Naim Audio
Encyclopedia
Naim Audio is a British manufacturer of high fidelity
audio products for domestic use, based in Salisbury
, Wiltshire
, United Kingdom.
started Naim Audio Visual in 1969 and created a sound-to-light box which he hired out to film production companies. His disappointment with the sound of professional recording equipment at the time led him to design his own power amplifier
. The company Naim Audio, was incorporated in 1973.
Naim has a devoted following gained through a combination of its products' performance, build quality, upgrade
and after-sales philosophy: Naim is committed to after-sales support of all products ever manufactured by them.
The first Naim power amplifier
, the NAP160, was sold in 1971; the two-channel NAP 250 amplifier, launched in 1975, is perhaps Naim Audio's most well-known product, as its basic circuit layout was shared by all the company's power amplifiers until the introduction of the flagship NAP500 in 2000.
Other Naim products, such as the NAC52 pre-amplifier, the ARO uni-pivot tonearm and the SBL (Separate Box Loudspeaker) have also assumed cult status among devotees.
was a far inferior medium to the vinyl gramophone record
. Early discs often lost something in the transfer compared to vinyl
, and Naim continued to design their products in this context. However, by 1990 technological advances allowed the production of the Naim CDS, the first CD player considered worthy of the Naim brand.
The CDS CD player has since seen two major revisions (now in its CDS3 incarnation) since its launch in 1991; while subsequent lower-priced extensions to the line are often used by hi-fi reviewers as references at their respective price points. The CD555, which is the "money no object" flagship priced at £15,000, is heralded by Naim as "the ultimate CD player".
path for their pre-amplifiers and CD players.
Their unique design approach can be seen, for example, by their use of materials — the semiconductors, heavy toroidal transformer
s, iconoclastic solid aluminium black cases — their obsessive attention to earthing, screening and isolation from electronic interference, through to their preference for XLR connector
, DIN connector
and the BNC connector
(as opposed to the RCA connector
used by almost all other manufacturers). However, bowing to market forces, RCA phono plugs are now fitted as standard, in addition to DIN plugs on most Naim products .
The company's pre- and power- amplifiers, especially, are carefully matched electrically and are designed to be used together. Dire warnings attach to experimentation with other manufacturers components, particularly in the case for some "high-end
" loudspeaker
cables, whose inductance
/capacitance
characteristics present unstable loads to the high-current devices used inside Naim power amplifiers — these have been documented to cause damage to same .
As with other brands such as Arcam and Cyrus, the company's instruction manuals state that "better and more consistent performance will be achieved if the system is left switched on for long periods."
, and their names were often mentioned in the same breath. At that time, a Linn Sondek LP12 turntable, Naim electronics and Linn loudspeakers was the preferred combination for many a serious audiophile
.
The two companies had almost the same sales and marketing strategy, and shared many of the same retailers/dealers. The company's emphasis on selling products through comparative demonstrations in a single-speaker environment was a move away from marketing space of the chain electronics stores in favour of small independent retailers [in the United Kingdom].
The two companies diverged during the 1980s, at the dawn of digital audio. This was partly due to the convergence of technology, but also because Naim had significantly fewer dealers than Linn. This presented problems for Linn dealers trying to sell Linn speakers which were specifically designed to work at their best with Naim amplification. Both Naim and Linn began broadening their product ranges and started encroaching on each others' historical areas of expertise: Naim began making loudspeakers and Linn began making electronic components.
On August 19th, 2011, both Naim Audio and Focal & Co. announced a merger of both brands to become a major European Audio industry venture. In total, 325 people work in two (three when considered Focal's owned cabinet maker Guy HF in Burgundy) sites, in Saint Etienne, France, and Salisbury, UK. An annual turnover of £48,000,000 is expected. It is unclear if it concerns a merger, or if one of the companies simply purchased the other (http://www.focal.com/en/home-audio-loudspeakers/focal-jmlab/focal-and-naim.php, http://www.naimaudio.com/news/article/3395).
disciples. This was to be Vereker's personal project. The first CD to appear on the Naim recording label was Electric Glide by Gary Boyle, one of the company's favourite vinyl demo records.
