Has your music system ever inspired anyone to switch to the Naim brand?

Actually a Business associates Original NAIT got me into the Naim Brand. Does that count?  He had a Nait w/ Mission 770 Freedom speakers both that he purchased new. He added a Rega Apollo-R as his CD Player died. This was a phenomenal combo. 

I'm still trying to find that same sound. I have a Qute and am still looking for those right speakers. 

In a way yes and no. My ex wife got herself a naim based system after the divorce, as she was tied to the Naim sound. A friend bought a Linn system and made a higher investment in audio then anticipated. He however like the Linn Sound more.

Spending money on "their" kitchen can be classed as self defense.

My brother in law had Unity2 and an LP12 (SL, SC, Aro, Keel, Lingo3)......took me about 5 seconds to get in touch with his pusher and get my own fix..

I put a system together for a friend, consisting of UnitiQute and nSats.  A second friend visited while I had this system setup in our house, and we listened to it at length.  The second friend went to the local Naim dealer and bought the same system - UQ and a used pair of nSats with stands.

Just about everyone who visits here finds the music amazingly engaging.  Most people (and this was me 15 years ago) have a mental block about how much money to spend on HiFi.

Charlie

Nice topic.

I recently missed an opportunity. Was with a colleague talking evening after evening about the important things in life - which includes music. He indicated that he was going to check out some hifi stuff. A week later he had bought a Sonos Playbar.

I'm only 1.5 yrs in the Naim world, I will get to the point that I convert somebody somewhere in time.

Frequently. 

Nope - my circle don't have that kind of "silly money" as they put it when they visit

Me neither. They come, they listen, they love. But then they want to know the price...Cue sudden complete lack of interest. However, I've been roped into supplying the music for our local church's carol service on Christmas Eve so I did a dry run yesterday using an iPad to Bluetooth the music across to my Muso. The small congregation were very impressed & asked all about it (luckily no one asked the price).

Years ago my dealer, a very close friend, started carrying Naim after another customer accidentally mentioned that I had bought a CD-5 and Nait 5i on the side. He took a listen and liked what he heard and I was forgiven. He recently retired and his retirement system is a Naim Unitiqute 2. 

Yep, a friend got himself a Nait after listening to mine a few years ago. He already had a Rega amp so was already on the gateway drug. He's round mine at new year, and I fully anticipate he'll get the streaming bug next.

Allan Milne posted:

 

Nope - my circle don't have that kind of "silly money" as they put it when they visit

Sometimes it is not tha availability of funds but a perception of value. We have a very good friend with whom we have been going to live music concerts for years. He is well set for life and if he wanted he could get himself a Statement any day without a blink. When I was called to advise him about getting a new sound system I was asked to help him choose between NAD and Rotel electronics to go with a small 2 ways Tatum speakers. When I suggested to listen to something a little more advanced he took it as a sheer irresponsible offer.

It is all relative to the values different people assign to different things. I advanced my hifi mainly with secondhand stuff, but even then some friends were amazed at what I sometimes spent (and were also,amazed by the sound, but that didn't seem to relate).

Rather similar to when I moved to Newastle upon Tyne back in the late 80s: staff I worked with thought nothing of blowing £50 on a friday night drinking and nightclud entrance etc. But if I told them I had gone to a restaurant and paid £50 per head they'd have accused me of being a rich southerner. (And I bet I could remember every minute of my evening, unlike them!

and now, I could spend a lot more of hifi, but choose to spend quite a bit on nice holidays, and have some savings for the proverbial rainy day (nonsensical phrase - I should clearly have spent it by now as there are so many!)

I converted my dealer

When I first bought my Naim he didn't stock it, but I asked him if can get me one as he works with the Naim distributor. Sure he said... He even borrowed some demo kit for me. Many boxes later he is one of the main, authorised dealers in Warsaw.

Adam Zielinski posted:

I converted my dealer

When I first bought my Naim he didn't stock it, but I asked him if can get me one as he works with the Naim distributor. Sure he said... He even borrowed some demo kit for me. Many boxes later he is one of the main, authorised dealers in Warsaw.

A classical case of reverse osmosis..

Years ago I met a guy who the dealer sent my way. He went to the dealer with rough budget of $4000 and was thinking about Linn/Naim CDP/electronics. Since he ended up living pretty close to me, he paid me a visit when I had the best installation of the DBL sixpack (with highly illegal 200A unfused dedicated mains feed etc). Nothing he had heard at the dealer came even remotely close to what he heard there-so his plans entry level Linn electronics turned into CDX/82/180/Tukans. After he installed that I went over for a listen and was a little disappointed how bright and 2=dimensional things sounded...so I took over a spare Hicap and a pair of Exposure XVI monoblocks I wasn't using and left them on long term loan. Within a matter of months he added one of the first XPS to make it to the US along with a 52, a couple 250 and a Snaxo, knocking his previous budget for a six. A Linn Seizmic 12" sub was eventually added that gave an overall presentation not a million miles away from my DBLs, although the differences were still quite large. 

He ultimately ended up buying my DBLs and 500 and finally has got the system of his dreams. Except his $4000 budget had now stretched to well over 30k. But once you hear what you want, its impossible to unhear it. 

