Nama Paint (patent pending) at the Bristol Show

Posted by: Allan Probin on 13 February 2001

You're not going to believe this.

I've recently replaced the floor under my equipment racks with new wood and now that its all working again I was trying to decide on a floor covering. I decided to just use a paint finish. I had a look around my garage and found that I had to mix up the remains of a few tins to get enough together for the job.

So, floor painted I got everyhing setup again and switched it all on. To say I was gobsmacked would be an understatement. The music just came to life. It was right there, in front of me. Nothing could have prepared me for something as devastating as this. I knew right away that I would never be able to go back to any other paint.

I didn't get any sleep at all for the next 14 nights. Eventually, tired and exhausted, I passed out in the middle of a Corrs CD and slept solidly for the next 24 hours. It was during this sleep that the secret of this particular combination of paints came to me. But I'm not going to reveal the secret. Instead I'm going to setup a small factory in Bognor to sell this paint under the name "Nama".

Armed with this new paint technology knowledge I began to wonder how I could improve what I'd already got. And thats when it came to me. I hadn't used any undercoat. I spent most of that night repainting my floor, making sure I had a nice even layer of Nama undercoat this time. Well, you are not going to believe this, all those improvement I got with the top-coat, it just did it all over again. I swear that the top coat on its own is only giving about 40% of what you get when you use the undercoat.

I knew this couldn't be happening, but I thought "what if I had two layers of undercoat". Well you guessed it, coat-3 (as I call it) must be one of those nodal points because it just blew away everything I'd tried previously. Since then I've tried more coats and every single one brought about real and tangible benefits. Right now I'm on coat-17 and and its absolutely stunning. The only reason I've stopped right now is because B&Q are shut.

Of course, people won't believe this until they hear it. Mr Cow came round to have a listen a few days ago and came to the conclusion that an Ikea coffee table on coat-1 would blow-away a phase-7 mana rack on ANY OTHER paint. We listened for hours but eventually he had to leave. You know I could swear I heard him muttering "More Nama, More Nama" as he left.

Nic Peeling has been pestering me on the phone for the secret. Even though I wouldn't tell him he insisted that he had worked it out for himself anyway. All I can tell you is that he might know most of it but he doesn't know everything.

News of Nama paint spreads fast and I had a visit from Dave Cattlin last night. He didn't like it. He insisted that one of the pigments I'd used contained Lead and he could hear it within the first 10 seconds of that Thea Gilmour CD I played him.

I've decided that I won't be using dealers like B&Q and Homebase to sell this product as they can't be trusted. So instead I'll be selling it direct. If you would like to contact my trusty assistant Darrious he will be very helpful in working out your coverage requirements. Now some people have commented that £150 per litre is a bit on the expensive side but compared to the cost of equipment racks I think its an absolute bargain.

To launch Nama paint with a bit of a splash, I'm going to be at the Bristol Show. Unfortunately, pressure has been applied by stand manufacturers on the show organisers to see to it that we only get a broom cupboard. But undaunted, and aided by OldGreyFox, Mr.Cow and a few other helpers we are going to get there early and setup a coat-21 system that will simply stun an unsuspecting public. We are at a turning point in history and the equipment stand market will never be the same again.

Hope to see you all there.

AP/Nama

[This message was edited by Allan Probin on TUESDAY 13 February 2001 at 23:34.]

Posted on: 13 February 2001 by Top Cat

Great one, Alan. I'll take five tins

John

Posted on: 13 February 2001 by John C

Allan, what a marvellous invention! Have you sent any free samples to Canada yet??

John

Posted on: 13 February 2001 by Allan Probin

quote:
I'll take five tins

John, thats great you won't regret it. If you live in the bognor region, Darrious will come round and paint your floor for free.