High fidelity
High fidelity—or hi-fi—reproduction is a term used by home stereo listeners and home audio enthusiasts to refer to high-quality reproduction of sound or images, to distinguish it from the poorer quality sound produced by inexpensive audio equipment...
audio products for domestic use, based in Salisbury
Salisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, United Kingdom.
History
Naim began when the late Julian VerekerJulian Vereker
Julian Charles Prendergast Vereker, MBE was an English self taught designer of hi-fi audio equipment, and founder of Naim Audio Ltd...
started Naim Audio Visual in 1969 and created a sound-to-light box which he hired out to film production companies. His disappointment with the sound of professional recording equipment at the time led him to design his own power amplifier
Electronic amplifier
An electronic amplifier is a device for increasing the power of a signal.It does this by taking energy from a power supply and controlling the output to match the input signal shape but with a larger amplitude...
. The company Naim Audio, was incorporated in 1973.
Naim has a devoted following gained through a combination of its products' performance, build quality, upgrade
Upgrade
The term upgrade refers to the replacement of a product with a newer version of the same product. It is most often used in computing and consumer electronics, generally meaning a replacement of hardware, software or firmware with a newer or better version, in order to bring the system up to date...
and after-sales philosophy: Naim is committed to after-sales support of all products ever manufactured by them.
The first Naim power amplifier
Electronic amplifier
An electronic amplifier is a device for increasing the power of a signal.It does this by taking energy from a power supply and controlling the output to match the input signal shape but with a larger amplitude...
, the NAP160, was sold in 1971; the two-channel NAP 250 amplifier, launched in 1975, is perhaps Naim Audio's most well-known product, as its basic circuit layout was shared by all the company's power amplifiers until the introduction of the flagship NAP500 in 2000.
Other Naim products, such as the NAC52 pre-amplifier, the ARO uni-pivot tonearm and the SBL (Separate Box Loudspeaker) have also assumed cult status among devotees.
Digital audio
During much of the 1980s, Naim asserted that Compact DiscCompact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
was a far inferior medium to the vinyl gramophone record
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
. Early discs often lost something in the transfer compared to vinyl
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
, and Naim continued to design their products in this context. However, by 1990 technological advances allowed the production of the Naim CDS, the first CD player considered worthy of the Naim brand.
The CDS CD player has since seen two major revisions (now in its CDS3 incarnation) since its launch in 1991; while subsequent lower-priced extensions to the line are often used by hi-fi reviewers as references at their respective price points. The CD555, which is the "money no object" flagship priced at £15,000, is heralded by Naim as "the ultimate CD player".
Design characteristics
Naim's design philosophy is characterised by the incorporation of over-engineered power supplies to ensure fast and generous current delivery to the audio circuitry. Naim also market independent low-noise power supplies as an easy and effective upgradeUpgrade
The term upgrade refers to the replacement of a product with a newer version of the same product. It is most often used in computing and consumer electronics, generally meaning a replacement of hardware, software or firmware with a newer or better version, in order to bring the system up to date...
path for their pre-amplifiers and CD players.
Their unique design approach can be seen, for example, by their use of materials — the semiconductors, heavy toroidal transformer
Transformer
A transformer is a device that transfers electrical energy from one circuit to another through inductively coupled conductors—the transformer's coils. A varying current in the first or primary winding creates a varying magnetic flux in the transformer's core and thus a varying magnetic field...
s, iconoclastic solid aluminium black cases — their obsessive attention to earthing, screening and isolation from electronic interference, through to their preference for XLR connector
XLR connector
The XLR connector is a style of electrical connector, primarily found on professional audio, video, and stage lighting equipment. The connectors are circular in design and have between 3 and 7 pins...