I was converted by a friends Unity 2 into ATC SCM11's, I  had a valve based system that I was halfway happy with (a bit polite)  initially it was the streaming solution that swung me and I purchased a brand new UQ2 my first and last brand new piece of Naim kit, Just over 2 years later I have ND5XS/282/200/Napsc/HiCap/Powerline/HiLine and hopefully next year will add Ndac and Supercap.  Compared to some a moderate system but it cost much, much more than I ever thought or contemplated spending on HiFi but I certainly don't have a polite sounding system anymore.

A friend of mine recently purchased a Muso after hearing mine in the kitchen. 

He thought my main system sounded great but decided to spend his remaining cash on a 911 to park next to his boxter - fool 

My friend bought a Muso after listening to my system.  I suspect he will purchase more Naim too

I was hooked after hearing a friend's Nait3, way back when.  Ever since I've been enjoying gradual Naim upgrades with the same excellent local dealer for well over 20 years.  I daren't admit to friends how 'silly' the money is, but they all look startled (in a good way) when they hear it sing.  Just decided to embark on my next upgrade (XP5/282), with auditions planned for January - I'm going to spend the money before my ears start cancelling out the cash. 

Not my main system but a couple of friends have purchased Musos after hearing mine. 

A good friend of mine, pure Type A audiophile (vinyl, Garrard 301/SME 12" on seismic plinth, tube preamp, tube power amp, Linn speakers that managed to sound like the tweeter was disconnected, every piece rigorously turned on and off at each session) heard my system and fell in love with my N-Sats. After some vain research, I found an extraordinary bargain pair of Credo, and he bought them. Then came a CDX2, then an olive Nap180. Just when I was eyeing around for a 102 or, better, 82, he decided that he resented having a system of the same brand, and started selling. He kept the Credos, but eventually sold them for a pair of Marten Design Monks I, another great bargain; then, a couple of months ago I bought his CDX2, and full Type A was restored. Now he has my former Apollo, a Croft preamp that looks like it's been built as an electronics class exercise by a student who's skipped some lessons, and a pair of beautiful Albarry 408 mono blocks. The average SPL in his room is that of a little lamb singing himself to sleep (this is how he listens to music, he must have Superman's ears, damn him).. End of PR&T, end of fun.

Case #2: my brother in law. Ten years ago he had a venerable Proton CDP, Audio Innovations 200 pre/power, a pair of Sonus Faber Concerto. He wanted to buy a rega CDP when the Proton died, but I told him Let's listen to this CD5 too. Now he has CDS3, XPS2, 252, Supercap, NAP300, Harbeth SHL5s. And he's totally NaimNut™ in spite of his detached attitude... And his wife too, she criticised my system when it was not full Naim (which has happened I am sorry to say, but won't happen ever again). 

Massimo Bertola posted:

A good friend of mine, pure Type A audiophile (vinyl, Garrard 301/SME 12" on seismic plinth, tube preamp, tube power amp, Linn speakers that managed to sound like the tweeter was disconnected, every piece rigorously turned on and off at each session) heard my system and fell in love with my N-Sats. After some vain research, I found an extraordinary bargain pair of Credo, and he bought them. Then came a CDX2, then an olive Nap180. Just when I was eyeing around for a 102 or, better, 82, he decided that he resented having a system of the same brand, and started selling. He kept the Credos, but eventually sold them for a pair of Marten Design Monks I, another great bargain; then, a couple of months ago I bought his CDX2, and full Type A was restored. Now he has my former Apollo, a Croft preamp that looks like it's been built as an electronics class exercise by a student who's skipped some lessons, and a pair of beautiful Albarry 408 mono blocks. The average SPL in his room is that of a little lamb singing himself to sleep (this is how he listens to music, he must have Superman's ears, damn him).. End of PR&T, end of fun.

It seems said friend tried Naim and found it didn't satisfy - as in didn't make the music sound as he wanted it - then moved away. Is it no fun for him?  (Though fun  is an odd word to describe listening to music in general, as that implies jollity and not all music does jollity: instead maybe enjoyment, or emotional stimulation...)

In 1988, a visiting friend was admiring the sound coming from my stand mounted Rogers LS7s...

I explained to my friend that it was really to the credit of my naim amp [ 62/140 ] and Rega Planar turntable that gave 'the system' such a superior and  enjoyable sound, and that the Rogers LS7 speakers were 'okay' but a bit fussy with room position, and needed to protrude too far into the room away from corners and walls. . But he was undeterred by my comments and explained to me that  "the speakers are actually the main part of a system, and nothing can really improve sound quality like a good pair speakers..."

A year later when i decided to sell the LS7s, the same friend didn't hesitate to buy them, despite me stressing his possible need of a better amp and front end than his Technics and Pioneer. All i could do is give him a bargain price plus the Target stands for free.

However, i was somewhat surprised when he came to collect the speakers and didn't want the stands, at the time i assumed he already had a pair of stands but a later visit to his house revealed that he'd positioned the LS7s unceremoniously on the floor. The resulting sound was an interesting wooly boom boom rave party effect. I felt saddened, although my friend was delighted with the result, and even more oddly; almost 3 decades later he still has them there now and they are still there booming away to his pleasure : )