Important Announcement Regarding the Availability of Naim Ovator Loudspeaker Range

Sorry to hear this formally now. My S-400's are still brilliant though.

Thanks.

G

I have never been a fan of the Naim speakers and understand that the company needs to focus on what it's good at. 

Yes, I would second Bert's comments. I've always felt Naim speakers were the weakest link in an otherwise very strong chain.  I chose Linn Kabers over SBL's many moons ago, and they continue to compliment Naim source and amplification very well indeed, and have lasted through a number of upgrades.

I look forward to using my Ovators for many years to come and thanks Naim for their continuous support.

Long live the Ovators!

Loudspeakers. Polarize opinion more than any other hi-fi product.

Doug

Indeed. To the point that I would almost reverse hardbop's opinion.

Max

Doug Graham posted:

Loudspeakers. Polarize opinion more than any other hi-fi product.

Doug

O no they don't 

Will the Ovators now become a classic like all it's predecessors?

Now watch this "polarize" Doug!!!!

Loved the 400's from the first time I heard them at a show, loving then even more since purchasing a pair last December.

Probably the last pair of speakers I will own. Thank you Naim for producing them.

Thats a real shame, but understandable. They really divided opinion like no other Naim product. I tried really hard to like them but they were so far away from what I enjoy from my Hi-fi. I loved the SL2's and DBL's but the Orators were so different to them and, for me, so un-Naim like.

Fair play for sticking with them for so long.

Very sad to hear. although I only have space for against the wall speakers.

This has probably been on the cards for some time, given the Focal merger.

I personally love the old naim speakers; I've been using DBL's for nearly twenty years.

Trev

Steven Hopkins posted:

Important Announcement Regarding the Availability of Naim Ovator Loudspeaker Range

 

This is a formal indication of our intention to discontinue the above loudspeaker range from our product portfolio as of May 2016.............At group level our combined offer is stronger than ever, and we continue to work closely with our sister company, Focal, demonstrating the ability of Naim electronics through their excellent and full range of loudspeakers. ........

 

 

Steven Hopkins, Thanks for helping me with decisions on purchasing my Naim Gear! 

You've  been very helpful. I know at this point you don't have all the answers as which direction the group will take as far as Active Systems, but will you please keep up informed as information is available, a lot of Active fans, who wish the Group will continue with the Naim Active Systems.

Thanks Again!!!1

Allante93!

HardBop posted:

Yes, I would second Bert's comments. I've always felt Naim speakers were the weakest link in an otherwise very strong chain.  I chose Linn Kabers over SBL's many moons ago, and they continue to compliment Naim source and amplification very well indeed, and have lasted through a number of upgrades.

Interesting - each to his own... I had every mark of Kaber and as soon as I installed my first SBLs ( thanks HungryHalibut) they went...

My Ovators (S-400) will bring me joy for many years to come. I love them. Thank you naim 

Apart from Castle Trents I've only owned Naim speakers, obviously I must like them. May they not be forgotten!

Sad, but time to move on... I had one of the very first pairs of S600 that rolled off the production line and absolutely loved them. I'm now getting even more from the Focal Scala Utopia V2s that replaced them a few weeks ago,  As someone who embraced the Ovators throughout their lifetime, I feel empowered to comment. The Ovators were Naim's most recent attempt to communicate the passion of music through a speaker, but I feel the latest Focal models are a worthy successor... 

I've never owned Naim speakers... Audionote, Sonus Faber and for the last few years various B&W offerings.  But I've spent time listening to a friend's S600s and have found them a little difficult to love and hence have not beaten a path to my dealer's dem room to hear them properly.

Those Focals at the Acoustica show, on the other hand, were in a class with the Dynaudio's... but how could anyone actually live with something as ugly as those Focal jobs?   If I came home with a pair of those, SWMBO would throw a dicky fit; it was bad enough when the 803's morphed into 802's... you'd have thought I'd chosen bright pink wallpaper.

Sorry Naim, I'm with Bert (above) - stick to what you're brilliant at... and speaker design of late, doesn't seem to be that.

Roger

PS - btw - respect to all those who love Ovators - no disrespect intended

I wonder how many have been sold. 

I like the way my s400's just put's the sound out in such a realistic way. They certainly are different to any other speakers I've heard. I love them and am looking to hearing them sound even better when I upgrade from my Superuniti.

rjstaines posted:

Those Focals at the Acoustica show, on the other hand, were in a class with the Dynaudio's... but how could anyone actually live with something as ugly as those Focal jobs?   If I came home with a pair of those, SWMBO would throw a dicky fit; it was bad enough when the 803's morphed into 802's... you'd have thought I'd chosen bright pink wallpaper.

 

I have to agree, I could never live with a pair of speakers that looked like that, however good they sounded. No doubt some people will like their looks, which is, of course, a good thing - for them. Maybe I'm just old-fashioned.

Regarding Naim speakers, I think it will be a great shame if they abandon this part of their heritage - although I've never heard Ovators.

I'm listening to music through my SL2s and they are totally and utterly wonderful. Nobody bought them (perhaps because dealers were unable to demonstrate them properly) or certainly insufficient nobodys, so they were replaced by Ovators' which were supposedly plug and play. Ah well. I'm pleased to see Doug's comment that Naim may one day re-enter the fray, but until then they will be demoing their fine electronics with pedal bins, which seems an awful shame. 

Hungryhalibut posted:

pedal bins

 I wish I could have said it that eloquently!

Cast them as cousins.

Demo'd a pair of 400 on Saturday for about 2hrs and loved them. Arranging a two week home demo over the Easter holiday if they sound as good at home I will be very very tempted.

Graham.

Mamma Mia! What a pity!

My story with Ovator was "complex"... When I received the new S600 I almost ate them. But then, after a loooooong burn-in and tuning I started to appreciate and love their way of presenting the music.

Today, I love so much Ovator sound presentation, personality and look that I have an active 600 system and a secondary 400 system to enjoy my time with music.

As per today, not planning to change them for many many years, especially with the Focal range.

...but I will continue to be a supporter of Naim electronics, no doubt about it!

Enjoy the music!

Cheers

I will miss the option of having Naim loudspeakers (new) as an option.  I have quite liked a fair number of them.  

Many years ago, I went to buy a pair of Kabers but it was suggested I should also listen to SBL's. 

I knew I "really wanted" to buy the Kabers so I decided to do a "blind listen", literally with a blindfold, so I didn't know which I was listening to.
At the end of the fairly long demo, swapping between the speakers my dealer questioned which I preferred. It turned out that unbeknown to me, without exception, I had chosen the SBLs over the Kabers.

I spent over a week with the SL2 which is also very fine, but now have NBL's.
In a second system I have some N-Sats, & N-Sub and prior to the N-Sats I had Intro's - in spite of some of the previous comments in posts above, I believe Naim have produced some very fine loudspeakers. They might well continue to do so as well.

The Ovators have not grabbed my own attention but then, I'm not currently in the market, being more than happy with my NBL's.