, DIN connector
DIN connector
A DIN connector is a connector that was originally standardized by the , the German national standards organization. There are DIN standards for a large number of different connectors, therefore the term "DIN connector" alone does not unambiguously identify any particular type of connector unless...
and the BNC connector
BNC connector
The BNC connector ' is a common type of RF connector used for coaxial cable. It is used with radio, television, and other radio-frequency electronic equipment, test instruments, video signals, and was once a popular computer network connector. BNC connectors are made to match the characteristic...
(as opposed to the RCA connector
RCA connector
An RCA connector, sometimes called a phono connector or cinch connector, is a type of electrical connector commonly used to carry audio and video signals...
used by almost all other manufacturers). However, bowing to market forces, RCA phono plugs are now fitted as standard, in addition to DIN plugs on most Naim products .
The company's pre- and power- amplifiers, especially, are carefully matched electrically and are designed to be used together. Dire warnings attach to experimentation with other manufacturers components, particularly in the case for some "high-end
High-end audio
High-end audio is a term used to describe a class of consumer home audio equipment marketed to audio enthusiasts on the basis of high price or quality, and esoteric or novel sound reproduction technologies. High-end audio can refer simply to the price, to the build quality of the components, or to...
" loudspeaker
Loudspeaker
A loudspeaker is an electroacoustic transducer that produces sound in response to an electrical audio signal input. Non-electrical loudspeakers were developed as accessories to telephone systems, but electronic amplification by vacuum tube made loudspeakers more generally useful...
cables, whose inductance
Inductance
In electromagnetism and electronics, inductance is the ability of an inductor to store energy in a magnetic field. Inductors generate an opposing voltage proportional to the rate of change in current in a circuit...
/capacitance
Capacitance
In electromagnetism and electronics, capacitance is the ability of a capacitor to store energy in an electric field. Capacitance is also a measure of the amount of electric potential energy stored for a given electric potential. A common form of energy storage device is a parallel-plate capacitor...
characteristics present unstable loads to the high-current devices used inside Naim power amplifiers — these have been documented to cause damage to same .
As with other brands such as Arcam and Cyrus, the company's instruction manuals state that "better and more consistent performance will be achieved if the system is left switched on for long periods."
Partnership
During much of the 1970s and 80s, Naim adopted a symbiotic relationship with Linn ProductsLinn Products
Linn Products is a Scottish company, based in Glasgow, that manufactures hi-fi audio equipment, home theatre, and multi-room integrated audio systems...
, and their names were often mentioned in the same breath. At that time, a Linn Sondek LP12 turntable, Naim electronics and Linn loudspeakers was the preferred combination for many a serious audiophile
Audiophile
An audiophile is a person who enjoys listening to recorded music, usually in a home. Some audiophiles are more interested in collecting and listening to music, while others are more interested in collecting and listening to audio components, whose "sound quality" they consider as important as the...
.
The two companies had almost the same sales and marketing strategy, and shared many of the same retailers/dealers. The company's emphasis on selling products through comparative demonstrations in a single-speaker environment was a move away from marketing space of the chain electronics stores in favour of small independent retailers [in the United Kingdom].
The two companies diverged during the 1980s, at the dawn of digital audio. This was partly due to the convergence of technology, but also because Naim had significantly fewer dealers than Linn. This presented problems for Linn dealers trying to sell Linn speakers which were specifically designed to work at their best with Naim amplification. Both Naim and Linn began broadening their product ranges and started encroaching on each others' historical areas of expertise: Naim began making loudspeakers and Linn began making electronic components.
On August 19th, 2011, both Naim Audio and Focal & Co. announced a merger of both brands to become a major European Audio industry venture. In total, 325 people work in two (three when considered Focal's owned cabinet maker Guy HF in Burgundy) sites, in Saint Etienne, France, and Salisbury, UK. An annual turnover of £48,000,000 is expected. It is unclear if it concerns a merger, or if one of the companies simply purchased the other (http://www.focal.com/en/home-audio-loudspeakers/focal-jmlab/focal-and-naim.php, http://www.naimaudio.com/news/article/3395).
