Naim CES announcement?

B&O also started few years back with BeoPlay products.. 

If Naim will still continue with production and development of Classic range I am ok with it :-)

Yeah I probably am 100% overreacting. Just that if history is any indicator, hifi companies that put the foot in the lifestyle pool eventually leave much of the real hifi behind.

With Statement still spanking new, I agree that worrying about this with Naim is probably stupidity on my part, but the concern exists in the back of my mind nonetheless.

I understand Naim are not a charity but they are also a company with (I still hope) a singular vision. Lamborghini are also not a charity but should they make a family run around car for 15K on that basis? If they were majority owned by a financial institution the answer to that question would be "yes". Any investor relationship comes with strings attached - it is how the real world works.

This thing about China thing has some rather unpleasant overtones - so what if it's made in China and works well. I'd love a mini Mu-So of whatever it will be called - it will be perfect for the kitchen. 

I don't care if Naim make something with mass appeal that sells for £499 in the Apple Store - bring it on. It makes money for Naim and its retailers, helps the economy and provides jobs. 

It's ridiculous snobbery to suggest that Naim make only classic products at high prices. Taken to extreme, should Naim make only Statement? Do Statement owners look down on classic owners with contempt. Of course they don't. Yet here we have people suggesting that Naim shouldn't make stuff for the plebs. Pathetic. 

joerand posted:

As others speculated, likely coming out of China, FWIW.

Hungryhalibut posted:

This thing about China thing has some rather unpleasant overtones - so what if it's made in China and works well. I'd love a mini Mu-So of whatever it will be called - it will be perfect for the kitchen. 

No negative overtones intended on my part regarding manufacturing in China. Hence my "FWIW" above. Really no other way to keep the cost competitive if it's a high volume, mainstream item.

Hungryhalibut posted:

This thing about China thing has some rather unpleasant overtones - so what if it's made in China and works well. I'd love a mini Mu-So of whatever it will be called - it will be perfect for the kitchen. 

I don't care if Naim make something with mass appeal that sells for £499 in the Apple Store - bring it on. It makes money for Naim and its retailers, helps the economy and provides jobs. 

It's ridiculous snobbery to suggest that Naim make only classic products at high prices. Taken to extreme, should Naim make only Statement? Do Statement owners look down on classic owners with contempt. Of course they don't. Yet here we have people suggesting that Naim shouldn't make stuff for the plebs. Pathetic. 

I think you've totally misinterpreted my comments. I have plenty of stuff (soundbars, odd bits of cheap 'n' cheerful gear) and the word "Pleb" never crossed my mind. I appreciate companies that focus on what they are good at and if that base is broad, so much the better. But often with breadth comes a dilution of what made a company great.

I'm not sure HH, where this projecting a view on a product type and segment represents snobbery.

I was merely worried about whether wider horizons can dilute the established core.

blythe posted:

"experience the next step in our journey to bring the Naim sound into any space in your home"
Something akin to a Sonos Play1 or 3....Or 5.... At $299 please 

Perhaps it's not a physical product.       Room correction software ?

Feeling Zen, I agree with your sentiments, but I also understand for the most part those buying hifi now are older generations.. Clearly a set of products relevant for the younger market as well will make the brand relevant across a wider group of people has business sense  ... everyone gets older.. and if familiar with the brand may well then buy a classic system or other system  if and when space and funds allow..

I hope the new device has a FM/DAB tuner inbuilt.. Our dining room radio/streamer (non Naim and not worth repairing) failed finally.. and I have delayed replacement just in case...

Jude2012 posted:

blythe posted:

"experience the next step in our journey to bring the Naim sound into any space in your home"
Something akin to a Sonos Play1 or 3....Or 5.... At $299 please 

Perhaps it's not a physical product.       Room correction software ?

Yes. I would like to see some room correction feature added to the streamers like how a certain company up north is doing.

:-) 

engjoo posted:

Yes. I would like to see some room correction feature added to the streamers like how a certain company up north is doing.

Oh come on. You must mean Linn, right?

Right! It's not the Scottish Play - not to be named. 

The very notion of room correction. Flat-earthers would be rolling over in their graves!

Apologies to any still with us

Ah, you've done it now Joerand, doomed you are, don't be surprised if your nobs fall off!

I'm definitely a flat earther. You don't have room correction when listening to live music un amped. To me, the big difference between surround and stereo (I love and have both setups) is that surround is about putting you there and stereo is about bringing them here. If it sounds dodgy in your room, then so would a live performance.

I use room correction extensively on the AV setup and any change leads me to get out the calibration mic and get a new set of readings. But for stereo, I would rather tune the room.

But like I said - I fully admit to be a flat earther.

Room correction might be an interesting feature, but the message seems to elude to bringing the sound to more rooms. So I wold assume something like the Sonos system so perhaps an extension speaker for the Muso.

Yes

Bert Schurink posted:

Room correction might be an interesting feature, but the message seems to elude to bringing the sound to more rooms. So I wold assume something like the Sonos system so perhaps an extension speaker for the Muso.

Yes it is probably some kind of speaker systems. 

I know purist may not agree to to it but room correction is on the top of my wish list for naim!

