AudioPlus News and Views » AudioPlus — The Marketing and Communications Specialist for the AV Industry

Naim launches new XP5 XS slimline Power Supply

Steve — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 10:00:06 +0000

Naim announced that they would start shipping their new XP5 XS power supply today.

The XP5 XS which comes complete with Burndy lead is designed to significantly improve the performance of the ND5 XS network player as well as delivering a major performance upgrade to the Naim DAC, NDX network player, CDX2 (models with and without S/PDIF), CDX and CDS CD players as well as the multi award-winning HDX hard disk player.

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A Shared Passion for Perfect Sound: Focal and Naim

Steve — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 14:10:26 +0000

United by their passion for perfect sound, leading high-end audio brands Focal and Naim, today announce they are merging to create a new European leader in the audio industry. Focal & Co will own and manage Focal and Naim as independent brands, retaining their unique philosophies and product ranges.

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Naim adds iRadio to Hard Disk Players and Servers

Steve — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 12:47:19 +0000

Naim announced at the start of their Summer Sounds: On Stream road shows that it would be shipping a free of charge update for the award-winning HDX Hard Disk Player, the compact ripping UPnP server UnitiServe and the NaimNet music servers. Available: end August.

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Naim’s Choice adds Naim’s Favourites

Steve — Wed, 25 May 2011 18:51:45 +0000

18^th May 2011. High End Show Munich. Naim today confirmed that a new internet radio feature will be added to its range of network and all-in-one audio players.

Naim’s Choice internet radio selection includes an exclusive link to the Radio Paradise 320kbps AAC stream

Naim’s Choice adds an extra menu item to the iRadio options. It highlights and gives easy access to internet radio stations that Naim consider to be of particular musical and/or sound quality interest or ones that are not available using the conventional 5* V Tuner Full service.

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Naim Boss Celebrates 30 Years

Steve — Tue, 17 May 2011 10:17:07 +0000

4^th May 2011. Salisbury,UK. Paul Stephenson took part in a significant celebration, involving the whole company, marking his 30 years working for Naim Audio.

Naim Audio, the UK’s leading hi-fi specialist design and manufacturing company, has just closed its financial year with a record turnover and growth of around fifteen percent. This contrasts to thirty years ago when Paul joined as the company’s only sales person with the brief to increase turnover from £250,000.

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Two new iPad apps from Naim

Steve — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 13:26:20 +0000

Two newly updated Naim apps are available as free of charge downloads from the App Store from the 1^st April 2011. The new apps include native iPad support delivering a much richer experience. This along with the improvements detailed below ensures Naim owners continue to get the maximum flexibility of control of their systems along with Naim’s class-leading audio performance.

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HRH The Duke of Kent visits Naim Audio

Steve — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 13:19:40 +0000

28 October 2010. Salisbury, UK. Naim today proudly received His Royal Highness The Duke of Kent together with local dignitaries including The Lord-Lieutenant of Wiltshire, Mr. John Bush, OBE, The High Sheriff of Wiltshire, Dame Elizabeth Neville, DBE, QPM, The Chairman, Wiltshire Council, Councillor Brigadier Robert Hall, The Mayor of Salisbury, Councillor Mr. Brian Dalton and Deputy Chief Constable of Wiltshire Mr. David Ainsworth.

His Royal Highness attended to present Naim with its Queen’s Award for Enterprise, in the International Trade category of the 2010 awards. As well as a tour of the factory where he took the opportunity to meet and speak with members of the Naim production teams hand assembling Naim’s hi-fi specialist audio products.

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Naim adds to Ovator range with S-400

Steve — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 13:30:48 +0000

16 September 2010. Top Audio Show – Milan. Naim today launched the Ovator S-400 loudspeaker the smaller sibling to the first in the Ovator series, the S-600. The opportunity and the timing were perfect said Paul Stephenson Naim’s managing director. “Milano’s reputation as the style capital of Europe gives us an ideal opportunity to show that good industrial design can combine form-follows-function engineering with a great looking and stylish loudspeaker.”

The design brief of the S-400 was simple: To take all the elements of the S-600 loudspeaker and to produce a smaller model more suited to smaller rooms but which would not compromise the essential musical communication of the S-600.

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New Naim NDX high-end network player

Steve — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 09:00:54 +0000

Naim today launched the NDX: Naim’s first dedicated network player. Designed and engineered to integrate into Naim’s range at a similar quality level as Naim’s innovative multi-award-winning HDX hard disk player and CDX2 the top selling high-end CD player, the NDX is performance upgradeable in stages as the owner demands.

The NDX is performance upgradeable by the addition of a XPS or PS 555 power supply and/or Naim DAC.

