I’ve had my Atom for nearly a year now and very happy with it. The only serious criticism I can make is the absence of a decent manual. I’m not bothered whether it comes in paper or downloadable form, but what the online support in the link @Naim.Marketing gives doesn’t do quite so well is to give ready answers to questions such as the one the OP posed. The forum is very friendly and helpful and a great resource, but posting here really ought to be a last resort.
Roger
I’ll feed all this back to the wider team.
I would say that we don’t see the Forum as a last resort - it’s an amazing source of information.
That’s true but the Forum should not be expected to fill the deficiencies left by inadequate documentation or guidance from Naim. I’ve answered questions that Naim dealers have failed to answer and that Naim’s own helpline failed to answer.
Questions such as ‘how do I connect my Headline’, ‘how do I get system automation working’, and indeed the very questions asked in this thread should never make it to the forum. The finer points of system setup perhaps, but the basics, no.
…perhaps one of the reasons Naim keeps funding in place for the forum since it is less expensive than funding the salaries and benefits of employees to create and update user manuals for their products.
Then there is the comments/jokes you read occasionally on the forum, as well as other places, regarding ‘never reading instructions or manuals’ when setting anything up…
They fund both. A shoddy web page full of errors and omissions doesn’t cost less that one that’s comprehensive and accurate.
Setting aside the website, which to me should be the first port of call for questions, there is the help desk - the second level of support. How often do we read ‘I sent my email two weeks ago but have heard nothing’? All too often. So people ask on the Forum.
The Forum should be for discussion and enjoyment, not answering basic questions because the website or the help desk has failed. If any of us who answered a question was paid £10 for each answer, Naim might pull their socks up. We should not be the free help desk.
I was referring to the members providing answers to questions vs any documentation provided by Naim.
…I would totally disagree with your assessment, “A shoddy web page full of errors and omissions doesn’t cost less that one that’s comprehensive and accurate.”
Doing something correctly and paying staff to keep it updated with correct information regarding products on a website is a much more expensive environment to maintain than a ‘shoddy web page full or errors and omissions’.
So you are agreeing that a manual, albeit in .pdf format, would be desirable. Although you managed to set up your NDX2 without a manual, the process to change inputs from another input back to server through system automation wasn’t obvious to you. That could have been described in a user manual. I found I was unaware of AirPlay or how it could be used to play YouTube videos through my ND555 until I suddenly recognised the icon by accident. I still don’t know the difference between AirPlay, Chromecast and Bluetooth AptX HD, that is assuming they all enable remote wireless connections. Furthermore, I would have no idea how to connect to Roon, nor what benefit that might offer. These functions and facilities could be described in a user manual, which I would find beneficial.
The problem with system automation is down to a bug within the streamers, so it’s a bit different and no manual could have covered it. It’s up to Naim how they do it but I believe there needs to be a clear, up to date, online resource that properly covers how the various products should work. I don’t believe they should be printing big manuals that are rarely looked at. In the case of the streamers the functionality changes so often - with much being down to the app - that a ‘manual’ is simply impractical.
I had conceded to the .pdf manual, Nigel. I know system automation has been discussed in Beta as if it were a bug, but if you know how to do it, it works.
All these points are being fed back to the team. We do listen!
Another point of note: higher-end Naim products are only sold by retailers whom are fully trained on the products (and have a hotline into the Naim team for any follow-up questions).
The COVID situation has meant home installs and visits have been a LOT harder (if not impossible) for many retailers in the past year, but I know we have a fabulous network of retailers out there happy to help on phone and email.
I suspect that’s the logical thing to do. If it’s downloadable, the truly sad can get hold of a copy to read in bed.
There’s also a very healthy second hand market, so someone might be buying an nd5xs2 on ebay or wherever and then not perhaps expect to get any support from a naim dealer, or deem it inappropriate to ask.
Not all retailers are equal.
Could I just say that Naim Customer Support, chap by the name of Duncan, was very helpful and Informative when the CD drive “platter” failed on my Uniti1 recently?
Had I not got help here, then I would have gone there again. Today, I had contacted my dealer about my issues, but he could only link me to the main support system, which as shown, doesn’t have enough in-depth answers to many questions.
And at least whoever buys my Uniti1 will get a full paper manual, and also a service history.
My feeling is that the paper manuals enhance my pride in ownership of Naim products, and the Naim brand, so I am disheartened to read that manuals are disappearing.
I work in the publishing industry and there is a definite market for the paper product at the top end. Naim should be there, on paper too, imo.
As noted above, manuals are not ‘disappearing’ - and agreed printed materials still have their place, judiciously used
But not with my nd555, i get a multi lingual manual with a £15 kettle.
Not wanting to disagree with my friend HH but I don’t mind providing help re the UnitiCore in particular, without any payment, because I enjoy being part of the support network for this excellent but not entirely intuitive unit.
I remember how people here helped me when I started out with Naim. And I made lots of friends, some of whom I have met personally, since those days.
Best
David
Not sure what we would have done without you and still need your support on the forum.