Superline Service Quandary/Disappointment.😮‍💨

Yes - feedback is a gift (for naim).
And theirs to us is a gift as well! For me it has made my day several times. Maybe worth to mention…

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To give the customer a bone here, Naim might consider offering a trade-in of Superlines > a certain age (within service window?) against whatever replaces it, albeit the latter is a big assumption. One would like to think, that as a pure phono-amp (PS of your choice), it wouldn’t be very challenging to deliver a replacement (fingers crossed), of course assuming Naim see a justifying market for this kit, which you would hope would be the case given the ones likely to ‘expire’ (degrade so much) at some stage.

Unquestionably, there is some brand dilution in play here, as, arguably, is the case with the now recognised limitations of the Solstice (vis alternative cartridge fitting).

Thankfully, my SL was serviced a year or so ago with, AFAIK, no new board being required.

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I did wonder if the customer would know if a pcb was changed. It would promt a perhaps unnecessary question. And so far nobody has piped up here to say their pcb was changed during service.

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I think at least two have on this thread

And

…though maybe the second was strictly a repair?

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The only member who will get is serviced is surely our forum leader. We hope for him.

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I won’t get any special treatment here. Of course, if something fails or it goes wrong in some way then I would expect Naim to be able to fix it for a fair while longer, just like for anybody else, but that’s it.

I have to admit I was really surprised when I first saw that the Superline could no longer be serviced. However, now it has been explained what the issues are, and knowing the people involved and how it is so frustrating to them to have to make this decision, I know it would not have been taken at all lightly or before all options were examined.

And for those who wonder whether it’s a commercial decision or something dictated by “suits” elsewhere, I can’t really see any credibility in that argument. If it were I’d have expected the servicing to of a number of other items to have been curtailed a while ago. Yes, parts supply is getting ever more challenging, but it has always been Naim’s aim that they will try to service kit for as long as is feasible and the parts are readily available. As far as I’m aware that is still the case.

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I assume you’re joking, but I would sincerely hope such nepotism doesn’t exist within Naim.

n-lot, see my post just before yours

Yeah, I think we pressed reply more-or-less simultaneously.

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@n-lot wrote that I was joking. It’s not the case. I find it normal that a person working for Naim such a long time ( First as Naim ambassador then leader / moderator of the forum) has some privileges, favours or advantages It exists in the majority of big societies.
Nespotism, why?

Do you know what, i’m sort of ok if you have provded service to getting some perks. Yes, it has to be earnt.

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In France, those working for SNCF ( national railway company) have big reductions for their personal travels. Those working at Apple have quite free IPhone and IPads. And so on.
It’s near like that everywhere.
But if you add to that merit and labour, then it’s much more understandable.
I guess it’s the same in UK.

Such perks are taxable in the UK, I’ve not checked the situation in France as I don’t have any.

Those are something different, they’re discounts. I have no issue with anyone getting a discount.

I work for a certain French state owned nuclear operator. I get bugger all perks from them in the UK.:-1:

I don’t see where is the problem. An advantage is an advantage, be it a discount, gift, or service reserved only for the people working in the company.
Sorry to disappoint.

Overall, I find Naim’s approach on servicing to be pretty terrific - they can’t be making any money on servicing, maybe breakeven at best. How many other boutique manufacturers offer recapping at a similar price structure? Having taken advantage several times, I’m definitely glass half full on this…I don’t have a Superline (and honestly just decided not to buy an '08 sample based on this policy change), so I feel bad for folks that have them…but it’s within the context of feeling like Naim is being quite magnanimous in the first place on their service approach.

As someone running CB and Olive gear, I think Naim is enabling a little corner of heaven…my vintage Creek, Onkyo, Rega, Nakamichi, Yamaha, Kenwood etc. gear would all benefit from quality recapping by the manufacturer…it would blow my mind if suddenly it were available at a low price…(for those still in business)…

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Recapping ( perhaps not for an SL) is not hard. I choose to use naim or class a to preserve value. Im not intrested in 22000uF caps instead if 15000uF, blah, blah.
Do naim money on servicing, of course. They dont run a charity. But Class A does a great service for less. Always my first choice.

This is where your argument loses all credibility I’m afraid. What exactly did Naim do to you???

If Naim really were making “loads of cash” from servicing then don’t you think they’d be doing more of it, not less?

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I wonder why there’s shortage of parts, be it caps, dr modules, medications….
Covid is well behind