If you couldn't choose Naim, what brands would you shortlist for a system?

Posted by: feeling_zen on 10 August 2018

Living in a country where there is no Naim distributor for anything other than Muso and faced with a massive struggle to get Naim equipment, I've obviously voted for my sound of choice by the fact I go to the trouble. But this got me thinking, suppose Naim didn't exist, what brands would you shortlist to build a hifi?

I think the question could be a bit of fun and informative as it may introduce people to things they had never heard of and it may be a question that gets asked for second systems.

The rules are simple:

1. You don't have to have heard any components from the brand, just predisposed to shortlist it.
2. No long lists. 4 max.
3. You can have two lists. One for entry level and one for high-end if you like.
4. If you like, share why you would be predisposed to shortlist this for a possible system.
5. Electronics only. The forum gets plenty of speaker discussion already.

I'll go first to get it rolling.

Budget System

NAD, TEAC, Denon

Always a soft spot for NAD and felt since forever that they were like "budget Naim" in their design philosophy. And they sound good too. Ditto for Denon and sound quality. Curios about the TEAC due to some seriously robust no nonsense engineering. In fact, If I was going to add CD to an existing main Naim system, I'd probably do so by just getting a $500 TEAC transport and hooking it up to my NDX. At the budget end, I don't really take any issue with the sound quality of Japanese hifi. Only the latter 2 brands are actually available in my country.

Main System

Bryston, Esoteric, Linn

Only heard the Linn and while not favoured over Naim at all, I still think it sounds damn fine. I had a source to speakers Linn system before and could easily see myself with their electronics if Naim was not an option. The other two are a curiosity. Bryston seems to have a different philosophy to Naim but similar in terms of their belief in over engineered power supplies and analogue preamps. Esoteric are an oddball. Hi-end TEAC label with some similarly serious engineering credentials. While they don't go for 2 box sources like Naim via power supplies, their external (and crazy expensive) digital master clock add on for their digital sources is an intrigue. Again, only the latter 2 brands are actually available in my country.

Posted on: 17 August 2018 by tonym

When I was gainfully employed, and not a poor old destitute pensioner, I flirted at length with various examples of American exotica from the likes of Krell, ARC, CJ etc. before inadvertently discovering active Naim systems, so even if they've improved over the intervening years I have no desire to revisit them. An old work colleague, who I shared a mutual interest in music and hi-fi with, ended up with Vitus stuff (can't remember his particular models - they were all that uninteresting to my ears). I've preferred Chord for source componentry over Naim for a while (says an ex-CD555 owner). The ND555 may be different, but for the time being my Chord DAVE will do very nicely sir.

Amplification's a bit more tricky. I won't select a brand I've never heard before (how do you other folks find the time to listen to all this other kit? Don't you get pretty bored after a while, hearing inferior stuff?). Am I allowed to build my own (based on the old RCA - Naim topography, natch...)?

Posted on: 17 August 2018 by feeling_zen

yes [@mention:1566878603998391], why not. If Naim didn't exist you can definately say you'd build your own kit.