifi with that kind of price tag. So the Statement is irrelevant to me. However, finding the right combination of products and careful configuration of the listening environment goes a long way on the road to audio nirvanah, and much more satisfying than simply getting something that is reassuringly expensive. I don't feel remotely jealous, envious or even slightly annoyed by the Naim Statement nor the people who buy them.
Click to expand...

Brits love the underdog.
When the underdog gets a bit cocky and tries to be top dog, emotions are reversed.

The power output is just a marketing effort. Seems to be the latest fad.
At least the S1 meets its ludicrous specification.
 
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