A single-box Luxman, Vitus, Gryphon, etc., replacing several Naim boxes at different price points is real, not a fabrication. So should we reject it, deny it, reflect on it, or simply ignore it?
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You’re not the only one upgrading with a view towards retirement! I do completely agree with you about the impact a bigger system can have. As I have upgraded I have found myself increasingly lost in the music and what the musicians have done. I am nearing retirement and am not really contemplating upgrading - mostly because I am very content with really excellent equipment. I do love my system at the current time and am daily astonished at what it can deliver.
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I think to be fair Naim have already begun to address the demand for simplicity with the latest 200/300 series. All of those have reverted back to pre-amplifiers which can run without separate power supplies being mandatory. Crucially, all of them have done away with their odd cable topology and use of DIN plugs and moved to industry standard XLR and RCA.
For the first time in history Naim components are now fully compatible with those of other manufacturers and it would be entirely possible and viable to use a Naim pre-amp with another make of power amplifier and vice-versa.
I’m currently driving the NAP350’s with a Townshend Allegri Reference pre-amplifier which is here on review, and very nice they sound together too. The Allegri is a rather unique product which sonically to me seems to bridge the gap between valve and transistor pre-amplifiers (though it is neither). Sure, I’d still rather use a NAC332 for its greater gain, incisiveness and better control of the low end, but there’s no denying the Allegri presents music in a quite unique way. It’s incredibly three dimensional and devoid of any sense of grain for example.
If I wanted to downsize the system (and I don’t!) I guess the logical move would be a turntable, streamer, NAC332 and active ATC’s. That’s a two source two black box system which involves no sonic compromises at all and can compete with the very best multi-box setups. Heck you could run a 222 and be down to one box if you wanted. Maybe not suitable for the nursing home, but eminently workable as a retirement flat option (as long as the other nearby residents are deaf!)
I realise of course that none of us are immune to the effects of ageing, but on the other hand I do think that we as a generation have remained young far longer than our parents did. My wife is 63 and I am very nearly 57 and there’s no way in hell my parents were still camping, mountain biking, kayaking and driving around in a two seater open top sports car at our ages. The main change I am wrestling with at present is a tendency to not want to go out cycling in the winter weather anymore. I’m sort of forcing myself to do it once or twice a week and I enjoy it when I do, but in the old days I would just climb into the Goretex and gloves and go out without even thinking about it, whereas nowadays I’m much more inclined to stay at home listening to music by the fire!
I realised the other day that my Father retired from being crew at BA at 57 - I remember it well as I was in the sixth form. I find myself astonished that I have reached the same age, because most of the time, and bar arthritic ankles, I mostly feel about 35 and I’m not sure I am mentally that different to the person I was at 20.
So I remain like Nigel Tufnel in a state of “arrested development”, still longing for the same things I did in my youth, my best mates are the same people, I still hang out in record shops regularly and get a huge buzz from the thrill of coming home with a new record. My passion for great audio systems remains as fervent as it always was, indeed I get to play with more audio than I ever did thanks to the reviewing sideline.
I’ve just heard that my Model 35 turntable is in production and so I’m hoping to get up to the factory to see it being built this week and I already feel like a kid giddy with excitement! When I was a lad battling his way through homework and essays in a slightly dreary northern town back in the late 1980’s, multibox Naim and SME arms were the stuff of dreams. I used to go into Better Hifi in Liverpool just to drool over the rows and rows of olive Naim Audio gear on their shelves. Somehow I just never lost the thrill of it all. As a lad reading the greats of audio journalism like Malcolm Steward or Ken Kessler I never dreamed I would one day be visiting the factories and getting to know the same people. It’s a real privilege and I never lose sight of the magic of it…
But at the end of the day it all comes down to music and enjoying the emotion and power of it to stir the senses in the home. We’re so fortunate on this forum that we all know how life enriching great systems are whether we are enjoying a Nait with a Rega 3 or running active 500’s.
JonathanG
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It’s important to recognise the wider picture in today’s audio market. Many long-time Naim owners are naturally exploring the newer generation of highly capable one-box and low-box solutions available elsewhere, and that shift isn’t an attack on Naim — it’s simply a reflection of how strong the competition has become and how user priorities are evolving. People want simpler systems that still deliver exceptional performance, and the market now offers many ways to achieve that.
Naim’s recent ranges do show meaningful progress toward integration and ease of use, and they’re far more flexible and compatible than the older designs. But it’s also fair to say that they don’t fully replace the performance of Naim’s own multi-box reference systems, nor do they close the gap on the highest-performing single-box alternatives across the industry. Because of that, it’s natural that some non-die-hard fans will continue drifting toward simpler high-end solutions elsewhere.
For many of us who remain loyal to Naim, the reasons are more personal than technical: the history we’ve had with the brand, the particular musical presentation that resonates with us, and the emotional connection formed over years of enjoyment. Acknowledging the strength of the competition doesn’t diminish Naim — it simply keeps the conversation honest. And at the end of the day, whether someone chooses one box or a stack of them, what matters is the music and the joy it brings to our homes.
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The 282 is something special. It may be Naim’s boldest or most dynamic sounding preamp. I find it to match very well with smooth or laidback speakers which require a kick in the butt to come alive. As someone here once mentioned, ‘lazy sounding’ speakers such as Harbeth, Graham or other BBC designs come to mind. Or Dynaudio. I owned the Harbeth, currently Graham. With most amps the Harbeth sound too smooth and dull, lacking in energy and vitality. With the 282/250DR the Harbeth sprang to life. Ditto the Graham.
