The look of the "5" seria

True, but.... (need I add more?)

Andrew

Andrew Randle
2B || !2B;
4 ^ = ?;

Richard

+ stunning
+ good
+ better than the older style
+ worse than the older style
+ awful

I think the new 5 series look good, but worse than the older style!

Just my opinion....

Regards, Bas

I think that "stunning" or "good" is not related to anything. If you say "good looking" you are not relate it to something else.

I think that your opinion is that the "5" seria look worse than the older style.

Someone may think that the older style is awful
and the "5" style look good - but it is not your case.

Arie

I don't want to start a methodological discussion here, but this means you are researching two things at a time:

1. does the 5 series look good
2. does it look better than the older style

Now I don't really care about that, but it's just not right. You give the possibility to give more than one answer!

Regards, Bas

quote:

---

is it not the sound of the 5 series that counts?

---

It's definitely the most important thing, but my flat-earth tendencies have been undermined by the fact that I shouldn't have to put up with ugly boxes in my living room just to get good sound.

Naim will limit their market if they don't keep up with their competitors on looks (we all know they're way ahead in sound).

As B&O used to say, you still have to look at the (TV / HiFi / Video) even when it's turned off (which is probably when their equipment sounds best anyway!).

Andy.

Andrew L. Weekes
alweekes@audiophile.com

I don't think the new 5 series is aimed necessarily at "hard core Naimies"; rather, it is aimed at people who want to get into Naim ownership at a more affordable entry price. Personally I think the new 5 series looks quite good--far better in the flesh than in photos. It also represents a departure from the 3 series look, which I always thought looked good but without enough substance to support its taking styling cues from the classic series.

Also, I think Paul Stephenson has posted to the effect that the 5 series is substantially outselling what the 3 series ever did. My dealer reports that he is selling the 5 series in much greater quantities than the 3 and that part of it is based on the appearance. Ancedotal--certainly; but Pauls comments are, I think, significant.

Cheers,

Bob @ Qwest

PS--How is your speaker search coming ?

If it gets the sales going full speed in the budget sector, then great.

Andrew

Andrew Randle
2B || !2B;
4 ^ = ?;

The buttons aren't as nice as the 3 series, and the new logo is, well, just a bit too designed. . Yes, I realise that the old one would also have to have been designed, but because there was more type, it somehow spoke with a gentler tone of voice. Also, there is something about "naim audio" as opposed to just "naim" which (correctly) implies a sense of history, in my opinion. But I'm being picky – the new case is hugely better than what it replaced.

Best;

Mark

(I still don't like this
software very much)

To be honest, when I decided to get a decent system, the dealer set up a Naim system and a Linn system, and the looks alone would have sufficed to make me buy Naim – precisely because the standard boxes look so simple and don’t pretend to be anything but electronics with a sturdy housing. Functional looks can be exhilarating in today’s world and will endure over time (cf. Bauhaus) – I am so sick and tired of tea towels with tea pots depicted on them and everything else that for some strange reason needs to refer to itself in its outward appearance.

I think the 5 series accommodates “regular” tastes without getting into – no offense, Mick ;-) – Swindonesque DBL cozy territory.

Thomas

quote:

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The buttons aren't as nice as the 3 series

---

I think they're a massive improvement aesthetically!

The old buttons look like something that's been pulled from a piece of test equipment, rather than an integral part of the product. The production engineering on the 5 series is in a different league to that of the 3 series, IMHO.

Almost anyone with access to the right suppliers could create buttons similar in look / function to the 3 series, but the 5 series is a different kettle of fish.

I did like the cleverness of the logo on the 3 series though, it's incredible simple in concept (some clever silk screening on the opposite side to where the lettering would normally be) yet it creates a superb 3D effect that looks good from all angles.

I still like the new logo though.

Andy (closet production engineer) Weekes.

Andrew L. Weekes
alweekes@audiophile.com

stimmt schon: die Linn-Komponenten sind auch weit davon entfernt, durch auffällige Schriften und vergoldete Potis bestechen zu wollen, aber Naim treibt’s da wirklich auf die Spitze mit der Funktionalität (ist ja schon fast hässlich ...). Was ich am Linn-Design zu bemängeln hätte, sind die Regler (weiß nicht, wie die nicht-drehbaren Regler richtig heißen) und die etwas weniger soliden Gehäuse als bei den großen Naim-Kisten.

Initiiert wurde ich (vor einem Jahr erst!) mit Genki/weiß nicht mehr/Keilidh vs. 3.5/Nait3/Credo. Letzteres kam meiner Musik auf Anhieb entgegen (hab ich dann auch gekauft), allerdings habe ich mittlerweile einige Linn-Systeme gehört, die mich wahrhaft begeistert haben. Ist aber was ganz anderes – wenn ich mal im Lotto gewinne, gibt’s vielleicht auch ein Linn-Zimmer in meiner Villa ...

Thomas

I have to agree with all on this thread about the logo. It sucks! Definitely a step in the wrong direction.

Change with the times boys, personally i prefer the old style.

naheed...

The 5 is an improvement over the 3 (except for the un-aspiring Naim logo) with a much more solid casing than the 3.

