Having never owned a Naim product or even had the opportunity to listen.
How would current owners/users describe the house sound ?
How would current owners/users describe the house sound ?
Naim that sound
- Thread starter alchemist 1
- Start date
plastic penguin
Well-known member
Brittle, hard...
They are okay with warm speakers. My old CD5i didn't last long in my system... too in ya face.
They are okay with warm speakers. My old CD5i didn't last long in my system... too in ya face.
Oxfordian
Well-known member
Auditioned the New Classic range a few times over the last couple of months and like the sound very much.
But you asked for a description and I’m not sure that I can answer that, I auditioned as I wanted to hear a Linn/Naim setup, so I listened to a LP12/NSC222/NPX300/NAP250 out to a pair of Kudos Super 20A and Super 10A speakers.
The audition was through a Selekt spec Sondek using some of my LP’s and some belonging to the store with some streaming through Roon, I have to say that the sound coming out of those Kudos speakers was absolutely glorious, loved it.
If you are interested find your local stockist and go and have a listen and decide if it is a route you want to go down, sadly my lottery numbers didn’t come in on Saturday.
People go on about the ‘Naim Sound’ but I’m not sure it exists, it is just a sound which you either like or dislike.
But you asked for a description and I’m not sure that I can answer that, I auditioned as I wanted to hear a Linn/Naim setup, so I listened to a LP12/NSC222/NPX300/NAP250 out to a pair of Kudos Super 20A and Super 10A speakers.
The audition was through a Selekt spec Sondek using some of my LP’s and some belonging to the store with some streaming through Roon, I have to say that the sound coming out of those Kudos speakers was absolutely glorious, loved it.
If you are interested find your local stockist and go and have a listen and decide if it is a route you want to go down, sadly my lottery numbers didn’t come in on Saturday.
People go on about the ‘Naim Sound’ but I’m not sure it exists, it is just a sound which you either like or dislike.
Gray
Well-known member
Even if you fully subscribe to the idea of 'house sounds', you're relying on somebody's description of the sound.
You may well have a different description for the same sound.
As you might expect, my latest Cyrus amp sounds different to my previous one.
Latest reviews of Naim amps that I've read, talk of a changed sound.
I don't think talk of house sounds is helpful.
Choose the model(s) you're interested in and have a listen with familiar / intended speakers, would be my advice.
I heard Naim into Neat - the sound was ok - but I can't say any more than that, as the speaker sound was new to me.
And even if it wasn't, no way would my invented description of a Naim 'house sound' be of any use to you.
bigfish786
Moderator
Only had the briefest of experiences with Naim. The new stuff was playing in a dealers as I popped in to collect a turntable. It looked nice, but was on too low to make any impression.
Never really bought in to the upgrade path of Naim and Cyrus.. power supplies and god knows what else, just a box selling scheme in my opinion. But, each to their own.
Never really bought in to the upgrade path of Naim and Cyrus.. power supplies and god knows what else, just a box selling scheme in my opinion. But, each to their own.
skinnypuppy71
Well-known member
I've owned a original nait xs and a superuniti, never hard or harsh...both lovely sounding units......just don't use silver speaker cable, they really don't like that.
twinkletoes
Well-known member
This will purely depend on the products in question.
Uniti’s are naims more approachable products. Naim’s “beats” type sound. More for the masses don’t think there anything special in all honesty. Owned one got rid pretty quickly.
There classic range has evolved over the years chrome bumpers were supposedly brighter affairs. My experience with the Dr range would be best described as purposeful and bold and far more forgiving of speakers than chromebumpers. I love a bold presentation so paired with some revel performer speakers but I must stress it’s not bright and far from a brittle sound.
There newer stuff over the last 4-5 years I haven't heard. And in all honesty with all there price hikes they’ve had im not sure the brand would be worth it these days for me.
For instance The 250dr I owned I bought for 2k or there abouts, towards the end of its product cycling it cost nearly 4k with no incremental improvements during that time. It remains the only piece of hifi equipment I actually sold for more than I bought it for. So there’s that.
There digital stuff I wouldn’t touch, the dac v1, I had 3 units with all the same fault, dsp failures I owned the model for a year and of that year it was in my rack for 2 months sounded nice when it worked.
That’s my experience but In short the value proposition just isn’t there these days. Brands such as Moon, sugden, musical fidelity, hegal annd exposure offer the same or better for less.
All my opinion take it for what it’s worth.
Uniti’s are naims more approachable products. Naim’s “beats” type sound. More for the masses don’t think there anything special in all honesty. Owned one got rid pretty quickly.
There classic range has evolved over the years chrome bumpers were supposedly brighter affairs. My experience with the Dr range would be best described as purposeful and bold and far more forgiving of speakers than chromebumpers. I love a bold presentation so paired with some revel performer speakers but I must stress it’s not bright and far from a brittle sound.
There newer stuff over the last 4-5 years I haven't heard. And in all honesty with all there price hikes they’ve had im not sure the brand would be worth it these days for me.
For instance The 250dr I owned I bought for 2k or there abouts, towards the end of its product cycling it cost nearly 4k with no incremental improvements during that time. It remains the only piece of hifi equipment I actually sold for more than I bought it for. So there’s that.
There digital stuff I wouldn’t touch, the dac v1, I had 3 units with all the same fault, dsp failures I owned the model for a year and of that year it was in my rack for 2 months sounded nice when it worked.
That’s my experience but In short the value proposition just isn’t there these days. Brands such as Moon, sugden, musical fidelity, hegal annd exposure offer the same or better for less.
All my opinion take it for what it’s worth.
jjbomber
Well-known member
Owned them for about 20 years, from the olives through to the Uniti range. Wonderful live sound that gets your toes tapping. More of a 'live' sound than a studio sound. Was my go to amplifier until the McIntosh came along. Only got the UnitiLite left and that hasn't been on for the last 9 months.
You need to hear them for yourself really. Hi-fi is like a haircut. What suits other people may not suit you and vice versa.
You need to hear them for yourself really. Hi-fi is like a haircut. What suits other people may not suit you and vice versa.
nopiano
Well-known member
plastic penguin
Well-known member
The only time I was half impressed by Naim amp was the original XS with Dynaudio Contour S1.4.
daveh75
Well-known member
nopiano
Well-known member
Actually, I think it was coined by reviewer, and one-time speaker designer, Martin Colloms. But, yes, it was a bit unorthodox. And I might be mis-remembering.
I’ve heard some excellent systems with Naim amps, and some I didn’t like. Typically their amps had a forwardness which was either engaging and exciting, or rather tiring and ‘in your face’. That made matching a challenge, and the best two systems I remember had PMC Fact and Neat Iota speakers.
Haven’t yet heard the latest Classic series, but the impression I get from reviews is they’re a little more conventional and even-handed, while not lacking the enthusiasm the brand was renowned for.
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