How long have you been in the fold?

32/160 in 1982 followed by a SNAPS a year later and a 250 a couple of years after that. The system was reasonably stable for a few years until a couple of years ago I bought a used CD3.5 and got caught up again in the upgrade thing.

Nait 2 1991 the only Naim kit that I have owned first hand! Everything else has been hand me downs from those with more serious cases of upgradeitus.

Nic

Being a committed "source first" person...
LP12/Basik and an Audioquest cart fronted my STAX headphone amp and SRX-III 'phones back in college days around '81 or '82.
Then I purchased 2nd hand a 42/110 combo that has been with me since '84 when I started making some money.
Then I found my 'Briks about '85.
Sporadic upgrades since, sometimes years between doing anything, just enjoying music.
Spent some serious time with an LK1/LK2 combo and am glad I dumped that stuff finally and back to Naim electronics.
David

Just over 2 months.

I first heard Naim at a drunken villa party in Saudi. Thankfully the owner was a good friend. A few years later I took my wife round to his pad in England and we listened to his LP12, cd3, 62,hi-cap, 250 and SBLs. Hey presto we soon had a Nait3 and Intros. I think that was 1997. Still with a Naim only system.

Tony

I was very resistant to being Naimed, still am, but my first hearing of a Naim CD player - the CD3.5 was the best I'd ever heard (against the likes of Densen B400 at the time and Linn IKEMI.) The PR&T thing hit me at this point. I actually bought a CD5 instead as my dealer tipped me as to its launch some two months later back in 2000. I upgraded to a CDX via a Flatcap 2 for the CD5. Eventually, and once stand issues were sorted.

As a Naim user/supporter, I've been a bit of a cherry-picker.

Best VFM Naim product ever?

The Allæ loudspeakers - no question! For 2k, nothing can touch 'em. I've heard them partnered with non-Naim kit and they are fantastically open, neutral, tight/dry yet elastic-bass speakers. With Naim kit they obviously shine but not exlusively so. To me they are the true successors for the SBLs (at a similar price.)

I've heard some well-sorted all-Naim systems sound *absolutely* fantastic - and at various price levels.

The 552 certainly warrants its price tag for what it does.

So who has any of their original Naim gear still playing (in the main system for those who have one in every room)? - My 32.5 lapped for over 20 years with one pit stop.

It all started back in 1998, I,d been looking for a cd player to replace my Marantz CD75 (Which by the way is still going strong), after listening to a few, ended up buying a brand spanking new 3.5.

Haven't look back since.

Justyn.

Replaced the Nad in my Mission 770/Rega3 system in about '88 with a Nait and been on the path ever since.....

Andy

quote:

Best VFM Naim product ever?

The Allæ loudspeakers - no question! For 2k, nothing can touch 'em.

Steve,

You'll be the minority.

I agree they can be very very good but for sure overloooked in the US. The trouble is that it seems they need a far more capable front end electornics than their price tag suggests to show off what they can do.

72/Hicap/140 c 1990

laurie

quote:

I agree they can be very very good but for sure overloooked in the US. The trouble is that it seems they need a far more capable front end electornics than their price tag suggests to show off what they can do.

The same applies to most VFM loudspeakers given the throngs of blissfully ignorant purchasers of hi-fi to hierarchical system balance.

The Allæs are one product from Naim that could never be considered to be overpriced...

quote:

The same applies to most VFM loudspeakers given the throngs of blissfully ignorant purchasers of hi-fi to hierarchical system balance.

Maybe so. But I doubt not too many dealesr would partner the Allaes with CDS3/552/+ front end.

quote:

The Allæs are one product from Naim that could never be considered to be overpriced...

Not sure about that. There are lot of other *care-free* speakers competing in the same price bracket.
Its worth is determined by the listener's sonic priority.