Hello,
my Olive system includes Nac72 - Nap 180 - Hicap - CD 3.5 .
I have owned these beauties for about 12 years and I don’t think they have ever had a service.
I live in Italy and here I have heard several people argue that it is better to upgrade rather than a recap. I am very indecisive. What I notice is that over the years the sound of the system is much more “faded”.
I spoke to an authorized Naim technician who tells me that after the recap the system reverts to the initial sound. it is true?
Any suggestions?
Naim’s Service Department is just next to the Factory, and its reputation is the stuff of legend within the industry (despite the retirement of the legendary Sheila who presided over the department).
It’s entirely up to you whether to upgrade or service the equipment (which involves much more than just replacing the capacitors).
If you’re happy with the kit, just get it serviced. It will come back to you probably better than when you first bought it. If you’re not happy, chop it in and see what your bank manager will allow you to buy.
The other thing that you should consider is whether you should sell the NAP180, and get an NAP250 instead. Your profile doesn’t say what loudspeakers you use, but the 250 is a big jump in performance (if your speakers will justify the expense).
If you decide to do that, don’t go to the expense of getting the NAP180 serviced first, as you won’t recoup all the expense when you sell it.
I have the 72/hi/140 - can’t part with them. Somehow it looks great, sounds great and always works. Having it serviced means another 15 years of something you know you like.
Graham55’s comment is right though - a 250 may be an idea.
This is a really good point about the 250. If you can get one serviced it maybe a better idea to buy a nice used 250. Any of the following would be good 250CB, 250 Olive, 250.2 or 250DR.
I’ve had the 250CB with 82 and 1 then 2 Olive HiCaps and it sounded fantastic.
But if you’re happy with the 180 and feel no need to upgrade, then a service will make it sound sweet.
Sending CD players off is not a good idea if it works. I would wait until something goes wrong with it before replacing or repairing it. With the 3.5 if it goes wrong it will be better to replace it altogether as used value versus a repair does not make sense.
Unfortunately the next investment after the recap will be the replacement of the speakers (currently Sonus Faber Concertino), so it is unlikely that I will now have the funds for a 250 which has a very high cost.
If the recap is also needed on hicap, surely I will not have funds for the 250.
The CD 3.5 works fine at the moment and hope it works for a long time:)