Reaching out to anyone on the inside at Naim here. I sent my supercap2 and superline to my Hifi dealer on 18/11. Recap, service, new green logo and new power switch for the SC2 and a service and new green logo for the Superline. The process has been terrible for my Hifi dealer who has followed up the importer on numerous occasions and has only just got a “oh we’ll follow up Naim again” response. This is expensive high end audio but treating customers and retailers like this is just not on…the Australian operation has been terrible since the change over of importer and parts suppliers (apparently the new parts supplier is really good at whitegoods!!) Can someone inside the Naim organization shine a light here? I just want my phono stage and SC back so I can play records and we’re fast approaching 2 months and NOTHING has happened….very concerned about the future and reputation of Naim…at least in Australia….
I guess you need to contact Naim customer service direct, as they apparently don’t routinely monitor the forum, however @Richard.Dane might be able to either point you more specifically or draw someone’s attention
I wonder where your dealer sent them to. Westan? If you can find out contact them directly and find out what’s happening. Sadly I’m not sure anyone in Australia knows how to recap anything Naim anymore.
Keep at them.
They do in house and my gear is with them (no names) so they’ve not sent them out. I used to send stuff to JLS electronics in Melbourne and they were brilliant but are no longer associated post the A2A debacle
Thanks IB
My local Naim dealer in Perth previously informed me of the following Australian service centres :
How recently was that? Thanks
Australia has always been ‘far away’ at the best of times, but I think it’s quite literally fallen off the map for Naim…NZ too.
Let’s be honest, it’s never been brilliant here – I’ve lived in a few countries over time and with the possible exception of Thailand (AT the time) I think Australia now has the worst presence and distribution of the brand I’ve experienced…I think the East has it slightly better and lucky to have a couple of historically renowned dealers, but it’s still slim pickings….and unlike the UK, it’s not quite the same as jumping in the car for a 30min drive to your dealer of choice…!
I know it’s (originally) a British brand and the forum probably majority UK based members, but I do chuckle when I read the oft repeated advice of go ‘and demo this or that, compare x model with a power supply vs y model without etc etc…or take home for some weeks and see how they interact in your space, blah blah…’ – yeah right!
I’m from the UK so I’ve lived it and benefitted from the myriad of options, dealer network and service options etc but the experience for many international territories is fastly different….
Sure, it was always going to be a mess after the situation with A2A and a period of time was going to be needed for a transition, unfortunately….but this was all a long time ago now. As far as I can see and tell, very little has changed, certainly for customers.
Westan still don’t even have a webpage for the Naim and Focal brands on their website listing for brands they distribute – they seem to be doing well in video conferencing kit though…!
When I last made comments about the continued situation to Surrounds in Perth (the one dealer here now, for an area the size of Western Europe!..next closet is a toss up between flying to Singapore or over East…….Interestingly, only a (new?) ‘Focal Powered by Naim’ Store in Melbourne is now listed, no others show on the current Naim website when looking for Retailer options) they commented they were quite impressed with Westan – but I really haven’t a clue on what by exactly…!? Maybe they do good jollies or something…but as an end customer, I see no improvement in the Naim situation here post the A2A mess, now some 18 months ago…?
I’m not defending A2A and the mess that resulted after the Focal–Busisoft falling out, but they did arguably grow the brand in Australia…and the stores were pleasant destinations, the boutique likes of which didn’t really exist previously….And stock availability was arguably the best it had been (as evidenced in the fire sale…!) ….N.A Distribution before them had also grown things well (and I really liked Chris) though I understand that also ended in something of a financial mess……There seems to be a pattern, perhaps it’s Focal/VerVent that are the problem…!
I dread to think about servicing to be honest. I thought early last year I had an issue with my Core and Naim support were initially suggesting that I send it to a local service centre…the thought filled me with dread and it was only after me pushing back (besides the unit was new) that they doubled down and then ‘discovered’ there was actually an issue with the firmware at the time and subsequently patched it……But yeah, I think any potential major fault with anything in the future is going to be a dilemma – in all likelihood, as I go back fairly often, I would take back to Blighty with me….Not ideal though.
We just don’t seem to be getting any ‘answers’ as AU/NZ customers on the whole situation….I’ve sensed water is thrown on the situation whenever the issue is raised – ‘legal issues’ cited for no further info possible during the discussion threads back at the time – must be some legal battle since June ‘23 ….Not much help to the customer/fan base here really.
Say Nothing seems to be approach these days – the ‘small number of users’ who experienced firmware SQ issues recently will recognise it well.
I hope you get resolved with your SC and Superline soon…think I would contact and press Naim Support at HQ, hopefully they can follow up and push things along at this end for you…(I know they can, I recently read of a mu-so replacement in Vietnam for a customer who had waited for months, thanks to Richard enquiring with Support)
Good luck – seems we need it!
