Forum Health Warning?

Posted by: Hawk on 06 April 2004

Ive come to the conclusion this forum should come with some sort of health warning!!!
This place is rife with allsorts of upgradeitus bugs and too much exposure can result in compulsive Black/Olive box disorders...

I caught my first bug without even posting a word! So dont think anonimity is any protection!! It was a nasty case of 'Need a CDX2' I caught it by just reading a post... i immediately had the urge to listen to one to see what all the fuss was about... and thats when it happened, it immediately made my old cdp sound dull and uninspiring and i had absolutely no choice but to go back the next day and buy it...

I spent the next month in heaven rediscovering my CD collection... So what went wrong??? I visited the forum again thats what went wrong!!!
I spent less than an hour, again not posting a word but i still got a 'if you think it sounds good now wait til you add another box to it bug' more commonly refered to as an XPS2.. With help from my bank manager i managed to resist for nearly 12 weeks!!! but just like the CDX2 bug it was only a matter of time before the XPS2 claimed its victim...

My immune system is particularly low now and as i sit here and type ive got the first signs of 'supercap' and 'fraim' and have developed the compulsion to search 'Naim' on ebay each week for signs of any 'i dont realise it yet but i must have one of these boxes because they dont come up that often and it will cost more to buy new'

Sorry for my ramblings, but i think people should be warned! On the plus side though, My music has never sounded so good!! so i wouldnt have it any other way... so for that i'd like to thank the forum!!!

Anyone else suffered this way????

Posted on: 06 April 2004 by Geoff P

Hawk

This place is like Alcoholics Annonymus. It helps to talk about it.
Unfortunately unlike the Alcohol thing the talking does not cure you it just intensifies the addiction.
Maybe we should call it NN for NOMORE NAIM !!

regards
Geoff

Posted on: 06 April 2004 by roger poll

Buying Naim can seriously damage your wealth.

Roger Poll.

Posted on: 06 April 2004 by Rich Jerskey

The Naim folks are very sly indeed. As mentioned before, they know only too well that we are each other's best salespeople and thus Naim's best sales vehicle. Think about it!

Rich

"does the end of the tunnel still have a light if no one's there to see it?"

Posted on: 06 April 2004 by kj burrell

quote:
we are each other's best salespeople and thus Naim's best sales vehicle

Possibly, but I've read of hardly any non s/h purchases which, surely, is of little benfit to our hosts. That's the problem with building kit with such a long life expectancy. Certainly many first timers are directed to s/h as a serious alternative to new. I think the site generates more traffic on e bay than anything else!

Kevin

Posted on: 06 April 2004 by Rich Jerskey

I'm just referring to the ever present encouragement to buy Naim equipment whether 2nd hand or new. By buying someone else's 2nd hand stuff, you're enabling them to upgrade to that (new?) next level power amp or whatever. Anyway, it's still a good thing that so much info and opinion is available here.

Rich

Posted on: 06 April 2004 by seagull

Ah, but many people selling Naim kit are upgrading or changing to the new kit. The 2nd hand market for Naim is quite bouyant and it supports the new market too as the cost of upgrading is the retail price less what you can get for your old kit.

I bought an olive hi-cap (c.2001) from someone who was changing all his kit from olive to the new series. He was buying a new hi-cap to replace the one I bought off him.

Posted on: 06 April 2004 by Tarquin Maynard - Portly

I'm with the above.

By buying 2nd hand you enable someone higher up the food chain to have the funds to buy new kit.

The only practice I think is pretty despicable is going along to a dealer for a demo, dicsussion, advice etc and then going to the market and buying 2nd hand.

Regards

Mike

Spending money I don't have on things I don't need.

Posted on: 06 April 2004 by Rich Jerskey

Mike,

"using" the dealer like that can be justified if in the future sometime you are able to recommend potential customers to him based on the experience you had, or even you yourself will go for new gear in yet another upgrade step someday and redeem his service to you earlier when you bought second hand. If it was a callous-taking-advantage-of situation then yeah, you're right but if it was to confirm a strategy with regards to getting a component used than it's not despicable in my book but depending on the personality of the dealer, he may or may not look at it as such. it's a grey area that depends on intent (sorry to get philosophical on you here).

Rich

Posted on: 06 April 2004 by Tarquin Maynard - Portly

quote:
Originally posted by alexgerrard:
By the way Mike, have you tried the CDS2 yet?

ag

Alex

Bugger Off and stop putting ideas into my head.

Regards

Mike

Spending money I don't have on things I don't need.

Posted on: 06 April 2004 by Hawk

Which ever way you look at it a strong used market can only help.. It even makes buying new Naim less risky as you stand to lose less when the time comes to move it on or if circumstances change..

Ive bought both new and used lately, The CDX2 came from the Sound Gallery, and the XPS2 was secondhand.. With all the upgrade options there will always be a need to sell boxes as well as aquire, even those dedicated to buying new will at some stage have to sell used, even if it is to the dealer...

Eitherway the forum definately plays a part in keeping the overall 'Naim Economy on the Up' so i move that we get a commision scheme put in place!!!

Posted on: 06 April 2004 by Tarquin Maynard - Portly

Hi Rich

I would agree to a point but I think that the chance of this happening is slim.

