frankly I think you see the speaker pairings you see because non UK speakers are expensive and underrepresented in the UK, center of the NAIM universe.
there is IMO a bit more global perspective in the NAIM FB group...
i use a NAIM Unitiserve SSD with a Pardo LPS and HRS resonance control with a bunch of over gear including Vandersteen 7 in my Reference system
i am also blessed the Treo CT @mr_m mentions and has heard... redialing it in a bit for a new more resolving front end but musical - the Atom is a fantastic value and my wife uses it as much as me - she was streaming a Three Dog Night Live album from her youth when I woke this AM
Tidal from the phone...
certainly an older pair of 2 can be made to sing - the 2 requires an amp with viselike grip to low end to control the acoustic coupler - naim excellent in this area without loosing tone in the bass
as for @viridian most excellent questions about true north Reference... very astute.
i spend a significant part of my music centric life chasing down acoustic unamplified or minimalist processing music. For a reference.
i also went down a path of building out two microphone digital and analog ( 15 ips half track ) mobile recording racks and finally spending some quality time in studio w recording engineer producer and artist friends... I think I have a pretty decent idea what the chain sounds like and various weaknesses...
but as Helmut Brinkmann says, it is all an elaborate illusion...
any of you you are welcome to stop by Seattle or Carlsbad, call first
bring music
fun