What's in a Naim?

Hi-Fi Corner
1

Apologies if this is documented somewhere, but I was wondering if anyone knows how the Naming of the ranges came to be? It seems a bit idiosyncratic:
SI → XS → Classic → 500 → Statement

And there’s the Uniti range, which I didn’t include as I’m not 100% sure where it fits, between SI and XS ? Parallel to XS?

I guess “Uniti”, “Classic” and “Statement” follow some sort of theme, but why suddenly 500 in the middle? They didn’t use the model nr. elsewhere really. Classic contains 100, 200 & 300. (Where’s 400 BTW?)

And what do SI and XS stand for / how do they fit in?

Would possibly be a good addition to the FAQ?

2

I think @Richard.Dane posted something a while ago clarifying the nomenclature of the ranges.

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3

Thanks for linking, but that seems to be mostly about the model numbers of the individual components, not the ranges. Or even what SI or XS stand for.

4

Si is Naim’s entry-level separates range. It derived from being ‘i’ - which I believe (don’t quote me) came from integrated, then Si - you can find the CD5si and Nait 5si in the range.

XS is the next level up in the Naim separates category - I believe the XS stands for ‘extra slim’, as these are in more slimline cabinets.

The whole Naim range - as Richard points out - has grown very organically, with products having very long lifespans. We’re always keen to honour our heritage, too, so many model numbers/terms are re-used and adapted.

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5

Absolutely, and thats why we still dream of the 372!

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Extra Slim! You’ve been looking at your jeans! I’m sure the XS has nothing to go with extra slim. The 5 series had X added then became XS. I’m not sure the XS means anything.

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Y’see that’s another Naim thing - adding to the names but in a vaguely amusing way that then suits the product. XS products are are all slimline designs - the name isn’t an accident.

(S stood for ‘speed’ originally, in the mists of time)

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8

And when you’ve learnt all that it’s time to learn all crazy cables and what boxes connect to what. I still after like 10 years with Naim don’t fully get a grip on that :man_shrugging:

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If extra slim is the, well, slim ones, you could then have Regular for the classics, Large for the 500 series and Extra Large of the Statement. Then just scrap the i series because it’s covered by the Unitis anyway and would spoil the naming convention. You read it here first.

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10

If it were easy, it’d be boring :wink:

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11

No! Not Regular…I don’t feel like having Regulars. “Classics” though…I can settle for Classics.

12

I’ve always found it good to be regular.

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13

So we have:
Speed Integrated
Extra Slim
Classic
500
Statement

I like the product names sticking to a traditional theme, but I think there’s room on aligning the names of the ranges. Either continue the “vaguely amusing” names after XS, or the more conservative naming below Classic. Any the 500 doesn’t match either, any idea why it didn’t get a name like all others?

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I understood Separates Integrated. “Speed” as an early alternative for Xtra Speed / Xtra Slim

15

For the true naimees it only matters how it sounds …

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16

I find “Statement” vaguely amusing. (Esp. together with it having an output of one imperial horsepower)

17

Can anyone tell me what Marque Separates means on the Naim Products webpage? I have never understood this as to me Marque means the make of something so Marque Separates means that the separates are branded as Naim.
Marquee Separates would make more sense to me as that could be superlative or headlining according to an online dictionary I looked at.

Ian

18

It means about as much as purposeful materiality.

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19

I know this isn’t what you are asking but for me it’s solid principles of mechanical engineering applied to hi-fi components.

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I always thought SI - Series Improved. XS - Xtra Speed.