Naim Audio?

For me its simply that its very well made & sounds as good as any audio that I've heard (at a price point).    Added to that the established Naim standards with connectivity protocols & upgrade paths that follow through the model ranges over age/time/entry point & finally the factory support is all part of the reassurance to Naim owners looking towards future long term.  

Yes to some peeps the Naim 'brand' seems to be a more a cult rather than a nice consumer product,  OK whatever its a personal thing but I feel people can become too obsessive.

It's just the audio brand which appeals most to my personal musical preferences at the pricepoint. And as the cost of change are high - one stays in the same brand as long as your needs are satisfied.

Other brands which I could have build up a similar level of satisfaction, if I would have been introduced and would have made the initial buys are AVM and Audionet - they also make great stuff. 

From a speaker perspective I also like Gauder Speakers....they fit very well to AVM and Audionet by the way.

Other brands would not attract me that much as the sound is less attractive to me.

For me just a great UK HI-FI  company.

Always admired their way of doing things with design like the  seperate box loudspeaker ranges over the years - power supply architecture etc.

All the Naim events I have attended over the years have been hosted by a good bunch of folk.

Richard Dane on the forum is a gent and does a great job here.

For me I find the sound from Naim systems tends to capture and keep my attention more frequently than does the sound from systems by other manufacturers.  The fact that they will support and service equipment from their earliest days also shows a commitment to their customers that I value highly.

They are a fine audio company that was the first to halt my constant search for gear. They provide me with replay of my music in a manner and quality that enhances my enjoyment of same. I am a music person, not a kit person.

They are a company, not a religion.

I wanted to 'Buy British', having owned Armstrong amps back in the '70s. I initially went to a dealer in Worthing, where I was given a demo of Linn streaming equipment (this was a year or two back, I forget the model) played through some hideously expensive (and hideous) Nautilus Bowers & Wilkins speakers.

When I eventually had some spare cash, by which time I'd moved to Cornwall, a bit of Internet research came up with Naim and Linn as likely contenders, and I was particularly drawn towards the SuperUniti. A dealer demo followed, Linn discounted after 5 minutes demo, then blown away by Naim!! Chord was listened to and quite liked, but it failed to make it past the first hurdle of WAF (and pretty stiff prices to boot). Speaker demos followed (Spendor, Neat, Kef, Harbeth and ProAc), choice made, rest is history. I guess my mind was made up within 10 minutes, I just fell in love with the Naim/ProAc combo. There may be far better kit out there, but as mine gives me so much pleasure I see no purpose whatsoever in chasing 'improvement'. Add to that terrific dealer backup, understated cosmetic appeal and, so far, great reliability - a winning combination, at least for yours truly!

Tabby cat posted:

...Richard Dane on the forum is a gent and does a great job here.

 

Why, that's very kind of you, thank you TC!

For me Naim Audio had a bit of a cult status when I was a teenager back in the late 1980's it looked so much better than all the Japanese stack systems of the day and then I heard someones demo at Jeffries in Brighton and loved the sound too.  

Then owning a Naim system was a bit of a statement that said I'm a bit alternative and not apart of the mainstream because music is is such a important part of my life that I own this HiFi not that Hifi and the fact it was built down in Salisbury by a fellow HiFi nut just made more appealing and of course it sounded so BIG!

Of course I couldn't afford a Naim system then but as soon as I could I did and for me it still has that allure and the newer more mass produced Uniti and Muso products and the fact some of them can be purchased in Currys and Naim is now part of a HiFi conglomerate doesn't take the shine off of owning a Naim system because that BIG sound is still there if you want it.

It's a high quality British brand. I also happen to particularly like the Naim sound.

One of the most important things though, not yet mentioned, is the brilliant ability to service your gear so that it can potentially last a lifetime (slight exaggeration, but you know what I mean  . Naim stock spare parts for donkeys years, are happy to provide a repair/service department and obviously care about the customer. This is incredibly rare in this day and age.

I ain't creepin' , but Naim are a great company 

There is something mildly fascinating about a company that can put so much various complexities in what at first glance are just two black classic boxes,  one with two knobs and a row of buttons and the other just a bluff front.

I just like music and I like how Naim plays it. I also rate their after sales service very highly. This means that usually, Naim will get first shot at any upgrade candidates we are considering. 

I will always buy on musical enjoyment, above everything. This puts Naim in a strong position, but not a certain one. We have passed on plenty of Naim candidates over the years. Other things are known which position Naim favourably, like ability to service and repair, willingness to help after they have our money, professionalism of company and dealers, and that sort of thing.

