The experiences are somewhat variable, search the forum for “screen freezes” and “firmware updates”. Unfortunately a recent software update introduced a new issue causing random reboots on all the new streamers, which is still to be fully resolved.
In context though, the streamers are excellent for sound quality and Naim seem committed to resolving issues. Having said that, some have had multiply units replaced. My Nova and NDX2 have been fine apart from the software cliches.
Speaking only for myself, i’ve had my Nova since mid '19 and haven’t had any serious issues with it in terms of hard- or software. I am currently part of the beta program, and from my experience there any issues that are reported are looked at swiftly and thoroughly, probably more so than would be the case with many other brands.
The issues that @Mike_S mentions have been under investigation and i expect them to be largely resolved with one of the upcoming firmware updates. Under normal circumstances, new firmware releases are rolled out roughly every 2 months or so.
I do know that there are some people who have been a bit less fortunate, like in the forum thread you are referring to. I am not sure if this has been related to a specific hardware revision, but i don’t think i have seen many new threads of that kind over the last year. In general, i expect these issues to have affected only a relatively small number of people, when comparing to the actual number of units in circulation.
Do note that the internet tends to expose negative feedback more easily, often times people will only start posting online when they encounter a problem. If you Google for issues related to other devices on the market, such as “NAD M33 issues” or “Bluesound issues”, you will encounter similar reports as the ones relating to the Nova.
Personally i would definitely recommend the Nova to anyone who is looking for a great sounding device with the feature set it has to offer. And if you want to have more direct communication about the development side, and like to have quicker access to new firmware features or bug fixes, you can consider joining the beta program.
For the record, I have had an Atom for 8 months and I haven’t had any problems. Absolutely perfect. I don’t get screen freezes, or reboots, or any delays with the app. The app is simple but it just works. Airplay did occasionally take an extra attempt to connect but that seems to have resolved with an Apple software update. Remember, there is always the possibility that they have modified the hardware in later builds. After all they are building them all the time and fixing issues that were evident in early builds would be smart.
I know I don’t have a Nova but I’d guess they use the same computer.
Most of the current Uniti range issues have been software/firmware related and the recent update seems to have resolved these for most people. There have been a few other problems but these seem to manifest pretty soon after purchase and Naim are good at replacing these faulty items.
My Star does occasionally reboot for no apparent reason but other than that with the latest firmware it is a great bit of kit.
I’ve only had mine since last Sept, so too early to tell for sure, but so far so good. I had the screen freeze early on but an update seems to have fixed it. Mine also does odd things every now and then (it’s shut off and made weird noises) but has otherwise been fine.
I’ve had no build issues like some reported so all good.
I occasionally wonder if I’d have been better off with a separate streamer (ND5 XS2) and amp (NAIT XS3) but I wanted the simplicity of one box and it also looks lovely. I’m planning on keeping long term and past the warranty so hope it’s as robust and my past Naim kit.
I’ve had a Nova since just after launch (I did the first demo at my dealer) and it’s been fine for me. It’s my second system, but gets a lot of use. I haven’t seen a random reboot, and I’m very happy with the look and the sound quality.
I have both Uniti and NDX2. As the software is similar the issues that I face are the same: from time to time the screen does not update and shows the album art from the previous listening session. Does not impact sound or app experience so looks like a firmware glitch. A restart fixes it. But probably I restart my laptop more often.
The recent issue that I have faced is with the arc HDMI connection to the uniti from Samsung TV. The sound breaks from time to time. This is disturbing if you plan to use your uniti as the TV speaker
My Uniti Star does this now and again. I have found simply pressing play/pause on the unit or remote then pressing it again get the artwork display unstuck.
Had the Atom for 3 years first one was replaced after 6 months. Firmware issues aside it sounds good. Not sure I would go with Naims streaming again when it comes to a change, but I will likely stick with their amplification.
Thanks for the advice folks - think I’ll give the one box solutions a miss in general. It seems to be pretty common that the software in these is the weak point. I’ve got an Arcam SA 30 at the moment, great amp + DAC, but software leaves a lot to be desired.
Thinking about building a DAC/streamer with Raspberry Pi and Allo Katana and going for a Supernait instead.
Generally very happy with mine. No faults as such, but some glitches depending on firmware, although being in the Beta forum allows a bit more of a “stethoscope” on proceedings and makes one feel part of the process of development. It’s also good to see that, on the whole, faulty devices are dealt with by Naim. As much as it would be nice to have faultless products, realistically this is impossible, irrespective of price. One of the reasons for buying Naim is the feeling of serviceability through the years(or decades). There is the question of sound of course, which initiates the decision to purchase in the first place, especially if you’ve already had positive experiences with the brand.
Hi, I’ve just got a new Samsung 95T, and I can’t get the HDMI arc to work at all, I’ve got it working with the optical cable into my Nova. Checking the Samsung Forum there are a lot of customers having similar issues with other hardware . So don’t think its a Naim problem
