What are Naim best at?

Yes.

Amps without  a doubt. 

Keeping us in their biodome.

The thing Naim does best is the tangible upgrade path for almost every thing they sell.  But the actual products are tops at every level:

The CDS2 is dated but still world class with a 555PS.  The CD555 is tops in its class.   The Superline Supercap is tops in its class.    The 552-500 is a perfect combination.   The full Fraim must be the best product of its class. The UnitiQute2b is perfect, etc   

And so on until you run out of music, time and money

Maybe not so good with DVD.  Although must be a few happy owners of the N-VI still out there.

Keeping us all waiting....!!

O...and wanting!!!

Best at combining black and green. May it ever be so.

Brilliant sound, compactness, configuration for every scenario and wallet.  DIN plugs.  

Tony2011 posted:

Amps without  a doubt. 

Yes, amps, CD players and arguably the now discontinued  NAT01

Stremer solutions. One of the pioneers in that respect.

The CD players. Awesome devices that made me happy when everything else left me cold and yearning for a stone dragging across a plastic record

CD2, CDX2 etc great affordable and killer music from CD

Emptying my bank account!!

Seriously though and excluding phono considerations because I don't own records, I'd say -  1) amps 2) digital sources 3) speakers in that order.

I think as a company they have been great at making a long upgrade chain for every component, but making entry level devices still good enough to capture new adherents to the marque. I think this has been particularly true with source and first/second level amplification (and now streaming) components.

To be able to sell into that cutthroat market and still build the Statement series indicates the success of the company. The huge range on offer also taps into the sense of joining a club when you start at the lower end, and gives aspirations when you win the lottery later!

Ultimately the HiFi market sees through fads and fashions, so the other thing I would say is Naim's forte is longevity. Not reliability of their components (although that too) but a consistent company style and philosophy through all the years that has always placed the right emphasis on function over form, and on solid design and engineering first and foremost. People trust the brand, and trust the value/performance because it has been around awhile. Updating and developing but still recognisably Naim. I suspect that makes dealers confident to sell it too.

Bruce

(PS What does it do badly? I guess I would say it is a shame it never really embraced a proper range of speakers across multiple price points with the same qualities as the hardware and the same pattern of development. Some shining stars over the years for sure but I sensed that speakers were always peripheral to the business, and so it has proved.)

Agree with Bruce - Naim speakers were never as popular as their electronics,  and over the years have gained a reputation for being an "acquired taste''.

Naim are best at applying mechanical engineering to audio gear.

Chris

Christopher_M posted:

Naim are best at applying mechanical engineering to audio gear.

Chris

Funnily enough a certain Scottish company makes the same claim

I can live with that   :-)

C.

Sloop John B posted:

amplification?

speakers?

CD players?

DACs?

Streamers?

cables?

phono stages?

 

Sloop, Naim are great at making all these things, but ultimately none are at their very best used with inappropriate partners, and are only as good as the weakest link in the chain.  Which is why Naim design and build their kit to work best as a system.

So, in answer to your question, I'd say that Naim are best at making music systems.

Any mention of Naims recording label ?  A few quality artists and releases that have had recognition.

Amps and speakers for me, specifically the SBL/SL2/NBL/DBL line. The 555CD player is excellent for playing CDs.

I'm inclined to agree with Richard, in that I think Naim engineer great systems.  My own recent experience being Naim DAC-V1 in to Cyrus 8vs amp, which didn't work for me.  It was impressive in some ways, but no.  The same DAC into an SN2 sounds like a match made in heaven as far as I am concerned.  Yes, the Naim amp is in a different league and well over twice the price of the outgoing Cyrus, however, it's the difference in the overall musical result that impresses me ultimately, not the fine details, separation, inky blackness etc, though they are of course key to the end result, but the way the two components compliment each other is completely obvious.  Particularly since the V1 firmware update, which had massive positive impact in this partnership.  Yes, massive, and it's not up for debate. ;-)

tonym posted:

..... The 555CD player is excellent for playing CDs.

Not too good at playing anything else though 

Amplifiers, especially the Naits which represent an unbeatable value for money.

Simon-in-Suffolk posted:

tonym posted:

..... The 555CD player is excellent for playing CDs.

Not too good at playing anything else though 

Well, mine was so good I inadvertently put a tea-plate in, and, amazingly, it played that too!