Naim try to source as much as they can from the UK or EU but the reality of the past decade or more is that a number of the componentry items used in electronics have to come from China as it’s the only place they’re made. There may even be some SMC PCBs for some items from there too as some of their SMC work is of very high quality. However, SMC aside (Naim currently have nowhere near the demand - either from themselves or elsewhere - to make in-house SMC viable), all build, i.e. any component selection, matching, through-hole population, soldering and wiring is still done at Salisbury. I can say that with confidence as I witnessed it myself walking around the factory just last week.
If I manage to get myself on a Factory tour, Richard, will I get to try my hand at a bit of soldering? Something high value would be good to start with, I think.
I should declare that I’ve never done it before, but how difficult can it be?
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I have an Ndac which has what looks like a sticker with Chinese symbols.
Although, it has an unusual PCB configuration and is R5. A previous Ndac I owned was R2 and of the more common design.
Not many products in your life then…
It probably had the SMC work done there.
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Quite a few actually, and it’s not hard to avoid Chinese stuff.
SMC production uses a lot of floor space because of the size the machines amongst other things so it’s not surprising that Naim out-source that type of work. In most cases a factory would have to dedicate a whole entire separate floor/department just for SMC alone.
Trust me, its more difficult than it looks. Back when I joined Naim I had to spend a week in every department and my first week was spent in the PCB dept hand populating larger through-hole components and also having to tack solder some in place. I did a batch of CD tray PCBs - I think they were for the then-new CD5 and I was quite proud of my work. A few months later, I was conducting a tour of the factory and one of the cupboards was open with what appeared to a be a pile of rejected boards. I picked one up to show the visitors only to see my initials on the board - none of my boards had made the grade 
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Alas, my CDS (a very early one) can no longer be ‘fixed’ should it ‘die’. Currently it sits in its box, next to the CDPS (also in its box) and only comes out if I really need it to play something. I don’t think the remote (the original one) works any more either (sigh). It’ll probably be unboxed when the NDS eventually needs to go for a service (must check when I bought it …)
Nowadays I just rip my CDs to FLAC so that I still have access to them.
Thanks, Richard. My request wasn’t remotely serious.
I would lndeed love to see round the Factory, but it would be madness to let me anywhere near the lovely Naim products with a soldering iron.
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Naim can service a CDS and CDPS. aFAIK the only issue is the Philips mech. For many years. Naim we’re the only company who had stock of spares (I know because I used to get regular calls from owners of other high end players that used the same mech asking, even begging for Naim to sell them on their spares). Unfortunately, despite a refurb program, they were eventually exhausted.
Another strange thing about my NDAC, if you look at the photo I posted, nobody has owned up to building or testing it. 
Its impossible 99%
I’m perfectly aware why people would avoid a regime support however the world is more complicated than black and white.
I don’t think it’s done like that any more - certainly not on the newer boards as everything is logged in the computerised Kanban system.
Thanks, Richard. Just couldn’t remember the correct name for that part. Luckily enough it works OK at the moment. The only ‘repair’ I have made over the years is to change the rubber ‘feet’ on the puck. I have a little stock of very old nasal catheters made from that material, just cutting off appropriate lengths… I acquired them when they were about to be thrown out of the operating theatre stock at the hospital where I used to work before retirement.
That’s remarkably ‘green’ of you.
If your ex-theatre supply of rubber ever does run low, James at TomTom in St Albans aims to keep all four types of Naim puck in stock.
given the delays some people have experienced and the prices rises on service and repair I can’t agree at all with
" Naim servicing is both inexpensive and quick"
I can only judge by my own experience, and Naim have never let me down.
As I said, if you buy most other manufacturers’ stuff which later goes on the blink, you won’t be able to get it serviced at all.
But it’s your money, so spend it as you will.
Well, the first time my puck wasn’t working properly, I took it to Sound Advice (no longer there) and Derek just cut up some small-bore rubber tubing and fixed it with that. Sounded exactly the same to me as the pukka variety.
I have a few of the old nasal catheters sitting in my “bits box”, which I am sure will last me longer than my expected lifespan! 
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