A worrying trend...
Posted by: NigelP on 04 December 2001
Dear all,
My list ends there and I am struggling to understand what will be done that will make this amp so glorious that Naimies will be lining up to buy one. Anyone got any ideas? I am troubled that a degree of cynisism is showing and am hoping that engineering brilliance and value is still one of Naim's core values.
I have just received my NAP500 and am delighted with it. The £10k price tag was very daunting and a bitter pill to swallow but, on the basis that I had this up against an active 6-pack, justified it's price. I have just learned that the partnering preamp is going to be commanding a price tag of around £13k. This troubles me because I'm not sure how you would assess this when comparing with the already excellent NAC52. The NAC52 is a "no compromise preamplifier" in Naim's own words and, yet, there appears an even less compromised than a "no compromise" preamplifier on the horizon. I can certainly think of things that Naim would do to improve on the 52 but at over twice the price tag 
? This worries me. My suggestions would be:
- New look and feel
- No balance control
- No separate line in for record while you listen (cost reduction opportunity?)
My list ends there and I am struggling to understand what will be done that will make this amp so glorious that Naimies will be lining up to buy one. Anyone got any ideas? I am troubled that a degree of cynisism is showing and am hoping that engineering brilliance and value is still one of Naim's core values.