Here in the US, Naim is less well known as a brand. My nearest dealer is an eight hour drive away, and the dealer who I’ve worked with for the last nine years is half a continent away! Still, once discovered, I think there are several good reasons for staying with Naim. Of course there’s the Naim sound, the range of products, the upgrade paths, and the excellent support and service. But I also honestly feel that this forum adds a lot to the Naim experience.

I believe there is a real sense of community here - a ready source of advice and shared experience. Some looking in from the ourside may see only negatives, and describe us all as blind (deaf?) followers. But that has not been my experience over the years. In general, and with only very infrequent exceptions, I have seen only good advice and genuine fellowship being offered here.  Long may it last!

The difference between Naim and other manufactures is that Naim really CARE about their customers.

If you've ever spoken to anyone at Naim, either on  the phone or even email them,  you can feel it.

It's almost palpable!

For me Naim Audio is an English hifi company that resonates  with me at a personal level. They have a degree of quirkiness and doggedness that appeals - they are not afraid to go their own way, they have renown customer service and particularly product support  and of course make enjoyable audio replay equipment.. so this  coupled with my love of music and my engineering background is perhaps a perfect match.

I also would say when and if you get to meet some of the characters at Naim it really does make the company come to life - they say a company is defined by its employees and that is definitely the case at Naim - and of course I'd echo the sentiments earlier - the primary administrator of its internet forum, Richard Dane, although now not a direct Naim employee, is a really pleasant and interesting fellow to muse 'stuff' with..

Wugged Woy posted:

One of the most important things though, not yet mentioned, is the brilliant ability to service your gear so that it can potentially last a lifetime .... Naim stock spare parts for donkeys years, are happy to provide a repair/service department ... This is incredibly rare

For me, this is the USP for Naim over other manufacturers. This aspect of Naim's customer experience gives me confidence that whilst the purchase price is high, my kit will still be supported, possibly even upgradable, for years or even decades and will not be irrevocably usurped by the next version of the same product.

This line of Corporate thinking also means that Naim don't jump on bandwagons and don't release new products until they are convinced that they add significantly to the musical experience or fill a new and worthwhile niche in the market. 

Is it all rosy ? Nothing is ever perfect and the recent troublesome launch of Uniti products raises concern that with modern, software critical products Naim perhaps doesn't and can't possibly have full in-house control of all the key factors now needed for best in class digital product development. The price of entry in the software game is high and probably only going up further, so this is something Naim will have to find a way to work around. However, when it comes to superior hardware solutions Naim continues to demonstrate unique skill and judgement, for me, beyond the abilities of pretty much any other manufacturer. 

Of course being a British company is not necessarily a big attraction for us here on the Island between you and the land of Trump but at least the humming toroidal transformers are made in Donegal! How long more it will be considered a British company or a company that manufactures in both England and China remains to be seen and I think the loyalty you mentioned will depend on how much control stays local.

Not mentioned here previously but I think this forum plays a big part in the "cult of Naim". It's nice to have one's opinions and tastes validated and to belong.

Making good equipment, servicing it and  being interested in great sounding music certainly helps too.

I've become much more polygamous with digital sources but Naim amplification still keeps me coming back here to imbibe at the well.

.sjb

Bob the Builder posted:

What does Naim Audio mean to you?  Based on a couple of years of pretty regular use of this forum I get the sense it is much more than just a brand to many of you and the fact that it is a company that makes fantastic sounding equipment is only part of it.

So what is it that evokes such loyalty to a commercial brand and what is it about owning a Naim Audio HiFi that is so important to you?

As with all successful businesses, the product has to be excellent, but of equal or greater importance, the people representing the business have to be excellent too. This goes for the employees we meet on factory visits, the sales staff who run Naim exhibits at shows,  the people who contribute to and moderate this forum (Richard & Phil for example) and the dealers who, for most of us, are the face of Naim that we bond** with.

(** 'bond with' - on a strictly commercial basis I mean, but whatever lights your candle I suppose)

Yes I agree with some of the sentiments above re Naims ability to produce a top class modern digital source well at my price point at least but when it comes to amplification they are second to none.

DrMark posted:

They are a fine audio company that was the first to halt my constant search for gear. They provide me with replay of my music in a manner and quality that enhances my enjoyment of same. I am a music person, not a kit person.

They are a company, not a religion.

Ciao Mark,

all perfectly shareable, but I think it's nothing more than an opinion, although you introduce the ideas as facts (hey, no polemic intention!). I too ceased to feel curiosity towards audio gear from all over the world as soon as I got accustomed to Naim, but I think that what brought me to Naim in the first place was much more irrational than based on its sound. Although I certainly don't expect people to remember my posts or read me like Proust, I have very rarely written about Naim's sound quality per se. I told that it reminds me of how real music sounds more than any other brand, but that has not really to do with inherent circuital or technical choices. It's the choice of a certain balance.

