The journey is over

Seems you've made a logical choice based on your wants and needs. Congrats and enjoy.

One part of your post confuses me though, perhaps it's the way I'm reading it .....

grahambateman posted:

i have supported my local independent hi fi shop , but when I speak to them they too confirm that the older naim sepertaes are not keeping pace with the likes of the sonos , which they also sell in there shop.

Confusing because I don't see older Naim separates and the likes of Sonos as competing, parallel devices. There's Muso and Qb, and Naim have just released the new Uniti range. These seem more comparable to the likes of Sonos, Granted, greater cost for the Naim devices and the buyer will have to determine the VFM versus SQ aspect. While Naim may be late to the party, they seem to be keeping a deliberate pace.

From the tone of your post it sounds like the end of the affair.

If the burden of off loading those big, ugly, heavy boxes which sound shit becomes too much for you, I am prepared, for altruistic reasons of course, to take them off you free of charge.

Ray

Good for you in making a decision that suits your needs, I too have finished although at a different place from you. My multi-room is also Sonos since it is for background listening as I do things around the house and you are right about its usability and VFM.

Allan

Sonos is great - excellent usability, good sound quality and the whole family find it easy to use. It wouldn't replace my main Hi-Fi but for getting music around the house with minimal fuss it's just the job.

Glad you've found where you want to go Graham 

Seems an odd post, to me - but this is the internet..... If the OP's no longer wants or appreciates his Naim boxes, best they are re-homed ASAP, then. As already suggested, I am sure many Forum Members would offer an FOC service. Alternatively - stating the obvious - there is eeeeeeee something. 

Like the above posts say, I am happy you have found what is right for you... but also am slightly confused as Sonos and Naim seperates are very different products and capabilities  in different markets and don't really compete at all.. or were you thinking of Naim Mu-so  and Qb? They are more natural competitors with Sonos.

Bye. Have a good life.

grahambateman posted:

after 10 long years i think it's time to say goodbye to naim.

Forgive me if I say that for many of us, they've been joyous.

Good luck.

Chris

Only "10 long years" - still a Rookie in my book! The next 10 will be even better.

I have been able to enjoy my older Naim separates (82, 2×HiCap, 180, CDX/XPS) and also have multi-room and full streaming flexibility by adding a vortexbox (and quality Chord  DAC) and three Logitech Squeezebox devices that feed smaller hi-fi in other rooms. I have over 500Gb of flac media that I can play in any or all rooms, stream (almost) any album from Qobuz (also in flac) and control it all via my phone/tablet. When I want a 'proper' listening session I sit in my main lounge with the Naim - the Naim after all has the best SQ especially if I use my LP12 or CD.

I tried Sonos a while back and found them overpriced for the SQ and function. I prefer the flexibility of (albeit defunct) Squeezeboxes added to normal amplification, etc. The Vortexbox is an amazing music server and when combined with superb clients like Squeeze-Ctl or Orange Squeeze, offer a very flexible extension to a conventional system.

Graham,

No doubt your decision is made against your own priorities and that's exactly how it should be but I would take issue with much of what you say. 

A work colleague asked me the other week for some audio advice and specifically whether he should buy Bose or Sonos.  He was somewhat surprised when I said neither at least until he had the Ruark one box solution and Naim Muso.    He then ventured off to Audio-T heard some stuff and has ordered the new Uniti Atom (he actually heard a Qute) and Neat Iotas    He commented that in terms of SQ the Sonos "just wasn't there".  

Now of course what your dealer meant was that Sonos was turning over at a higher rate than Naim.  Well of course it is - Ford sell more cars than Mercedes.  But far from being the end of the era of Naim seperates what is occurring is product evolution.  Consider the evidence.  40 years ago Naim were turning out a few pre-power combos and now we have a diverse range of products from the Muso all the way to Statement with the resultant cascade in technology.  A range of products that exist in the international market.

Your decision is right for you but it will be far from the same for the rest of us.  