SC
We’ve had the same experience @S.C coming from the UK (me even working in hi-fi retail for a while) to then living in the wider world. Now I roll my eyes when someone says, “oh you must absolutely try X at home before buying.” As if!
I see my dealer in the UK in person once a decade. And this decade, he didn’t even manage to sell me anything
Hey, I’m dreaming of a next day delivery postal service here, let alone home demo options of 30 odd speaker models…!
Never thought I’d find myself missing DPD, ParcelForce and the countless other options…!
SC
Absolutely spot on in every way and that whole “take it home for a demo” thing is fantasy land from our end of the globe. If you sell a product then bloody well support it…the days of the Harry York’s are sadly long gone.
I took a look at who sold what in Australia and the service arrangements a few years ago. With a notable exception in (iirc) Melbourne, the situation was dire enough that it was easy to decide to buy s/h (and service) in the UK and ship.
When my boxes need a recap, I fully expect that I will have to ship them back to the UK myself to get them done or throw them away. At least I bought cheap enough that the second option would be a disgrace but not a complete financial disaster.
I was shocked when I discovered that Peter Swain makes (infrequent) trips to Australia to work on LP12s. I was more shocked when I discovered that Grahams (and at least one other UK dealer) occasionally get paid to do installations of complete new (expensive) systems in Asia and Australasia from the UK.
What must that cost?! However, loyal we all are, it seemed hugely excessive. It doesn’t any more.
Unless Naim (and/or the current owner) change their approach to this market, and/or unless decent dealers with decent service take up the agency, I would vigorously (though regretfully) advise anyone in Australia or New Zealand to avoid new Naim kit.
Is that the consensus?
Agreed
I think so, but @Bevo just took the plunge, so he might have some better insight? Or, he’s a hopeless fanboy…
Regarding the initial question, it’s probably best just to use a local hi-fi repair shop and not worry about using offical Naim parts. My local shop does this with Naim gear, who ironically are a Westan service agent, but can’t get Naim parts.
You couldn’t make it up…!
SC
The trick is to wait until all the gear is in the service and recap period and ship it to the UK on an aircraft pallet. Cheaper than sending a multibox consignment.
It may even be worth clubbing together with other Naim owners in the region to get more economies of scale on a bulk shipment.
I discussed recapping woth my dealer and the consensus was, ship it all together. And if the global situation makes the cost untenable, do what I must to get the gear “over the hump” until shipping it for a Naim service is realistic again.
Agree with a lot of this.
I did pick off some items in the A2A firesale (actually still thinking about some more!) as the prices were just too good to look the other way, but I did so with my eyes wide open that any future ‘major’ issues I’d be headed to the UK…but as I’ve previously said, I go back fairly regularly anyway (normally, haven’t recently) so it kind of works, I guess, just…!
But yes, all my other Naim kit has come from the UK, either me bringing it back or has been sent over by a regular dealer or two (fortunately, the old days of Naim dealers being obliged to ‘install’ Naim boxes have long passed…)
I seem to have more UK mains plugs in the house than the AU horror alternatives…!
Would I recommend Naim in AU/NZ…? Yes, I would, as I still love the brand and the SQ…But I’m also well aware there’s some rose tinting happening – always has been to an extent, if I’m honest with myself.
And I would certainly advise to have your eyes open to the reality of servicing and support and/or be prepared to travel…
I’m kinda glad I’m not in Statement (or even 500 Series) territory…I mean, how does that work if your S1 develops a twitch…?! Still, I guess for those lucky enough, the practical costs can perhaps be (better) absorbed…
SC
Good points.
This sounds like a consensus. I wonder how much new business Naim/ Focal is knowingly avoiding by their stance?
Perhaps they simply cannot find a single honest & competent dealer who wants to sell and look after their kit. Alternatively, perhaps they have decided that it is a long way away and that Australians just don’t matter or don’t deserve Naim kit…
I think to be fair, there are some good (very good) dealers here and there has been over time, obviously the likes of Harry etc over East…
Andrew at Surrounds in Perth is very good, very knowledgable and a long time Naim user himself…But he can only sell, and demonstrate, what he has at the end of the day…It’s all about the distribution and backend support.
That’s why I mentioned Chris from N.A. Distribution earlier – in conjunction with the dealers, he would often hold demo evenings including basic service opportunities etc etc…They were enjoyable events, spread the brand word and gave the opportunity to listen to new or wider range of kit from the range – to this day it’s still the only time I’ve heard Statement on Australian soil (just a shame it was with those damn silly Focal Scala things…!)…
These days – NADA.
Put it this way – since the NC range came out, I haven’t yet heard any of them whilst in WA.
SC