Email from signals: end of NAC-N 272

Email from signals:

„ . . . After such a busy past couple of years, launching new products, it was becoming quite evident that certain products were looking just a little bit last decade. Let’s do the lazy thing with good old cut and paste!

Where technically possible, Naim has always endeavoured to upgrade older products with new functionality. However, recent developments in music streaming – including both the increasing amount of services and their advanced technical demands – means older models no longer have the specification required to support additional services.

With this in mind, we have taken the decision to stop making one of our most popular streaming products, the NAC-N 272, as we can’t upgrade it any further. The NAC-N 272 still offers superb performance and core functionality, plus has had an in-life upgrade to offer TIDAL support, but does not, for example, have the technical capability to support the native Qobuz integration recently announced for the rest of our streaming family. We will, of course, continue to support the NAC-N 272 for bug fixes and other technical adjustments needed to keep customers enjoying their streamer as long as possible.

Our newer streaming platform – as featured in Mu-so and Mu-so Qb 2nd Generation wireless speaker systems; Uniti Atom, Uniti Star and Uniti Nova streaming systems and ND5 XS 2, NDX 2 and ND 555 dedicated network players – is designed with much higher processing power, networking capabilities and headroom for future upgrades than earlier systems.

Separately, we are also discontinuing the DAC-V1 and its matching power amplifier, the NAP 100. Both remain very capable performers, but are no longer as relevant to consumers for whom streaming is the primary playback method; our Uniti systems fulfil this criteria far better.

We have also decided to stop manufacturing the Headline 2 after evaluating component availability against product demand at this price point. A range of our products, including our Uniti systems and NAIT integrated amplifiers include excellent headphone outputs, and for customers requiring a dedicated headphone amp, we recommend the highly rated Focal Arche.

The NAC-N 272, DAC-V1 and NAP 100 currently remain available, but on a first-come, first-served basis. Final orders for these products may qualify for special pricing – we suggest speaking to your account manager. However, Headline 2 has already sold through and is no longer available. . . .“

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And the question we all want an answer on. When will the 272 follow up be released? :smiley:

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Is this an announcement being made by Naim Audio, a distributor or a member?

What is the source?

Looks to me like the first paragraph is from Signals themselves, the remainder is copy/paste from a Naim memo sent to the dealer network. (Hence the reference to “account manager”).

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I was at my dealer on Monday when they received the Naim briefing, and he read me the same list of cancelled products. I didn’t report it here as it was effectively hearsay, even though I was sure my dealer was telling me the truth.

It’s hardly surprising as the price of the 272 and, I think, the V1 and 100 did not increase last month. I was betting on the new 272 appearing in May at Munich but of course that has been cancelled. Maybe it will never come at all…

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@JimDog, no worth waiting summer then. Apparently there will be no 272.2 or 372.

In this end of the world it’s been out of stock with internet dealers for a while. What’s also interesting is that they have lowered the price of NAC282 by aprox 10% while the price of NDX2 has gone up aprox 5%

I think the end of the 272 has been on the cards for a while, so good to have clarity. A shame about the Headline, but I guess it’s now a bit out of step with current trends and was likely not selling many new. There always seem to be a few around secondhand, so if you really want one, it shouldn’t too difficult to source.

Of course, it does make one anticipate what might be coming down the pipe in the next 12 months or so…

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Well, if I’m reading this quote correctly, they are saying that they cannot upgrade the 272 any further.

So there will be no revised 272.

But surely that does not preclude Naim launching a streamer/DAC/preamp in future.

[Anyway, this is probably not relevant for me, as I’m looking at the possibility of upgrading my speakers with a different pair of Naim speakers to the ones I have now - and if I do that I will not be able to buy a new streamer, DAC or preamp anyway.]

Jimdog, I think it means that Naim can’t add new streaming services to the NAC-N272 as and when they might appear (and appear to be viable).

Ah. OK, thanks for that clarification, Richard.

The fact that the 272’s not going to get the new streaming platform is hardly news on the forum, as that has been known for a long time around here.

But the news item is that Naim are officially stopping production of the 272.

Which is entirely as expected.

What it means is simply that the current 272 cannot be upgraded further, just like the NDX, NDS and ND5XS. What is implied, which we all suspect anyway, is that a 272.2, 272 Mk 2, or 372 will be along in due course. Basically a box that does what the 272 does but with Qobuz, the unnecessary fancy screen and the new streaming platform.

The 272 in its current configuration was kind of expected to be cancelled, but the surprise here is the decision to stop Naim’s only standalone DAC left, which actually might be good news, as it looks like there is a new one coming out. Hopefully.

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This is a non-sequitur. They cannot upgrade the 272 any further, so there MUST be a new product (if they are to continue to offer a streamer + preamp format product).

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Yes, that seems to be what they were trying to say.

I think that if Naim are, as expected, planning to launch new streamer/DAC/preamp in the coming months, it was not a wise choice of words for Naim to put in an open letter:
“we have taken the decision to stop making one of our most popular streaming products, the NAC-N 272, as we can’t upgrade it any further”.

Because some people might leap to the (wrong) conclusion that Naim are not planning to launch a new streamer/DAC/preamp - which many people will (rightly or wrongly) see as an ‘upgraded 272’.

(Especially if it’s called something like NAC-N 372!).

Well, it was perfectly clear to me. They can’t upgrade the 272. The new one will be something else, such as a 272.2 or 372.

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Thank you for your contribution.

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Great contribution to the thread, and really sophisticated language! Well done mate — is there another pointless contribution you could make?

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I am one of those, or perhaps the only one, to have understood that there will be anymore a streamer / Dac/ preamp in one box, because they can’t better the 272.
Maybe I am wrong…