It fascinates me how some people react to criticism of certain hallowed brands yet anything manufactured under the IAG badge is fair game and a seemingly valid target, Chi-Fi etc etc
Bit of a silly comment frankly. It’s the disproportionate level of responses in a Naim thread compared to other brands that is bewildering. The other day someone posted a thread about transformer hum on some brand of amp (I forget which one) and there followed a couple of pages of helpful advice. Spin time back a couple of months and there was a thread about transformer hum on a Naim power amp and there were 10 pages mainly of people slagging the brand off. HmmmmmmHell hath no fury like a Naimee scorned.
Sorry.It was a bit silly but then other posts were silly and ill informed.Bit if a silly comment frankly. It’s the disproportionate level of responses in a Naim thread compared to other brands that is bewildering. The other day someone posted a thread about transformer hum on some brand of amp (I forget which one) and there followed a couple of pages of helpful advice. Spin time back a couple of months and there was a thread about transformer hum on a Naim power amp and there were 10 pages mainly of people slagging the brand off. Hmmmmmm
I have owned Naim for about 14 years and have loved every minute of it! During that time, I’ve demoed plenty of competitive products, but Naim has stayed. Over time, I went from a Nait XS up to my current 552/300. Enjoyed each upgrade, and remain convinced that the performance improvements I heard at each step were worth it…to me. Also can’t complain about their reliability, service, or support. My Naim dealer is a real gent. Have never had a bad experience. So maybe I am just really lucky, or maybe, just maybe, Naim builds really good stuff and the vast majority of their customers have had similar experiences to me. Can’t say for sure, but suspect the latter is true.
On the question of VFM, I agree that Naim sucks. But guess what? That statement applies equally to just about every other name brand manufacturer of high quality audio gear. It’s the price we pay for wanting to own something that is manufactured in small numbers. Nothing wrong with owning only a mass-produced Bluetooth speaker. There are lots of ways to enjoy music.
On the question of why some feel the need to continually slag off Naim and Linn, well, I just don’t get it. I get not liking either brand, and I get preferring something else. I like IOS better than Android, but I would never jump on an Android thread just to be negative. Seems like a total waste of effort to me, but I guess we are all free to choose how we spend our time and energy.
On the question of why some feel the need to continually slag off Naim and Linn, well, I just don’t get it.
I think there are a few reasons for it. Personally, I feel that the way Linn and Naim have marketed and promoted their products is borderline dishonest and certainly manipulative. I try to point this out to even up the playing field a bit. If people want to buy Naim, or any other brand, it's a free country and I don't care but I would at least like them to go in with their eyes open and understanding that there are cheaper alternatives.
Both Linn and Naim are targeting lifestyle buyers these days. Just like Rolex re-positioned itself in the marketplace using advertising and product placement, Linn and Naim want to be hi-end brands bought by the well heeled who value perceived quality and social status over actual performance. I care about the music and value so I don't respect that. I want people to have great sounding music and systems which are satisfying, not get suckered into a never ending cycle of dissatisfaction, frustration and expensive upgrading.
And you need to understand that the latter situation is exactly what Linn, Naim and their dealers want. They pretend otherwise but it's a lie. If you are genuinely satisfied with a product, you don't change it. Customer satisfaction is of no use to a Hi-Fi dealer.
I kind of wonder why. Though I’ve been a member for a few years, I’m not privy to the
the deeper history of Naim discussions. Having visited the Naim forum when I owned Naim I was struck by the often overly precious evangelising and sermonising behaviours of some members on that forum and it seems that it continues today from some discussions on here. Perhaps this is a legacy and threads are fraught with tension because of this? I don’t know. As I said, I have owned Naim and enjoyed some of its attributes but for me it is overpriced and I felt uneasy about the upgrade path. It is what I would term as mid end hifi. If I were using a car analogy I would choose a modern Skoda. Not quite a Merc or BMW but certainly no Porsche. And that’s not being unkind or provocative for those who remember the original Skoda. Skoda now are well built, well engineered and perform above expectations. Porsche are the pinnacle of mainstream cars and you would expect that a that a tyre replacement would cost £5-600. But in a Skoda you wouldn’t expect this. I would expect Naim servicing to be exemplary as the brand relies heavily on its legacy and longevity though I hear stories on here of dissatisfaction and queries from Naim owner which betrays an unsettlement of a kind. I may be wrong, I may be way off beam but I suspect that these may be some of the issues that underpin the discussions and some of the the perceived tension?
Sorry, but in my view, you are merely (repeatedly) expressing your own personal experience and bias, and nothing more.
Isn't that what everybody does? Why isn't that ok? I assume you think it is ok for Naim fans to repeatedly suggest that every expression of dissatisfaction with Naim products be addressed by buying more of it?
I'm not sure what you mean about maintaining legacy products and being affordable. Have to looked at their product lineup and price list recently? The cheapest pre-amp is £5,300. Cheapest power-amp is £4,300, nothing below the 250 anymore. A hi-cap is £1,600. Really? A transformer in a box.
Kept the brand alive? Bullshit! Milking the reputation of the brand for every penny more like. Do you think JV would approve of this? Shareholders just out to make money? And if you think JV would not approve, and I don't think he would, why is it wrong for me to not approve?
The it would be "Narap"Imagine if Naim produced rap music…!
The Muso and Uniti lines are affordable compared to their direct completion. The volume sales of these products are what allows Naim to continue supporting the considerably less affordable and lower volume Classic and Statement lines.
Julian was a pretty astute businessman. He'd approve of whatever it took to keep the company profitable. If the current management get the market wrong then Naim will go bust, but for the time being they seem to be surviving well in a difficult market. One thing's certain - just trying to market to the rapidly shrinking numbers of old hi-fi farts is a recipe for commercial disaster.Kept the brand alive? Bullshit! Milking the reputation of the brand for every penny more like. Do you think JV would approve of this? Shareholders just out to make money? And if you think JV would not approve, and I don't think he would, why is it wrong for me to not approve?
None of that makes sense to me, sorry.
And it's too bad if you don't like my opinion, I really don't care. Live with it.