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The (almost) bi-polar nature of Naim's products and customers . . .

Arkless Electronics said:
Indeed. I almost used the Rolex watch analogy myself earlier! The point, as you say, is that it's very successful branding and marketing over actual substance. It's business.
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The expensive watch analogy doesn't work, does it? (Only deux point). I tried wearing an XPS power supply on my wrist for ages, and it was hopeless at telling the time. At least it was right twice a day when I painted a clock face and some hands on it. The upshot was, I ended up with one arm six inches longer than the other, with great bulging muscles. All my Armani suits had to be altered.
 
Naim & Linn seemingly divide opinion more so than any other marque. (Only cable threads seem to get more heated)
There's a few reasons for this is suspect.
Some folks do not like the stranglehold Naim & Linn had through their dealers and Hifi press for many years.
Some folks do not like being sold a load of expensive boxes with a promise of better performance over a period of time only to discover they prefer something else that's perhaps less expensive or less clutter.
Some folks just do not like the Naim house sound, although I owned a Naim Nait which I really liked when I went for a dem of a Naim CD player & Nait 3 it did sound hard and edgy, bloody awful IMHO and I really didn't like the manner in which it was trying to be sold to me, little or no choices at a given price.
Then of course there's the folks that really enjoy their Naim systems or perhaps are not prepared to admit, they were wrong, made a mistake, were duped, or get angry when realised they've wasted/ spent thousands of pounds on a system that others do not rate or like.
 
Darren L said:
Then of course there's the folks that really enjoy their Naim systems or perhaps are not prepared to admit, they were wrong, made a mistake, were duped, or get angry when realised they've wasted/ spent thousands of pounds on a system that others do not rate or like.
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A very revealing attitude, assuming folk give two hoots about what others think about their choice of equipment, rather than the way it sounds.

Then, of course, there's the folks that really enjoyed their Hi-Fi but listened to a few old anonymous farts on a hi-fi forum and got rid of their Naim systems, and are not prepared to admit they were wrong, made a mistake, were duped, or get angry when they realised they've wasted/spent thousands of pounds on a system they realise they don't rate or like.
 
Suffolk Tony said:
The expensive watch analogy doesn't work, does it? (Only deux point). I tried wearing an XPS power supply on my wrist for ages, and it was hopeless at telling the time. At least it was right twice a day when I painted a clock face and some hands on it. The upshot was, I ended up with one arm six inches longer than the other, with great bulging muscles. All my Armani suits had to be altered.
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At least it was right twice a day, which is more than can be said for most expensive watches :D
 
Never subscribed to the “upgrade path” marketing trick that some manufacturers tout.
Prefer companies that don’t change product every 5 mins to keep ahead of the pack.
 
Suffolk Tony said:
A very revealing attitude, assuming folk give two hoots about what others think about their choice of equipment, rather than the way it sounds.

Then, of course, there's the folks that really enjoyed their Hi-Fi but listened to a few old anonymous farts on a hi-fi forum and got rid of their Naim systems, and are not prepared to admit they were wrong, made a mistake, were duped, or get angry when they realised they've wasted/spent thousands of pounds on a system they realise they don't rate or like.
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Well that's how it reads, that some do give two hoots or they wouldn't be ranting and raving on here.

And I'm sure the your second paragraph has some merit.
 
Suffolk Tony said:
Seems to me the only ones “Ranting and raving” on here are the usual bunch of Naim haters.
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Folks certainly seem to get agitated whether Naim bashing or supporting.
For me personally I really enjoyed owning, using and listening to a CB Naim Nait for a good few years, I went to dem some later equipment, I didn't like it nor the manner of the sales pitch and went elsewhere, end of story. I neither like or dislike the brand.
 
Del monaco said:
I suppose there is a kind of cultish following but that could apply to a variety of products. I kind of like the cultishness. It makes the brand and followers interesting.I think most just have a reverence and love for the brand which is disarming. It’s impressive that these brands have such loyalty.And the gear does seem almost bombproof and has longevity.
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What you say could equally be applied to the LS3/5a.
 
