I think about it now and again. Then I think "Yes, it was worth every penny".
Ken

Being retired if I didnt spend my money on Naim
equipment, I would only waste it on food and heating.

I feel that compared to other hobbies such as motorcycles or boating or automobiles, the financial outlay is pretty reasonable...and I can't crash and hurt myself and can use it all year round.

quote:

Originally posted by jon honeyball:
Yes, I do -- and I reassure myself that most of my naim equipment was bought second hand, and thus I could get most of it back if i needed to sell

please dont start me off on buying 2nd hand -- i might burst an artery

sorry, off-topic...

enjoy
ken

Added it all up a while ago and haven't slept since.

Which is good, gives me more time to listen to music.

Had a guilt ridden panic attack when the contents insurance was up for renewal...then saw the system pics on this forum and thought 'what the hell' opened a bottle of malt, turned it up and smiled!

When my wife and I had good incomes I never gave it much thought. We don't have kids so the money was ours to enjoy how we pleased. Music is an important part of my life so it all seemed quite reasonable. However our circumsatnces have now changed dramatically. I gradually became uncomfortable with the amount of money tied up in my Naim gear. It was a shifting of priorities and in the end I found that it was almost impossible for me to enjoy the system - it just had too much financial baggage attached to it. I decided to down-size to a CD5i / Nait5i / n-Sats to release some much needed cash. This is a thoroughly enjoyable little system and I can listen to it without any feelings of guilt or regret.

Peter

Unfortunately I do. System is a CDX2/XPS/Hi-Line/282/SuperCap/250, must have cost close to £20K with speakers, and in my humble opinion it does not sound nearly as good as I thought a £20K system would before I started down this road early last year. My biggest regret is that as I did not imagine spending so much when I started - I just purchased the CDX2 - I never listened to anything else in this price league to compare it too. Recently I heard a set of Harbeth speakers on a different system (can't remember the make), but which cost less than half as much, which I thought was in a different league to mine. Sorry to break the trend but I have not found my musical nirvana yet with Naim. Still there is always the 552 I am told.

....and that's when it all went downhill.

apparently I don't spend enough. I had a dream a week ago that I took a second job as a real- estate agent to sell homes so I could buy more equipment. Tossed and turned all night, the girlfriend said. We laughed for a while about it the next day, she says I have a sickness, but it just might be a good idea, except I wouldn't have time to listen to my current system

rega1

quote:

Originally posted by Vaughn3D:
I feel that compared to other hobbies such as motorcycles - ... - the financial outlay is pretty reasonable... and I can't crash and hurt myself and can use it all year round.

Oh yes, absolutely true. When I think about the amount of cash I've flushed on motorcycles over the years, a Naim rig is actually quite cheap.

Richard.

Mark,

I think expectation plays a big part here. I felt the same a lot of the time when I had my big system. Having invested so much money in it, if the system doesn't blow you away every time you listen to it then you feel a great sense of disappointment and discontent. With a "cheap" set-up this does not apply - it is much easier to just sit back and enjoy it as your expectations are nowhere near as high.

Peter

Sorry I meant Ian!

Peter

Richard, it appears that we work for the same company...

Naim gear, motorcycles, same company. Oh dear...

Richard.

I count, i question and i am trying to stop ... not easy, though.

Other hobbies are much cheaper.

Yes.

I could have sent a kid to a college.

Good thing, we don't have kids. ( we ARE the kids )

quote:

Originally posted by Ian Mark Wright:
Unfortunately I do. System is a CDX2/XPS/Hi-Line/282/SuperCap/250, must have cost close to £20K with speakers, and in my humble opinion it does not sound nearly as good as I thought a £20K system would before I started down this road early last year. My biggest regret is that as I did not imagine spending so much when I started - I just purchased the CDX2 - I never listened to anything else in this price league to compare it too. Recently I heard a set of Harbeth speakers on a different system (can't remember the make), but which cost less than half as much, which I thought was in a different league to mine. Sorry to break the trend but I have not found my musical nirvana yet with Naim. Still there is always the 552 I am told.

Dont go 552. Get out and about and visit some people on here to listen to their systems. Find out what you like. Find out what makes you tick. Then once you have worked out the right way to move, make some moves. But not until there

jon

Dear Ian,

Jon is completely right. If you are looking for something different, then you really should spend time listening to your music through other arrangements till you know what you really want.

I am not a particular enthusiast of the CDX2, and honestly it may well be getting in the way for you. It is a rather forward sounding CD player, which some people swear by, and others do not. You might be better off with either the more expensive CDS3 or even the old CD5, which are both more naturally and gently voiced. I always say that I want the excitement in replay to come from the music and not the replay of it.

An alternative that is quite attractive, and might not net you a cost overal, is to find a second hand CDS2, but do budget for a transport replacement at the age any of these machines are now.

As for the rest of the kit, I have not had the chance to sample them in a critical situation.

But the answer is some serious auditioning, either of established systems in peoples' homes or different options at retailers. Don't think that you have to confine yourself to Naim Audio. Personally I would not be looking elsewhere, but it may be that no Naim Audio set will ever entirely please you.

I have to ask the straight question, "Did you ever audition what you have now, and ask yourself if you were enjoying it?" If you did enjoy it at audition, then I suspect you may have some issues with set-up, and having spent the money you have, then it is quite reasonable to express your dissatisfaction to your dealer and ask for assistance in the issue of optimising set-up. A visit to your home by the dealer to address any potential problems is advised if this is the case.

George

PS: To answer the question from the Opening Poster - Yes, and when circumstances provoked a change I found no harm came of it.

I do question the amount I've spent on my hifi, beacause there's so many other things I could spend my money on. Life's so short and I don't want to be only limited to a sofa listening to music and reading forums.

I found a point when I had an LP12/Ekos/XX-2/282/Supercap/250/Shahinian Obelisks, when I thought "all this money spent and it sounds crap". I never used it much and thought it was a waste of money. Subsequent upgrades after this, took it to another level of enjoyment and usage. I've read on this forum that the higher up the upgrade ladder you go, the laws of diminishing returns applies, but I've found the opposite.