I am a certified Naimee and nothing would give me greater pleasure than for my misgivings towards the new tin system to be proven unfounded, and the 10th Anniversary kit to be a hit. I just hope the tin kit does not cause greater delays in the delivery of black Classic boxes, DR upgrades and servicing. That would be counter-productive.
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If tin-coloured Classic systems increases demand (from a new market segment) then delivery of those boxes (in black or tin) that contain components in short supply will inevitably be extended. Exploring new market segments (e.g. upmarket âlifestyleâ) may of course be a smart move as us âseparates traditionalistsâ decline in importance.
Not sure existing products in a new colour and selling as a package really serves a new market though.
I guess to me this sounds a bit like saying that Naim shouldnât try to sell more boxes. Because whether they sell black or tin or blue ones, âthen delivery of those boxes (in black or tin) that contain components in short supply will inevitably be extendedâ.
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Like so many products, cars for example, if a manufacturer successfully increases demand but doesnât have the components to complete orders, you either have to extend delivery times, favour some customers over others or look after your larger loyal customer segments first. Either way some (many?) customers will be disappointed.
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You canât beat a bit of tin on the yellow brick road to success !
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So whoâs the target market for this tin kit? Iâm not seeing it.
Someone with deep pockets who wants to buy a complete system and does not want to get too technically involved.
Other than that, I am at a loss too.
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Maybe it looks better in person. The speakers donât look too bad to me but those boxes seem off. The black knobs peg my OCD.
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I could understand a tin version of the Nova fitting in with the lifestyle crowd, but not a complete system that costs ÂŁ28k.
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IMO, lifestyle customers put convenience and aesthetics above leading edge technology and ultimate SQ. But for some the SQ offered by a Nova just doesnât cut it.
The tin system comes âpre-assembledâ and once installed by a dealer is easy to operate and will sound great.
I do wonder what the ultimate size of this market segment is though.
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As someone who moved on from Naim to Nagra, i could now buy a matching streamerâŚ
see avatar.
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From a design perspective, I agree. Monochrome grey knobs could have been interesting but I think that the black knobs add interest and contrast and work well.
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On your last point, I fear the target audience are currently experiencing difficulty in accessing their bank accounts. Perhaps the plan is to move these as grey imports.
You can imagine the joint Zoom marketing meeting held in Franglais.
The English and French Marketing Directors start by declaring that the big bosses have said we need something commercial to celebrate our 10-year collaboration.
Someone with a strong French accent suggests tin separates and tin speakers with some concrete on the sides. The French Marketing Director shouts âformidableâ, and no one is going to argue with him. The English Marketing Director then has to go back to the management team, and with a quiver in his voice, explain what he has just signed up to.
All you can hear from the Salisbury Board room is exasperated screams ofâŚâŚâTin you sayâŚ.TIN!â
Other versions of how this all happened are of course feasible.
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Honestly if they just went with the herd a bit and offered their gear in all black or all silver/grey/whatever, it wouldnât be so bad. There is definitely an aesthetic balance to each room that favours dark or light to make a stack of gear unobtrusive.
But the grey 282 with black knobs?
New from Naim: Panda edition!
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Clearly the knobs donât come in tin. 
well I think more likely is that yes the knobs come as-is and the case work? Simply donât paint or anodize it.
Happy days,
I think the black knobs look fine from an industrial design point of view, as they link in with the circular black elements of the speakers. But from a purely aesthetic point of view, I think a 252/SC would be a better balanced design, as the HiCAP and NAPSC just upset the overall visual appeal. 4 boxes the same size would always look better. But then, either option really requires a XPS DR to get the best out of the source and amplification.
Overall, I like the design. But, Iâm confused what the target audience is, and would have liked to see a new product launch. Cleary Naim are really transitioning into a lifestyle product, which will upset the apple cart no doubt.
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Lots of strong opinions and different views here. (Thanks) For myself it is a huge disappointment that this is all the VerVent group could come up with. Paint.
(Ironically this is also the 20th anniversary of the 282. Hmm.)
As to the colour options, I should remind Forum-ites that this Forum is largely a very UK-centric view of the Naim/Focal world. A reminder there is a flagship store in Guangzhou these days along with many other non-UK FPBN stores globally.
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I suspect very much the Focal Powered by Naim shop crowd. Which isnât most of the forum. Most of us wouldnât even consider that a hifi shop by virtue of it not having a variety of gear with a dealer trying to be impartial. Ultimately, if you think itâs an odd thing to do then rest assured you are not the target audience.
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