Unhappy with the new NAIM update

We’ve now got to post 849 and there is still a lack of communication from Naim which is still creating concern amongst some members.

Richard Dane and Hungry Halibut are doing their best trying placate the members. However, they are not Naim staff.

There is talk about a “Patch” being issued to hopefully resolve some of the issues. But what is a patch,

The National Institute of Security and Technology (NIST) / Computer Security Resource Center (CSRC) define a patch as;

A “repair job” for a piece of programming; also known as a “fix”. A patch is the immediate solution to an identified problem that is provided to users; it can sometimes be downloaded from the software maker’s Web site. The patch is not necessarily the best solution for the problem, and the product developers often find a better solution to provide when they package the product for its next release.

Members are getting quite concerned about the lack of communication from Naim, given that this is their Forum that can be accessed directly from their website.

If you are new to Naim and considering buying their kit, this has the potential to put people off from buying as customer service and support is a very important aspect of that process.

I appreciate that some members may accuse me of butting in and interfering as I don’t presently have any Naim kit. However, in all my business life of auditing companies for Quality / Environment / H&S, customer satisfaction and the perception of this has always been one of the important threads of this. It’s not only the customers needs but also their expectations that need to be addressed.

It would be really nice to see some positive elements to this thread of how the issue has been addressed, including official Naim updates and communication.

So come on Naim, let’s see some official response to this issue that does appear to placate the issue, particularly as a number of members are thinking and taking about changing their Naim kit.

DG…

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I do not mean tone controls. I think it’s clear to most that this update includes a change to sound signature. Whether for the better (for the majority) or for the worse (for a minority), it’s still a change. And thus a toggle to revert to legacy processing sounds to me as the option that would please both of those groups.

Now we’re going MacIntosh, but they have the added problem of Blue, Green and White Lighting.

That is a whole new rabbit hole.

DG…

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The poll does not take into account people, such as myself, who read about the issues and have not installed the update.
How many of us are there and what would be our findings ?
I’m sorry, given the experiences of some others I’m not prepared to risk it.

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Yes I know, it was tongue in cheek…!

And I definitely think there’s been something of a sonic change, I’ve experienced it myself…mostly to the good, but there’s no doubt the HF is a bit hot at times, too much so…

But re the point of a ‘switch’ facility between the sonic signatures of the versions, it’s just not going to happen…Software/firmware just cannot work like that…As has been established, any of this audible difference that has been experienced by users currently is an unintended result of the firmware coding…I just don’t see how you can simply offer a UI ‘switch’ to go between that……and besides, I just don’t see any self respecting software engineer offering such a function – its inviting chaos, more than at present…!

SC

No but probably the forum represents like 0.1% of Naim streamer owners and the other 99.9% aren’t on the forum, don’t know this debate exists and therefore aren’t waiting to update. So while there are those who are wary and won’t upgrade, I suspect we are statistically insignificant.

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Hi Dan,

I just replied to @DiggyGun in a thread about Roon. When writing my reaction I realised that certainly after the FW update I prefer the sound of Audirvãna over the native Naim app in my set up. More warm and natural.

So maybe trying Audirvãna will give you (and others here) a temporary solution for the SQ issues that you experience. Just a laptop, installation of Audirvãna and setting it up is what it takes. And if it is a winner, than ofcourse the monthly fee after the trial.

Especially given the time you specifically may have left, it may be worth trying.

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Totally agree and I guess in the real world many do not voice an opinion and just move on.
Confession, although having been a Naim owner for over 35yrs and heavily invested, finances permitting I would probably do.
In the end sales will only show whether Naim got it right.

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hi richard
i think it may depend on how they count complaints - i have contacted them and received a reply but no ticket number - if they are counting ticket numbers then i am invisible

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That’s odd - I thought every reply should have a ticket number associated to it.

email reply:
Hi Nigel,

Thank you for the feedback provided on the recent firmware update of your Naim product. The recent firmware updates on our products have gone through detailed listening sessions, and have been deemed better, than the previous version, with very minimal change.

A lot has been implemented in the recent update, including Tidal Max and the new iRadio server. Rolling back firmware is not something that we can offer, however, we will take all the feedback we receive and report it to our software and R&D teams for consideration and continuous improvement.

If not already provided, please can you confirm the product you are using, the firmware version it is running (settings – about – version) and a brief description on the difference in sound quality).

Some of the reasons for us not rolling back are:

We have obligations with our streaming service providers to keep various libraries up to date and available.
It will cause instability in the iOS/Android app, working alongside a product with out-of-date firmware.
Our software updates go through vigorous listening tests, with our experts, to ensure they meet the criteria and culture of the Naim sound.

There are many implications of running old firmware, hence why we cannot offer this to any user. If you feel the sound has taken a massive ‘hit’, it could point at another issue coming from the update process, in this scenario, we recommend performing a hard factory reset. Please note, this will clear radio station preferences, and app settings.

If you would like to provide any further feedback, please do not hesitate

Kind regards,

Alex Roberts
Technical Support Agent

Did you get an earlier reply to your enquiry giving you a ticket number? Every support query should have a ticket number associated as that’s how the system works.

I may have missed it further up in the thread but, for people experiencing an impact, is this on all streaming sources? For example, is local UPnP affected to the same degree as Tidal (for example)?

no - i have checked spam folder and that is only email from naim - this could well explain the discrepency if they have stopped counting

hi feeling-zen i only use qobuz but i have the impression others have problem with all sources

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In my experience yes, as with all previous firmware, after all down at the level we are talking about cloud streaming and local streaming are the same… not saying they will sound identical, but that is a different subject… with cloud streaming including web radio you then move into EBU R-128 territory and LUFS processing … potentially on the client as well as source.

I don’t think it’s possible without a ticket number as that’s how the support email system works.

hi richard and @Dan_M
i have checked back through my emails and i definitely haven’t had an email with a ticket number. i contacted them via the contact support form on the naim website as it meant i could supply exactly the info they need. perhaps that is the problem?

So you didn’t get an email like:


Thank you for your email - we would like to acknowledge that we have received your enquiry which will be reviewed by a support representative.

Your ticket number is 123456


When you sent your email to: support@naimaudio.com

Because I think it’s automatic…

Send them an email as well so you have a ticket number.