Regards,

Lindsay

I never understand the motivation behind these 'goodbye to Naim' posts, or more general 'goodbye' posts, come to that. If someone isn't using their stereo any more then all they need to do is sell it. What's the big deal? Why make a song and dance about it? Do they want everyone to say 'don't do it', or 'well done, you are quite right'? Do they want us to start wailing about the terrible loss to the Forum? 

My sentiments entirely Lindsay, Sonos does an excellent job with its system connectivity & the SQ is OK compared to some systems,  but hifi it ain't. Respect for the decision to make that change & hope it satisfies in the long term. 

If the OP's system sounds worse than a Sonos it is no doubt in dire need of some TLC, probably including a recap and proper setup. Let's hope its new owner gives it the attention it needs.

"The Journey Is Over" -- perhaps the OP is selling the screenplay rights to HBO.  They need more melodramas!  More angst and guilt-ridden torment.  "I did love you!"  "Ten long years! Ten loooooong years!"

What really grabbed me with a Play 5 was the bass kick. I confess that I really enjoy clean, tight, visceral bass and when I stood in front of a Play 5 and cranked up the volume I felt a thud in my chest like I hadn't felt since my nightclubbing days. Would that sound get on my nerves after a while? Maybe but it sure felt right at the time.

The multi-room capabilities and room correction app are also nice features. I'm always struggling with the amp, the speakers, the source, the cables and especially the room. It's been a never ending circle of frustration. 

However the fact that it can only play up to 16/44 is a major deterrent right from the start. If it could down sample hi-res to 16/44 - maybe. But at this point I own too much hi-res material to consider any system with such limitations.

For me the SB Touch still offers the best user experience out there so for now at least I will hang in there with a Naim amp and assorted DACs, streamers, speakers, cables, etc but with affordable products like the new Kef LS50 wireless arriving I'm not ruling out a switch in the near future.

I've seen topics like this before, on other forums. One thing that they all seem to have in common, is that the OP tells his story and then doesn't respond to any of the replies. Not that they have to ofcourse, but then...  why ?  (I agree with Hungryhalibut)  

I fail to understand how someone can consistently misspell a word .. sepertaes .. even with auto correct.  

Enjoy your Sonos .. glad you found what you were looking for.

Couldn't get on with Sonos. Easy to use, indifferent sound quality. I've always gone for musical enjoyment over convenience. If you can achieve both in a package that suits you it's a good result. Have fun and best wishes.

I'm glad you found what's right for you.  I'm so stubborn that just the day before yesterday I bought a Qb for my office for the same reasons you went to Sonos. "(sonos  items)   Qb (are) is  small and discreet and so easy to link for (multi room.) streaming the likes of Tidal ".

Enjoy!  I'm sure I will with Naim's Qb.

I'm sure Graham didn't intend it as such  but these posts can come over as somewhat evangelical.  Reality check as ever - it's the hi-Fi!!

Regards,

Lindsay

Alco posted:

I've seen topics like this before, on other forums. One thing that they all seem to have in common, is that the OP tells his story and then doesn't respond to any of the replies. Not that they have to ofcourse, but then...  why ?  (I agree with Hungryhalibut)  

Everyone responds so nicely to these posts. Says good things about the folks who post here. For myself, I have to agree with  HungryHalibut and Alco. I have never understood the need to start threads like this.  Oh well!

 Roll call.

Nick

Another case of horses for courses, and the OP has chosen a course where convenience etc of Sonos scores higher than soumd quality, and appears not to have been interested in investigation higher quality streaming osurces to gain the benefits with his hifi system.

It is simply something I don't understand -  but then there are many choices about music replay that I don't understand, from people content with a simple radio or mp3 player+Bluetooth speaker, right up to what on paper seem to be fantastic systems feeding very limiting speakers. 

Each to their own, but one does wonder what is the point of passing the info on to others unless there is a tale to tell, or a revelation to reveal...

Happy new year to everyone!

I too am giving up Naim !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Another resolution that won't see out January