Let's Make A Statement

Is the Naim Statement a Class A Product? At $200,000.00 USD, it's more than a Fazioli. It's rather like the center console of a Stenway Model C. As such, you've got to use it with some pretty good loudspeakers. At least for the procedure.

Cosmetically, the look is a bit like Dynaudio's wondrous Arbiter. It was $300,000.00 USD, when available. That's a $100,000.00 USD fiscal difference. Can Naim make the grade?

Let's look inside.

Here's the case.



Opened up, it's a beautiful box. A bit like a Louis Vuitton trunk, with large caps inside. Can you get an A for this? It's certainly hefty casework. About $75K more than an Omega box.





With the curves on the outside, there is something about Devialet - it does well on the closeup - with the Statement.





Note the similarity with the Steinway Model C console.

After all, both are integrated amplifiers. The Devialet has a DAC. Those purchasing the Statement are likely to spend considerably more on ancillary equipment (DAC, cables), and hence have quite a great deal of hi fi. Would you make such a statement?

Let's see.

Long cable runs are not essential. You would be better off putting the DAC behind. Perhaps one per channel.

Something like the Esoteric Grandioso D1 ($40,000.00 USD), though statement owners are likely to be more cheap. Something like the Meitner MA1 - the EMM Labs DA2X, rather, or the MSB Analogue DAC, likely.

Doing such (choice of the DA converter) allows you to open a world of possibilities.

Cables are likely to be Nordost. Supplementary amps are likely to be Sugden. Naim is rather good. Great tip and tap. Rip and rap. Pace and Rhythm, they say. And, they'd be right.

This is not the sort of amp that you'd be using to drive the Rethm Sadhana, although looks would be about right. You could very well, if you wanted to. Rethm already make a great looking amp.

Revel wouldn't need such a pretender.

Are we pretending to be interested? Not in the light.

Realistically, perhaps you want more Naim Statements than we would care to grace. Two to three per channel, though changing volume, you would want some solution.

Solution already make a world class amp. The 710.

Could you get away with the Statement?

That's not a nasty question. With 262.5 kg (578.713 lbs) you're not robbing a low-end Stereo store with this. Not anything in San Francisco, mind you. It's something that you want to bring home.

Speaking of lifting, we've only got 500 lbs of weight for lifting, here in the office. We're lifting up to the Grande Focale. Is this the speaker you wish to pair with the Statement?

We'll see what Hi Fi Centre pairs it with. In Chicago (great city, not much wind), they paired it with the Dynaudio Evidence Platinum. That Omega box we referred to earlier housed a platinum watch. Platinum is a great material. They haven't made a speaker with platinum yet.

Should you watch "A Mighty Wind" in the mean-time?


We'll let you decide what to do in the mean-time, before we write our pre-review.

Anyone care to peer-review our material? By all means, give it a shot. ;)

JP 2015/03/12
www.hifiart.ca