Almost every brand has customers who swear by it. Some have become somewhat infamous for their following - Naim is certainly one, Linn another - there are more. "Better" is such a relative term in this context that it's impossible to answer one way or the other. Suffice it to say that there are many who believe that Naim has captured "it", and an all-Naim system represents the best sound going. |
well said, kthomas. this query brings to mind my asking a client in the publishing business whether he thought macs were better than pc's for his applications. he replied by saying: "you know, that's like asking whether it's better to be a catholic than a baptist, and i try not to discuss religion in public." |
nait 01 tuna is one of the best going, i dunno much about their other stuff... |
the nait is a neet tuna but i tink the onix tuna/soap combo is better and cheeper. gotta admit, tho, never tried a salmon just for the halibut. |
As I write this I am listening to an active all naim system.
My advice is to go to a Naim dealer and get a demo of their stuff. It really is unique. It's just not impressive sound( like Krell, Thiel, etc the gear plays music with a flow and pacing that I've never heard before...check it out. Their new CD5 is a great way to see what Naim is all about. |
cornfedboy, always glad to hear an erudite gentleman such as yerself speaking out in support of my lowly onix/soap tuna. :>) the place i bought it years ago also had a nait-01 set-up; i woodn't a said the onix bettered it, but it was certainly its equal.... regards, doug |
The Naim user guide as seen by me, an ex-Naim user (who will probably going back to Naim) Leave the damned things "On" at all times. D'ont worry about the heat, the WHOLE casing acts as a heat sink. Dead silent. Always ready. Good pacing, extremely detailed. Soundstaging may be a weaker point, but overall balanced sound. Even the smallest Naim integrated is an incredible bargain. That's Naim for you. Plug it in. Forget about it. Enjoy the music. |
sounds a lot like linn, ackshully... i had a kairn preamp for a few years - did everything right, except it had a flat, 2-dimensional soundstage. similar to what i heard at stores, also... |
I you ever get a chance to try a Naim CD player and especially with the flatcap upgrade, do so. Draws you in and gives you happy butt. . . very musical and rythmic but not ultimately deep soundstage. Just have to hear for yourself. |
I had an all Naim-Linn system with Kefs once. Naims are very musical but the one I had lacked low end oomfh. The main to reasons I got rid of the name portion of the system was that it was difficult to adapt to non Naim equipment. And at that time and maybe still the Naim power supply one uses is extremely important to the sound. |
You know, you should always go with what sounds good and what's in your price range. If a $300 Sony reciever brings you happiness, buy it. I used to fall for the hype on the Stereofile magazine stuff. It's all crap. Then, I was introduced to Naim. The dealer had a set of $25,000 Krell monoblocks which which were tied to a set of $70,000 speakers. I was blown away, however, I noticed that after a few minutes I wanted to turn it down and even turn it off. It was not a pleasant experience. And the system lacked large amounts of detail, timing and control. Then, he put on a used $600 Naim Nait 2 with a set of small Castle Acoustic speakers and a $1300 used Naim CD Player. The music was pleasant, easy to listen to. You could hear every instrument clearly and the control was astounding. You wanted to stay there for hours listening. I bought the amp and the speakers and was hooked on Naim. Now, I have a full Naim system with a CDX/NAP 250, and SBL's. I've had the system for a long time and I started to wonder if there was something better out there. I went to the CES show in Las Vegas in January. I auditioned a pair of $40,000 Avanteguard speakers and a pair of $200,000 Genesis speakers. I almost puked. You could not get me to buy anything else but Naim becuase I enjoy music. Companies should be paying close attention to what Naim does. Notice that Naim systems are not usually for sale on the used market. Also, notice that they are not coming out with new versions every 18 months. |
Pacmi02 is right. It is all about the music. Who cares what it says on the front of the chassis as long as it makes you happy. Just for the record I did a search for Naim here at Audiogon and saw no less then 30 used Naim items for sale. |
I can't speak about the SBL's or the Naim CD player, but when I had my Naim gear it was certainly musical. I did listen for hours. I must admit I never heard the Naim with anything other than speakers made in the UK. At that time I heard single and bi-amped systems. The Naim-Linn Iso-barik bi-amped system was the first system I ever heard that sounded effortless. Julian Verecker(deceased) was also a very nice individual to deal with. |
I have a Naim Nait II with Rega mini monitors in my bedroom. Sounds OK for my audiophile clock radio, but for serious listening I find it bright enough to drill holes in granite. What's in a Naim? In this case, ordinary parts, a wimpy power supply and an underpowered amp that clips pretty easily and then sounds terrible. Like Linn, however, they somehow get people to drink their UK brand of Kool Aid. I do like the back lit, green logo and the quirky shape, however. If that is what you are looking for in an amp, I could heartily endorse the purchase of a Nait. |
