Naim Box Aesthetics - (when) will the design change again?

Thanks @Mike_S .
Yes; i was referring to your kit.
Maybe I saw it around the time when where discussing the system Thread opener, on the new (present) year .

:wink:

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(Seems ) a Lotus?

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I actually think a Star looks better than the Nova as well. The line, like the core has, breaks it up nicely. Having said that, that was not a factor in me getting a Star, the Nova looks good enough to me.

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I’m just waiting for the right timing for buy one (nova) too. A excuse to put my UQ2 in the kitchen. :innocent::sunglasses:

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The classic is looking very good, timeless and even more so in a Fraim. And when you look att the latest ND555/NDX2 they show the utility/adaption of the classic design - they look very good.

Then we have the CB Nait and especially the Atom which I see as something extra - my bedroom system is an Atom with nSats on the silver stands.

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Is it? Did anyone come to Naim for the physical appearance?

Personally invisible is best, and least intrusive second best, but choice is based on sound.

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I couldn’t agree more. Take the Classic aesthetic. Keep it black. Give it a Chrome Bumper around the edges. Use the modern logo.

The Classic look is timeless. It looks as fresh today as it did 20 years ago. There is no need to change and the fact that it’s been around for a while is not a reason to do so. The subtle variations to the basic design as with ND555 and NDX2 are well considered.

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Quite a few brands have stuck with the same basic box and fascia since the 70s or 80s. Compared to some, Naim changes often.

If they feel they’ve found their “look”, I think it’s possible they’ll stick with it indefinitely.

Modern looks look great at first and then old old old in 10 years. The trick is to aim for timeless. Timeless alienates fewer fans and saves a lot of money in design and periodic retooling of production.

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Naim nailed the Classic design. No need to update.

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i only have a lowly muso2 - but love the design - a contemporary classic - no buttons no screen - no need for them. for me the future is fewer boxes and cleaner lines all controlled by the app, or a remote

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I didn’t “for” the appearance, but if I didn’t like the sound and the looks I most likely would not have put two huge stacks into my living room.
Edit: and what Stu says below

I first saw Naim in magazine adverts as a kid, and loved the adverts as well as the look. No way could I afford it and no way was any dealer going to give me a demo, so that was that. Decades later when I could afford a high end hi-fi I’ll admit I was already bought into the Naim look, branding and philosophy, and the sound didn’t disappoint. As they say, the first bite is with the eye…

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Classic boxes fit right into a lounge and meet all the criteria for getting WAF - no flashy displays, just the subtle green glow, display only on when needed, reasonably slimline boxes and sturdy remote.

Before I bought naim kit I visited a dealer who showed me the Anthem STR which due to it’s sheer size got a pretty much instant “not in the lounge” dismissal from my wife :slight_smile:

We changed from CD, DAC, pre, 2xmonobloc to a SuperUniti initially but we’re slowly heading back to 5/6 boxes. I think it’s due to the subtle classic appearance that I’ve been able to get approval to expand beyond a 3 box install! You kind of just forget they are there as you’re enjoying the TV/music so much…

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Didn’t we have an earlier thread about this as well? :thinking:

I cannot seem to find it back, perhaps it was removed?

Yes definitely one part of the equation for me and my wife both. When I first started shopping for my first real hi fi since university days, namely summer of 2011, I cannot say that my preferences in music presentation were so finely honed that ONLY the music mattered. There were, and still are frankly, a number of brands that I could happily live with and listen to and enjoy the music.

I did consider Macintosh at that time; the ‘huge vu meters’ look did not help them.

My wife was not too keen on an exposed tubes integrated I also borrowed that summer.

I find the industrial design of the classic series to remain to this day rather pleasing to me. “These are the controls of the Starship Enterprise” is not appealing at all. Black anodized boxes with only one color (green) led’s and relatively few of them – yes appealing to me.

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When this thread first appeared I thought it literally meant boxes, ie: what the kit came in!
I have to admit that when my CDS3 / XPS2 went off for service a couple of years ago in their (what I thought) excellent condition original blue and white boxes and came back in new white boxes I was just a little disappointed!
Not with the service I hasten to add, that worked wonders :slightly_smiling_face:

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I remember in my youth, CB kit was not very popular among friends.
Surely we didn’t know the fact how good it really was.
A 42/110 with around 35-40 Watt on paper, we didn’t bother TBH.

Common sense came late, around 1990-91 I had my first Nait on home dem, need I say it wiped the floor and stayed for decades.

I remember the widely protest when Olive became black a decade later.
But we got used to the boxes.

The only way is Olive.

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Black boxes and green eyes for me…sounds good, looks good, and by golly it does you good… :smiley:

nnn

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