New amps I would think. The old Chakra based amps (and conventional discrete bipolar Solos) have been knocking about for a long time now. Probably Exakt capable too and reassuringly expensive
Usually CI/Custom Install refers to something that can be wall mounted. I can totally envisage a Nove that sits flush in a wall with the dial facing out to partner with Focal’s in-wall speakers.
Mainly because a friend recently got a Nova and the large PMC ci90s during a renovation and would have loved the Nova to have been in the wall.
At a Naim factory visit I attended just before Christmas ( fantastic day thanks ) I was told
" It’s no secret that we have been working for some time on a Statement Streamer "
Naim have been talking about it for years , so it is " no secret " maybe it’s ready
My first thought being, there’ll be an increase in supply of trade in ND555 and PS555’s to follow, which is nice.
Eye-watering as the price would be, there’s space in the market for it alongside others at that level, would be interesting to see how they realised such a source.
Could it perhaps be the beginnings of an in-house DAC implementation for example?
Something I’d overlooked in my original guesstimate list but It seems like it could have legs, It still feels like there’s a need for a new NAIT, as in just an amp and without an integrated streamer like a Nova is today.
Perhaps that’s the big reveal, as in there is no new lower end NAC or NAIT and the entry point is now the NAC 332?
Jaw on floor indeed. Naim’s financials (with GPM ~39%) as of 31/12/22 look very robust, but one cannot help but think that Sir John Harvey-Jones’ comments about Morgan cars have merit here in that, eventually, you will run out of runway on price increases…but in PE owned businesses, they love to explore this to the max, often just before selling-on!