Or is it likely to remain a limited edition?
I would’ve thought if I was making an amplifier that sounds as good as a lot of the people and threads here say it does, I would say hey, let’s make as many as we can make as much money as we can.
Having not heard it, I cannot figure out whether it is herd mentality hyperbole, or a massive manufacturing / marketing error.
.sjb
I imagine it’s the retro design that’s the limit in terms of ultimate sales potential? Personally, I like the retro look, but Naim seem to be developing in different direction with Uniti, New Classic and Statement and even MuSo with the acrylic used in all the main ranges. I would think much of the 50’s internals reflect Naim’s latest thinking at this price point and the internals might be used in future Supernaits which would have greater power than the 50 and would also have power supply upgrade potential. Maybe?
I think it is a perfect celebratory product, that illustrates Naim’s mastery and yet it’s low production quantity marks it as a future collectors item.
I don’t think it’s either. In my opinion it sounds so good because it is a limited edition. It obviously sounds good (I haven’t heard it yet), but it’s a human trait to enjoy something you have even more, if you are aware that others don’t have it.
(I don’t think that at Naim they have ever done marketing errors. Am I alone in remembering how many forum members in the past few years have invoked another shoebox-sized integrated…?)
Really just need a Shoebox sized Streamer to go with it now… 
I imagine they are already looking at improving their full sized integrated amplifiers in the future which will cover those who only care about sound quality with low box count. For those who specifically like the small form factor who knows, maybe like the neat petite classics the nait 50 might get a wider release eventually, maybe still a shoe box size but more new classic look? Regardless the nait 50 seems to have done very well.
The limited edition I guess is due to the retro look? It may get repackaged in a modern form?
Maybe the Nait 50 was designed/built and sold at cost or minimal margins.
Begs the question of whether they would get complaints from customers of the first 1973 units if they were to produce another run - or even sued for false marketing by customers concerned that the scarcity value of their purchase had been eroded…
Great joke
I own the Nait 50 and have no issue with Naim coming out with a shoebox line of amps and DAC/Streamers as an entry level system.
Drop the 5i, XS and SN products.
As a shoebox product line modern up the looks a bit. Maybe a remote and non DIN inputs. And a few more LEDs on the fascia as eye candy.
Lots of possibilities.
I’m not sure Naim is the brand for you…
I think it is the third option: they really did not know how it would be received (if it would catch on or not) and I guess the bill of materials is a bit more than what is normally demanded for the margin required.
I think they just had a lot of fun with it and decided that at 1973 pieces the risk of a flop wouldn’t bear down too much on either the bottom-line or their production capacity. Planning and designing this stuff must take a lot of energy though.
@Svetty I went with a DAC/Streamer with 2 LEDs to offset the minimalist look of the one LED Nait 50 (;
In answer to the original question - maybe it’s because they knew it’d be a bit of a cash cow? New parts yeah, but very little R&D (if any) and they guessed right that people would lap it up…which they did from what I can see, some people even buying it when they self-admit that they don’t even need one (with which I have no problem).
And there’s nothing wrong with a cash-cow now and then if it’s done for the right reasons (that service department can’t be cheap…people answering the phone and helping there and then on the spot, within 3 rings…in this day and age…). Bravo Naim I say!
I wonder how many Nait 50’s have been sold to people who have never owned Naim before?
A very small number id expect.
Not from me. It’s a great tribute to the original, bought for no other purpose as to me just wanting one, rather than for any rarity value.
It sounds rather good too…
I think a fair amount of R&D went into it, judging by the posts from Naim staff on the topic. I don’t think they just updated the components, it’s an entirely new design (even if the MM stage was engineered to mimic the original’s frequency response). Apologies if I’m misrepresenting Naim here, but I’m sure it took a fair amount of R&D to develop.
Why do you think it didn’t take much R&D?
[edit: agree with much of the rest of your post by the way, good on Naim, just think it actually did take a bit of work to get it out of the door!]
Me…… always wanted A Naim amp though, They weren’t in the budget at the time and then they moved away from the shoebox design and a part of my desire went with it…… later replaced the original Cyrus amp with a newer edition and just never bonded……that was also true of the CD format.
The Nait50 came out as my love for vinyl was rekindled, let’s just say my biggest regret has been not to have joined the Naim community earlier….
I’d love it if the 50 was a forerunner of a new range of product but who knows their thinking, but if it’s not I’m so content with this amp
