Interview Charlie Henderson - NAIM Audio - UK_EN

We were visiting the NAIM factory in the UK. Of course we couldn't resist interviewing Charlie Henderson - Managing Director at NAIM. We ask him about Heretage, the Future, the NAIM community and... new products...

[@derekblake9385]

Nice interview Charlie.

[@Bouba1874]

Absolutely on point and superb interview. I wish you asked him whether in a near future the company intend to get back to speakers manufacturing though, despite the partnership with Focal

[@TheAlphaAudio]

We did... They will not. It was not very interesting, so we left it out.

[@marktucker4528]

This guy was never going to be right for naim, he wasn't a genuine naim enthusiast, he can't even pronounce the name of the company's founder correctly, for goodness' sake! He didn't last two years in the position ... Sad but true.

[@gijsschubert7901]

Vereker at 4:27

[@marktucker4528]

@@gijsschubert7901 That's not how it should be pronounced. JV was my close personal friend as well as my boss.

[@gijsschubert7901]

@@marktucker4528 Understand Mark. When I read your remark, I listened to the interview and found the timing. Indeed, how could Naim management put this guy, without experience or passion for Hifi in such a position? He would sell toilet paper just as well. I'm a Naim enthousiast by the way, with NAC-N272 & NAP300DR in the living room and Uniti Nova in the kitchen

[@jackreacher5299]

The partnership of Naim focal is awful. I call it Focaim, just like all the others nothing to see here.

[@eazyryder1591]

I would disagree with the "perfect pairing" of Naim/ Focal . I home demoed many different brand floorstanders with my Naim Nait XS2 integrated and the worst speakers by a mile where a pair of Focal Aria 926s. Awful sibilance with the inverted metal dome tweeter. A very shouty and obnoxious sounding speaker not at all refined or organised. Bass was light, lacking weight and definition. The Focals ruined the sound from my Naim Nait XS2 and put me off playing most of my music, eventually giving me a headache.

[@TheAlphaAudio]

A speaker also needs to work with the room...

[@eazyryder1591]

@@TheAlphaAudio I absolutely agree. Maybe the Focal Aria 926s need a "Special" listening room, heavily acoustically treated to compensate for the many issues i had experienced with them and Naim amplification. Unfortunately most normal home listening rooms are not like that and many other brands i had also home demoed including Spendor, Acoustic Energy, Dali, Wharfedale, PMC, ProAC ect, sounded a whole lot better in my listening room with naim amplification. That to me indicates the issue is with the Focal speakers and NOT the room. The only reason naim recommend using Focal speakers with their equipment is simply because they have been instructed to do so by big Sister company Focal who are obviously pulling the strings. IMO Naim themselves used to make better sounding loudspeakers than Focal.

[@pietervg5541]

Try Naim with Sonus faber. Very musical match! 😊

[@aleksandertrap-jensen8486]

What did you end up with as your favorite pairing with your Naim Nait XS2 ?

[@eazyryder1591]

@@aleksandertrap-jensen8486 After home auditioning many floorstanding speaker brands including Focal, Dali, Spendor, B&W, ProAc, wharfedale and monitor audio Ect. I found lately many top branded floorstanders tend to sound Flat, overly bright and analytical with an exaggerated treble. Weak bass reproduction. I have purchased a pair of Acoustic Energy AE509 and am very happy with the synergy they give with the naim XS2 pairing. A really foot tapping, dynamic, fast and muscular warmer sound with amazing bottom end slam and perfect focus. Plenty of naim P.r.a.T, An excitingly detailed and engaging speaker that wont give you a headache on long listening sessions. The AE509s use a d'Appolito arrangement of 2 Carbon fiber mid-bass drivers and carbon fiber tweeter. I.M.O they easily bettered speakers way above their price range If I was to choose my home demoed runner up. It would be Dali rubicon 6. A sweet sounding treble with decent bass and very good sound staging, not as dynamic or fast as the AE509s. I would choose the Dali more for classical music.