Downsizing thoughts - (Don't worry, it'll soon pass).

Maybe it does depending on you antenna, station...

Naim radio plays just fine as a background music, that is the only occasion that I am using it for so not very picky

If Internet goes down the civilization as we know will go down today... 

When I was running in my olive boxes after a recent full amp service, I used the Radio 3 320k stream from the HDX playing 24 hours a day (except when I was listening to music actively), I was pleasantly surprised by the quality, I was expecting it to be dire, although it was noticeably compressed and lacking detail, it was listenable as a background when I was wandering past. I also became quite conscious of how many times the Beeb played Beethoven's 7th Symphony during those 4 weeks, it seemed to be roughly every other day.

Interesting question, and of course, very much about your individual choice. Many of us on the forum have systems that most people would regard as absurdly expensive and physically large - even me, with a grand total of two boxes and a record deck. I have actually self-imposed a limit of three boxes by building a set of shelves in the lounge - one of the spaces currently contains books, but it could hold a power supply instead, one day.

But those Fraim racks with eight, ten or more boxes . . . not for me. It's not just the money, it's the scale of the thing, The aesthetic. 

So I say yes. Ignore all the people who have lots of boxes and don't want to feel their commitment is wasted, and instead join me and the others who don't have lots of boxes and don't want to feel our frugality is misplaced.

Buy that 272!

Viva la revolucion!

Solid Air posted:

Interesting question, and of course, very much about your individual choice. Many of us on the forum have systems that most people would regard as absurdly expensive and physically large - even me, with a grand total of two boxes and a record deck. I have actually self-imposed a limit of three boxes by building a set of shelves in the lounge - one of the spaces currently contains books, but it could hold a power supply instead, one day.

But those Fraim racks with eight, ten or more boxes . . . not for me. It's not just the money, it's the scale of the thing, The aesthetic. 

So I say yes. Ignore all the people who have lots of boxes and don't want to feel their commitment is wasted, and instead join me and the others who don't have lots of boxes and don't want to feel our frugality is misplaced.

Buy that 272!

Viva la revolucion!

I, too, have a self-imposed 3 box limit. I could add more shelves to the rack, but aesthetically, I'm just not prepared to put up with that much stuff standing out like a sore thumb in a Victorian house. (Still didn't persuade me to buy a 272, though!)

Solid Air posted:

Interesting question, and of course, very much about your individual choice. Many of us on the forum have systems that most people would regard as absurdly expensive and physically large - even me, with a grand total of two boxes and a record deck. I have actually self-imposed a limit of three boxes by building a set of shelves in the lounge - one of the spaces currently contains books, but it could hold a power supply instead, one day.

But those Fraim racks with eight, ten or more boxes . . . not for me. It's not just the money, it's the scale of the thing, The aesthetic. 

So I say yes. Ignore all the people who have lots of boxes and don't want to feel their commitment is wasted, and instead join me and the others who don't have lots of boxes and don't want to feel our frugality is misplaced.

Buy that 272!

Viva la revolucion!

Whereas I see my system as a statement of what I enjoy. My system is an important part of the furniture and doesn't really intrude on the space we have.  After a while, you hardly notice it is there

More boxes better, what are you talking about, at least 2 fraim minimum 3 Floor!  I choose 272 but able to fill them up! Only black no cherry or grey ones please!��

Hmmmm. I know where you're coming from. Had a couple of Harley's that turned beautifully brown because I had more fun riding than cleaning them and eventually downsized to one to simplify. And I hate all my black boxes. The problem is, I've tried all sorts of options both Naim and other to declutter, and in the end nothing (at least so far) comes close to giving me as much pleasure....

As I get older I look at my system (and the 14 cases + tangle of cables)... it all seems a bit over the top.  I'm accustomed to the sound, however, and I'd wish  Naim would develop a statement level integrated with a built-in streamer.  One box, sound quality on the level of a 552/500 or better.  I'd be willing to pay up to $100K US for this single box solution.  

Statement limits the box count and no need for a fraim actually

Chris Bell posted:

As I get older I look at my system (and the 14 cases + tangle of cables)... it all seems a bit over the top.  I'm accustomed to the sound, however, and I'd wish  Naim would develop a statement level integrated with a built-in streamer.  One box, sound quality on the level of a 552/500 or better.  I'd be willing to pay up to $100K US for this single box solution.  

We've been looking for a new house for some while now (our place is taking an age to sell to developers) and part of the problem we're having is me - I need just the right room to accommodate big speakers and a large pile of kit. 

I have had thoughts of compromising on size, but then given myself a good slap - I'm retired, I love music, there'll be enough for the kids when we're gone and you can't take it with you.  I love the way things sound and I only want things to sound better, so the only option open to me is a Statement (so far beyond my means I can't even dream) or another make that will give me my Naim sound with less boxes!