I have a problem with the buttons, they do look wobbly in comparison with the 3. Someone previously mentioned that the buttons on the 3 have a kind of "Test Equipment" look - "good" I say - always looking for sturdiness. The controls on the 5 series are a bit too "me too" in appearance, and the volume control is positioned too far to the side.

On the other hand, the current full sized Naim kit is unique in appearance. Naim say there are no plans to change the styling of these boxes, if they did then they would piss off a lot of people who are in the middle of investing in their amps.

Andrew

Andrew Randle
2B || !2B;
4 ^ = ?;

To be honest, I actually feel it makes my gear look just a little bit dated style-wise.

However a modern-looking wooden stand is all it takes to make any hifi look (and sound) good.

Dev

If I were to offer you 1 of 2 amp systems that sound the same but:

system A looks super-fine
system B looks like a pile-o-sick

which would you choose?

Of course I'd prioritise sound over looks, but why not have both?

The best way for Naim to go with their casing would be to have acrylic cases (a la DNM) with glass heatsinks. Not for looks, but for sound. Non-metallic casing prevents re-radiation back onto the circuit board.

Andrew

Andrew Randle
2B || !2B;
4 ^ = ?;

'The best way for Naim to go with their casing would be to have acrylic cases (a la DNM) with glass heatsinks. Not for looks, but for sound. Non-metallic casing prevents re-radiation back onto the circuit board.'

Naim R & D do extensive research on every part of the products they produce and the interaction of ALL the components in those products. So the best way for Naim to go is to use the vast experience of Roy George and his R & D team. Full Stop.

'not a terrible success with hard core Naimies'
Vuk, who are ALL these people you speak for? I don't care if I count in your book as one of these, but I do care if you suggest that I don't like the 5 Series which in MY view (and by all accounts the marketplace) is an audio and visual success.

Sorry about this guys but...

I thought was the season of goodwill and yet we get this type of negative thread on the Forum when the guys and gals at Salisbury continue to bust a gut to give us the best products and service around.

There seems to be too many Grinches here.
Come to Whoville.

Seasons Greetings to you all.

Regards
Geoff

[This message was edited by Geoff Cottle on MONDAY 18 December 2000 at 13:51.]

Ideally the kit would be as attractive as the sound it produces.

Unfortunately, appearance seems to confuse the issue.

Most people have, by necessity, to have the hi-fi in plain view. So if it looks good and sounds good too then that is a real result.

If you like the sound but do not like the looks then hide the kit!

cheers

Nigel

quote:

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The best way for Naim to go with their casing would be to have acrylic cases (a la DNM) with glass heatsinks. Not for looks, but for sound. Non-metallic casing prevents re-radiation back onto the circuit board.

---

What about external interference?

The acrylic case will also let any stray RF / electromagnetic fields IN to the sensitive low level circuitry, not a recipe for consistent clean sound.

As for glass heatsinks I'm not sure what planet DNM inhabit, but the primary purposes of a heatsink is to cool the devices mounted to it. For this it needs to provide a thermal path to air (normally), i.e. it needs to be a good conductor of heat. Aluminium, Copper etc. will do this well, glass most certainly will not!

The non-metallic casing will also allow internal radiation from any component to reach any other component it is placed close to, again a recipe for inconsistent performance.

If there are specific areas of a circuit that can affect other areas the best solution is careful circuit layout and / or localised screening where necessary.

Andy.

Andrew L. Weekes
alweekes@audiophile.com

As far as the 'survey' is concerned, I don't see it as a valid poll, since there are over a 1000 members here and not everyone will even bother to voice a pro or anti view. I am not even sure how many Naim owners there are worldwide who are not even going to see this online?

I 'think' demand for the 5 series has actually been higher than expected...

PS Its about time you updated your site!

Regards Geoff

I thought the 3 series was starting to look very dated.

But I actually thought the survey has very poor questions and it would be hard to draw any meaningful conclusions.

Anyway I'm sure Naim has done its market research, and as far as I am concerned I think the 5 series and the 500 looks better than the gear that own.

Dev.

People on the forum are Naim enthousiasts who are more or less interested in everything Naim does. That makes us interesting for Naim and their design philosophy. Our view of the 5 series says the following to Naim:

1. great work on the 5 series, the design seems to reach a greater audience [more sales, prices go down for us? ;-)]. We like it for the sake of the company.

2. DON'T change the design of the other series!!! The classic look has too much emotional value for the present users, which are the most important to Naim (up till now?).

But this is, again, just my humble opinion.

Regards, Bas

I really do like the look of the 5 series and speaking for myself would welcome the style being spread across to the NAP 250, NAC 82, CDX etc.

My 28 year old son is seriously debating purchasing a 5 series amp and cd player whereas he would have previously dismissed Naim because of its understated appearance.

I suspect, but obviously cannot prove, that there were probably howls of protest when in 1980 something Naim dispensed with the chrome bumper models and brought in the modernised look which we now regard as classic.

Times change, as do trends and I for one feel that the new look is great. I agree that the new logo should be retained but perhaps some different material could be used.

For me......the new range still possesses the virtues that made me buy it Naim the first place, that is :-

a) Great sound
b) Great value for money
c) Longevity
d) Top quality build
e) Excellent after service for years on end

What more can one say.

Regards

Mick