There are dealers over here who normally hold a fair amount of stock, some what reduced lately. I get the impression that in some countries it is buy and wait normally, anyway?
Yes, certainly here for anything above the Uniti range when I was last buying new. Makes demos difficult too.
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Demos are increasingly difficult, few seem able to hold stock of more than basic equipment these days.
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This is unfortunately self sustaining. Here in NZ. Itās frequently possible to buy something from the uk and have it shipped to New Zealand for less money and in less time than getting sent from the South Island to Auckland. This isnāt a Hifi specific thing NZ retailers are hopeless at holding stock and the unreliability just means peoples first choice is to go onlineā¦
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The world turns back to black and white?
At the risk of taking your question seriously, I was referring more to the fact that the all powerful and mighty wizard turned out to be just and old fart behind a curtain. Itās a kind of metaphor for the way we can sometimes perceive people we have never met on Internet forums. Although I like the idea that within our forums we perceive the world in colour where really it is a little more hum drum monochrome in reality. This is getting a bit too deep for me now. Iāll spend some time on eBay to recover. 
The Pet and System Pics thread is also great therapy 
(if you like pets!)
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And even if you donāt, far away from the lunacy
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Iād take āthrivingā with a grain of salt. Iāve worked in several companies and every single one put on a fair amount of public facing spin regarding their current market position.
After all, you just wouldnāt say if things were tough. Customers would get nervous and gloom would become a self fulfilling prophecy.
To me, when I hear any company say āthrivingā, it means literally nothing. They could be thriving. On the brink of collapse. Or anywhere in between.
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To me it means more āriding on the current waveā.
But Covid should have given Naim R&D an opportunity to think about the future, regroup and develop.
Itās a real shame that Naim now costs so much in Australia. Itās going to start to eat away at the brands reputation. It sounds good but unfortunately, it just doesnāt perform at the level of the price. The Nait 5si could be had for around $2200 new a year ago. Now itās $3000. Not sure what it will cost after the next price rise but it isnāt worth that much.
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Who do they typically compete against Australia? Possibly a daft question, given the range, but what other integrated amps is the 5si up against? Do other European manufacturers manage to export more cost effectively?
I wonder why the NDX2 is showing such a large jump of nearly 10%. The increases on the other items are proportionately much more modest. The whole Ā£x999 thing is rather tedious. Why not just say Ā£6,000 and be done with it. They are not baked beans after all.
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It might be me, but the 272 speculation is taking a bit of a different turn recently, maybe there are announcements pending and the pricing structure needs to accommodate them?
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I take the view these are just increases in ex-gate prices. What happens at the coal face could be different?
Is it?
Only IMO - but someone called out a fairly specific price suggestion, and someone else fairly specifically (though jokingly) mentioned a September announcement. Iām probably wrong, and reading into things desperate for Naim to show some new product though X)
If the 272 replacement needs to have sensible space between its in range competition, the NDX2/SN3 pricing might have needed to move more than other components. I havenāt heard that either were particularly affected by the component shortages other boxes were, so am reading between many lines. I should stop speculating and go eat breakfast though 
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Of course, the two logical systems are NDX2 / SN3 and New 272 / 250DR. The former costs Ā£10,000, or will do next week. The 250 is Ā£4,500. If the New 272 were to cost Ā£5,500 the two would be the same.
The 272 route makes a far easier upgrade route from a Nova: add a 250 and then swap the Nova for the New 272. If you were to go NDX2 / SN3 itās a case of selling the Nova and starting again.
But with a 272 around it all gets confusing. The 272 is a wonderful product, the chief problem being that it couldnāt be upgraded for Qobuz etc so that effectively means canning your preamp as well as the streamer. An integrated amp on the other hand can last 20 or 30 years or longer, while source tech can change around it.
The other thing in the background is form factor. Will a New 272 look like an NDX2 with a volume knob and headphone socket, a Nova or a Solstice - the power supply and phono stage obviously. If it looks like a Solstice, will there be a new power amp to match? Would the 250 be redesigned? Would it be the new 200? Does Naim have the operational capacity to change to a new form factor for its Classic range? How would that affect its existing market? Itās a bit like a pull on a jumper. Where does it start and stop? How does the whole linear PS thing work in a world of Ā£5,000 a year fuel bills?
Naim have been busy culling products, the XS series preamp, power amp and PS, the 202, 200 and effectively the active crossovers. What they do next will surely set the path for the next 20 years. Will they take a strategic view? Is there anyone in Salisbury to take that view? Or do they muddle along with new things that donāt necessarily hang together. Clearly there is stuff in the pipeline and it will be interesting to find out what it is.
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SN3 & NDX2 - Ā£10k
Iām guessing at least Ā£15k for the streaming pre and 250DR. Given the acknowledged sweet spot nature of the SN3 combination, maybe it needed to cost more not to undermine streaming pre sales before they even started?
I recall Naim used to build to a SQ basis, not a price, Iām not sure Iāve heard categorically that is still their philosophy.
Right, definitely time to go make coffee and find out whatās happening in the world outside HiFi. Well, definitely the first of those, not sure I want to read the real news.
(was what I was typing before I saw HHās post!)
*Also completely forgets about where the NDX2 & 282 & 250DR option fits into all this!