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New Naim UnitiServe

Steve — Thu, 06 May 2010 08:57:01 +0000

May 6 2010 High-End Show, MOC, Munich. Two, very successful — as evidenced by the recent Queen’s Award for Enterprise — years on from Naim’s launch of the standard-setting award-winning HDX hard disk player, Naim is launching UnitiServe a compact digital audio player and server.

Deliveries will begin July 2010.

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Multi-award-winning Naim HDX gets SLC SSD

Steve — Thu, 06 May 2010 08:55:46 +0000

May 6 2010 High-End Show, MOC, Munich. Naim confirms, in an aggregate of abbreviations, that the multi-award-winning Naim HDX is to be offered with a 16GB Enterprise grade, Single Level Cell (SLC), Solid State Drive (SSD). This totally silent drive will contain the operating system and includes space for future upgrades. This and the performance upgrades are an upgrade option for existing HDX owners.

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Naim wins Queen’s Award

Steve — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 11:30:37 +0000

21 April 2010. Salisbury, England. Naim Audio is pleased to announce today that Her Majesty The Queen has approved the Prime Minister’s recommendation that a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the International Trade category should be conferred on the company.

The Queen’s Award celebrates the Queen’s birthday and six years of continuous growth in Naim’s export sales – a remarkable achievement given the world economy.

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Squeezebox Touch – a week later

Steve — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 14:27:50 +0000

What an interesting beast this is. The lispy addition to voices that I was complaining about in my original post has gone. The sound quality is really rather good using the digital out. I prefer the optical output to the coax into the Naim DAC. The optical has a more refined presentation and just sounds right, the coax is a little courser.

If sound quality was the only criteria the SB Touch would be stunning value for money but unfortunately usability and fit for purpose must be included in the equation.

The display is rather pleasant if a little slow; but only works well within a narrow vertical viewing angle. That angle is often wrong unless one is standing, and who stands to listen to music? It needs an adjustable rear stand.

So far 24/96 is far too unreliable. It might play it, might stutter. Not good enough. The Squeezebox forums are full of the problem and possible solutions but none has worked 100% for me.

Connecting up an external 500GB portable drive with a power supply has so far been an unrewarding experience. I’m struggling to get it to scan the drive fully and so far I’ve only managed to play about a tenth of one track.

So if the decision was based on the sound quality of CD rips from the digital output it would be a clear winner. Overall it needs more work or I need to understand more about how to get the best from it.

Initial thoughts on the Squeezebox Touch

Steve — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 11:51:44 +0000

After one of the worst examples of corporate communications ineptitude I’ve ever come across, my Logitech Squeezebox Touch arrived yesterday.

I ordered my Touch on the 26th October 2009 to take advantage of the 20% off for early orders offer. Delivery was expected imminently. Only one email since then – on 4th March – to warn of a delay until April-May. Another 20% offer “as a small gift” but no apology. A simple ‘sorry for the delay we are working on getting it right before launch’ would have gone a mighty long way.

I know there is a Squeezebox forum and maybe Logitech thought that was a reason not to keep me up to date – but it’s not. A few emails would have made me feel much happier with Logitech. If I hadn’t known friends with beta units, who were pleased with the performance, I would have cancelled my order months ago.

Anyway it’s arrived and very nice it is too. It’s been running overnight using the standard supplied PS and I’ve recently changed over to the Maplin linear PS as much for my piece of mind as any sonic reason. There is a small difference but not enough to rush to the shops.

What does it sound like? OK, I suppose, is all I can report so far. I’ve only tried the optical and coaxial digital outputs running into a Naim DAC with 555 PS. It has an edge to the sound that sneaks its way on to every song. It’s a slight hard lispiness to vocals that accentuates the lips and teeth sounds. Coax digital sounds substantially different from Optical – surprisingly different in fact.

It’s way too early to form any sensible conclusions. It’s certainly excellent value; just don’t know how excellent yet. More in a week or so when it has run in.

Pure Music – an interesting start

Steve — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 22:47:40 +0000

I downloaded the demo package of Pure Music (the playback only version of Pure Vinyl) today. A quick listen using my TC Konnect 8 as a firewire to S/PDIF interface to my Naim DAC with 555 PS Power Supply was enough to make me take up the $79 limited time offer.
I need to have time to seriously listen to this combination and to also try the hiFace M2Tech I have had since before Christmas.
To summarise the listening results, the performance with Pure Music was significantly better than with iTunes alone. Cleaner and more interesting. Memory playback was even better. The sound didn’t have the shiny, chromium plated character so common in computer audio. It had solidity and grip.
My only concern in the short-term at least is in the rhythm. It might not have the true ‘drag me in’ character I find essential for long-term enjoyment.
Much more as soon as I have time.

In the meantime…