Zen, not an influence from new stakeholder they do of course approve around 80% of mu-so customers are new to naim, great stat to spread the influence of Naim higher up the chain.

room correction- 272 starred with it in but the downside on pure performance was not worth a gimmick. If we had made it work you would have it now, not saying the guys have stopped trying but until it sings it's not worth it, still not heard a system with it that works ie: with room correction still does not sound any good to me so far ....

The Chairman has spoken! Thanks for clarifying but do keep it in the radar screen. :-)

Paul Stephenson posted:

room correction- 272 starred with it in but the downside on pure performance was not worth a gimmick. If we had made it work you would have it now, not saying the guys have stopped trying but until it sings it's not worth it, still not heard a system with it that works ie: with room correction still does not sound any good to me so far ....

Don't put the room correction software in the 272, put it in the server.

Paul Stephenson posted:

Zen, not an influence from new stakeholder they do of course approve around 80% of mu-so customers are new to naim, great stat to spread the influence of Naim higher up the chain.

room correction- 272 starred with it in but the downside on pure performance was not worth a gimmick. If we had made it work you would have it now, not saying the guys have stopped trying but until it sings it's not worth it, still not heard a system with it that works ie: with room correction still does not sound any good to me so far ....

Paul,

I also have reservations about the usual approaches to "room correction".  Instead I use a different approach - I use a computer to modify the files before UPnP playback rather than trying to correct in real-time.

I put four limits on the filters used:
1   I limit the severity of the digital filters used to reduce the extent of the artefacts created (ALL filters create artefacts; it just a question of degree) - in my case no more than a 9dB cut.
2   I limit limit the range of frequencies modified to lower than 500Hz
3   I only allow cut (not boost) filters
4   I only have 3 filter bands (but I could see up to a maximum of 5 being constructive sometimes)

I have found this to be a considerable improvement in my 'less than ideal' room, and although there are artefacts, they are well controlled and certainly less than the acoustic imperfections of the environment.

 I don't know if this approach is commercially viable - that's your area not mine!

P.S. in response to Simon's reply below, I only use this 'before the event' digital room correction to overcome issues remaining after applying all the acoustic room treatment that I can!

Paul Stephenson posted:

...but until it sings it's not worth it, still not heard a system with it that works ie: with room correction still does not sound any good to me so far ....

This is my experience too - i can't help feeling to its better to cure room issues than band aid them.. I  even note that some cheap(er) consumer mid fi devices boast their sound or balance is not DSP'd for correction - it appears correction is getting a bad name ? No doubt through less than ideal implementations possibly on the majority of devices. The lofi new Sonos room correction, although fun to do - waving microphones around etc - had completely disappointing results.

Simon

Have to say the only 'room correction' I have heard showing any promise recently was that in the Bang & Olufsen BeoLab90, involving massively complex driver arrays and loads of power amps in each speaker.

joerand posted:

rjstaines posted:

something akin to ....

You may have stuck upon a possible name with that; the "Naim Akin-To". Kinda goes with the Mu-so nomenclature? Okay, maybe not

Whatever it is, does not appear to be an upgrade to any of my existing gear. As others speculated, likely coming out of China, FWIW.

Are you sure that's not Anekin - a tie in with Star Wars?

Phil

Hungryhalibut posted:

This thing about China thing has some rather unpleasant overtones - so what if it's made in China and works well. I'd love a mini Mu-So of whatever it will be called - it will be perfect for the kitchen. 

I don't care if Naim make something with mass appeal that sells for £499 in the Apple Store - bring it on. It makes money for Naim and its retailers, helps the economy and provides jobs. 

It's ridiculous snobbery to suggest that Naim make only classic products at high prices. Taken to extreme, should Naim make only Statement? Do Statement owners look down on classic owners with contempt. Of course they don't. Yet here we have people suggesting that Naim shouldn't make stuff for the plebs. Pathetic. 

No undertones from me regarding China.  One of Naim's main USPs was that the equipment was made in the UK.  If further manufacturing is moved to China then I think it's sad that a historical USP is being further weakened.  Nothing further than that.

However, there's little room for sentimentality in business.  Margins are always tight and competition tough, so if creating another new Mu-so like product swells the company coffers and allows it to continue doing things like Statement and the DR trickle down then it's difficult to argue with the logic.  Naim prices increase yearly, how long before only a very few can afford (or maybe we're already there)?  As Paul has said, this has opened them up to a new (probably younger) market.  They might be the ones buying Classic and Reference in 10 years' time...

My first Naimie.

Looks like some kind off wireles speaker. ( Which I don"t consider to be High-end) Well if this is the road Naim has to take in order to survive so be it.

The Mu-So is the best device of its type that I have ever met/heard in terms of both sonic performance and usability. I'm glad to have two of them and I'm glad Naim finally delivered something which seems like it was built with my needs in mind. I hope they sell lots of them and that some of the money goes towards producing a Statement level Streamer or Streamer/Pre. If a smaller version was available we would likely buy two of them, subject to audition.

EDIT. Just seen the teaser video. Looks Musoid and cuboid. Difficult to say if it's a posher one or not but the form factor cone count leads me to suppose it's a more compact model. That would do us lovely. Pure speculation on my part of course.