Naim price increases

[NSNO2021]

Colin's post is very helpful. If we have information about how a product is made, priced and supported...then we can (potentially) make better choices. Expensive R&D and testing requires volume and ROI, which requires expensive marketing and expensive placement (distributors, exporters, dealers). Many people are (consciously or not) happy with the latter to guarantee the former.

NVA is a little different. We are not looking to be the next big thing - we are simply looking for NVA to be healthy. The priorities for NVA, since Tomasz and I took it on, have been continuity, security and quality. We have made sure that we can repair any of the products that Richard was still supporting, and we have offered component upgrades that have brought genuine sonic improvements and improved reliability. We want everyone to see that we are building NVA for a long term future rather than simply 'shifting units'.

We have done a small amount of marketing to let people know that NVA is back, but we are trying hard not to be sucked into the traditional 'business'. In any case, NVA is determinedly specialist - use of own cables, no remote control, no bluetooth, specific spacing requirements - but what some will see as too difficult are the things that we see as worthwhile to getting the best sound at the price. We will always be quite small, but we aim to be just big enough to purchase components at a price advantage and generate sufficient funds to develop some bespoke components.

All profits are being put back into making NVA better and stronger. We have spent many thousands of pounds to update, upgrade, test and order new amplifier boards, our amplifiers now feature the quality of components that are only usually found in products costing may times the price of NVA, and Tomasz and I work closely every day (when I haven't got Covid, lol) to make sure that our customer service is timely and reliable. In the future, we will very likely employ a few colleagues to help with both production and service, and we will introduce a field agents scheme (and spend some money to market them) alongside our 30 day home trial and Buy Now, Pay Later offers. It's a balance; we want to reach as many people as we think might 'get' and enjoy what NVA is about, but it is very easy to burn through marketing spend for little return.

In short, everything is geared for NVA to be around for several more decades - reliability and listening pleasure, upgradeability, financial security, availability of resources. We are not going to be Naim, we're not even going to be Rega. To do so, we would have to change, and lose, what NVA is. All we are going to do is to make what we believe in, to an excellent quality, with reliable back up and a sustainable pricing and business plan.

[CN211276]

NVA is a little different. We are not looking to be the next big thing - we are simply looking for NVA to be healthy. The priorities for NVA, since Tomasz and I took it on, have been continuity, security and quality. We have made sure that we can repair any of the products that Richard was still supporting, and we have offered component upgrades that have brought genuine sonic improvements and improved reliability. We want everyone to see that we are building NVA for a long term future rather than simply 'shifting units'.

We have done a small amount of marketing to let people know that NVA is back, but we are trying hard not to be sucked into the traditional 'business'. In any case, NVA is determinedly specialist - use of own cables, no remote control, no bluetooth, specific spacing requirements - but what some will see as too difficult are the things that we see as worthwhile to getting the best sound at the price. We will always be quite small, but we aim to be just big enough to purchase components at a price advantage and generate sufficient funds to develop some bespoke components.

All profits are being put back into making NVA better and stronger. We have spent many thousands of pounds to update, upgrade, test and order new amplifier boards, our amplifiers now feature the quality of components that are only usually found in products costing may times the price of NVA, and Tomasz and I work closely every day (when I haven't got Covid, lol) to make sure that our customer service is timely and reliable. In the future, we will very likely employ a few colleagues to help with both production and service, and we will introduce a field agents scheme (and spend some money to market them) alongside our 30 day home trial and Buy Now, Pay Later offers.

Fits the bill for me. The big plus point is the transparancy of the amps, cubes and cables, not adding to or taking anything away from the music, which has made the improvements I have made to digital source components come through big time. Music I am very familiar with has been completely transformed as a result and has helped keep my spirits up during the lockdowns.

[Wonfor14]

Not all Hi-fi from China is junk, lets look at the Richer sound kit, Cambridge made by Yanion. It is OK he he he

[antonio66]

Lindsay, the price of my amplifier including £125 shipping £462, I have used todays exchange rate to do the conversion.

[BadgerBeerIsBest]

One thing that always bothered me was dealers with stock that was purchased under an old price list would automatically increase it to match the new price list, I don't know if that is legal ? but it defiantly happens as you can see buy the serial numbers on the web site.
Generally I always assumed that if you selected an item in a shop with a ticketed price that advertised price is what you pay even if at the till it came up as more.
The new price list was traditionally always released around April, if you made a purchase just after that time you were defiantly buying items that were under the old list. I suppose the question is when does new stock become old stock or does the new price list only apply to items ordered after the new price list release date.

One of the plus points is the second hand resale values, there is a confidence when buying that you will get a good portion of your money back when you come to sell it.
Some dealer chains also would give you a full refund on your new purchase if you upgraded within three months which gave you the impression that progress up the ladder was only costing you the difference in price. I can remember my daughter telling me that during her business degree the university had used this company as an example a business model.

[Lindsayt]

In 1982, the Naim NAP250 cost £675.
Today the Naim NAP250 DR costs £4099.

Using the Retail Price Index to adjust for inflation, £675 should be multiplied by 3.8 to arrive at an equivalent of £2570.

On the one hand, the 2021 version might have more expensive when adjusted for inflation parts inside it. On the other, there's been 39 years in which they could find ways to make it more efficiently and to the same or higher quality. Plus their tooling costs and upfront R&D costs would have been paid off a long time ago.

My understanding is that it's still made using the same batch approach. So you can't really claim large economies of scale from 1982 compared to 2021. It's not like we're comparing a Ford type mass production line in 1982 to cottage industry manufacturing in 2021.

[karatestu]

Only difference between the two is probably the DR regulator .

[Fretless]

With 'DR' standing for 'Double the Retail'.