I purchased an NSC222 late last year and the box came with an Australian IEC, a European IEC and a UK IEC. Not wanting to throw these brand new but totally useless items ( E waste ) into my recycling bin / land fill…I emailed NAIM UK and asked if I could mail them back ? Nope. Keep them along with my box as someone might use them down the track was the response… why is an Australian destined (230v) unit shipped with THREE power cords.
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Appreciate your frustration. IIRC the original thread on new units, mentioned that a number of units were built ahead of the product launch(es) and stored. Dealers were I believe asked to place initial orders ahead of launch. This may have resulted in each box, for the same voltage, not being country designated, hence the need to be able to ship anywhere using the built voltage.
In essence globalisation hasn’t been universally applied when it comes to domestic electrical installations, with nearly every country having different configuration. UK requires fused plugs, much of Europe don’t, with lower capacity wiring and even Switzerland doesn’t consistently have the same plugs as its neighbours. Manufacturers of low power mains adaptors, often use interchangeable plugs. However this would perhaps be less than satisfactory for higher power units.
The alternative would be for Naim and other manufacturers to ship without mains leads, but that may not meet electrical regulations.
Naim do a sterling job of servicing almost anything they have ever made. That doesn’t apply to all UK based audio manufacturers. Too many products have designed obsolescence, when its not necessary, or products are made in a way that repairs cannot be effected.
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I agree , this is not really acceptable given the low chance that the leads will ever be used. Likewise the little BNC adapter that Naim include with some streamers. My guess is that virtually none of those get used, ever. I also object to multi language paper manuals when it’s simple to download one in the language of your choice.
Manufacturers can’t win there; whichever way round you do it, there are always those who will complain. Overall it seems that most want a proper printed manual in the language of their home country.
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CE regulations require local language in manuals which shall be printed and included with the product. If the product contains radio it is local language or english required and the manual shall also contain at least a link to the Declaration of Conformity.
There’s also the WEEE directive companies must apply to. For Sweden at least Naim is not present in the producer list but yet they sell their product with the WEEE symbol on it (the trashcan)
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Of course, but it’s extremely simple to print a pdf if you really must rather than put paper copies in every box just in case someone wants one knowing that most will be unread. Does Naim have a company environmental policy?
Presumably that is to cover the EU statutory inclusion of safety information which is the one part of a manual that you can absolutely guarantee nobody ever reads.
Safety information is required indeed. But also how the product shall be used, installed and maintained in a secure way.
Even on old gear that shipped with just the one mains lead, if you use another lead like a PowerLine it seems like e-waste.
But as they are more substantial and a bit longer than those supplied with other products, I 've reused them on other things; or even butchered them to make other leads. Waste not want not. If I need them later for resale, I can always order replacements from Well Shin.
Manuals don’t bother me. Yes they’re thick and mostly in other languages, but they are being kept with each product. It’s not like you’re being sent a kilo of paper to go straight to the shredder. Makes gear easier to sell second hand internationally too.
I’d be more concerned with the planned obsolescence of things like tablets and smartphones for e-waste than a mains lead.
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Why not save copper and use SMPS in all future Naim units? Would users’ eco sensitivity still apply?
Bet that doesn’t happen with 500 series and the included Powerlines.
Must be slow. Maybe complain about excess packing materials? Jeez …
I got a marantz HDMI switch the other day (It can be used on its own to add more ports to a tv) that came with self assembly plug- a universal bit and then a bit you slid in to match your plug socket I honestly didn’t know there were that many options 
there was at least 4 or 5. I thought it was an interesting solution.
The “manual” that came with my $9,000 NDX2 is a joke - quick connect guide for the NDX2 and NDXS2 (as if we couldn’t plug them in without this). Why NAIM can’t take the time to include the correct power cord (and save themselves much more than the cost of a proper manual) escapes me.
I’ve always appreciated the care put by Naim into their printed manuals, their quality and elegance, that showed attention to the smallest details. Some even collect them.
I understand though that times have changed and EcoSensitivity is more and more diffused. Too bad. I’ve often thought that the ONLY purpose of technical, social, economical progress was to make things better, life easier and cheaper, the environment safer. It seems that civilization is missing its only raison d’être.
One remark, though - I’ve heard the story of a shirt sold in the US carrying an inner tag with the alert ‘do not iron this garment while wearing it’. I do not struggle to believe it. I still think that exhaustive manuals are a good thing and, in these times, an appreciable sign of some human contact between a company and its customers.
A recent one was a kitchen appliance a son bought, with anpbout 4cm thick wad of manuals, 5 or 6 in all, each with 4 or 5 languages. Why not pack that it last, putting in the right one in according to country or region of shipping, and with a web address and QR code on box or on all manuals for anyone to easily access other languages should the wrong one inadvertently be included?
But (nothing whatsoever to do with Naim) what I hate, yes it is that strong a dislike, is assembly instructions where not intuitous provided solely in pictures - maybe many 10s thereof. They say a picture is worth 1000 words, but absolutely not - for complex things both are complementary and essesntial.
Legal requirements. In EU for example a product MUST have a printed and included manual in the local language. If it includes radio technology then English is minimum requirements. So it’s not for companies to decide on it. Other parts of the world might have different requirements but it rapidly becomes advanced logistics if you try to adapt to every single country and region at least if you have small production quantities and sell through.