Isn’t that the music rather than the amp? Some music may trigger foot tapping, other music not…
By definition that is not amplification, and if it is built into an amp doesn’t it make improvement/upgrading unnecessarily expensive as it would mean changing the amp as well. Or do you mean a perfect renderer & DC, somehow also able to adapt to any future online streaming platform?
@Innocent_Bystander, I’ve noticed that a number of times you have mentioned or commented on the “foot tapping” quote that often comes up with Naim equipment. In a way where you claim the system can’t be responsible. I’m not being argumentative but it sounds like you haven’t experienced this first hand. Have you owned a full Naim system? This is what hooks people on Naim gear. It’s the ability for the system to make the music draw you in and before you know it you are tapping the foot. I haven’t had any other system do it the same way before. I know other systems are likely able to do this but it seems to be a common trait amongst all Naim gear. I forget about analysing what comes out the speakers and just enjoy the nice balanced sound. So when someone mentions it I know exactly what they mean and feel no need to question it. I’m sure many other Naim owners feel the same.
I’m not sure what the point of the OP’s question is. Are you looking for a recommendation? Then knowing what the rest of the system is would be crucial to make an informed recommendation. Truth is the question you asked is so vague and subjective it’s very hard to answer.
Nice post @Mark84
I used to have an Arcam system many years ago. It produced a huge soundstage and oodles of detail but ultimately the sound just didn’t grab me. It was technically impressive because you could observe the music and see what each instrument was doing, but it didn’t connect emotionally the way my Naim system does. I would be analysing the music rather than losing myself in it.
The other aspect I appreciate is the impact, the punch, umph, power of the music hits you - Not sure what the word is. Immediacy? Vibrancy? It feels more full of life. A bit like being in the first few rows of a gig as opposed to sitting much further back.
I watched Anais Mitchell at a gig last night and was on the front row. The sound was exceptional. There’s just nothing like the real thing. This is what I want from my amplifier - the poetry and emotional impact of live music - and I think Naim does a pretty good job of unearthing that.
Star qualities every great amp must have:
Big - the bigger the better the sound, no question!
Heavy - the heavier the amp, the better its capacity to deal with bass notes! Ideally a minimum two man lift is a sign of greatness.
Hot - every top quality amp should demonstrate its power through heat! The best amps generate a gentle heat haze in the corner of the room.
Lights - preferably not LED - a good display of lights demonstrates high quality engineering.
Sonos Compatability - essential to extend the quality throughout one’s residence.
Sound quality - not essential but some folks get all weird about this aspect!
Build quality - again, I wouldn’t worry too much as there’ll be a newer better model along soon.
I think that covers all bases…
Peter
PS Sorry!
“Foot tapping” Could be taken figuratively or in abstract terms (e.g. groove, rhythm, energy). In all cases, I would only expect it with music that has it in the recording.
A year ago I was considering jumping ship to McIntosh and after demoing a few of their amps and speakers I could not jump. McIntosh just didn’t make me “groove” to the music the way Naim did.
Regarding DACs, though they are not amplification in the technical sense they have been integrated into amps and are certainly an added bonus (NAC272 for example).
But ultimately that (in particular the streaming front end) has been the limitation of the 272, resulting in so many calls for a successor, in a way that doesn’t happen with plain amps.
I have indeed picked up a number of times on the foot tapping fetish (well, almost fetish-seeming!) - to me it is a matter of the music, and absolutely nothing to do with the system - my foot will tap involuntarily with live music sometimes and not other times. It will tap hearing some music with the crummiest of systems. More about my thoughts in the first few exchanges in this thread:
So, to me, it is a dubious requirement for an amp to make your feet tap - would the best amp be the one that makes your feet tap most, even to music that wouldn’t make your feet tap if heard live? However the thread question was about people’s preferences for a good amplifier, so fair enough if that is what you think an amp should do.
I’ve never believed that anyone would actually tap their feet in response to music.
If anyone did that in my music room, they’d be out on the front doorstep (unless, of course, she were very beautiful).
I do it all the time! What i dont do, unless i am drunk enough to forget, is dance😁
Anyway foot tapping is all about timing. Which some amps do better than others.
Yes, indeed foot tapping is about timing: people who play instrumenrs often tap their feet with the beat - including silent beats to know when to come in again. However, doesn’t the beat comes from inside the person, an internal clock, not from the music as an external stimulus, because they are making the music! The more interesting question is what triggers an individual listening to the music to also tap, and secondary to that why some people feel that it is desirable rather than simply being drawn in and lost in the music.
Correct - the power switch type was changed a few years ago & they do feel different.
A little more stout than the original ones.
Regards
Neil.
Thanks @NeilS
I would also like to switch more frequently the 300 power amp on/off. I did this with everything between 2004 until the service in 2021. The 300ps power supply switch was a problem from quite early on after purchase. An idea of the new switch reliability or the number of switch on/off qualification for the new switches would be nice to know just to have an idea of how reliable they are. The previous switches were clearly not as reliable as I would expect
Regards,
Mark
Mark, I’ve had no problems in the few years I’ve been using my NAP250DR, and I’ve been regularly switching it off at the end of a listening session and then on again half an hour beforehand.
Ok thanks Richard. Then let’s hope the new switches are more reliable that the old ones.
Plenty of owners here with only two or three box systems which sound better than good would disagree with you.
That’s true to a point, but there’s no escaping the fact that as you climb the ladder you need more boxes, ir move away from Naim.
The best 3 box Naim system I could put together was NDX/282/200DR. Anything more than that and you’re up to 4, 5, then 6 boxes, and more if you have multiple sources.
If I were listening to a recording of the Crucifixus from Bach’s B minor Mass and my foot started tapping, I’d be very suspicious of the gear I was listening to. I have never seen a member of the orchestra or singer in the choir tapping their foot during a performance, either.
OTOH I recently bought an album of piano rags by William Bolcom and the involuntary foot tapping started with the first track. But they’re rags and that’s surely what the composer intended.
I certainly don’t want a system that masks the rhythm and detracts from what the performers were playing, but neither do I want a system that overplays the rhythmic aspects of the music. In that respect I agree with what I understand IB to be saying.
Roger
I remember the day I heard Naim the very first time, I didn’t even know that the amplifier was a Naim, but I remember playing a quite a few songs.
When the song was slow, and a ballad, my foot was not tapping at all, but I was drawn into the performance.
When the song had some rhythm, then it was very engaging.
At the end of the Demo, the Hi-fi store informed me that it was the Naim amplifier was responsible for my staying there for 4 hours, not the speaker, then began my Naim journey.
This topic was automatically closed 60 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.