If you are interested I’m sure historic price lists are available on internet too.
Would a change in the product mix you suggest not mean more people purchasing equipment which is what you appeared to be querying?
The horned one will ride out - perhaps accompanied by John R Cash growling ‘The Man Comes Around’!
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Based on what Naim dealers tell me.
Naim is selling well, is well regarded and winning sales amongst the younger generation too.
Their uniti series is really one of the best looking ones around and it has marvellous functionality and I’d have no hesitation in recommending it.
.sjb
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I sympathise with the idea that all this stuff has got jolly pricy and more flash-looking/ lifestyle-y than necessary. I think that this may say something about my age - pretty soon, I’ll be saying ‘Nowadays’ a lot.
On the other hand, if the new boxes are so expensive that they are terrible VFM, I imagine that this is just the sort of forum where almost all of us will notice that fact and comment on it, followed by all of us heading for eBay and abandoning the new products completely. Sooner or later, the truth will out, or something like that.
More relevantly for this thread, what is there that other firms sell and/ or Naim used to sell that is missing from the new range?
An entry-level pre/ power? Not expected surely, because SN3+HCDR was so good. Instead, how about: -
A NC-style SN3 and a shoebox Nait?
A cheaper (than NPX300) PS to go with both, and with other items? Couldn’t that be a version of the one powering the Solstice’s NVC TT phono stage? If Naim don’t make them, others surely will.
Talking of which…a better phono stage than the NVC TT, so that people with lots of cash and some LPs don’t feel forced to chase second-hand SLs or to abandon Naim?
A new nDAC and perhaps a separate CD Transport to compete with Audiolab et al.
A Hydra made of expensive Powerlines or a Naim-branded power block?
A wall shelf to match your Fraims?
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2kg of bone in chicken thighs used to be <3 quid.
Now 4.40/4.50/4.70 depending on which supermarket I visit. Inflation in the dog’s diet!
A market leading amp going from 4299 to 5700…… well it’s not the end of the world for those with this sort of disposable income. Plus the new amp is likely great VFM and it’s a leap ahead, so perhaps a price jump would be expected.
The question should be… 5700…. Yes for a shiny new power amp, yes for a shiny new NSC with tech upgrades. But for the NPX, with proven DR boards is that VFM? Likely not, marketing savvy over VFM.
Mind you nobody (including me) ever paid money for a 555PSDR and thought the price was justified.
I struggle to see the VFM of the NSS as well. Glad we plumped for the NDX2 knowing what was coming. PCB pics showing 800 board connection were a godsend 
not that NDX2 is particularly good VFM
Hope so, naim were looking for an FPGA expert……ex chord anyone 
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I think it’s highly impressive to see how up to date and thoroughly competitive the Uniti range still is after 6 ish years on the market. It surely says something that NAD are copying them with the M10, M33 and M66. I must confess that their inclusion of Dirak tempts me to acquire a pre-owned M10 to see how well it works.
Used Nova seems good VFM. Capable all in one for say £3K. Uniti range looks to be sticking about in current form for now.
Could be our SuperUniti replacement, if we decide not to go for separates in the office. Still under debate! A used ND5XS2 would remove the Tidal Connect workaround we have in place but at around 2/3 of the price of a Nova.
SU was serviced, new board and screen just before we bought it, so in many ways reticent to lose it…
A Lyngdorf TDAI 1120 is a similar beast having RoomPerfect which is much easier to set up by all accounts (I got great results from mine). No info screen though but I prefer to listen rather then watch.
Fair enough, although I suspect dealer success is partially linked to telling people that products they stock are highly successful for a sales point of view.
You are right and yes I would say the same for the new all in one series like Uniti and suspect this is where Naim’s market is largely. Sadly I guess it is not possible to see distributions of their product lines versus number of sales. I do suspect that separates are dropping off though simply because of price hikes making it less accessible. Possibly also because people are less interested in having large numbers of boxes and interconnects all over the place
Well part of me agrees…but the introduction of the new Nait 50… is acutually good value for money…this is a superb little amp…true to all the Naim values
Do the maths Nait 1 in 1988 … that was allot of money… probably equivalent to todays Nait 50 cost…just saying…when I were a lad down tut pit… I remember cigerettes being 15p for a packet of 10!!!
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Even back then it shouldn’t have happened but when “I were a lad” the local paper shop broke packets of cigarettes into singles and would happily sell them for 6p each, even to the local kids on lunch break…
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Epic…wow thats service…
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Richie,
I’m afraid the Nait at £255 in 1988 is equivalent to £874.84 today £255 in 1988 → 2023 | UK Inflation Calculator and so I had already checked the maths as you put it.
Now in fairness the pound was a lot stronger back then and traded at very nearly $2 to the £1 whereas now it’s more like $1.26 to the £1. That’s bound to have had a knock on effect on the price that Naim can buy components from overseas and their raw material costs so even I don’t expect anybody to be able to produce something like the Nait 50 for £874 today. I also accept that the Nait 50 is a higher end product than the original Nait.
The fact is then that whether the new Nait seems affordable or even ‘entry level’ depends to a degree on where in the world you are buying it. If you’re an American given the weakness of the pound you’re going to see it as pretty good value, but in the UK I doubt many students about to embark on university could buy one ex demo at today’s prices as I was able to do funding it from a sixth form part time bar job!
The fact that it is well on its way to selling out says Naim have done a good job at pricing it. I don’t honestly know to what degree its cost reflects the costs of development, tooling, materials and construction and how much of it might represent a hefty margin based on pricing it at what the market will pay.
My original comment still stands though. Naim has always been aspirational, it never was as cheap as Cyrus, Arcam, Cambridge Audio, Musical Fidelity etc. It was always a stretch to make that first rung on the ladder and that probably added to the brand’s mystique. All I really wanted to say was that I’d hate to see Naim move so far upmarket that it’s beyond the reach of people on average wages or hard working students who are prepared to sacrifice a bit. Personally I’d love to see Naim cater to people prepared to spend say £1500 on a shoebox design. I don’t know if that’s possible, but I’d love to see it.
JonathanG
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Sadly only if one is prepared (and able) to buy gear at UK prices and then import. The markup in the US is substantial. For example, new 200 series boxes cost £5,900 in the UK including tax but by the time the same boxes reach a US consumer the cost is roughly $9,800 (depending on the local tax rate) which currently equates to about £7,790. Naim is far from alone in this.
I’ve flirted with the idea of sourcing pre-owned equipment in the UK and having my brother ship it for me from time to time, but more broadly speaking your point about HiFi inflation still applies. Whether it’s the cost of not manufacturing in the far east or manufacturers chasing rich baby boomer dollars, all of the above or more, the fact is when you’re able to find a reasonable point of comparison HiFi inflation runs much higher than the general rate.
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Sorry I was not scientific I was considering buying one back in the day…and to me then it was allot of money…
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JMC,
Interesting to hear about the costs in the USA, that certainly takes most of the benefit of the weak pound away. I guess you’re paying for the USA distributor taking his 35% or whatever…
The same thing happens in reverse here with USA made gear. I’m always shocked how cheap a Mustang is in the States but over here it’s a £50k+ car…
JonathanG
I well remember them doing that. Even Woodbines and Cadets - though I don’t remember the price.
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