I've found that to get the full Nama-effect its essential to get an even coating. To help with this we have sourced what we believe to be the worlds finest paint-brush. A snip at £60

AP/Nama

Posted on: 13 February 2001 by Andy S

Allan,

This all sounds incredibly exciting but I need to know one thing - what colour is the paint? Unfortunately, my wife is very particular about these sorts of things and would definitely be put off by, say, a black colour (she'd probably say it looks like someones spilled oil on the floor).

If you can come up with a light brown colour, that might be much easier to get past the wife. Additionally, if you could supply a slightly darker brown at the same time, I could get someone to rag-roll the top and get a wood-like finish - or do you feel all the sonic gains would be lost?

One final question: does this effect also happen on concrete or will I have to lay a wooden floor to gain the maximum benefit.

Andy

Posted on: 13 February 2001 by Allan Probin

Andy,

Nama Paint is not in the business of supplying colour charts and co-ordinating schemes. We are here so that you can get the best out of your equipment. For reasons known only to me, Nama Paint has to be OLIVE GREEN.

When you realise what a difference this paint makes you fill find that having an Olive Green floor is a small price to pay.

We've recently had some amazing news from 'Hoots' (one of our best customers) who's tried it on the wall and found it even has an effect there. He's just ordered two-gallons of the stuff so he can go to coat-5 on the walls and coat-2 on the ceiling.

We have (of course) tried Nama Paint on all types of floors but found that it works best on wood. However, for someone with a concrete floor we would advise that you put down a couple of extra coats.

AP/Nama

Posted on: 14 February 2001 by BrianD

Allan

...I can't use the paint but I have an idea.

I still have my old Rotel 965BX packed away somewhere. How will this sound on your newly painted floor? If it 'blows your CDS2 into the weeds' I'll be happy to take you CDP (+ a couple of hundred quid) in exchange for the Rotel.
Just let me know. I can be at your place in about 10 seconds flat!

Brian

Posted on: 14 February 2001 by BrianD

Allan

Have you thought about actually painting the loudspeakers???? This may take it all to a new level. If it doesn't work you'll be able to get it all off with paint remover and a scraper.

Don't paint the equipment casing though. If you're happy with the CDS2/Rotel swap, I could be persuaded (if you make me a good enough offer) to swap my 32.5/snaps for your 82/supercap too.

Brian

Posted on: 14 February 2001 by Allan Probin

Brian,

Darrious is painting the IBLs as we speak.

We have compared the Rotel on coat-7 to a CDS2 on coat-3 and to be honest the differences were so small that its not worth worrying about. I've thought about your kind offer to swap your Rotel for the CDS2 but I've decided to keep the CDS2 as it matches the colour of the Nama Paint.

We've had serious enquiries from Greg Beatty and Greg Bolen who are both very intersted in trying our products. I've advised them to contact our American distributor - FlatEarth Depot

AP/Nama

Posted on: 14 February 2001 by Geoff C

Alan, its good that someone has been able to use some lateral thinking, when it comes to system ugrades. One thing that does concern me is that there may be a direct relationship between the number of paint layers and the amount of paint fumes that convince you that there is an improvement to the sound quality. What is your view on this?

regards
Geoff

Posted on: 14 February 2001 by Allan Probin

quote:
Finally, what news of the forthcoming Nama "SuperCoat" rumoured to be available in two varieties

Ah, that'll be the "Reference Top Coat". We were hoping to keep that a secret until the show.

AP/Nama

Posted on: 14 February 2001 by Nic Peeling

Infamy, infamy, the've all got it in for me.

Nic P

Down with hidden censorship .. yes Paul that means you.

Posted on: 14 February 2001 by Nic Peeling

Jonathan says

quote:
Nic ??
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eh - don't understand?
Jonathan

explanation: In Allan's original mail he said

quote:
Nic Peeling has been pestering me on the phone for the secret. Even though I wouldn't tell him he insisted that he had worked it out for himself anyway. All I can tell you is that he might know most of it but he doesn't know everything.

Which I thought deserved a humorous response.