Nevertheless, with more refined and detailed speakers such as Marten, the tables are turned as the ‘roughness’ and glare with the Naim are exposed by these transparent speakers. Music sounds forced and unnatural through the Marten with the 282/250DR.
I actually had the intention to sell the Naim lot earlier but it’s easier said than done since I’ll take a hit (amps were bought new), and used gear are much harder to move these days unless they are advertised at rock bottom prices. Similarly I prefer connections which are universally used with most amps in the market (XLR, RCA) rather than DIN plugs. I could use or swap all my XLR cables with other amps but not the Naim.
I can safely say I”m done with Naim although I still have the 282/250DR/Hicap DR. Good luck with your plan and just a word of caution, the 509X may sound too smooth with Dynaudio Contours although there will be gains in refinement and detail.
Always love your comments Jonathan. Very conversational
looking at this thread (and others) always surprises me what a burden and worry people systems seem to place on them. Seems people buy equipment (of any shape and size) then constantly worry about it. Makes me wonder why they bother? Is it the dopamine of shopping with the resultant post shop guilt, worry? Gawd knows
I agree with you on aspiration and age. Seems throughly grim or defeatist to aim for less, or sufficient, when most have spent a lifetime in toil. Particularly as it’s ideally the period when you have most free time to enjoy the hobby!
Look forward to turntable pictures!
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Well said. I do often wonder the same sometimes! 
Let’s enjoy this wonderful hobby of ours and listen to as much music as you possibly can.
Whether one box solutions or multiple, Naim, hybrid or other manufacturers, again let’s celebrate people’s systems and enjoyment and enthusiasm about listening to music.
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Life is short. Enjoy it while you can. With as many boxes as you’d like.
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Naim is not the only manufacturer that has this issue. I had a 8 box system (not including telly or speakers!) but now I have only 5 boxes for hifi (2 power amps, DAC, CDP and Streamer).
When I was looking for a simple system for holiday house I seriously considered a Naim one box but got a good deal on an integrated with Bluetooth (and digital inputs) that suited my requirements.
I certainly didn’t downsize to the extent I have because I thought death was approaching from around the corner. It was partly because of my single sided hearing loss, but more because I simply wanted less stuff. I no longer wanted the tower of power in our sitting room. And before anyone blames Mrs HH, she was all for keeping the big system. I really like having something so discreet. Others will like a massive hifi altar. Each to their own. We should all buy what we like.
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Why don’t you try a Nait 50 first? I think you would be surprised…..
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Yes and that’s all v sensible/understandable. Every persons ‘enough’ is different (I am doing a similar exercise with bicycles!)
However, sadly there’s seems to a drift to dogma on many occasions; my way is the only way.
echos of streaming vs cd/vinyl
oh and nearly always ends up that naim is no longer any good.
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No you’re not. Your hearing is going the same direction as the rest of us!
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I always wonder what certain forum members ’motive’ is when participating in that type of debate
The fact that you can have Beethoven, Mozart, Marley, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Chet Baker, please enter preference, etc… in your listening environment is a truly amazing and wonderful experience!
Does it really matter how you achieve this!?
I have to admit I do feel a little sorry for certain participants when all I can see is negativity coming through. Shame really.
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The dogma thing, or perhaps a bit of evangelism, can be quite tricky to avoid. I’m astonished at how good my system sounds. Of course, £7,000 is a lot of money in the real world and it should be good, but the fact it can sound so good with one small box and two small speakers is really something. It’s a case of needing to balance one’s enthusiasm with not selling it as a cure-all. If I had a bigger budget and a bigger room I could happily live with the system I listened to at Naim last week; a 500 system with some large Focals. It sounded wonderful. But here in my house, what I have works for me.
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A horrible thought but sadly very true, I hope that I have a decade or so before this reality hits me.
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Snipers Alley in NW England and Wales is always from the moment you turn 60. It’s a traditional birthday greeting. “Welcome to…”.
Apologies but I did have to laugh at the above comment. I’ve done advanced pilates daily for more than three decades. Enabled me to bend things I didn’t know could bend. Even after a serious football injury in 1998, which is catching up with me now, I was able to continue. It makes no difference to anything though really.
Mild dose of Covid led to pneumonia/pulmonary embolisms, triggered the back problem for the first really bad episode in more than a decade and then discovered I had both Bursitis and Osteoporpsis. The days of rebuilding systems bending over without thought etc. ended in an instant.
That’s the point really. You can be fit as a fiddle going into those retirement years but none of that exerts any control over what happens next.
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Yes, you will get one box instead of four.
But there’s no chance you’ll get the same kind of sound quality that you have always enjoyed with Naim.
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Why? There are hundreds of manufacturers of audio gear and multiple balances of soundstage, timbre, PRaT, power. Each have pros and cons. Almost all produce something great. It may not be to a persons taste but taste is all this is about. For all the claims, Naim gear is no different to anyone else. There’s a broad house aspiration but within that many variants. No Naim gear sounds alike. Being Naim made doesn’t guarantee anyone will like anything. There is a whole world of great stuff out there. Some people leave Naim and come back. Equally, many never do.