Mmm, still not seeing a problem?
Naim Prices?
- Thread starter dalryc
- Start date
gavreid
Pretty Words...
He'll be around
Yes he will be around because he will explain why he thinks Naim is value for money and how he thinks it's amusing that those who moan about the price have no intention of buying anyway.He'll be around
Tony Lockhart
Avoiding Stress, at Every Opportunity
And then those same people hear a great Japanese integrated amp and wonder what on earth they’ve been kidding themselves over since the end of Olive, and spend £10k to £30k there.
I'm not either. Are you maybe responding to someone else?
Darren
So gentle when he tries to understand.
I saw a review on the HIFIRiff channel on YouTube the other week. It was one Cyrus's new integrated amps. Including the extra power supply it was six grand. Incredible. I just cant see the value in the product and perhaps that's the thing - these products are not being marketed to a price sensitive, value seeking market segment like many of us. Many manufacturers are seeking customers for whom perceived quality and fine finish trump value by a fair margin.
I just hope there are enough of these unicorns to go round.
I just hope there are enough of these unicorns to go round.
Its a bit like Leica cameras... I have a couple, not current models and bought used (M10-P and Q2), plus a couple of lenses. New prices are insane and still quite expensive used (for a camera), but they are a joy to use and perfect for what I want them for. Leica however is also part owned by private equity and is also pursuing the 'price it as high as a small sales boutique model' will sustain. Value and cost of manufacturing are not part of it as much. I see the new product in that market - kind of a 'Lifestyle statement' product.
I have a Leica M6 and I genuinely thought it would be worth £50 as after all it's just an outdated film camera. Much to my surprise the going rate is anything from £1800 to £2500.
I've heard none (zero) that have purchased the Nova PE as of yet.
If there's anybody out there ? - not feeling ribbed, let us know what you think.
OK, if you feel ribbed we will help.
I've a gut feeling that pricing of luxury items are priced for those who can afford them and very little to do with quality, performance or any other attribute traditionally associated with high price tags.
That's not to say that the new Naim Audio kit or Lecia cameras are not good.
I have a feeling the only market showing growth (though I've absolutely no evidence of this assumption) is the higher end luxury goods market. With a few exceptions the 'budget' end of the market in hifi is virtually non existent and the midrange is disappearing. I think this is down too the traditional middle classes getting squeezed financially.
The 'evidence' for me is just what I see online and locally, the biggest zero waste refill shop in Belfast has closed, two private prep schools linked to two of the highest performing grammar schools are closing, one being Ben Madigan which is the prep for Belfast Royal Academy the other has not been formally announced as yet but the parents have been informed of closure.
Both of these schools would have predominantly 'middle class' pupils .
That's not to say that the new Naim Audio kit or Lecia cameras are not good.
I have a feeling the only market showing growth (though I've absolutely no evidence of this assumption) is the higher end luxury goods market. With a few exceptions the 'budget' end of the market in hifi is virtually non existent and the midrange is disappearing. I think this is down too the traditional middle classes getting squeezed financially.
The 'evidence' for me is just what I see online and locally, the biggest zero waste refill shop in Belfast has closed, two private prep schools linked to two of the highest performing grammar schools are closing, one being Ben Madigan which is the prep for Belfast Royal Academy the other has not been formally announced as yet but the parents have been informed of closure.
Both of these schools would have predominantly 'middle class' pupils .
No. Here's what you said:
What I'm saying is, who cares? Am I supposed to pity someone who says 'I want a Range Rover but I can't afford one'? Have a whip round maybe?
Naim are producing expensive lifestyle products, not bread. No one needs them. You can own a perfectly good stereo system for a fraction of the price of a Naim product and most people do. Wanting that system to be brand new and say Naim on it is pure materialism and egotism. I don't care if someone complains that they can't afford Naim because I don't relate to the values that cause them to be upset about that.
Sure, you can bemoan the fact that Naim are no longer the company they used to be but again, isn't that just idolatrous worship of the company? If the owners, designers and products are all different what are you worshiping? Four letters of the alphabet? Are you really that blinkered?
Mike1965
pfm Member
Well said Mr Pig
allthingsanalog
pfm Member
Buying a Japanese amp and Cd player was the best move I ever made, Yamaha A-S3000, Denon DCD-A110.
A good friend of mine has gone Accuphase, after having £56k worth of Naim and sound he gets now is superb.
I remarked to him the other day that it makes you realise we’ve had our head in the sand over buying British. You only have to look how many people are using the new generation of Technics SL1200's. Years ago you would have been almost banned from a hifi forum for mentioning Technics.
Although my LP12 is going nowhere.
Snufkin
pfm Member
I really like some Naim products and still have some chrome and olive sets although I have ‘better’ amps. Naim’s pricing has always been on an upward trajectory and I can remember looking at their price lists in the eighties and nineties and it always seemed to be going up faster than my earnings. It wasn’t till I navigated the 2nd hand market that it became affordable. I then started to appreciate not just what it brought to my audio enjoyment but also its relative simplicity/reparability, something I value very much.
Bringing it up to date, the current Naim offerings are fantastic but they are also very, very expensive, no change there, but I fear their complexity makes their reparability in the future more questionable. I will stick to their earlier offerings which could, Ironically, outlast their newer stuff.
Bringing it up to date, the current Naim offerings are fantastic but they are also very, very expensive, no change there, but I fear their complexity makes their reparability in the future more questionable. I will stick to their earlier offerings which could, Ironically, outlast their newer stuff.
They are luxury items. Luxury items have to be expensive enough to attract customers wanting luxury items. You would not want a Rolex costing 200 pounds.
Lifestyle products. Sign up and have the badge, or don't bother. Rolex used to be priced at Rotary level plus about 10-20%. Naim used to be priced at Japanese mid fi level plus 25-50%. Now both are top of the shop boutique brands. Both are very successful. I don't own either, or want to. If others do, that's fine. Crack on, you do you. I'll do me.
Here, but it's the same thread as the one a month ago which is the same as the one a month before that which is the same... with the same posters writing the same silliness.
Naim are doing fantastically well from a business perspective as they have moved with the times and, while their current product range holds no interest to an old git like me, I wish them every success.
Further on this is that there is a huge difference in where a brand sits to Joe Public as opposed to where it sits to those aficionados of the particular market. To the average Joe who has taken any notice of audio system marketing Naim will seem like a top of the tree brand whereas we all know there are vastly more expensive and niche options out there as we're what are classed as audiophiles.
Same with watches, to us (assuming none of us are watch collectors) Rolex seems like a top of the tree brand whereas amongst watch fans and collectors Rolex is seen as pretty much a budget brand that just about cuts the mustard with far more specialist, limited and niche watch companies being the true leaders on an aspirational front.. I was involved about 15 years ago with a Swiss watch start up and their first model released cost £50K, their marketing chap who had been in the industry 20 years was very dismissive of Rolex, when I mentioned Tag (my watch brand) he sort of laughed... it was genuinely amusing, but not in a bad way... it's just the difference in perception is very marked and highly interesting.