Naim & Focal 10th Anniversary Edition

Speaking from experience?

:roll_eyes:

Sounds like a lot of old people have left Naim

Sure. Retirement gets us all eventually. Still plenty of us ā€œyoung onesā€ around though (even if Iā€™m not based at the factory these days). :slight_smile: And plenty there who have been with Naim for decades who care enough to ensure that Naimā€™s priority remains performance first.

7 Likes

I think thatā€™s the worry. Naim have brought us some wonderful equipment over the years: the Nait, the NAT01, the 52, the CDS series, the SBL and latterly some brilliant streamers. Yet what do we get from a company with such an illustrious history to celebrate their 10th anniversary with Focal - a few boxes in a different colour. Itā€™s hardly inspirational and looks to me like something from a company lacking direction and running out of steam. Letā€™s hope Iā€™m wrong.

6 Likes

A question which keeps me wondering, how many customers do buy such a system in one take? What I see here on the forum is that the most buy a piece a time, some two. But the whole set and speakers in one buy? From a Nova (HE) with speakers I can understand it.

Also, from a Dutch site I understand that the Naim Fraim is also part of the deal. And honestly, I like the looks. Perhaps a grey NDX, a black XPS/DR, grey 282, black Hicap/SNAP an grey 250dr will do the trick colorwise if you want the system in balance.

1 Like

You forgot to mention the brand new Solstice, Aro, and associated electronics. Looks to me like specialist audio is alive and well in Salisbury.

1 Like

Possibly, but while they had design input into the deck, arm and cartridge, they are made by Clearaudio. The PS and phono stage are in house of course.

1 Like

No. The items I mentioned.

To repeat myself, I believe it makes sense to bear in mind that most Naim customers are probably not posting on the forum.

Nevertheless, if you read the forum you will find people doing just that. I did with my system, more or less, and there are others.

In any case, I doubt Naim is expecting high sales numbers from this. As others have also written, itā€™s a light-weight anniversary present, just something to celebrate a little and use a marketing opportunity. Itā€™s not a launch event for a new product line

1 Like

If you are interested, the Ā« Marie Claire Ā« magazine, a true intellectual reference in France, says on the Ā« grey Ā» colour:

Ā«

In the Middle Ages, in the West, gray symbolized wisdom and knowledge, then over time, boredom, depression and sadness. Today, gray is akin to elegance, like black, and is endowed with soothing and calming virtues with a refined connotation. In Feng Shui, gray is associated with metal, a Yin color linked to relaxation, rest, contemplation, leisure. It is particularly recommended in bedrooms and libraries.Ā«
:joy::joy:

1 Like

I canā€™t keep up with the speed of new posts in this topic ā€¦ :sweat_smile:

They are nothing to do with the anniversary.

This is in fact how I buy every system. In fact, apart from an NDX instead of NDX2, I bought nearly the same system in 2013 in one go. NDX/XPS/HC/282/250/PMC speakers. And then other than a couple minor tweaks never touch it gain for the life of the system. Iā€™m not a box swapper so buying a total system is the way to go. It doesnā€™t really cost more or less either because I just save for a decade or more for the next ā€œbig bangā€ full system upgrade. Has the advantage that you can select and match everything right in one go and not then wonder about whether each step afterwards will break the synergy.

Ultimately there are two types of buyer. The box swapper and the system swapper.

As for massive negativity on the thread, Iā€™ll just say, the style isnā€™t my thing, nor the speakers but no one is holding a gun to our heads. With regards to priorities of Naim, I think the global situation with supply and demand and production is making sure that we are see most companies (not just Naim) at their worst. These are not normal times and conclusions drawn in the current climate might be very flawed.

2 Likes

image

3 Likes

Shocking color ā€¦
It is not clear to me, who decides there, to produce and distribute, high-end equipment, in packaging, reminiscent of a box of transformers for construction inside the wall ā€¦

Imagine a world where not everyone has the same color preference. Thatā€™s shocking!

By the way:

A stereo system is not a car, but it doesnā€™t seem impossible that people like gray on average, or that Naim has customer feedback data indicating that gray is most often asked for.

As I and someone else already said above, itā€™s possible that Naim is gauging the mood for future color options by offering this limited series, similar to how the gauged the mood for turntables by offering the limited Solstice.

The new Solstice products indicate that you are, indeed, wrong.

1 Like

SOPRA is made in a variety of cheerful colours.
In my opinion, it would have been appropriate to market the electronics, in the same or similar colour package base on the slogan of ā€œRainbow in the Cloudā€ :wink:

And in Naim/Focalā€™s opinion it seemed best to go with gray at least for now. If you want to gauge the mood and have limited resources, you wouldnā€™t do it with a whole rainbow of colors or with a minority color preference.

Anyway, someone early in the thread was already clutching their pearls at the thought of an orange series.