I have replaced green screens on my NDX-FM and 172, both of which are going strong after more time than the originals. Did Naim fix the issues, or do the replacement screens have similar lifespans to the originals?
My Qute2 screen is dead; I am planning to get it repaired.
Nick
Wasn’t a defective batch of screens. Just a poor choice of screen in hindsight.
Many factors affect their lifespan including time in storage prior to installation and long term storage after use, temperature, and obviously display time.
I think the failure period is very variable between 2 and 8 years.
Right now, I don’t see the point in replacing my UQ2 or NDX screens at all.
Liking the Qute2 well enough, I am inclined to buy eight more happy years. I hope such expectations are reasonably likely. The clock started years ago with the NDX-FM repair anyway, and there is no like-for-like replacement for FM out to digital from Naim now.
I asked my dealer about exchanging up to an Atom, but the Qute2 residual was so low, the repair could make sense, wonderful as it sounds.
And, FWIW, I like the nice old Uniti remotes being the same x3 everywhere, as long as I can make it last. And FM where I live still sounds/is better than iRadio alternatives for the same stations through the NDX-FM > Naim DAC/555, modest though that tuner may be.
Maybe an NDX2 home-demo would change my mind.
Thanks for the input.
Nick
Update
Focal Naim America quoted me about $150 for the screen repair and assure me the replacement is an upgrade expected to last much longer than an original, which has been my experience.
Concurrently, I subscribed to Tidal this week and experienced the lack of Tidal Connect support that the Atom and other new models do provide. Without Connect the queue is not exposed inside the Naim app the way it is in Spotify Connect, which is supported.
Not sure I will keep Tidal. Either way, fixing my screen seems a bargain. And there are workarounds with Tidal, including adding a modern streamer to an input on my NDX, or trading up to an NDX2 at some point.
Hope these thoughts and experiences help others facing similar forks in the road.
Nick
The choice of OLED was mainly down to noise and effect on sound performance - many screens can be electrically very noisy. The downside of OLEDs has been their lifespan. However, there are a few things you can do to help it, one of which is to set the display to off, so it only displays info when you change a function. FWIW, I believe that the replacement OLEDs should have a longer life than the originals, but how much longer I’m not sure whether anybody really knows yet.
I’m a big fan of my own UQ2 and it probably gets used the most out of all my Naim kit. It’s a fabulous bit of kit - small but ever so capable. It’s still on its original OLED screen but then I do have it switched to off so it only displays when I change a function.
Thank you, Richard.
I have used the screen off preference from day one, as the short life of the screens was called out fairly early in the series.
I ordered the repair to my NDX-FM as a kind of trial and am pleased that, so many years later, it is still working perfectly.
I have said here before that the amp in the Qute2 is better than the not bad built-in streamer and FM indicate. Analogue In from my 552/NDX sounds obviously superior, even over the long RG6 wires between the rooms. And my CD5XS via copper S/PDIF into the Qute2 tops the onboard streamer and FM.
I may be in the minority, but I prefer the volume and mute via the front panel logo to the admittedly fancier controls on top of the Atom.
Nick
I’m not entirely convinced that oled screens last longer if switched off. They can just go with no warning (I.e. not fading over time) implying that other factors are at play. My NDS screen failed after 2weeks of receiving it despite assurances that it was set to go off after so many seconds for its life. Luckily I bought it from Acoustica and it came with a 6 month warranty so it was replaced foc.
They last longer on average but you’re right, they can just go.
My NDX was bright and clear. Went into storage for a few years. Came out dead.
My UQ was bright and clear also after 6 years. Boxed for a move for just a few weeks. Came out fading fast and another couple weeks later the screen was dead.
Luckily I have zero need of the screens. But I’ve had OLED on non Naim kit die too (Yamaha AV amp, Onkyo receiver) so ideally, for hifi to last decades, no screen at all is my design preference.
This is my experience with UQ2. Went on storage working and after a couple of years came back with a dead screen. Using a zooming phone camera if i need to (barely) see something.
I remember when I first got a second hand UQ2 , I was quite disparaging about its abilities and you were a little surprised . Now after my Nait 50 it’s my most used bit of kit
Same here - UQ1 went in to storage and came out dead. Now making me worry that my NDX has been out of service for a few months. Time to plug it back in.
for $150, for sure!
Like others here, my UQ2 is the most used piece of kit I have
Richard. How do I set my NDS display to off? Front display setting has minimum of 10 seconds. (It has already been replaced once).
You toggle the DISP button on the remote control handset. It’s never completely off as even when off, if you press any key or operate any function then the display will light up for a moment or two.
Thank you
Same thing with my UQ2. It was out of use for about a year unplugged with a perfect screen. Always had the screen set to blank after a short time. when I plugged it back in the screen was noticeably bad. Still a lovely unit though.
The good thing about the gen 1 streamers is, unless you left them with weird and specific network settings, then you never really need the screen. It only comes into play for resale value.
If you think the screen may die, then while you can easily use it;
Then, if where and how you use them changes, nearly all bases are covered. The exception being things like converting them to transport mode or RCA output.
I had to factory-reset my Qute2 blind, to get iRadio working again after the big change. Copilot found the instructions provided by Naim on first try!
I can honestly say, my UQ2 is the most heavily bit of hifi I’ve ever had and I’ve not touched the configuration since 2019 (just to do firmware) and it has gone through two house moves since then. The screen dying didn’t even register as a blip on it’s usability for me. It’s under my desk out of sight anyway.
In fact, for non firmware changes, I probably haven’t touched a setting on it since it was new in 2013.
I am giving serious thought to the UQ and building a second TV based system around it . Perhaps with Spendor A1 speakers?
If I do , then it will be back to HQ , use it with something like a BluSound Node or a iFI Zen for streaming and utilise the DAC function of the UQ2