Hi-Fi Stands - Naim Audio
Your hi-fi can only perform at its finest on a proper hi-fi stand. A purpose made stand isolates each item to minimise vibrations and interference from power supplies and sensitive components. We sell a broad range of wooden and metal hi-fi racks including latest award winners. Call or e-mail for help finding the best rack for your system.
With many of the best hi-fi stands now designed as a striking furniture piece as well as an effective support for hi-fi separates, can you really justify not giving your hi-fi system what it deserves for best performance? We recommend spending 10% of your overall system on speaker cables or interconnects, and doing the same on your hi-fi and speaker stands.
As dedicated Naim Audio retailers we have many models on demo in our showroom, including Mu-So, XS and Classic range hi-fi separates. Learn more in our full Naim range guide or for further advice on the Naim range, please contact us
For over 40 years, Naim Audio has relentlessly pursued the same simple aim: to recreate the performance a musician has recorded accurately and with all of the information wholly intact. Not only that the notes be faithfully preserved, but also so must the emotion and passion that inspired the performance. Its for this reason that Naim are so popular among music lovers - they bring music to life.
Naim Audio was founded in 1973 by Julian Vereker OBE, entrepreneur and self-taught engineer, with a deep passion for music, but was unsatisfied with the sound quality of hi-fi, available at the time. Established in Salisbury, Julian began designing and manufacturing a hi-fi range that ignored accepted design wisdom and focused on aspects of design and performance that made music burst to life.
In that same year they released the NAP 200 power amplifier, soon followed by the NAC 12 pre-amplifier in 1974 (and although this model name is no longer used, much like "NAP" for the power amplifiers, "NAC" is still used to designate Naim's pre amplifier models). These initial designs laid the foundations for 40 years of iconic and award winning products that have followed.
As the brand grew in popularity over the 70s and 80s, they sought to grab the attention of press and public with a series of tongue in cheek adverts (you can see these and read more about the brand in our History of Naim blog). In 1983, Naim released their first integrated amplifier, simply called NAIT, a designation also used in current integrated amplifier models today.
Naim was awarded with the prestigious Queen's award in 1985 and has received this award a further two times since (once winning for Export in 2010 and once for innovation in digital music streaming in 2014). In 1991, Naim released their first CD player, the CDS, which again flew against conventional wisdom with a two-box design (the current flagship CD player shares a lineage with this original model).
Over the years, many Naim models have achieved iconic status, including the Naim NAP250 power amplifier, a favourite among many audiophiles with a latest iteration of this model that continues to this day. As an emphasis over the quality of the Naim range, they partnered with distinguished British brand Bentley in 2008 to provide music systems for their cars.
In 2009, Naim also released the "Uniti" range, which turned the conventional wisdom that "more boxes are always better" by combining power amplifier, pre amplifier, CD player and/or streaming capabilities in one box. Of course, the higher separates Naim systems will always sound better, but the four models in the Uniti range established themselves as such a high performance solutions for a reasonable investment that there are little other options that can compete.
In 2013, Naim also released the Naim Mu-So, a wireless streaming speaker system and another revolutionary move by the brand. To put this into perspective, the release of this product was as much of a surprise as if Bentley released a competitor in the low-priced car category that outclassed all of the established competitors.
The Mu-So has done just that. A hugely popular "lifestyle" music solution, both existing Naim owners and new customers have discovered how wonderful this speaker system sounds as a classy, single box unit for enjoying music in an area where you can't accommodate a full separates hi-fi system.
With a rich heritage and history of pioneering products in the hi-fi industry, Naim have cultivated a brand which is synonymous with the pinnacle of hi-fi, as well as the values and quality of British hi-fi and manufacturing. Naim Audio is designed and manufactured in Salisbury, UK and their relentless pursuit of sonic perfection has seen a host of awards and stellar reviews.
Naim offer a range of integrated amplifiers, pre amplifiers, power amplifiers, CD players, streamers, CD players, DACs, loudspeakers and accessories. In 2011, Naim merged with Focal JM Labs, and with a synergy in design, this makes Focal speakers a natural matching choice for Naim. Other highly recommended options include KEF speakers and ProAc speakers.
It may not seem like the most obvious upgrade you can buy to improve the performance of your kit, but quality Hi-Fi Stands can in some circumstances provide a substantial improvement to the performance of your equipment. Having all your equipment in one place makes operating your equipment more simple, enables you to use shorter lengths of cable, and also makes cable management much more reasonable.
A key principle in hi-fi is the separation of power supplies from other components. Power supplies produce a range of interference and mechanical noise which can interfere with the delicate and complex circuitry of your hi-fi equipment. It is for this reason that standalone power supplies are particularly popular with enthusiasts, and why separate pre and power amplifiers are considered superior to an integrated solution. This is because by separating the power supplies from one another the interference and negative effects of noise are limited and largely eliminated. A good quality Hi-Fi Stand can have a significant effect in achieving isolation which results in better sound and better performance.
Hi-Fi Stand manufacturers go to great lengths to ensure isolation between shelves and each layer of the stand, and to prevent any mechanical noise or vibrations affecting equipment on each shelf. Some stands use glass mounted on ball bearings to achieve the best possible isolation and decoupling, and ultimately the best performance from your equipment.
Most amplifier topologies and designs, particularly valve and Class A, produce a lot of heat as a by-product of producing great sound. Hi-Fi Stands come with a range of shelf gaps, enabling you to ensure suitable ventilation to make sure your kit is suitable cooled and ventilated to run and operate exactly to specification and ensure the longevity and optimum performance of your equipment.
The range of shelf heights is ideal for accommodating different equipment, and most Hi-Fi Stands will require a variety of heights throughout. An AV Receiver or Power Amplifier is more likely to be taller and require a bigger shelf gap, whereas CD players and most other separates tend to be smaller and easier to accommodate.
Other than their basic functions of holding your equipment in one place, Hi-Fi Stands can be a piece of furniture, with many manufacturers offering attractive products designed and built to a high specification. Many manufacturers use high quality materials and veneers, real hard woods for example, and we offer a range of Hi-Fi Stands to suit any design tastes or specifications. We even offer bespoke sizing should you have particularly awkwardly sized equipment or very specific requirements.
