I’m sure there are components that will deteriorate over time - capacitors being the obvious example - but exactly how much of an effect that has in a CD player, where the caps are less of a critical component, compared to, say, a power amp is less obvious. If it did make a difference, all I can suggest is that it would then be up to the owner to do a cost/benefit/risk analysis of sending it off for a service. For myself, I reckon any deterioration will be pretty minimal.
Overall, my advice would be to follow the advice of Naim and others. I think it’s sensible and based in reality.
The really big question, at least for me, are the parts that are specialized and not easy to source or not built anymore and dependent on stocks only. I.e., laser with assembly and the transport mechanism. But based on the super helpful info in this thread (thanks everyone), the situation seems to be less dire than I thought.
Unfortunately , I have not received a reply by Naim today. I am sitting on needles here, folks!
As for capacitors and the like, they are a lesser concern. They may deteriorate, but catastrophic failures are less likely. They may also be easier to source (as possibly used in more than one type or model), and if the alternative for the owner is to trash the machine, Naim might be willing to ease off on quality requirement for very old machines in the future (though who knows a this point). For me personally, any SQ deterioration would not be a huge issue, particularly because I also think it would be pretty small, and a 555 with small SQ deterioration will not suddenly turn into a Discman
I think you should go for what you want. A CD555 will bring you so much joy. You will be able to get it repaired if it needs it. If it lasts 12 years then so be it. You will have a great source. Compared with other sources the NDS and ND555 will not last forever! Such is the technology of these sources. A turntable is a different story and will last for as long as you like!
We love our CD555 but when you get the player, you still need a 555PS or two, likely DR preferred. To sound its best, you need a Chord Music from your NAC552. And you need CD’s to feed it.
A high end streaming rig might be a smarter solution. With a mountain of vinyl and CD’s, I am awash in physical media. The top of the mountain is the ND555 with Roon and Quobuz. You will pay less for music than you pay for CD’s and can control it all from your phone. I have not done that, but I have seen and heard the top of the mountain and I am thinking about it. My son has fully embraced Quobuz with his Naim Nova.
The base streaming case is cheaper and sounds better than CD’s. We have tried it and you can hear new releases in Hi-Res the day they come out. We have enjoyed that. It is simple and sounds as good as you want it to sound with the streaming circuits, cables, switches and other peripheral options. Might check it out if you can before buying a CD player which is surely to become a boat anchor as the cloud and streaming truly kick in. We may be in the early innings of streaming. CD’s seem to be in extra innings to me.
From what we were told recently by Neil in Naim’s service dept., the CDX2, CDS3, and CD555 are currently all fully serviceable by the factory.
Obviously the mechs are no longer available new, so Naim have to rely on their stocks of spares of VAM1202s (for CDX2 and CDS3) and VAM1250Pros (for CD555). As for how long they will last, I don’t think anyone could accurately say.
Out of interest, do you know what those mechs and lasers on Ebay are? There are always offers for all three models, but I suppose these are the ones that Naim screened out?
There are lots of mechs available on eBay. Many are either secondhand or new from the various factories in China that build pattern Philips mechs. Most all are rubbish. Caveat Emptor.
I have a CDS3 with 555PS and will quite happily live with it until the end of my days. The chap I bought it from threw in a spare mech still in the Naim box for when the original fails, and the 555 will need a service soon, but given the rarity of CD555 players this has to be the realistic pinnacle of CD playback - still brings a huge smile to my face every time!!!
Second hand Naim CD players are certainly cheap (and some can’t be serviced) these days but if you want to talk about boat anchors look at the last generation of Naim streamers. NDS was a reference level source and I have seen head units going for $3,500-4,000. That sort of rapid depreciation and the tech gremlins have held me back from moving to streaming.
With support for all three currently available and no ability to confirm how long support will be available I would suggest you have a bit of a level playing field with no model offering a higher or lesser degree of certainty for the future.
I had a cds3 and currently have a cd555. The 555 is a beast - the weight of the head unit is quite something and worth considering when moving boxes around, even if only for cleaning. The lid mechanism on the 555 is mechanically powered and therefore may represent a higher maintenance risk than the relatively simple perspex lid on the cds3. I may have been unlucky, but my experience with the cds3 was that the puck had to be replaced several times as the grip on the cd reduced over time eventually leading to a slip which rendered cd’s unplayable until the puck was replaced. I have not had this problem with the 555.
For the ultimate tour de force I suppose the cd555 with two 555PS fitted is the end game for naim cd playing however, I might be tempted to opt for a cds3 with 555PS at a more attractive price point as it sounds mighty fine to me. A significant caveat here is that I changed from cds3 with xps2dr to a cd555 with 555PSdr and did not have a chance to compare the head units with the same ps unit.
Thanks so much. The 555 loading mech was a concern for me as well. Someone wrote (I believe in another thread here) that the gears were plastic in older 555s but were replaced with metal ones during a regular service.
If it was not you in some other post, there is at least one other person who had the CDS3 puck problem. If I remember correctly, the CDS3 puck has rubbery spots at the bottom that can get depressed over time, leading to this. The other guy always left a CD in the tray for extra dust protection, with the puck in place, but switching between two pucks solved it (to give the rubbery spots time to expand again)
I doubt that I will have a second 555 PS just for the CD, but if (when) the 555 + PS is in place, there will surely be an option to to try the difference with two, and am already looking forward to this extremely interesting experiment. Anyways, knowing that the only remaining possible improvement on the CD source side would be as insane as adding a second 555 PS would be mightily pacifying
Meanwhile I have been making progress and a purchase might be imminent, I will let you all know. Could not have done it without everyone!
This is my thinking. A little while ago I was tempted by trading my CDS3 for a NDX2 but I fear losing the simplicity of the former. Put on a CD and away you go. I use Tidal through my Qb to try stuff and that’s fine but the through of ripping and tagging 700+ CDs fills me with dread.
It seems to me that in the long run all digital sources will become obsolete and are poor long term choices. I have a CDS3 which is lovely but it won’t last forever. Unlike my LP12…
Why would you go chasing after some discontinued Naim player? Have you considered the Hegel Mohican which has garnered much praise from the HiFi press; John Darko has an interesting video about this player.
Because I recently decided that after more than 30 years I want to get out of the mix and match game and do Naim-only for various reasons (apart from the vinyl part obviously)
