Fair point, but I compared my XS2 vs it’s competitors without a PSU and I still preferred it. So sure a PSU will only improve things further.
This brings back memories. I was waiting and waiting for Atom/Star/Nova to come out after it was announced. And then price went up and up because of delays with licensing and what not.
By the time it was in store. It was well over a thousand dollars more than first published. It was my first Naim. So sorry as much as the dealer tried to persuade me, I wasn’t going to pre-order. I needed a good audition before dropping my money on it.
On hindsight it was good because I spent over a year auditioning all sorts of components across all the stores. Collectively, I played for hours with Atom then Star before Nova landed. A word of caution. This inevitably made me spend more cash then originally planned.
Oi, quiet in the cheap seats!
Thanks HH. My research was faulty and I must somehow have missed the all-in-one section of the early 2017 list. And apologies to @crispyduck.
Roger
No need to apologise. Glad it’s all resolved. ATB
Going back to thread, I have had an Atom and now have a Nova. For each of them I thought that having latest gen streaming/DAC platform plus an integrated amp offers superb value for money ( and no need for PSU’s, interconnects etc etc). For the Nova in particular, when I close eyes it just does not sound like a one box device so I think it is £4300 very well spent (and such an attractive box )
5 seconds Googling found the text below from theverge. com dated Oct 6, 2016, which I assume picked up on the Naim press release at the original publication of the launch of the new range. Even if the price went up by the time units were available in 2017, it appears that £1600 was the initial price, at which some people presumably may have bought either by pre-ordering or through dealers honoring the original published price.
Naim Audio is, like most of the best audiophile companies, a small outfit producing super high-end gear at dear prices and building up fan loyalty through a fanatical commitment to over-engineering. Its latest product line is called the Uniti and keeps up that pedigree while making it somewhat more attainable, with prices starting at £1,600 ($2,037), and a lot more convenient, with practically every wireless streaming option supported.
Interesting in the context of the thread question is the description of Naim as an outfit producing gear “at dear prices”,
Though it depends on context. You can pick up a 5.1 AV amp with cheapo 5.1 speaker set for 200 Euro or something, which is the reference frame of many. In this context, Naim will always be very expensive
Indeed - and in an earlier post I did point out that ‘expensive’ is relative, and value for money may be a factor. In pointing out the description of Naim the item I copied I was merely observing that the publisher of that, and perhaps its anticipated audience, consider Naim to be expensive [relative to their reference points].
everyone is calm down now
It’s only the calm before the storm
There are essentially 2 principles to pricing: cost +, or market.
Cost + is a profit margin added to the components and average labour costs & overheads of producing said product. Think bread, carpet, etc.
Market is based on what the market will pay. If Seiko can produce reliable mechanical watchers for £300, do you really think it costs Rolex a fortune to produce watches that sell for £10k +? Do you really think it costs 10x to produce a Ferrari than a Golf GTi?
Market is mostly uncoupled from cost (thought marketing creates images creates demand which has a cost, clearly).
Xiaomi can produce an OLED smartphone with similar capabilities to the iPhone for about £200 retail - but people want iPhones because of quality, brand, etc. But thats mostly market pricing.
There is a third way which is in between.
Naim is relatively lucky in that it can go for market pricing, but also has a reputation to maintain so doesn’t drop quality just to raise profit margins.
It’s simple - buy it if you like and can afford it. Buy cost+ if you want real value for money. But because brand lasts, Naim lifetime costs are often lower, so it’s worth it in the end. I reckon my system would sell for ⅔ of its retail price now - a loss if I were to sell it but much less than if I’d bought other brands. And in 10 years, I’ll still have an asset which I’d not have with many other brands…
Hi-fi is always essential, But only to those of us on here. For most, it’s optional; an extravagance; a luxury. For them, it’s expensive. For us, it’s worth it.
(at least, what we have is worth it. The next level up is overpriced )
@Inmynaim are you hinting some big price jumps are on the way and I must rush into the market lest I miss the boat and everything become even more out of reach?!
May be I should give google home mini a try. WHF gave it 4/5 stars.
Hi @xcentric
In a “free market” there is also competition which makes pricing policy key to a brands long term future. If the manufacturers view of the “market” price constantly drives prices higher it risks losing consumer support.
For example Naim’s pricing of cables has created a gap in the market where Witch Hat can offer big savings on compatible products that are even preferred by some.
I think you are reading a bit too much into a bit of banter. I have no spies in Naim’s finance department!!
Heehee, apologies for my bad joke.
I am a bit dense at times lol!
Naim = expensive
Naim = excellent music
So, the real question might be:
At the pricepoint (or lower), can you get sound or music which is just as good or better? (This does ignore the idea of becoming ‘locked-in’ to a brand)