Naim ND555 immaculate build, but does it make a difference to sonics?

[JeffS7444]

wasn’t sure if the design and execution of this unit is considered sensible, evidence based and electronics at its best or fancy build for the sake of sucking people in with unnecessary or even sonically detrimental design choices.

Per Amir, this is an example of an "exceptionally well engineered" DAC:

But whether it gives it's owners the same pride of ownership or visual and tactile pleasure as the Niam is another matter!

But the creation and marketing of luxury products is a topic unto itself: it's a world where technical shortcomings may not only be acceptable, but actually celebrated as part of the product's essential character.

 

[Tks]

Tbh, looks old to me...

 

[JeffS7444]

So does this pre-distressed 2015 product, but it sold out at 24,500 USD.

 

[digititus]

Sure the Naim is expensive. Overpriced, probably. But it comes from a highly respected company, one that has stood the test of time, co-founded by one of HiFi's most interesting and dedicated characters. The Queen honoured his committment to audio with an MBE.

I always loved this advertisement:
View attachment 51212

I see inside that product above and I get excited for the future of real HiFi. It's properly made- hand made. Uses quality chassis and fixings. It can be repaired and serviced and will no doubt last many decades.

Julian Vereker:
View attachment 51211

https://www.naimaudio.com/connection-magazine/27816/remembering-julian

You guys can keep your cheap-in-an extruded-can on a single PCB full of SMD, lead free, fake components, flavour of the month DAC- it's toy stuff. It'll be in landfill in no time and that's hardly the gear we should be aspiring to own, especially moving into a sustainable future.

I was on the NAIM train when Julian was alive. He was also active in the early NAIM online community, which was a breath of fresh air. He was a real polarizing character, very much in the mold of someone like Steve Jobs. NAIM is like a post Jobs Apple. It lost its soul and real creativity after the passing of Julian. All IMHO of course.

 

[Soniclife]

He was also active in the early NAIM online community, which was a breath of fresh air.

He didn't suffer fools online.
That was one of the first manufacturer hifi forums, and had probably the best forum software of any still.

 

[HiFiQUEST]

I was on the NAIM train when Julian was alive. He was also active in the early NAIM online community, which was a breath of fresh air. He was a real polarizing character, very much in the mold of someone like Steve Jobs. NAIM is like a post Jobs Apple. It lost its soul and real creativity after the passing of Julian. All IMHO of course.

I was following Naim since then and still am. No way "they lost their soul". They are more dedicated than ever. Yes they want to make a profit, but who isn't? Their products are mostly excellent and their service second to none. All this from personal experience

 

[MaxwellsEq]

I still have a 42/110 in my store. I liked the way they built the cable looms. If you looked around the back of a 24 channel professional analogue studio mixing console, this was how wiring was built. Fault isolation is so much easier with well built cable looms.

 

[sonci99]

What I like of Naim is that whatever overpriced amplifier or cd player you buy, used or new, you can sell it at a large profit in 10 years, even defective..