Naim -- Fatiguing?

In my opinion, you have two Hi-fi choices. Sterile, "Audiophile" type sound, where each note is reproduced separately, in all its shining glory to be enjoyed as a single entity - Or, a system (or brand name) that attempts to recreate a musical experience as close to what the artist intended for you to hear. Live music is not pretty, nor quiet, nor sterile. It has bumps & valleys where you are left to fill in the blanks with your attitude - and toe-tapping ability. It has been my experience - and I certainly accept that there are those who disagree - that people who love listening to live music love Naim gear. It is (maybe) not the most measurably accurate equipment. But, it is the most performance-accurate equipment I've ever heard - and I've been listening for over 30 years. I listen for many hours at a time without any listener fatigue whatsoever, and find my system extremely difficult to turn off, even when it's past my bedtime. :-) Most other systems I've encountered have become tiresome after a half-hour or so, exactly the opposite of "Formulaone's" opinion above. I wouldn't swap my Naim gear for any current equipment available, and people who hear my system agree with me - and often want to buy Naim gear themselves!
That's the highest praise I can give to any Hi-fi equipment, and I sincerely hope those of you who love what you own might just try a listen to a Naim system someday before you make up your mind based on someone else's opinion - even mine!
What a hobby!
Ed

I actually demoed the Naim series 5 today (amp, preamp, and cdp with a pair of triangle speakers). It was very involving and I loved the sound in a toe-tapping way with good air around instruments and a pace that never slowed down as the music became chaotic. However, with choral, classical and space music it sounded unemotional and sterile in the midrange, very uninvolving in this respect. For comparison I listened to a Sim Audio Moon I-5 and it was richer in the midrange and almost there in the toe-tapping sense, but it certainly wasn't the Naim toe-tapping I felt earlier. It handled the choral and classical music in a very involving way and the soundstage was much wider than Naim, which seem closed in (but alive within its confines). For 30 minutes a day (or more) I would love the Naim. For all-day listening I think I would prefer something like the I-5. Though I also love the Naim industrial design and found the I-5 to be a little weird in this regard.

I see what Egoss mean though. Some systems (I remember hearing a Cary SET integrated that I thought was causing Lyle Lovett to fall asleep on the CD) don't involve the listener or are too analytical and detailed. But I also think that sometimes I want my music to sound live and sometimes I don't.

It sure is tough to choose components when your music tastes run so wide and so many styles of audio output appeal to you. Can't I just have it all?

Ok, one quick thought here. I noticed there are some Naim reviews based on imcomplete Naim systems as references. One of the key components I have come to love about Naim are the speakers. There is a certain honesty that these speakers present and I notice not a lot of dealers (at least in my deprived area) don't carry a lot of speakers in stock. Thank goodness they're in my living room. I think of all the Naim electronics out there, that the speakers carry so much to the sound, that some other companies speakers may not be able to properly keep up to the well tuned electronics behind a Naim system.

All that I'm saying, in the quest for the perfect review and comparison of a Naim system (series 5 or other), insist that a pair of any Naim speaker be involved in the demo. They are a very overlooked component of the presentation that Naim was intending.

Naim has some type of "headquarters" or possibly even a storefront here in Chicago. Has anyone ever been there before ?

My only exposure to their stuff was at the Stereophile show here a few years ago. Naim had two good sized rooms with all of their own gear set up. Quite honestly, the music they had selected to demo their stuff wasn't even suitable for an elevator. I made several trips into those rooms over the three day period, but it always sounded like "music to fall asleep by". As such, i didn't think much of it and never bothered investigating whether or not they had a store here or not. Sean
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Interesting topic. I have a 42.5/Hicap/110 purchased new in the 80's. These pieces have served me well with no problems. Pluses: nearly all sources agree that you don't have to go on the tweak parade with cables because the Naim pieces are as good as it gets; set up properly with a good source and they sing and do not cause fatigue; sturdy construction and simplicity of design; and the DIN connections are IMHO superior. Negatives: not easily integrated with non-Naim products; not enough inputs; very critical of source material; Naim (world-wide) has a bit of an attitude toward other manufacturers; seriously over priced.
Having given my honest opinion above I offer the following suggestions. If you have the time and live in an area where you can audition many different products you "may" get better sound for the money. Be advised though, that the search for the best listening one can find (and afford) leads down a long and difficult path. We often get caught up in deciding on this piece and then looking for another to compliment that one and so on. The Naim components are all a part of a system as are Linn and others. These "system" manufacturers do a pretty good job and sure make shopping shorter. I live in the boondocks of Idaho and don't even know anyone else with a turntable so the prospects of listening to quality sound reproduction outside my home are slim. If you are lucky enough to live in a large metropolitan area and have a group of friends with like interests you will be able to enjoy many combinations of equipment. Pay great attention to source components whether they be analog or digital and put a boatload of money there. Whenever you hear music reproduced that can captivate you for a long time with a variety of material take special note of the speakers you are listening to and their efficiency. The speakers and the source components will dictate the pre-amp and power-amp to a large extent. I believe that if you have a great source and the Naim gear is compatable with the speakers of your choice you won't go wrong. There is that magic combination of components out there and they fit right in your budget. The challenge is to find them. Good luck.