Unhappy with the new NAIM update

pretty much what has happened with the latest firmware to my ears

Perhaps you need to try a non DR 555PS then :flushed:

(This was suggested in jest… )

1 Like

No PS at all, just bare NDX2! I do wonder though if these sonic changes are deliberate by Naim and by design rather than a by product of other changes - I suspect so. Perhaps they thought it was really good and would be universally liked, the OC streamers seem to be more aligned sonically now with the NC. Is it the new Naim sound siganture going forward? Is is catering for a market in maybe the far east or china that prefers the uber detailed etched sound? Who knows but it aint good! If it’s not addressed in the next release I’ll be going for a brand switch.

5 Likes

But are you happy about that?

I guess this is a major difference between consumer and enterprise aimed products. My Denon AV amp and video streamers update periodically. Even turning off auto update gets turned back on again the next time you manually run it. I’m not always thrilled with the outcome.

But in my line of work, where an annual software license is in the millions of USD, an auto update or unexpected feature change can at the least wipe millions of your renewals and at worst land you in court. I’ve spent the past 20 years supporting enterprise applications so my “naive” view is very much skewed by the fact that changing things must be very controlled, clearly documented, and unintended performance impacts have all hands on deck lest it turn out to be the last update we ever do. I dare say, if our products were only as much as a Merc, lur dev yeam might be a bit more cavalier in their approach too.

A Tesla is pretty much a software defined car and older models get access to new features. In an older Tesla you only activate the new headlights mode if you want it - otherwise dont. If you buy a new maybe they are default.

Just as Naim should have handled this.

Chuckle… I don’t think there is a Machiavellian ulterior motive… this was about getting Tidal Max/Connect out there, expedited by the web radio resolution… that was causing grief for many customers and was preventing products from operating as advertised. There were non critical bugs carried over to get the release out fast.
I suspect the next release won’t be so far away and will likely go though the more traditional Naim listening tests. Subjective feedback is given by the beta teams, but as you can imagine that is often as varied as on this forum.

4 Likes

Are you the chief apologizer at Naim :slight_smile:

Say it like it is - they did a sloppy job. Blew their christmas bonus.

5 Likes

Nope, just putting a bit of context to some of the arm chair hyperbole…
And I am not detracting that some are unhappy.

1 Like

Same here. If this doesn’t get resolved I will sell all my Naim stuff and opt for another brand even though I have been a Naim loyalist for many years. I didn’t pay €9500 for a streamer that gets outperformed by a €2000 Node / Qutest combo.
I dare say that if I add a Mutec MC3+ to the Node / Qutest setup the gap becomes even larger.

3 Likes

I don’t think that’s quite a fair analogy. Naim alter the firmware to address bugs and add new functionality. A side effect of doing this is that it can subtly change sound quality. They then, I believe, make small adjustments based on listening tests to correct any such changes. If they didn’t do that I’d bet that there would be a lot more complaints about negative changes to the sound.

2 Likes

I think this is all a strong argument for decoupling the transport from a non network connected DAC. Assuming that the greater (though not 100%) consistency of performance gained from an separate DAC is preferable to the possibly better implemented coupling of a combined transport and DAC but with more firmware derived variability in performance.

I’d always sort of felt that closely integrating a controlled marriage of transport and DAC in a single box was preferable. But with the large variability in functionality and firmware changes (good or bad), I’m less convinced that holds as true for streamers as CD players.

Not counting Qbs, I have four streamers. Three integrated and one transport-DAC. While the latter is very sensitive to changes in the streaming transport hardware, it has proved the most resilient to performance inconsistencies in the transport updates, insofar as I haven’t noticed any.

1 Like

Hello, I have to reset my Nsc 222, must I press play+input before plug mains ? And then stay press for 10 seconda? Is it correct?

According to my dealer, Naim are absolutely committed to putting the streamer and DAC in the same box as being the best way to optimise their performance. How much of this is sales and marketing as opposed to real sound quality optimisation, who knows. Personally I’m inclined to favour keeping them separate. I guess the problem for Naim, especially with their stated need to simplify their range, is that a separate DAC and a separate power supply is more than most customers want these days, so something’s got to give.

3 Likes

Don’t upgrade it.

I’m with you on this.
After a factory reset stereo imaging and soundstage is restored to the previous level, however the overall sound still has that more hi-fi than music characteristic. It has a very unpleasant edge that was never present before.

Despite being trivial to do so, Naim’s reluctance to restore sound quality, the overriding factor for me; together with their quite arrogant response is likely to determine their exit.

3 Likes

Yes correct. Let us know how you get on

Hi, my 222 does not reset. I made all the procedure but nothin appened

Correction:
*I wasn’t tip toeing

This is how I did it….

  1. Unplug from the wall
  2. Leave unpowered for 30 mins
  3. Hold down the play+input
  4. Turn the 222 on at the mains socket and keep holding those two buttons for 10 seconds (12 to be sure), and then let go
  5. After a minute or so I then pressed the power button on the front of the 222 and just let it go through the reset process (it doesn’t actually say anything on the screen)
  6. When the 222 has reset, you can then set it up as a new streamer using the app.

Hope that helps.

Given the wide variety of rooms, speakers, ears etc that Naim owners possess - never mind cables, switches etc -it is inconceivable that subtle changes in tone will be perceived positively by all. The fact that a very large majority feel their streamers are improved suggests that Naim have done a great job.

6 Likes