I think naim need to have a proper think about their service strategy for all products.
I get that power supplies and power amps to the hard work. And that SLs and nacs dont get hot, draw much current and stress their caps. In which case, make their ( nacs and SLs) service intervals longer.
But don’t tell me the service interval is 12 to 15 years, then change the goal posts because you can’t actually maintain your own product.
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Good day
Dear Neil
You mean replace works with 1000uf/35v caps in current sources ?
Yes this is trouble work
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I think with pre amps the pots and switches will need attention long before the caps. As I said up thread I didn’t hear much difference when I had mine serviced at 12 years, I only did it then as I was planning on emigrating that summer and it’s simpler from a UK base.
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My NDS is the hottest Naim component I’ve owned.
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I think Naim’s serviceability is a huge part of the brands customer promise and therefore our willingness to pay the comparable high premium assuming the longlivety of the products. Therefore any deviation from this promise risks to cause severe complaints, like above comments indicate, and in the long run less of our loyalty. This is a strategic challenge for Naim which I hope they can solve in a way that satisfy current owners of SL, NDS and CD555.
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It is hot because it is drawing current. And it’s drawing current to do some hard sums.
The front of my ndx2 can get warm, especially if playing .flac files from my nas. Maybe doing that is hard work ?
282 and my 72s stay as cool as a cucumber.
Hicaps and cd555psu can be mildly warm sometimes.
My gyro se, never gets hot. Not even its HR psu.
They would just roll it onto its side and do the maintenance work. Then roll back when finished.
Never found my NDS hot at all. But my 500DR head unit gets hot. But I drive it fairly hard at times!
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My power amp (MF Nu Vista 300- modified somewhat) does get toasty when the 282 is craked up. But, that was serviced/upgraded 3 years ago.
Mine is hot too or hot might be an exaggeration, it’s warm.
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My assumption, based on reading the thread, is that the supply of replacement boards is limited. When there is a high chance of damage during a service which requires a board change, that would limit the boards available for repair.
That’s pretty sensible to me.
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I’ve had plenty of Naim units serviced over the years. Always struck me that they never sounded any different after servicing. Bit like a car - no different after a simple service. Anyone else agree?
I guess we all have a different opinion of what is sensible.
What’s sensible to me would be Naim ordering a new run of SuperLine boards to replenish stock and then taking care of their current loyal customers when it’s time for service. Instead, they’ve chosen to leave customers with a product that will degrade over time and are now moving towards downplaying the importance of a service. The NDS is another issue in itself.
If any one of us started questioning the validity of a service on preamps or sources a year ago it would have caused a civil war. Now, some are taking the bait and allowing their own minds to attempt to rationalize Naim’s contradiction.
It can only be one of two scenarios.
- Your source or preamp never needed a service. Yet, Naim told you it did and willingly took your money to perform such an unnecessary service for decades on end.
Or
- Your source or preamp needs a service after 12-15 years as they’ve always claimed, but now they are unwilling to help with a work around to complete said service for a problem that they themselves created.
You choose which to believe. It’s one or the other.
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Out of interest has Naim used solder low melt sticks, designed for this task, ie for desoldering and removing components soldered with lead free solder where too much heat can destroy PCB and or components. Melt temperature is reduced to around a relatively cool 160 to 200 c. I have used successfully with desoldering surface mount chips (not easy) , and no damage to chip or PCB. Took a bit of practice, but doable, and I am no service technician.
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Just curious, what evidence led to that assumption?
We’ve now had an official statement from Naim, then additional comments from Naim staff - Richard ( Forum Moderator) and Neil ( Service Dept) to help explain the context of this news on the withdrawal of a service option for SuperLine.
An equally valid assumption - given the SuperLine is still in production and all parts are readily available - is that access to boards and board availability is not the issue, by itself.
Naim have said, and staff members have further explained, the service task for a SuperLine is too challenging to perform, without replacing a high proportion of the main boards.
So, first, that’s now widely accepted as a design flaw, given all Naim products require a service (at some point).
Logically, it’s much easier to assume this is more likely a cost issue here?
In which case, it follows this sudden policy change was in fact a “business decision”, intended to immediately curtail any ongoing liability, or losses. Which maybe makes sense for the supplier, with an “impending” liability or responsibility, but maybe not so for the 500+ SuperLine customers, many of which will be looking for a service in the next years.
Several SuperLine owners - including myself - are waiting to see what happens next ?
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I have already explained in one of my previous posts why this is not an option for us. 
Regards
Neil.
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Just for a clarification, did you mean that both low melt solder & fancy fluxes degrade the sound? or one or the other?
Also out of curiosity which solder do you use at the factory?
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I used those two as examples, basically we are forbidden to use any products that haven’t gone through extensive trials by R&D.
The solder we use is from DKL.
Regards
Neil.
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Yes low temp melt solder and low solder pastes ate typically only used for desoldering and extraction where PCB damage can occur through heat. @NeilS stated that Naim were having an issue of PCB heating damage due to the temperature draw when servicing, but there are tools to and products to deal with this unless Naim have other issues that need to be contended. The fusion of the low melt paste/solder and original old solder is cleared and cleaned after extraction and rectinned and resoldered using the specified solder.
I know this technique can be used in sensitive RF components servicing. Still curious why Naim don’t use if they are having issue with heat damage on PCB when servicing. Anyways it’s their choice, but there appears solutions to address with the info shared.
Such products are legal in the UK, nothing very fancy. Farnell and RS stock such supplies for industry.
Any way just a thought.
Cheers
Simon
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