It could be the cables, but the OP mentions that the amp is not getting warm. Has this only just started happening or has it been doing it for a while - did it co-incide with a change in the system (ie new speakers, cables ?)
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@marka I have the same system, it’s never happended to my 300DR, I would recomend a return to NAIM to check out the PSU? on the 300
sorry not much help
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The cables are probably not a great match for a Naim power amp, but I find it hard to imagine they would cause an idle amp to shut down. It’s always worth comparing them with NACA5, but I don’t think it’s relevant to this problem.
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Is the power switch latching OK?
Otherwise, it sounds like the protection is cutting in for some reason. Are there any shorts in the speaker cabling. Trying some different cabling is worthwhile (if you have any standing by) just to check and see if that’s the issue here. Otherwise… ask your dealer to check it out.
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Yes it coincides with me replacing my 282 and 250DR. I traded them in for a brand new 252 and a brand new 300DR and at the same time bought the Fraim support.
I used the same speaker cables on the 250DR for 9 months and haven’t had any issues. Just good sound. I didn’t even lift or move the speaker cables significantly during the upgrade.
Black Rhodium Foxtrot are :
- 2 core twisted pair loudspeaker cable
- Diameter of cores 5mm
- Capacitance between conductors for 3m length 83pF
- Terminated in gold plated Z plug
I’m running a 5M length.
NAC A5 is about 20pF per m right? So The Black Rhodium Foxtrot are a bit thicker and do have a bit more capacitance, but I had no compatibility problems with the 250DR as I said, so is the 300DR more sensitive to higher capacitance cables?
As regards the power front, yes the AC inlet plug is securely inserted into the PSU and yes the power button on the PSU appears to latch ok. (Also - I only use NAIM Powerline Lite on the entire system).
Here is a more complete description of what I’m seeing happen:
The power down / cut out doesn’t happen at listening volumes, only at back ground volumes.
It first manifested itself when I decided to leave the system running over night playing radio paradise as a means to get hours on the new amps at low volumes.
And when I came down stairs the next morning, both NAIM badge lights on the PSU and AMP modules of the 300DR were off, the power button on the PSU was still on.
I then switched it off, and tried power recycling it, and it didn’t turn on. Thinking that I’d not fully inserted the AC inlet plug, I wiggled it and pushed against it harder. I then tried to power up the PSU and it turned on and I set it to low music again.
After 10 or so minutes of playing music at low background levels, I heard a pop and the AMP and PSU again turned off. Turning them off and waiting over 5 minutes and then turning it on, started it again.
Keeping the volume at low levels, a few minutes later it will turn itself off again.
If I turn the volume up on the pre-amp, its totally fine and continues to play for hours no problem.
In terms of the quality of sound, it’s excellent. Full bodied, good bass definition, great timing and superb detail. I can’t ask for more on that front.
Hmm - something is clearly not right. As you’ve checked everything else out i’d get your dealer involved and get the 300 checked out. There was something similar mentioned here a while back with a 300DR. I’ll have a quick search…
Here you go https://community.naimaudio.com/t/new-amp-little-concern/4462
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I would take it back to the dealer you got it from, as it sounds more like a problem with the unit than anything else
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Another thing to check. Make sure you really have pushed the Powerline all the way in. The resistance is very high (the jaws are as tight as regs allow to ensure the tightest clamping force) so it’s easy to only get the jaws touching rather than properly opened up and onto the pins.
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Turning off at low volume rather than high volume seems opposite to what you’d expect. If it’s dependent wholly on volume it would seem that the Powerline is inserted correctly. So it’s very likely the speaker leads or the unit itself. I’d borrow some NACA5 or SL from the dealer as first check. If it still does it then a fault in the amplifier seems probable.
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As James nsaid, I had the same kind of problem with my new Nap300DR.
The dealer took it back, and I had another one that works fine.
A bit disappointing for a high end material…
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Thanks everyone for your suggestions and help. Appreciate it. I’ve just emailed my dealer to see if he will loan me another set of cables to try and then if that doesn’t work replace the 300DR.
Good luck Mark - i’ll be interested in what you find.
James
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Couldn’t find it mentioned, but does it still happen if the speaker cables are completely disconnected ?
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I had the same issue but I use Superlumina speaker cable, so imo this problem is not related to cable.I experienced this “power down “ at low volume only twice this summer in a very hot weather so I think that there was an improper activation of the thermal switch. Now without further action everything’s is working fine even at very low volume.
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As Richard Dane suggests do check that the power switch is ‘latching’ and that the Powerline is engaged fully. As I have had both these problems over the years with the same effect.
Richard
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Sorry to hear it! It’s definitely a bug, not a feature – I leave my system including a 300DR on 24/7, and it sometimes goes several days idle with no input and no issues.
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The fact that the same fault with a new 300 has been reported by two people within a short period of time does tend to suggest there might be a problem…
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Hi,
I tried that today. I unplugged the speaker cables and left it running on a low volume preamp setting for 4 hours and it remained running.
I’m now going to run the system with the speakers cable plugged in at listening volumes and then later turn it down again and see what happens.
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Swapping in another set of speaker cables sounds like the logical next step
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Well, after playing for a couple of hours at listening volumes, it powered down again by itself.
Then after 5 minutes there was a click, then it would power up again.
Then after 5 minutes or so of music again, it would power down again. Then they cycle repeats, 5 minutes - a click and then it powers back up.