“I like monolithic black boxes, in part because the look of them cannot ‘date’ - after all it’s just a rectangle that is black”
I too have an affinity (I have a brand new 250DR), and used to say the same 20 years ago. Everyone has their own valid judgement on cosmetics, I just think that Naim are preparing a younger generation for more modern Statement derived good looks, you see it lower down the range in MuSo, Qb and the Uniti’s. Are these owners the next generation of high end hifi buyers that will progress up the range that Naim are targeting with a sexy new image? I bet its a consideration when they begin to profile the casework for any forthcoming next generation 272 and/or Nova replacement…
But an Olive or a Chrome bumper black box looks terribly dated to me, and the current ones look very contemporary. That’s mainly because I know what the current black boxes look like; if Naim do a tweak that creates a new family look the current ones then become dated to anyone who knows what they looked like for that period.
Btw divorce is unlikely based just on what the stereo looks like. That attitude also suggest that wives have an exclusive view on good looking well matched gear, and attitudes like that are to say the least a bit outdated these days.
It’s curious that you say the 272 looks dated and yet you’ve bought a new 250DR which is a perfect visual match to the 272. Why would you want a new 272 in Nova style that doesn’t match the 250? It doesn’t make sense.
Nigel I don’t think you’ve read @pslosarc post fairly. He says he likes his black boxes but equally there’s a new generation of customers. I agree his point, and that from someone who won’t give up his CDP!
In my case I like the mix I now have in my Fraim stack (inc. the 250DR) vs. what it replaced (below), mainly because it was too congested and I didn’t have the space for a brain/brawn configuration, again thats personal taste having lived with “black boxes” for 20 years. Any attempt to create cosmetic synergy would be fruitless anyway as Rega are never going to align their case designs to Naims tryptic lead. I use my 24 year old daughter as a yardstick on future generations who has always said that my hi-fi looks boring, yet when the Nova landed I get instead “wow thats cool Dad”. Will she be a next generation Naim devotee?..she’ll need to gat a decent job first
You may be right, so apologies to @pslosarc. I wouldn’t call the Uniti look a sexy new look other than for the Atom, which looks lovely. The Star and Nova on the other hand look odd with that weird split in the middle box.
The black tower does look rather too monolithic I agree - I had one very similar back in the day, and wouldn’t want another. That’s where a really good streaming preamp comes in…
No need, really. Actually the tryptic black box I really miss is the CDS3 which I always thought was the best looking CD player ever made, but it had to go to get the TT in…
Well. If Nigel’s thoughts come to fruition I.e. a 372 being an ndx2 and 252 then I’d be straight in the queue. Why? Because it’s a straight trade in 272 to 372. Everyone’s happy. I suspect dealers and therefore Naim would be overwhelmed with customers from this forum alone waving their cash to make the upgrade. Are you listening Naim?. Enough people are talking about it here to show interest. +1 for me
Given that the NDX2 and 252 - inc Supercap - costs around £17k in the UK I can’t see how an integrated ‘372’ of similar performance could be sold for much less without decimating sales of the existing units…
Hold on a sec chaps, I said I did NOT believe a 372 would be forthcoming, no matter how great it sounds on paper and I gave a detailed explanation for my scepticism.
I do however think a 272-2 could be a goer, and I gave my rationale for that also.
So I’ve been staying out of this thread. Mainly because I’ve never heard the mythical/mystical NAC N272. Now I just can’t stop myself from asking. Does in fact a 555PS DR transform the pre from, what ”WHF” wouldn’t hesitate to put up against any other pre going for 1000£-1500£, to a beast of a machine that rivals Naims own pre selling for 4999£ + Hicap DR 1499£?
You’d also need a streamer to complement the 282. And to get to the, kind of acclaimed level, you’d need at least an NDX with a 555PS DR.
Did Naim make a mistake with the NAC N272? It just doesn’t make sense to me?
I’ve compared my 272/555PS/250DR with a NDX/XPS/282/SC/250DR, and heard nothing that made me want to swap! I guess that probably means yes, Naim made the 272 just a little too well! I, for one, have no intention of spending £’000s on a successor, should such a unicorn ever see the light of day.
I think it’s all about the new streaming platform, which seems to be of interest to many! I suppose if Qobuz, Tidal etc. are important, and the ability to perform firmware updates online, then a new incarnation might prise open a few wallets. I find it difficult to imagine an increase in SQ that would justify, to me, parting with the £5k+ required to ‘upgrade’.
Tidal started to change the way I consumed music, but Qobuz, with so much Hi Res material and a catalogue that suits the genres I listen to, has revolutionised the way I consume music. I have stopped buying CDs and downloading hi res material, although I will seek out my own locally stored copy (download or rip) if not available on Qobuz.
So for me the new platform and the integration of Qobuz has been a real eye-opener, although I originally upgraded to the new platform (ND555) for purely SQ reasons.
It can’t be that much different. You either have your music or you don’t. Streaming services are only collecting, never delivering, in a real way. Ever.