One Naim insider calls this one-box music machine as “a gateway drug.” In reality, it’s unlikely that it’ll be able to compete with Bose and B&O on their own turf, given both businesses – particularly the latter – invest so much of the retail price in advertising. Bose’s name is well-known, but Naim’s is not. […]
When the Naim CDX2 was released in 2003, it appeared that Compact Disc was starting to weaken in the face of competition from SACD and DVD-Audio. So it appeared bold of Naim to launch a new CD player right into the market for high-end universal machines. It seems to be a lot of money to
The ARO is one of the most unusual performance-focused tonearms ever built, reputedly made “hand in glove” for the Linn Sondek LP12 turntable and Troika cartridge. The narrative begins in 1987, when Naim Audio decided to end its particular partnership with Linn Products; Linn was a manufacturer of electronics (remember the LK1/LK2? Some might not!
It was difficult to get a competent affordable amplifier in the late 1970s. For showroom attractiveness, brushed aluminum-fronted Japanese versions with tone controls and power meters flooded the market. Sound quality had received little attention; most sounded bland and inoffensive at best, and terrible at worst. New Acoustic Dimension, a relatively new firm, saw a
This is one of Musical Fidelity’s numerous unusual yet appealing products, first released in 2002 as a direct competitor to Naim’s Nait 5 integrated. It was a lovely half-width integrated amp – the business has flirted with this format before returning to full-width – that made a style point of its sleek, custom-built aluminium extruded
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Anthony Michaelson uncorked the Cockburn’s Special Reserve, polished the silver, and introduced a celebratory collection of Tri-Vista items in 2003 to honor the two decades since its legendary Dr. Thomas preamp first hit dealer shelves. The Tri-Vista 300 integrated amplifier (of which only 500 were created) and the Tri-Vista CD/SACD player (of which only 800
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The M1, which is currently in the ‘where is it now’ category, first emerged on the analogue scene little under a decade ago and made more of a ripple than a splash, if only for a brief while. However, it did not sell well, and the ever intrepid Antony Michaelson quickly went on to other
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Traditionally, British hi-fi amplifiers start off as integrated amps and then progress to preamplifier/power amplifier combos as the price grows. If you’re spending more than £2,000, you won’t be able to get a one-box amplifier — you’ll need two. That’s why, when it debuted in 1990, Musical Fidelity’s A1000 was a bit of a fish
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Mordaunt Short, founded in Fulham in 1967, quickly established itself as a genuinely middle-class loudspeaker brand, catering to those seeking high performance in a conservatively fashioned package. For example, the 1977 Pageant was a symbol of suburban respectability, a type of hi-fi Volvo. However, the brand underwent a series of transformations, including ownership changes and
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Monitor Audio should be commended for using ribbon tweeters in its flagship Platinum series, which debuted in 2007. A very good ceramic coated aluminium/magnesium ribbon HF unit rode shotgun with a single 6.5 inch Rigid Diaphragm Technology bass-mid driver on the PL100, which cost £2,300. The heft of a traditional dome tweeter, according to designer
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