Then, I – just to make an example - am both a music and a kit person. But I am a music person in each and any moment of my life (in the classroom, while I listen to my wife singing or rehearsing a piece of music from two rooms away, when I play, when I sing, when I reflect on the infinite number of problems that speaking of music puts in your face, at a concert) but never when I play CDs and I am dealing with my system. Then it's the kit, the f***ing kit that dominates our lives to the point that even if were spend a lot of life's precious time on this forum, we still think it's because we care about music.

Naim is a company and a religion. I know this for a fact. Just think of another brand able to:

a) lock in new and old customers;

b) keep them loyal with the constant picture of a promised land (the next version of anything);

c) induce, in a never explicit way, the feeling that you belong to a selected class of persons who have access to an exclusive world;

d) make you happy to spend more and more (of you money, but especially of your time, life's precious time) to get closer to the tip of the pyramid, where a very few of you will share the paradise of the absolute best.

e) Have a Sacred Book (this place, the FAQ section, the induced, orally-transmitted mythology of the infinite tips and tricks necessary to enjoy the perfection of the promised land).

Only sects are similarly structured. This doesn't mean that I don't love my Naim kit and haven't the deepest respect for the unique genius of their marketing structure and the high quality of their products, but the fact is that a number of people here is constantly unsatisfied with what they have and still, so to speak, 'go to church every Sunday' and still believe that the next something (Sunday, life, PSU) will finally bring happiness.

Who's like this, apart from Naim, religions and Scientology?

I am ready to be moderated, but an occasional bout of bona fide and awareness would be beneficial to all of us. And this was not addressed to you, but to your black&white convictions. Still friends?

Ciao,

Mac

Max_B posted:

<snip>

Naim is a company and a religion. I know this for a fact. Just think of another brand able to:

<snip>

Only sects are similarly structured. This doesn't mean that I don't love my Naim kit and haven't the deepest respect for the unique genius of their marketing structure and the high quality of their products, but the fact is that a number of people here is constantly unsatisfied with what they have and still, so to speak, 'go to church every Sunday' and still believe that the next something (Sunday, life, PSU) will finally bring happiness.

Who's like this, apart from Naim, religions and Scientology?

<snip>

BMW & Ferrari.

I started my hifi adventure by using two old valve radios, then Sinclair's little amps, then Armstrong receiver, then making various kits (Texan 20+20 or something), then a pre-amp from Wireless World - very good - and power amp based on a Bailey design.  Had a Nytech for a while, which was pretty good. Then Naim (NAP 120 and the then current preamp - 12?  something like that).  Built a copy of the 120 to go active into Naim speakers.  Never come across an amp or pre-amp that I preferred, though no doubt there are some out there that I would be just as happy with - except that I know Naim will always look after my kit (and have done several times) and selling the kit is not such a financial loss as with many other amps.  And I have always been impressed by the helpfulness and friendliness of Naim employees and (most of) their dealerships.  I've often though I should look at other kit, I've never felt the need.  My one regret is that I didn't buy a pair of Chartwell speakers that I thought were particularly good, and went for Naim 702 (or was it 602 - Mordaunt-Short bass and Goodmans Tweeter), which was good, but didn't give the soundstage that the Chartwells did.  Would have loved to be able to afford Linn 'Briks back in the mid 70s when I heard them.  But it's been Naim for me since the early/mid 70s.  I don't think it's a religion.  I love listening to music particularly when it is well-reproduced, and Naim does that.  

Huge posted:

Max_B posted:

<snip>  Naim is a company and a religion. I know this for a fact. Just think of another brand able to:  <snip>

The biggest bestest brand loyalty, cult, religion, obsession in the whole wide world - call it what you will - is Harley Davidson

Sad,  very sad,  but true.  

Hooking in on Naim and religion: It is the Sarum Rite which comes from Salisbury.

Over 600 years ago, they produced already big black boxes there:

I'd go with Marshall.

My last bike was a Sporster 1000 in 1978. It was the first model sold in the UK to feature an electric only start. Guess what went wrong with it? Seven months to fix. An absolute brassard to bump start. Cult of the ****ing useless.

Huge posted:

Max_B posted:

<snip>

Naim is a company and a religion. I know this for a fact. Just think of another brand able to:

<snip>

Only sects are similarly structured. This doesn't mean that I don't love my Naim kit and haven't the deepest respect for the unique genius of their marketing structure and the high quality of their products, but the fact is that a number of people here is constantly unsatisfied with what they have and still, so to speak, 'go to church every Sunday' and still believe that the next something (Sunday, life, PSU) will finally bring happiness.

Who's like this, apart from Naim, religions and Scientology?

<snip>

BMW & Ferrari.

I don't know. I only know two people owing a Ferrari, and one of them has Naim kit too.