Can you have too much of a good thing?
Posted by: Geoff P on 05 April 2004
Folks
I have been building a nice "set" of new reference series Naim over the past year or so.
The first purchase was CDX2 and the process will "end" (note this brave declaration) back there when the XPS2 arrives in a week or so to bolt onto the "bare" CDX2 that started it all.
So what I have now is CDX2/282/Supercap/250mkii on Fraim. The system has grown in power and dynamics in different ways as each component arrived. There are obviously elements of the total musical experience which can be strongly linked to the different components which certainly deliver as expected.
So for instance the 250 added weight and deep bass control. The 282 revealed the density of the signal coming from the CDX2 as it bedded in and the Supercap enhanced the detail and timing of the delivery from the 282. Putting it all on Fraim was the biggest VFM purchase IMO. Everything tightened up in a way that delighted and encouraged higher level listening.
This all great stuff and exactly as expected.
The other long running message particulalrly w.r.t. the CD players and the power amps is that the new series is more "rounded" and "richer" sounding at the possible expense of some absolute dynamics and a little of the famous PRaT. I have never heard the original series so cannot confirm this but to my ears the richness while apparent is musical and pleasing.
What is alarming me here is that maybe you can have too much of a good thing.
I was listening to the current system pretty heavily over the weekend as a kind of "before" session in preparation for the "after" session when the XPS2 is here, when I realised that it was all getting a bit "mellow". All the elements I described above are there but I am not sure that as each new piece has been added the combined effect has not produced a bit too much "richness" at the expense of excitiment.
Don't get me wrong the system still "swings" and there is great power in the sound but there is a very slight impression of nonchalance in the delivery which comes from the control that the system has at all times. "No ragged edges" would be another way to describe it.
I am now a bit worried that the XPS2 will give even more control and mellowness which I am not sure I need.
Is this something others have observed and does this "control" effect build with the old series in a detectable way?
Your thoughts and comments are encouraged.
regards
GEOFF
I have been building a nice "set" of new reference series Naim over the past year or so.
The first purchase was CDX2 and the process will "end" (note this brave declaration) back there when the XPS2 arrives in a week or so to bolt onto the "bare" CDX2 that started it all.
So what I have now is CDX2/282/Supercap/250mkii on Fraim. The system has grown in power and dynamics in different ways as each component arrived. There are obviously elements of the total musical experience which can be strongly linked to the different components which certainly deliver as expected.
So for instance the 250 added weight and deep bass control. The 282 revealed the density of the signal coming from the CDX2 as it bedded in and the Supercap enhanced the detail and timing of the delivery from the 282. Putting it all on Fraim was the biggest VFM purchase IMO. Everything tightened up in a way that delighted and encouraged higher level listening.
This all great stuff and exactly as expected.
The other long running message particulalrly w.r.t. the CD players and the power amps is that the new series is more "rounded" and "richer" sounding at the possible expense of some absolute dynamics and a little of the famous PRaT. I have never heard the original series so cannot confirm this but to my ears the richness while apparent is musical and pleasing.
What is alarming me here is that maybe you can have too much of a good thing.
I was listening to the current system pretty heavily over the weekend as a kind of "before" session in preparation for the "after" session when the XPS2 is here, when I realised that it was all getting a bit "mellow". All the elements I described above are there but I am not sure that as each new piece has been added the combined effect has not produced a bit too much "richness" at the expense of excitiment.
Don't get me wrong the system still "swings" and there is great power in the sound but there is a very slight impression of nonchalance in the delivery which comes from the control that the system has at all times. "No ragged edges" would be another way to describe it.
I am now a bit worried that the XPS2 will give even more control and mellowness which I am not sure I need.
Is this something others have observed and does this "control" effect build with the old series in a detectable way?
Your thoughts and comments are encouraged.
regards
GEOFF
quote:
Originally posted by o.j.:
the slogan of linn:the only sound
the slogan of fm:Why not the best?
looks af if they both know that they are on top.
o.j.
Sounds like both firms have an excellent marketing department.
Pardon me for being cynical, but, I am in advertising and marketing.
quote:
Originally posted by kuma:quote:
Originally posted by o.j.:
the slogan of linn:the only sound
the slogan of fm:Why not the best?
looks af if they both know that they are on top.
o.j.
Sounds like both firms have an excellent marketing department.
Pardon me for being cynical, but, I am in advertising and marketing.
Agree about linn and its popularity,but
your have to produce also very good products
to be that selfconcius and to have long
time success with those a little bit radical
slogans.
Not so radical and with a bigger space for
the customer to judge products without the
risk that his experiences do not fit together
with the slogan:
Hear my naim.
Listen and you will see (B&W)
Ok,ok early eigthies naim slogans were more
radical:you be a nothing without a naim.
But this seems today not "mainstreamy"enough.?
or a little bit politically incorrect?
O.J.
quote:
Originally posted by o.j.:
Ok,ok early eigthies naim slogans were more
radical:you be a nothing without a naim.
But this seems today not "mainstreamy"enough.?
or a little bit politically incorrect?
o.j.
yeah. 'hear my naim' is pretty lame.
It fits from their new strategy, alas, lost the edge. ( ha, perhaps this says a lot about their new sound )
I don't know why they abandoned the previous line as it is very fitting for Naim. ( and I still think it is viable )
quote:I agree perfectly with you and think also that the best
Originally posted by kuma:quote:
Originally posted by o.j.:
Ok,ok early eigthies naim slogans were more
radical:you be a nothing without a naim.
But this seems today not "mainstreamy"enough.?
or a little bit politically incorrect?
o.j.
yeah. 'hear my naim' is pretty lame.
It fits from their new strategy, alas, lost the edge. ( ha, perhaps this says a lot about their new sound )
I don't know why they abandoned the previous line as it is very fitting for Naim. ( and I still think it is viable )
strategy for a small enterprise,like naim is ( i mean size
compared to big players like sony,pioneer and so on)is to b e different and also to a c l a i m to be. It was one of the biggest strengths of naim that the customers had the feeling to
get something good for their individual taste(sound and design)at an affordable price.
Today naims marketing misses (imo )to bring their intention into fitting slogans.
The products self are for me looking and sounding still individual (concerning the competitors of today)
But comparing nait5 and 5i i think the marketing point must have been one single
amp with following ingredients:
power of 5i (a more expensive amp with less power as 5 is, is not easy to understand for customers)
full 5i upgradeability.(upgrade means money for the company(trade in only increases kapital volume of the dealers(which they do not want),trade in from a5 to a5i will not happen ,and pre /ampcombo is price wise to far away.)
a higher price than 5i(logical the product will be more expensive to produce)
a cheaper price than 5.(therefore more people can afford than today 5 and you can sell more pieces than of todays(or yesterdays)5.
concentrated marketing on this product,and out
of this reason a lot more efficiency.
iam sure the intention was the customer should
have the feeling of choice between 5 and 5i.
the actually effect seems to be customers
confusion.
O.J.