The question would be asked, "So did you buy the TurboNutterCap from him? " Response "Naaaah I went second hand.."

What do you think the guy would do?

I rate Colin Macey of Martin Kleiser very highly. I have bought stuff from him over the past year or two and I know that I have introduced customers to him. I still feel guilty about asking his advice on second hand kit even though I bought my very first bits of audio equipment from him, in 1983, and so probably qualify as a loyal customer.

But then again I am a softy.

Regards

Mike

Spending money I don't have on things I don't need.

Posted on: 06 April 2004 by ken c

what an interesting thread?

a few months ago, i compared my active olive 250's with passive 135's and felt each had its own strengths and weaknesses -- but decided that in order to get the benefits of both worlds, i should look for a quartet of 135's and drive them actively.

then other thoughts crept in, FROM THIS D***N FORUM!!! what about nap300's? ah, but upgrade to cds3 would be better (source first?)! and what about the 252 -- its better than a 52, etc etc.

to cut the long story short, i sold my 52, cdsii, snaxo, supercap, 2xolive 250 and they went like a shot - (perhaps i underpriced them?) i am now passive, with a 252 preamp and nap250-2. no cd player (fortunately the lp12 has been keeping me very nicely entertained ...)

fortunately my wife has put brakes on this upgrade mania. you know, stuff like "ken, we need a new bathroom" from my wife, and "dad, i need my own portable pc" from my daughter. so, unfortunately, that cds3 will have to wait. and i need to work up to active again, so there is supercap, snaxo, another 250-2 to fund, or perhaps 2x300?? dream on...

yes, i agree, this forum should come with a health warning, and i also agree that this forum is an excellent sales tool for naim -- since we are each others' best salespersons.

enjoy

ken

Posted on: 06 April 2004 by kuma

quote:
Originally posted by Geoff P:
Maybe we should call it NN for NOMORE NAIM !!

ha.. that's my initials

Posted on: 06 April 2004 by hicapman

I fund my hi-fi 'addiction' via the 2nd hand market.I scour the free ads papers for bargains stick them on ebay(sellars market) and make profit.I couldn't afford the CDX I have now otherwise.I have never lost out only broke even.
Some may turn their noses up at this but it's on the right side of the law and I have 100% feedback.
They do it with antiques on 'Bargain Hunt'

Posted on: 06 April 2004 by NaimThatTune

I buy all my stuff new. I put my fingers in ears and hum 'la la la I'm not listening' when people talk about savings to be had on 2nd hand stuff.

Strangely, I really like saving up for long periods of time for stuff, and I'm having fun with some pretty unbalanced set-ups and some pretty massive jumps along the way.

I also make sure that for every £ I spend on Naim kit, I put XX £s into savings. So the more I spend the more I save too! Everybody wins!

Except I can't find the TurboNutterCap on the price list anywhere - now I've read about it on the forum I just have to have one!

Cheers!

Rich.

Inactively enjoying it all...

Posted on: 07 April 2004 by Rockingdoc

Every single item of s/h Naim gear that I have bought has turned out to need some attention. The servicing costs can be put into the equation easily when purchasing, but don't forget the hassle of sending it back to Naim, and being without music for a month each time.
There is something to be said for buying new and having the guarantee, particularly as I have always found Naim/dealer to be very generous in interpreting the length of warranty on new purchased gear with the original owner.

Posted on: 07 April 2004 by Hawk

Doh, just picked up a serious case of what direction is/should my burndy be connected!? from the forum... dont think im going to sleep until ive tried it both ways!! the cable that is!! still at least this shouldnt cost me any money!?!? Perhaps there should be a rating to the cost implications of reading each thread.. Red = Sell the house and mortgage the kids, amber = only need to sell all the contents that dont make music, Green = No cost, apart from a few hours of tweaking, ie shelf placement, cable directions etc...

Posted on: 07 April 2004 by o.j.

quote:
Originally posted by Hawk:
Doh, just picked up a serious case of what direction is/should my burndy be connected!? from the forum... dont think im going to sleep until ive tried it both ways!! the cable that is!! still at least this shouldnt cost me any money!?!? Perhaps there should be a rating to the cost implications of reading each thread.. Red = Sell the house and mortgage the kids, amber = only need to sell all the contents that dont make music, Green = No cost, apart from a few hours of tweaking, ie shelf placement, cable directions etc...

Hawk!green is the most expensive.
red and amber cost only money,green will rob your sleep your health and your brain

O.J.

Posted on: 07 April 2004 by Hawk

OJ, you could well be right!!! i better get one of those TurboNutterburndybothways thangs that until a few hours ago i could sleep peacefully in ignorance of

Posted on: 07 April 2004 by Tarquin Maynard - Portly

For heavens sake, Hawk: you dont't need two kidneys.....

Regards

Mike

Spending money I don't have on things I don't need.

Posted on: 09 April 2004 by Hawk

ummm so if it was your kidney and you had the following what would you swap it for????

CDX2/XPS2/282/HICAP2/250-2

Supercap nutter thang???

Posted on: 09 April 2004 by Mekon

*cough*secondhandoneonpfm*cough*

Posted on: 09 April 2004 by Tarquin Maynard - Portly

Alex

Remortgage. The change your sign off line to....

Spending money I don't have on things I don't need.