Facelift Pre-Amps = 102.5 82.5 52.5 ?
Posted by: DIL on 06 December 2001
Hi,
Is there a market for a .5 facelift upgrade for the old style wide case pre-amps ?
My thoughts here are the same internals, but with modern (eg NAP500 styling) case.
A couple of options for Naim here (I don't expect a direct response, although a 
from HQ would be interesting.):
1. Stop selling 102,82,52 pre's in old style cases. (And I guess other wide bodied kit now I think about it.) Replace with .5 in new case.
2.a Supply both options, with new style cases at a price premium, say + £300.
2.b Offer an upgrade facelift at, say, +£300
3. Introduce new products at the same price points as existing kit - No doubt in the pipeline - AND offer very generous trade in allowances. (I can dream.)
The question Paul et al will be asking (even if they don't admit it) is will this generate cash and extend product life ?
Since much of the Naim kit has legendary life (NAP250, for example) and will no doubt continue to do justice to all but the top end systems I can see a market for a face lift in line with the introduction of both top end NAP500 (and NAC502 ?) and mid range components in the future.
Any thoughts on this ?
/dl
Posted on: 06 December 2001 by Paul Stephenson
with new style cases at a price premium, say + £300.
2.b Offer an upgrade facelift at, say, +£300
is that plus tax?
Posted on: 06 December 2001 by Peter C
I personally think that the casing style that has been recently replaced is fine as it is.
Its understated and does the job.
Posted on: 06 December 2001 by DIL
A
from HQ ! Maybe they do have a sense of humour there after all
The figure of £300 was plucked out of the air. Too high ? Too low ? Who can say ?
/dl
Posted on: 06 December 2001 by Chris Dolan
quote:
The figure of £300 was plucked out of the air. Too high ? Too low ? Who can say ?
I don't care how much they paid me I wouldn't change the fascias to look like the 5 Series
Chris
Posted on: 07 December 2001 by Erik
When You site the NAP 500 in the same rack as the old style, the latter looks like russian made anno 1968.
/Erik
Posted on: 07 December 2001 by Derek Wright
that goes on the front of the 52 style boxes.
This would meet the needs of the style sensitive user.
Derek
Posted on: 07 December 2001 by Paul Davies
Not long after the NAP 500 was released, there was a discussion on this forum on how the transistor technology developed for the NAP 500 might be applied to other Naim products. If I remember correctly, Julian commented that the most suitable candidate was a super pre-amp along the lines of the 52-5. This comment made me wonder if it would be possible for 52 preamps to be upgraded to such a beast in the way that 32 and 42 preamps could be upgraded to 32-5 and 42-5 state.
Now that the arrival of a new super pre-amp has been acknowledged on this Forum, I am wondering if it will be a 52-5 (with the possibilty of an upgrade for owners of existing 52 preamps) or a 122 (radically different, no possibility for upgrade). I'm hoping for the former but I suspect the latter.
No doubt all will be revealed at the Bristol hifi show.
Posted on: 07 December 2001 by Greg Beatty
1) About that pic. B'Jessus - is THAT a DBL???
I've seen DBL pics before, but in this pic they look HUGE.
2) Would new-style cases wrapped around current internals be a sonic upgrade and not just a fashion move?
- GregB
Insert Witty Signature Line Here
Posted on: 07 December 2001 by Peter C
Your eyes didn't deceive you the DBL's are big and need a decent size room to be used in.
Posted on: 09 December 2001 by Erik
I have my DBLs in a ordinary apartment. 3 meter to celing and about 35 square meters. They are big but take little space standing close to the back wall.
/Erik
Posted on: 10 December 2001 by Steve G
quote:
Originally posted by Erik:
I have my DBLs in a ordinary apartment. 3 meter to celing and about 35 square meters. They are big but take little space standing close to the back wall./Erik
The ugliness of Naim speakers (Credos etc aside) really does reinforce their no-compromise mentality! Anything that ugly would really have to sound good! 
Regards
Steve
Posted on: 10 December 2001 by Alex S.
I can't tell if the terrier's stuffed, scared s***less or quietly praying.
Alex
Posted on: 10 December 2001 by Simon Matthews
"I personally think that the casing style that has been recently replaced is fine as it is".
