To impress friends and family with systems

I don't find anyone else is in the slightest bit interested. Apart, maybe, from my wife who always likes to know how much it cost, not so much what it sounds like, just what it cost.

Clive B posted:

I don't find anyone else is in the slightest bit interested. Apart, maybe, from my wife who always likes to know how much it cost, not so much what it sounds like, just what it cost.

Lol. Here too. I could impress my friends and family with a sound bar and save a ton of cash if that was the reason for buying hifi. 

Quite the opposite really.  While friends who are into hi-fi appreciate the system I've built for most 'normal' folk I'm somewhat sheepish when they spot and comment upon the two stacks of black boxes and pretty large speakers. "All that just to listen to music!", I imagine them thinking.

I agree, there's nothing impressive about a heap of anonymous ugly black boxes, and I find it quite embarrassing when the almost inevitable question arises - “So how much would this lot cost?”. I always waffle on at this point and avoid giving a clear answer. Or they really would think I'm completely bonkers, which I suppose is pretty near the mark.

I think it means they will be impressed by the quality of the sound rather than the black box.

So has Naim got this marketing message wrong or is it that some of us on the Forum are in the minority within the Naim customer target market these day?

I think they would mostly roll their eyes once they know what it all costs.

I overheard a conversation the other day with two guys discussing the size of their TV’s....

all I could conclude is that must be both going through some kind of mid life crisis!!!

The Idea of endeavouring to impress someone is the polar opposite of my motives....

Its the sheer pleasure that comes from listening to superb quality music that constantly makes me smile....

Listening to Hi quality music reproduction ..... is probably one of the only things that helps me to relax and de-stress

if this is the ‘New’ Naim advertising strategy...they need a re-think....

I have a few friends that have what I would call proper hifi systems, only one close friend with a Naim system though, and they appreciate music in a way that is enhanced by good reproduction.  I also have friends with no such system, but do appear to really get the end result.  A good few people have said things a long the lines of IF....I had the space, could afford it, could justify it, if weren't for the kids......blah etc, I'd love to have something like this in my house.

What I find more awkward is when other people try to impress me with their systems.  It's surprising what you get used to and take for granted.  

My brother in law is always banging on about how great is wireless Bose system is

i just say .. that's nice... and don't get drawn in

Never done it to impress people and I only mention it to like minded people. I am lucky though that my wife likes to sit and listen with me. And it was she who encouraged me to upgrade to DR rather than just service the NAP 300.

FangfossFlyer posted:

The following from the monthly newsletter email from Naim made me think:

“We're incredibly excited for the festive period, we're sure you'll agree it's the perfect chance to impress friends and family with new systems!”

Do you buy your system to impress others?

As for me this is the last thing on my mind!

Richard

 

Yes I bought my system to impress myself only

My friends and family are only impressed by  my wife’s good-natured tolerance.

Nick

Nobody's impressed by high end hifi these days. Mine's in my den/study, on the second floor of the house. Hardly anyone ever sees it.

No one in my household is interested, occasionally the odd mate pops round who are also into hifi systems but as time goes by you start to lose touch.

Most people just see my system as a boring pile of black boxes, unnoticed, don't see what all the fuss is about until I hit play the Tab 10s wake up and they are always astonished.

I have never sought to impress anybody with my system. Over the years family and friends have listened and been surprised more than anything at how good it sounds. There is always the comment " I won't be able to tell the difference with my hearing" but they do.

I have also had Songstream's comments said to me as well "IF.....

When it comes to the question "What does it all cost?" It is not a case of avoiding the question, I break it down into what it would cost per hour. For example I am ready for a new Kandid which costs  £2410 after trade in with an average playing life of 1700 hours = £1.42/hour. Where else can you get that quality of  entertainment for that price.

Over the life of your system what is your hourly cost in playing time? 

I am curious to know the hourly cost of a 552 bought when first released at an average of 1 hour per day

None of my friends are impressed, bemusement is the main response I get, or indifference.

The occasional person might say, "that's a good sound" when I put some music on. But nobody's that impressed really (indeed, a reasonably well-known recording engineer who once came round spent an inordinate amount of time moaning about my speakers - but that's engineers for you).

What does seem to impress people, however, is the fact that I can still play records (and that I have a lot of vinyl).

The Termagant always goes on about how brilliant the sound is, but she doesn't listen to much music (I suppose that makes her a hifi buff ), except when she barks an order at her Amazon Alexa to tell it to play Il Divo, Eva Cassidy or some other naff, ear-melting crap. Mostly she listens to Radio 4.

However, I am slowly - very, very slowly - getting her to appreciate Bobbie G and The Frapp. Sometimes when I put some John Martyn, Nick Drake, Donny Hathaway, Blue Nile or Isaac Hayes on, she remembers how much she likes them.

Well I’ve just had, on two different evenings, different neighbours round to listen, who’ve never heard a hifi system playing music before.

A selection of comments...

”Stunning”

”Very impressed”

“I’ve never heard music like that before”

”Absolutely gobsmacked”

”Oh, now I get it”

... which makes me feel real good about introducing people to real Hifi. Or perhaps I should say NAIM Hifi.

Ask yourself the following question (and be honest): If you were living alone and NEVER had any family or visitors at your place would you still be as inclined to pursue this hobby to the same extent?

I've had a few impressed people too, sadly they still bought crap. ????

Iconoclast posted:

Ask yourself the following question (and be honest): If you were living alone and NEVER had any family or visitors at your place would you still be as inclined to pursue this hobby to the same extent?

Yes, of course. Why wouldn't I?

Iconoclast posted:

Ask yourself the following question (and be honest): If you were living alone and NEVER had any family or visitors at your place would you still be as inclined to pursue this hobby to the same extent?

More so in my case. I now find myself happily on my own and able to fully indulge in my hobby without having to explain or justify it to anybody else. As for Naim's Christmas campaign, it's cringeworthy on the basis that nobody likes a show-off and Naim clearly doesn't understand its customers. Sort it out.

Yeah there is no point in impressing friends and family. It’s purely their for my own pleasure. Like others I also avoid talking about what it costs. 

Even friends (not hi fi nuts) who are somewhat interested . . . I start playing music and they start talking and I'm thinking, "How the heck can they be interested if they just talk over the music??"

I just leave it at that . . .