These seem to be designed for someone who likes the Naim Statement form factor but believes that $100k per amp and 700w/ch are both insufficient. The Goldmund is $500k per amp and 1,500w/ch. Now that’s more like it!
This is a microcosm of what is happening in high end hifi. Shrinking industry so premium brands need to get more from each paying customer. For everyone that complains about Naim prices “going up” please consider this example. Naim prices in inflation adjusted real terms are the same they have always been. They have not participated in this lunacy.
A quick google suggests it hasn’t the linear response of the S1, max RMS into 4Ω only 1.6x power into 8Ω, the statement being virtually 2x, so not as good with speakers having even moderate dips in impedance, also Goldmund hasn’t published peak power, so no idea if as high or higher than S1’s 9kW if not as high that would limit its practical capability with music. Meanwhile I Naim hasn’t published slew rate so no idea how that compares with Telos’s 18V/uS.
They are not compulsory and I have no problem if someone wants to buy them. Do it and enjoy your music! My point was in a nutshell this is where the industry is going and in my view Naim is right to try and forge a different path forward in a tough market.
Just for the record - if anyone wants to set up a comparison of these units with the Statement near me I’ll happily attend. And my money is on the Statement.
Actually i think it is exactly where the industry is going and has been going for some time. I saw an interview on youtube on the Jays Audio Lab channel where Goldmund stated they had sold 60 pairs of these already. Not single digits per year my friend, 60 in year one already.
Dude. 60 pairs. 60 million gross revenue. Lets assume Goldmund takes half…thar’s a smaller margin than usual for the manufacturer but i assume as incentive for a dealer to make that outlay for a demo pair is reasonable. Thats $30m for Goldmund. That’s more revenue than Naim does in an entire year with all its products. This industry is getting woefully lopsided in terms of revenue. It is an undeniable trend.
It’s a small, niche market. Like Ferraris and Lambos. Yes, there’s a lot of money, but not enough buyers to expect the market to grow substantially in any way.
You are missing the point. The market overall is not growing. It is shrinking as audiophiles age out and kids aren’t as into it. What is the result of that? Companies go ever higher and their revenue and over time survival depends on it. You see it in 1m amps, 750k speakers, 75k phono stages, etc. this is the fundamental dynamic. You may not like it - heck the point of my post was that I don’t like it - I hate it - but this is perhaps the only rational approach to this type of market shrinkage. And it is everywhere - I have been following Devore Fidelity speakers for example. Their o96 is only $16k. Perfectly fair. Well in the last few years they came up with 2 higher end versions that double and quadruple that price. That’s where the action is these days and unfortunately going forward. That is the segment that grows.
Jas, it sounds like you have recently become aware of some insanely-priced super-niche hifi for the super-rich and turned it into a theory about the future of high end hifi industry. It’s a leap…
Not ‘recently’ aware…just generally aware and following for some time now. Coming up with a strategy that works in this market that is not what these companies are doing is quite challenging…not just for Naim but for others as well that are shrinking or barely staying flat.
Goldmund has always been very very expensive. I remember a fellow I knew 35 years ago had the Goldmund Reference Table with the linear tracking arm and I think a ClearAudio GoldFinger cartridge.. crazy stuff sounded exceptional!
I love my music and I also don’t mind a bit of expensive kit however when it’s 500ks for an amp (and I’m assuming that’s per channel) think that’s almost a crime.