The real problem with Nam bashing, IMO, (and ignoring all the obvious stuff e.g. why would some people get so worked up almost every time the word Naim is mentioned, when, as has been pointed out many times before, they aren't being forced to use, let alone spend their own money on it? (there are, of course, many other such examples of 'obvious stuff' :rolleyes:)), is that when there is a genuine Naim thread (as opposed to a deliberately trolling one), people who seek advice with regard to Naim equipment just end up with yet another crapped thread. :(

Perhaps all non-trolling Naim threads should be prefaced with something along the lines of 'Genuine Naim thread - Naim bashers need not feel obliged to respond', or words to that effect? :rolleyes: ;)

IMHO, of course - YMMV, yada yada...
 
I was thinking that.Some Quad etc.They’re all classics really.I think some have a hard time fitting the Naim gear into that category, though I think the early CB/Olive stuff probably merits it. There’s such a lot of it though that later stuff seems to dilute this honour. I know I was proud to own it at the time and it was great in many areas. Same as the Linn TT. Brilliant TT and a bona fide classic. I suppose it’s like owning a beautiful classic car that was special in its time.
 
My first strong memory of Naim was hearing two of their systems at the Penta Show in the late 80s or early 90s. They had a modest rig that sounded quite good, if a touch forward. In the next room they had their top end system with at least 6 (CB) NAP135s, it had the same sonic signature as the modest system but was way over the top. It was very harsh and aggressive. I remember thinking that if that was their aim then Naim was not for me.

Despite that, I have always admired Naim for their engineering and industrial design. They undoubtedly got the marketing right in the early days as well.

Fast forward quite a few years and I was looking for a replacement for my ageing Cambridge CD2. I took it to the local hifi shop to compare to a Naim CD5. The Naim was VERY bland in comparison... sort of opposite to my earlier Naim experience.

Some years later, I won a pair of speakers in the HIFi World competition. They were not good (despite rave reviews) so I took them to a dealer to p-ex for an amp. I ended up buying a Unico Primo in preference to a Nait XS and some others. However the Nait was good with no significant failings,, just not as good as the Unico.

As a keen amp builder I have spent some considerable time with Naim clones (some would say they are not representative of the real thing). I believe I have identifed where the sonic signature comes from. I don't think the sound is neutral, but it is appealing in some ways.

A few years ago I heard a 'Symbiosis" system at a hifi show. This consisted of some sort of tweaked LP12, NACxxx + NAP300 and Kudos Titans. This system was superb and we spent a long time after "closing time" listening to this system.

So its seems to me that some Naim kit is very good. I seem to like the newer stuff, but I can understand why some might like the old stuff.
Like most brand name stuff, it is rather overpriced.

After all that, and not for want of trying, I have only bought one thing with the Naim name on it: An Antonio Forcioni CD. I regretted that purchase! Yawn!

Our hobby would be a rather less interesting if Naim (and Linn) had not done what they did.
 
Suffolk Tony said:
I'll quietly mention that one of the more attention-seeking behaviours is criticising other people's tastes and decisions, in an attempt to make oneself appear superior.
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Given your postings upthread, I hope you have a handy mirror and a sense or irony :)

Om Naim Bashing. It's not the name Naim, it's the principle of their sales decisions which wind me, and I am quite even handed in directing the same, slightly weary, tut tutting at any other company involved in the same tactics.

On: 'It's their money, they can choose where they spend it'. Well, read a bit about the power of advertising and marketing principles. Bear in mind that there was once a strong relationship, rumoured to be incentivised, between reviewers and producers (shock), and then spend a few mins pondering on that statement. It takes a very very determined and clear headed buyer to resist 'a better image', an object 'of considerable status', ownership of 'the best' etc. Not that much free will involved.

On: Being a Neanderthal. Stupid is as stupid does.
 
Suffolk Tony said:
Seems to me the only ones “Ranting and raving” on here are the usual bunch of Naim haters.
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I've been put off saying anything more in this thread on the topic of Naim, their pricing, and where they stand on the value for money scale.

Because you will brand me as part of the usual bunch of ranting and raving Naim haters.

Was that your intention with this post, and with the series of posts you've made in this thread prior to this?

To put people off sharing their experience on the topic raised by the opening post?
 
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