Suggestions Box for Naim R & D
Posted by: Disposable hero on 09 October 2015
At a branch of Nando’s there was a 'Suggestions Box' in which they welcome your feedback, and the thought occurred that Naim could also have a suggestions box somewhere.
For this is it possible for Naim R & D to consider the following?
Next generation of integrated amplifiers, Nait Demi-size
Nothing to do with an actress, this is for the next incarnation of Naim integrated amplifiers to become compact cased, as was one of the previous versions of Nait, (2 or 3?). The benefits are clear for all, in manufacturing less materials are used, packaging reduced, lower volumetric weight for distribution or shipping so more environmentally conscious – hippies & tree-huggers rejoice. For the end user the smaller units are more easily accommodated in a system and its shelving, leaving room for side-by-side pairing with other components. Ideally this could be a future version of a network player like a compact/ shoebox size ND5 XS . The future is miniaturisation and if able to achieve the same outstanding Naim sound it would be great to see these compact versions of future amplifiers and also network players or streamers.
And balance can relegated to the remote. Since it is rarely adjusted once set for the room, seems a waste to have a whole knob for this.
+1 Having decided to buy a 282, I will only need one analogue input. All the rest is expensive clutter.
Produce a Sky+ type box for Sky, Freesat and Freeview with good quality (hifi quality, Naim quality ) signal paths with improved power supplies and connections.
This will require some cooperation with other companies.
Nice idea.. but having worked with STB manufacturers in association with a major UK satellite broadcaster back in the late 90s I some how can't see this happening. It will make working with Apple restrictions and requirements look like a walk in the park...freesat and freeview would be infinitely easier but too limited a market I suspect...
And balance can relegated to the remote. Since it is rarely adjusted once set for the room, seems a waste to have a whole knob for this.
No, I love the external balance with its visual cue, it was always a gripe of mine on the 202 it was not visible and had to be set with the remote and was hit and miss until you could calibrate with a track. With the 282 and 252 you can manually set and fine tune with the remote if you need to. Its a hugely better user experience. Depending on room balance can be used quite a lot for different seating positions and even for some recordings, certainly here at S-in-S towers.
I use four inputs on my NAC, so wouldn't like less than that, but I do like the idea of programmable identifiers on the buttons rather than relying on AV, Aux1 or Aux2.. It would be great to have 'Hugo' or 'DAT' etc definable on the buttons... That you could programme as with the NDX input display.
The tape monitor / alternate line out row could be optimised perhaps, especially if these programmable button displays were implemented. The independent monitor / line out2 function is really useful, but in its current implementation does take a lot of real estate up.
Also on the 282/252 lets have lineout2 / monitor presented as phono as well as DIN please...
Shoe box FM/internet tuner.
+1
And balance can relegated to the remote. Since it is rarely adjusted once set for the room, seems a waste to have a whole knob for this.
No, I love the external balance with its visual cue, it was always a gripe of mine on the 202 it was not visible and had to be set with the remote and was hit and miss until you could calibrate with a track. With the 282 and 252 you can manually set and fine tune with the remote if you need to. Its a hugely better user experience. Depending on room balance can be used quite a lot for different seating positions and even for some recordings, certainly here at S-in-S towers.
I use four inputs on my NAC, so wouldn't like less than that, but I do like the idea of programmable identifiers on the buttons rather than relying on AV, Aux1 or Aux2.. It would be great to have 'Hugo' or 'DAT' etc definable on the buttons... That you could programme as with the NDX input display.
The tape monitor / alternate line out row could be optimised perhaps, especially if these programmable button displays were implemented. The independent monitor / line out2 function is really useful, but in its current implementation does take a lot of real estate up.
Also on the 282/252 lets have lineout2 / monitor presented as phono as well as DIN please...
Agreed Simon. If Naim are to spend effort on reducing inputs and/or non mainstream features, this could equally apply to its DACs, streamers/combos, and intergrateds.
I like Nam's approach in making its products versatile and complete from the go (unlike Chord Electronics, for example, who have in the recent past brought out a product and then 'refined' it 12 months later with two other variants).
A Naim NAS device perhaps. With proper power supplies and battery backup. With custom drivers so it is just plug and play for numpties like me.
A Naim NAS device perhaps. With proper power supplies and battery backup. With custom drivers so it is just plug and play for numpties like me.
Isn't this called a UnitiServe?
I think it might be, save for the battery backup.
Why does it need battery backup? It already has RAID and if the power goes out you can't listen to music anyway (unless you are thinking about the 15 seconds an NAP keeps going after you've turned it off). It should already be able to cope with an unclean shutdown.
Agree that consolidation would be good. Stop the XS range and bridge the gap between the the Uniti and Classic range with products like this as well a new DAC ( I see that Naim, not Focal, have announced that they will be at CES 2016, yep imgination is in over drive)
Jude
Agree. Or maybe better, discontinue the XS range, and transform the Unity range in a entry /midrange shoebox range, keep the Classic line a full width, mid to high level line.
A Naim NAS device perhaps. With proper power supplies and battery backup. With custom drivers so it is just plug and play for numpties like me.
Isn't this called a UnitiServe?
No, the US has a CD slot for ripping/playing and its own 'way of doing things'. It is not a switch either. The NAS would be for storage and allow the user to place their own 'server' software and have zero interference with regard tags, shares, backups etc.
A silent audiophile NAS would go like 'hot cakes'! Think of the mark up!
And the 2nd bank is very useful for muting the headline.
Agreed, although I think the monitor row (second bank) could be optimised a bit..
Also not sure the purpose of a silent NAS.. Most consumer NASs are designed to be cheap, reliable and out of the way, and to be honest unless I put my ear by my Netgear I can't hear it all in my study.. And it has regular balanced disks, and automatic heat adjustable fan, and probably cost me 300 quid tops for 4TBytes .. Done job... No I think Naim best focus on trickling dowin that Statement know how into more affordable devices.
Simon