Recently, as in the late eighties?
Why do many people assume that the 5 series is the build for all potential new electronics. Is not the nap500 power supply more of a possible candidate from an internal space, build quality point of view? - it does retain the full extrusion.
Posted on: 10 December 2001 by Martin Payne
quote:
Originally posted by Simon Matthews:
Why do many people assume that the 5 series is the build for all potential new electronics. Is not the nap500 power supply more of a possible candidate from an internal space, build quality point of view? - it does retain the full extrusion.
Simon,
quite right - the 5 series is a replacement for the 3 series, which I always thought looked very cheap.
cheers, Martin
Posted on: 10 December 2001 by Paul Stephenson
"than the 500 and that these new products would feature the same cosmetics as the 5-series and 500."
Any large box changes in the future will not share series5 case .
However, they also assured me that the existing cosmetics for the 52/82/102 would be maintained for the future.
I think what should have been said is that the 3 pre-amps will continue in the future but cosmetic changes would happen if appropriate and when the rest of the range was changed. This will not happen in the short term.
Posted on: 11 December 2001 by Dev B
quote:
They also told me that production of the NAT-02 and NAT-01 would end soon due to parts shortages...
Gulp. I suppose it was inevitable. It is a shame really, as my NAT01 is our favourite source and gets listened to the most. But I suppose this is just a question of not enough demand. I assume in good old Naim tradition parts etc will be available for the future. Seriously though what needs to be changed at a service, mine is from 1993 and is working fine but should I send it in for a check up service? What about the tuner head, or the power supply? Shut up Dev and stop being paranoid.
Posted on: 11 December 2001 by Simon Matthews
You might not be paranoid but they are probably still out to get you.....
Posted on: 17 December 2001 by Timbo
I too am considering taking the plunge for a Naim tuner 01 or 02. However the main thing for me is the question of how long is FM as we know going to be around? If it's ten years or so then I'll do it, ifless then I'll stick to my Creek 3140.
Tim
Posted on: 17 December 2001 by Hermann
Hi there,
there is currently a used NAT01 listed.
http://www.audiomarkt.de/
Klick "Gebrauchte" Choose "Hersteller" Naim audio
The prize is about GBP1300.
Cheers
Hermann
Posted on: 17 December 2001 by Chris Metcalfe
Rumour has it that the new 500-style preamp will be called the NAC552.
Posted on: 17 December 2001 by Hammerhead
So, the '552' (if it does get called that) will look like a 112 but be 1/3 taller and have two rows of source selection buttons. It will of course be constructed from the finest cryptonite available
As to the demise of the 01 tuna, my ball(s) are saying that it's replacement will be called the 2001. It's construction will be monolithic.
So over to you. Any bets on Flash2?
Steve
Posted on: 17 December 2001 by Martin Payne
quote:
Originally posted by Chris Metcalfe:
Rumour has it that the new 500-style preamp will be called the NAC552.
I think that this is the name of the project, and not necessarily that which will be finally chosen.
As the range expands, where will you put the other products? The 582 doesn't sound too bad, but what of the 5102?
If Naim are going to re-invent their whole pre-amp naming strategy I suspect they would want something that represents the hierarchy of models more intuitively.
cheers, Martin
Posted on: 17 December 2001 by Mike Sae
What's wrong with NAC 122? It has a nice ring to it methinks
Posted on: 17 December 2001 by Dr. Exotica
quote:
Originally posted by hockman:
I much prefer the almost industrial "old" look. The 5 series feels and looks cheap (the logo looks especially tacky).
Agreed. If I had my druthers, I would 'downgrade' my CD3.5 to an old style case (if one had ever existed). The industrial look is quite cool .
Erik
Posted on: 18 December 2001 by Simon Crosland
quote:
Rumour has it that the new 500-style preamp will be called the NAC552.
Certainly that is what it says on http://www.bristolshow.co.uk/html/new.html
quote:
Naim Audio
Unveiled at the Show is the amazing new NAC552 pre-amplifier. Built to match the NAP500 power amplifier both in terms of looks and sound! We've also been promised a few more surprises, more on those as we get news...