The Naim Label
Naim also went into the record business in order to supply Compact Discs which were both technically and musically good enough to satisfy analogue/vinylGramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
disciples. This was to be Vereker's personal project. The first CD to appear on the Naim recording label was Electric Glide by Gary Boyle, one of the company's favourite vinyl demo records.
Milestones
- 1971, NAP 160, first Power Amplifier, discontinued 1986
- 1973, Naim Audio Limited formed
- 1974, NAC 12, first Pre-Amplifier, discontinued 1980
- 1975, NAP 250, Power Amplifier
- 1975, NAPS, first pre-amplifier Power Supply, discontinued 1978
- 1977, NAXO, first Electronic crossoverAudio crossoverAudio crossovers are a class of electronic filter used in audio applications. Most individual loudspeaker drivers are incapable of covering the entire audio spectrum from low frequencies to high frequencies with acceptable relative volume and lack of distortion so most hi-fi speaker systems use a...
for active loudspeaker systems - 1980, Moved to current premises at Southampton Road, Salisbury
- 1981, Linnk, Moving-Coil Phono Pre-Amplifier (Manufactured for Linn Products)
- 1981, NAC A4, Speaker Cable
- 1983, NAIT, first Integrated Amplifier, discontinued 1988
- 1984, NAP 135, first mono Power Amplifier, discontinued 2002
- 1984, Hi-Cap, pre-amplifier Power Supply
- 1984, NAT 01, first FM TunerTuner (radio)A radio tuner is a subsystem that receives radio broadcasts and converts them into audio-frequency signals which can be fed into an amplifier driving a loudspeaker. FM tuner, AM tuner, Digital Audio Broadcasting DAB tuner, etc. are types of radio tuner dealing with transmissions using different...
, discontinued 2002 - 1985, Won the Queen's Award for Export Achievement
- 1986, SBL, first in-house made Loudspeakers, discontinued 2002
- 1989, ARO, Unipivot Tone-arm
- 1989, Range upgraded and new look (olive casing)
- 1990, NAC 52, flagship Pre-Amplifier, discontinued 2002, replaced by NAC 252
- 1991, CDS, first CD Player, discontinued 1998, replaced by CDS2
- 1991, DBL, Loudspeakers
- 1992, CDI, extended range of CD Players
- 1995, AV1, first AV Processor, discontinued 1999
- 1995, Armageddon, Power Supply [for Linn Sondek LP12Linn Sondek LP12The Linn Sondek LP12 transcription turntable is produced by Glasgow-based Linn Products, manufacturers of hi-fi, home theatre, and multi-room audio systems...
Turntable] - 1995, Super-Cap, Pre-Amplifier Power Supply
- 1995, Prefix, Phono Pre-Amplifier, discontinued 2008
- 2000, 5 series
- 2000, NAP 500, Power Amplifier
- 2002, Range Upgraded (Reference range) and new look
- 2002, NAC 552, flagship Pre-Amplifier, supplants NAC 252 as flagship pre-amplifier
- 2005, n-series new range of AVAudio-visualThe term Audio-Visual may refer to works with both a sound and a visual component, the production or use of such works, or to equipment used to create and present such works...
products of which nVi integrated DVD/amp combo - 2005, CD555, flagship CD Player
- 2008, Superline, Phono Pre-Amplifier
- 2008, HDX, Hard Disk Player
- 2008/9, Nait XS, Integrated Amplifier
- 2009, NaimUniti, All-in-one Audio Player
- 2009, Naim DAC, Stand-alone DA-Converter
- 2009, Naim Ovator S-600 Loudspeaker
- 2010, UnitiQute
- 2010, Naim wins Queen's Award for Enterprise
- 2011, Naim Ovator S-400 Loudspeaker