This has been my dream since I was 14 and heard a mammoth B&O Stereogram and I'll be jiggered if I give it up for aesthetics or a sense of guilt.

P.S. Having said that I get huge pleasure from walking with a pair of headphones and an old iPod. They clearly play music (which is the whole point, isn't it?) and that can't be sneered at.

If I was looking to move house and considering where to put the hifi, I'd be looking for a room with another small room next to it which could house the black boxes. Just a hole in the wall for speaker cables. Then I wouldn't be bothered by the number of boxes cluttering up the place. Maybe there would be a sonic benefit too, having the system isolated from the sound? Maybe a bit of a pain if you're into vinyl or CD, but having moved to a streaming only system, that wouldn't be an issue for me.

Gary Shaw posted:

We've been looking for a new house for some while now (our place is taking an age to sell to developers) and part of the problem we're having is me - I need just the right room to accommodate big speakers and a large pile of kit. 

I have had thoughts of compromising on size, but then given myself a good slap - I'm retired, I love music, there'll be enough for the kids when we're gone and you can't take it with you.  I love the way things sound and I only want things to sound better, so the only option open to me is a Statement (so far beyond my means I can't even dream) or another make that will give me my Naim sound with less boxes!

This has been my dream since I was 14 and heard a mammoth B&O Stereogram and I'll be jiggered if I give it up for aesthetics or a sense of guilt.

 

That's been my key factor in every house I've bought, from the very first one onwards.

And it is really depressing how many modern houses have very small lounges -a typical lounge these days even for a house of 4-5 bedrooms is 10 to 11ft wide, even if 20 ft long. 

Apologies in advance for posting what is little more than a teaser, (well, it's really just to keep this thread alive).

272 arrived this morning, now installed, and happily playing away at the mo'.

Bearing in mind it's hooked up to a 300DR and a 555PS DR, it certainly acquits itself well, and first impressions are that my existing set up doesn't embarrass it at all.

Very early days yet, so it'll remain in place for at least a couple of weeks before reverting to the main system components.

This is probably as much a test of my less than perfect hearing, as it is the boxes themselves, so any eventual conclusions will reflect that aspect as much as anything else.

The fun just never stops.

I'll be interested in how you get on with the 272 Dave. Just don't downsize those lovely Neats !

james n posted:

I'll be interested in how you get on with the 272 Dave. Just don't downsize those lovely Neats !

No James, it's really all about the box count, but I'm not ready for a single mono speaker yet!

You could always just chop them in half and they'd still be big enough. A DIY MFS.

Just get a SU/Nova and be done with it...  One box is all you need! ;-)

Like the OP, I sometimes wonder about getting rid of a few boxes. They're certainly not the most attractive things & I find them a bit of an embarrassment when non-hi-fi folks come visiting.

I got into my head that I could swiftly get accustomed to a passive version of my system, using just the one 500, and thereby losing six black boxes into the bargain, so the other month I dragged the DBL passive crossovers down from the loft and rewired the system. I was determined to stick with the new system setup for at least a week, that way my aural memory of the active setup would have faded and I'd be quids in. I managed to hold out for a day. Then got the 500s DRd. It had to be.

Wouldn't it be great, though, if Naim could make a four or six channel 250, 300 or 500. It does seem a bit potty that to activate the DBL you need a ten box amplifier. And while on the subject, wouldn't it be great if you could add an active crossover board to the preamp, just like the 42XO all those years ago. Naim are clearly not done with active, if their work with Kudos is anything to go by. Of course, it's all about numbers and I guess they'd sell so few that it wouldn't work financially. A real shame though. 

Well, that's the 272 trial completed, and I've just reinstated the NDS and 552 a couple of hours ago, and the outcome is ................. they'll be staying, and I'll simply have to put aside my doubts about the box count.

This was as much a test of my ageing hearing, as it was a contest between black boxes, so there's not much point in spelling out perceived differences in sound between the two setups, as these are so room dependent, and we all hear things differently anyway.

I can say that the 272 performed well above my expectations, hooked into my 300DR and 555 DR power supply, and I can thoroughly recommend this to anyone as a four box system.

dave marshall posted:

Well, that's the 272 trial completed, and I've just reinstated the NDS and 552 a couple of hours ago, and the outcome is ................. they'll be staying, and I'll simply have to put aside my doubts about the box count.

This was as much a test of my ageing hearing, as it was a contest between black boxes, so there's not much point in spelling out perceived differences in sound between the two setups, as these are so room dependent, and we all hear things differently anyway.

I can say that the 272 performed well above my expectations, hooked into my 300DR and 555 DR power supply, and I can thoroughly recommend this to anyone as a four box system.

Dave - so which ones are staying? NDS + 552 or N272?

I believe the NDS/552 if I read correctly

I read that as the NDS and 552 we're staying as well, common sense prevails 

Sorry for the confusion, the NDS / 552 abides!