Naim Audio - The Business

The Business

During much of the 1970s and 80s, Naim adopted a symbiotic relationship with Linn Products, and their names were often mentioned in the same breath. At that time, a Linn Sondek LP12 turntable, Naim electronics and Linn loudspeakers was the preferred combination for many a serious audiophile.

The two companies had almost the same sales and marketing strategy, and shared many of the same retailers/dealers. The company's emphasis on selling products through comparative demonstrations in a single-speaker environment was a move away from marketing space of the chain electronics stores in favour of small independent retailers .

The two companies diverged during the 1980s, at the dawn of digital audio. This was partly due to the convergence of technology, but also because Naim had significantly fewer dealers than Linn. This presented problems for Linn dealers trying to sell Linn speakers which were specifically designed to work at their best with Naim amplification. Both Naim and Linn began broadening their product ranges and started encroaching on each others' historical areas of expertise: Naim began making loudspeakers and Linn began making electronic components.

In 2010, Naim employed 140 staff. Naim's products are exported to more than 40 countries; half of its £15 million turnover is export. One-third of the business was from CD players. In 2011, 60 percent of sales went to export markets.