Naim Audio Brochure from the 70s

I thought this might be of interest to the chrome bumper fans. “You want to listen to music and not to our amplifiers” is my favourite line. Enjoy.




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And the rest…




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Well, this brochure (which I think I have somewhere) covers my own Naim Audio NAC 62s and Naim Audio NAP 140 which I got in the 1980’s and still have in daily use to this day…well nearly, recently in an attempt to reduce the electric bill, I have been using a class D (?) amp…another story…

Thank you for posting this.

What a delight to read such clarity in a Naim communication written by someone who understands the purpose of audio gear.

This has the hand of JV on it and is as good a statement of what Naim is about as anything I’ve seen.

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As I read it, I’m listening to a system based around a NAC 52, NAP 135s and SL2s, playing this album I just discovered tonight, and it sounds so fresh and real.

I will delve into the works of the talented pianist, Aki Takase, in the coming days and weeks.

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@Innocent_Bystander I saw this and thought of you:

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I also have this

That last para should be etched in to the Forum FAQ.

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I thought it was, incorrect though it is!

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A well-balanced chain made up of very moderate components that mask each other’s faults…

System synergy in a nutshell.

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I believe speakers set the tone for the whole system and should be chosen first. But I don’t disagree with that statement.

I have two pairs of PMC Twenty5.23s. One on the Naim system and one on the very low cost TEAC pre/power. You literally cannot even tell they are the same speaker to listen to the two systems. I mean seriously, if your eye are shut there is not a chance you can think it was the same speaker. On the TEAC system, my GBP160 Qacoustics 3010 massively outperform the PMCs by a wide margin.

I always say, sometime you need to downgrade to upgrade.

Sadly, Mrs. FZ has vetoed a new pair of speakers in the kitchen even if they are low cost and the 3010s are back on my desk.

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That’s a great example of very moderate components that mask each other’s faults.

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Those papers comes from the idea that the fidelity to the music comes before anything else. The idea is not that speakers are unimportant - but should be selected last and to not confuse any musical expresssion, i.e. making it harder to listen to music.

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I prefer the reverse approach. Speakers selected first with most effort spent on their selection, but as the lowest cost component.

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Anyone can prefer and follow any recipe. I believe in the freedom of recipes :slight_smile: But you cant do that and in the real world apply the original Linn/Naim recipe. The original Linn/Naim recipe is so simple to apply by anyone that accept it and the idea that fidelity should be to the music first - that is the point.

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While it may be a rule which cannot be broken, it’s sage guidance, especially noting the practices which were advocated in some areas of the hi-fi market in the 1970s/80s i.e. to spend big on 'speakers.

Building a system over time backwards (so to speak) from 'speakers can introduce issues IME, and I’ve also found a tighter controlled bass (vis better amp) helps to prevent potential room issues.

I think Naim and Linn were definitely onto to something and understand garbage in garbage out and the fact you cannot recover lost information further down the chain. I don’t think they articulated it very precisely (as that paragraph is also open to interpretation) or thought about it as critically as people would today. Largely because the general (and somewhat vague) premise they were espousing back then was so different and yielding such good results.

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I was always a speaker-first guide before get into Naim. But to my recent experience, it seemed if loudspeakers are well set-up and paired with matching amplifier, they could sound like anyway.

My recent experience to Linn Kan MK1 along with 32.5/CB250, with a change of boards in 32.5 they could sound extremely neutral like pair of Falcon 3/5a driven with matching amplifier, which the Kan was always said to be heavily coloured.

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I have got a bit of an obsession with open baffle speakers, which I’ve always found very engaging and enjoyable whenever I’ve encountered them at shows.

And normally I like few systems at shows.

Because of this, I am seriously wondering whether to get a pair of open baffle speakers one day, when I can afford them, and move my whole room around and fire down the room instead of across it - because of the need for there to be lots of space behind the speakers, and because the concern about side Wall reflections is much lower with open baffle speakers.

But obviously, I’m aware that this could lead to some major system disruption depending on how it fits with my electronics, on top of the need to rearrange the whole room.

It’s a conundrum and a massive challenge, but also one I think I’m destined to tackle someday.

Sad memories when JV passed away
A contrast to what current owners is about.
The world is crazy.

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