Mu-so in the "wider world"

My brother listened to the Mu-so in said unknown brand of store.  He claimed it did sound impressive, but said the way it was displayed was poor, and was not well promoted.  This was in the Norwich branch.  I am guessing that Sonos and alike are very competent with POS displays etc, as they've been operating in a retail environment of this nature for some considerable time.  It's a new departure for Naim, and I suspect that is possibly where the issue lies, rather than with the store itself.

I plan to go to the Isle of Lewis later this year which coincidentally reminds me of my first encounter with the Muso. My own example may inspire some of you to have a little fun at their expense. When I saw the product in their store I asked if they could demo it but naturally they were clueless. Undaunted I took out my iPhone and paired it via Bluetooth to said Muso and launched some of my own stuff, Led Zeppelin I think, at the machine. Hadn't given a thought as to how high the volume might have been set but I can assure you the whole floor knew I was playing Whole Lotta Love.

Supermarkets charge their suppliers substantial sums for 'product placement' on their shelves, and I suspect something similar could be at play here. If a retailer has an ongoing, mutually beneficial relationship with a supplier, their brand is going to be given prominence, and a new, relatively unknown brand isn't going to allowed to muscle in on the act that easily.   

I've always wondered if Naim and Linn and Rega (let Chord in too to keep the Hugonites happy) shouldn't get together and launch the "British HiFi Store" to compete against Bose  :-)

I'd just go to a dealer. It won't cost any more, they are better qualified and equipped to demo it and your support will be appreciated.

I think it's just a typical channel in which you would find these type of products. And perhaps it gives Naim some customers which in the future go into the real stuff. If you know already Naim it's better to conact a dealer, the price difference is anyhow zero.

We still have a B&O shop here in Boston.  I wanted to walk in last weekend as we were shopping on the same street, but my wife had other plans for us!

And Bath, if we're pushing dealers.

The Bath one has closed now, after moving only recently. Still one in Bristol though.

In my view from the US, Naim is more a high-end maker using Muso as an attempt to enter the mainstream market. Regardless of how Muso sounds and operates they've got an uphill battle competing against recognized brands like Bose, Apple, and Sonos; the latter two rather synonymous with streaming devices and MP3 listeners. I suspect the Muso unpowered and tucked away is an indicator of the interest in it, or perhaps ease of demonstration (as most shoppers for such a product presumably have i-Tunes). With Statement and Muso Naim has, nearly concurrently, developed an extreme range of products. Maybe only one extreme in the range will prove profitable, warrant marketing, and persist over time.

At its price point and its musical quality, the Muso is a bargain. I can understand the concerns and doubts that commentators have about Naim's ability to market this product directly against the likes of Sonos and B&O but, as far as I am concerned, looks alone and marketing hype never sold Naim's products. A pile them high and sell 'em cheap strategy would probably kill them stone dead anyway and I am very uncertain that they have sufficient software skills for current musical streaming products. The accolades for the Muso product have been many from the MSM and I wonder if Naim would share with us its own perception of how the sales of the product have gone so far. 

There is am excellent dealer in Bath. Been there many years. The one which closed stopped selling Naim many years ago. IIRC they were clearing stock out around 2002.

Completely agree Harry 

I thought we were talking about B&O dealers!

Hi All,

Thanks for the feedback guys. Obv we don't have our eyes and ears in every store, but we always try to get the most of the opportunity, so this is all very useful feedback. We admit there is room for improvement, and we are working up a superior solution for in store presentation here. The retail landscape for wireless audio is changing rapidly as the market evolves and will be making sure we are part of these changes, to get the most out of them for Naim.

I've been in a couple of branches of the store in question (Liverpool and Sheffield) and both of those had the Muso in a far from prominent position. It's understandable that Sonos and Bose rule the roost in that type of store, although Ruark also seem to get some prime space.