The PS was unconnected and just reflects my well known dislike of Paul Stephenson's clandestine use of the delete button.

Nic P

Posted on: 14 February 2001 by Jim Branch

I was hoping that a flatcoat might be available for those of us who cannot afford the supercoat.

perhaps if I paint the ear cushions to my AKGs and sit myself on a mana to isolate my ears from the house vibrations...

would this paint be available in a flesh-tone color?

Posted on: 14 February 2001 by Allan Probin

"I was hoping that a flatcoat might be available for those of us who cannot afford the supercoat."

No problem. Mick Parry pointed out some time ago that due to the glossy finish, large areas of Nama Paint could look rather garish. In response to this request we developed the "Flat Top Coat"

AP/Nama

Posted on: 14 February 2001 by Jez Quigley

I've had my system pebble-dashed and I'd tell you what a tremendous difference it makes if only I had remembered to apply masking tape to the CD drawer before the final coat. Another good tip to improve stability and tracking is to super-glue the disc to the tray.

Posted on: 14 February 2001 by Chris Brandon

Allan,

Does it come in "NON-FERROUS" tins as well ?"

Regards

Chris

Posted on: 15 February 2001 by bob atherton

"I've had my system pebble-dashed...... "

Jez,

I'm glad I'm not the only lead free , solvent free weenie around here! I've consistently found 'dashing' a system beats paint ( no matter how many coats ) any day.

I listened to them all. A/B 's take about a month, what with all the cleaning, & I ended up going for Splutter. Application was a doddle, could have done it with my eyes closed after 6 pints of Guinness. Sounds fantastic, a little rough as you might expect, but great PRAT.

I don't want to 'stir' the Nama paint pot too much, but I think Splutter is the way to go.

Bob.

SPLUTTER, MORE SPLUTTER

Posted on: 15 February 2001 by Arye_Gur

I have four sons and a daughter.
My daughter's name is Naama.
So I like the Nama name.

Keep this thread floating at the head of the page.

Arie

Posted on: 15 February 2001 by Martin M

Has any downgraded from Supercoat to a Flat Top Coat? If so, please share your thoughts. I currently need the money tied up in the paint for such wussy things as furniture and don't want to admit this to myself.

PS Arie, you made me laugh when you said that your nose was considerably closer to the loudspeakers than your ears. Thanks.

Posted on: 15 February 2001 by Sproggle

The other day, I was mortified to realise that I had let the cat out of the bag about Nama’s Reference Top Coat [formerly referred to as SuperCoat], so I telephoned Nama to apologise. I was lucky enough to speak to Allan himself! He was most understanding about the whole thing, explaining that the revelation of trade-secrets by over-zealous followers was an occupational hazard for any world-class hi-fi company.

After that embarrassing episode, I was more than surprised to receive two parcels by express courier this morning. I opened the largest one first, and was amazed to find that it contained 3 tins of Nama paint, a Nama paint brush and a can of Reference Top Coat!!! You don’t even have to listen to this stuff to know that it’s a class act. Everything from the silicon-reinforced aluminium alloy tins (with their Teflon-coated lids) to the name of the technician who hand-built each can (discretely printed beside the serial number) points to an outstanding hi-fi experience.

I was somewhat perturbed to find that the manual came on CD-ROM only - there was an order form in the box for a paper manual at £75 which, I have to say, struck me at first as blatant profiteering. However, when I read the CD-ROM manual, I found the reason: "Nama is an environment-friendly company, and we prefer to avoid the unnecessary use of paper, which is why a printed manual is not usually supplied. However, a printed manual can be supplied, if required, at a very reasonable price - most of which goes towards covering the true environmental cost of manufacture." What can I say? I’m truly sorry that I doubted you, Allan - you know what they say about looking a gift horse in the mouth…

But I have saved the best until last: the tin of Reference Top Coat came in a beautifully finished afromosia presentation box, and I was delighted to see that its serial number was: 0001! I’m almost tempted to keep it as an investment, but I know that investing in a better system by actually using my Reference Top Coat will pay far more worthwhile dividends than mere money ever can.

