I was just thinking of options, I don’t have any insider knowledge 
Hopefully Naim rethink this and give owners some sort of choice.
Yes, this is where Naim’s position seems contradictory. Their advice with the CD555 head unit was consistently that it didn’t need to be serviced and should only be sent in if it needed repair. The reason being that the device was delicate and it was at risk of damage during transport.
Guys just a bit more realism eh .This not the 70s,80s,90 or even 00. Naim don’t make 42s32s 140s,135setc . The cd drives of the time are all gone , computer tech moves on .I have a NS01 worthless , working until it stops working . Not gonna shed a tear when it does ,cause I’m a realist . Naim is not a cottage industry and have to say have done bloody well by their customers and gone beyond what’s expected at many times .
It’s a cut throat world out there and many many companies are really on the edge of profitability . Ways have to change to stay afloat and profitable .
Look at cars now …they are so hi tech ,many many small garages can’t do more than change an exhaust and brake pads …I suggest a more 2024 mentality …things change ,just be open to it. Folks working at Naim are not at fault for this they really have done and continue where possible to do their best .
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That sounds ironic coming from someone using isobariks, keltiks, lp12 et cetera 
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Agreed 
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I’ve been told that the problem with the NDS and Superline is that the ground plane on the PCB is so big that it’s nigh on impossible to remove the capacitors and clear the holes without applying so much heat it can cause damage. The ground plane just takes on the heat, so that when you try to remove the component it pulls the track with it. Three of the best service techs at Naim have all tried and failed. I guess this may also well be one of the disadvantages of ROHS and the removal of lead which has meant much higher solder temperatures.
I sense some real frustration here from Naim. Possibly this is something that was not properly foreseen during the development of these two products. Hitherto it has not been possible without damaging the PCB. Having to replace the entire PCB has been necessary but this is not a sustainable practice so a line has had to be drawn, which I completely understand, disappointing though it undoubtedly is for both Naim and long-term owners of these products (myself being one such).
Just a reminder, Naim reiterate that any necessary repairs on these will still be done.
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Having had my CD555 head serviced a few months ago (after c.15 years – door issue emerged), I can say the uplift in performance is material – to the point where I now wonder how long it was under par (my guess is several years, as there was a minor display issue).
In my case, I was very fortunate that shipping/transportation wasn’t a long journey, and didn’t involve/ risk external couriers.
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HL, was it more of a repair than a service?
Richard, I’d say both, as:
1- the door mech started opening slightly during playback, after initially closing OK - re-cal didn’t work.
2- for many years, when in display-off mode, as the track number faded, the sound level would momentarily dip (and my PSs were serviced, so it wasn’t these).
3- having listened to another CD555, with hindsight, (I think) the sound clarity of mine wasn’t quite the same.
The service sheet states door gear box updated, service, changed bipolars, new uprated tants, replaced transit pads, RCA nuts and gearbox - plus software updated.
I’d been asking about the need for a service (being a 2007/8 model) for several years, and was advised that unless there’s a clear issue, best not to transit it.
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Yes, that has always been Naim’s position with regard to CD players, mainly due to the effects of shipping on the mech.
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I am happy I decided not to seek a CD555 or Superline. Lusted after both but out of my price range. There are other options in the US but Chris West knows more about Naim than anyone here. Guess I can scratch the Superline off my aspirational list! Probably cheap as chips now however.
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This might be silly, but is the fragility of shipping age related? I was thinking the mechs would be shipped to Naim, then the machine manufactured, then players shipped anywhere in the world in the past
Martin
I suspect it’s got to do with the scarcity of replacement mechs nowadays, obviously not the case when the units were made (and mechs were ‘cheap’).
It’s difficult to prove whether a mech was broken in transit/on the bench/when in the hands of a dealer, etc, So, a ‘safety first’ policy for 'players still playing OK is entirely understandable.
Ye olde issues present though, in that 'player performance degradation is likely to be gradual and how can you recognise it?
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My Superline was serviced by Naim a few months ago. It needed it! I guess the main board was tossed out and a new one fitted.
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Not sure that’s the m.o. – my SL service sheet details only tants replaced (no quantity mentioned) and logo was replaced (original was bleeding).
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I’ve watched a Guitar Amp repair person get around the removal of a capacitor (where it’s in an awkward situation) by cutting the legs off near the cylinder part of the capacitor, and then soldering the new capacitor to the old legs. Wood this work here, or is that seen as a bodge, or a fix that might effect SQ?
Perhaps thats what a repair means here?
From postings over the years, you are not alone in thinking that having the 555 CD player serviced improved the sound. I suspect that Naim’s formal advice was based on a risk assessment that judged the potential advantages of a service were not worth exposing the machine to the dangers of shipping. My CD555 had not been serviced when I got it (10 years old) and remained so - I did sometimes wonder if it could have sounded better. It’s gone now and I am convinced that the ND555 streamer is an improvement, although as I traded one for the other, I was never able myself to make a direct comparison.
So then to clarify
My superline has broken, i send it in for repair.
How much is this going to cost?
Whilst you are repairing it, the track comes away, and now needs a new board.
What happens at this point ? Does it just get a new board and complete components or is it now scrap?
If it does get a new boand components what does that cost or is it still the same fixed price?
I guess only the component that has failed would get changed ? That then means going forward anything can happen as the caps are all the same age, and if one went, and only that one got changed, then looking at how many are on the board, it would just be a matter off time before we go again, and again, and again.
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until the supply of boards runs out presumably!
Yes they may still appear in the catalogue under part number RJH-35V102MI7 but in 2020 I tried to source them and the only place I could find claiming to have any stock was in Hong Kong. Needless to say when they arrived they were not Elna but some very dubious made in India items.
After a protracted fight and the threat of legal action I had my money refunded.
I have kept an eye out for the Elna RJH ever since but not had any luck.