Once again, Allan, thanks for this fantastic product!

PS I didn’t mention the contents of the second parcel, because it contained yet another new product from Nama! I can’t wait to tell the world about it but, this time, I’m going to wait for Allan to give the go ahead - some time after the Bristol show, no doubt…

[This message was edited by Sproggle on THURSDAY 15 February 2001 at 10:56.]

Posted on: 15 February 2001 by Allan Probin

Sproggle,

Many thanks for your endorsment. Your second parcel contains the very latest Nama development.

We recently had a visit from Chris Koster who was rather concerned that the Nama Paint didn't seem to work succesfully in a full Naim system. Following exhaustive listening sessions we finaly tracked the problem down to the use of the Nama undercoat when used on the floor around the speakers. We had to admit, it seemed to be making the speakers slightly out of tune.

For this reason we have developed our latest product - the "Sound Base Coat"

AP/Nama

[This message was edited by Allan Probin on THURSDAY 15 February 2001 at 11:43.]

Posted on: 15 February 2001 by Andy S

I've just upgraded to coat-4 from coat-3 (with Reference Top Coat) and was amazed by the improvement it gave.

Just as an experiment, I brought my childrens Aiwa midi system in (complete with speakers) and placed it on top of coat-4. I could hardly tell the difference between the Aiwa (at £160) and my CDS/52/2x135/DBL system. So much so, that although I can tell a slight difference, I've decided to sell the CDS based system and just use the mini system - I just don't think it's worth having all that money tied up in equipment any more, not with the Nama paint system about.

Thanks again Allan!

Andy

PS. To Bob & Jez. I tried Spluttering my system but I thought the effect gave a lumpy bass and really grated my ears when up loud and close. I've decided that Nama is the way to go for me

Posted on: 15 February 2001 by Andy S

Allan/Guys,

My wife has just pointed out to me that it's getting a real pain to clean the Nama system. Dust just gets everywhere and, given the semi-gloss finish, is very noticable. Vaccuming seems to disturb the levelness of the paint. In fact, the system is clearly out of tune for days after the room is cleaned.

How does everyone else clean their Nama paint?

Allan, are Nama developing anything to help with this problem?

Andy

Posted on: 15 February 2001 by Andy S

quote:
Hey Alan, if you could put Nama green paint in a PEN I think you could be on to a REAL winner. People could then paint round the edge of their CD's!

Mr. Pig,

I had a small splash of Reference Top Coat left after upgrading from coat-3 to coat-4 and I thought I'd try an experiment with what's left. Unfortunately, I only found there to be a small improvement with Nama paint around the edges of the CD.

By accident, some paint dribbled on the playing side of the CD withot me noticing. When I played it, there was a noticable improvment in the sound quality. This troubled me as the difference on this CD was staggering compared to the others that I'd tried (around the edges). Once I'd discovered the paint on the playing side, I thought I'd try an experiment and panted the whole of the CD playing side with Nama paint and tried again.

WOW what an upgrade. With the Nama paint across the whole of the CD, I could clearly hear things in the music that I'd never heard before. Imaging was far better - it appears my speakers now float in mid air - and bass goes at least an octave and a half further down. None of the PRaT was lost in the system at all.

I also tried this on my ageing record collection. It turned my £100 Technics turntable (with knackered cart) into a fully loaded LP12 killer!

Highly recommended.

And

Posted on: 15 February 2001 by Andy S

quote:
Has any one painted the inside of their ears? What was the result?

Yes, I tried it last night and all I ended up with was... green ears.

I couldn't tell the difference with my ears painted or not so I wouldn't bother personally.

One positive side effect is that I now have 4 new friends whom I met whilst sitting in casualty (ER for our American friends) waiting to have the green paint syringed from my ears (apparently, I'd blocked my ear hole with the stuff...)

Andy