NDX 24/192 streamer board update ?

Hi James

This is supposed to be a dealer update of boards and firmware, as I understand it. The new firmware will not work with the old boards though, I have not heard of an intended update of firmware for the earlier boards.

There is a cut-off date of the 31^st December for free updates to those units purchased after the 1^st of July, according to the Naim website.

Peter

Finally got a price estimate for my NDX upgrade - slightly below 300 EUR.

So much for the 100 GBP at least for us Finns. Apparently a third party service company costs more than the parts.

The upgrade involves (at least) the streamer board replacement and software upgrade.

I wonder if the part(s) can be ordered from Naim directly and the installation performed by the end user (without voiding the warranty)? Especially if no soldering is required?

Opening the unit voids the warranty, so changing a board by end user, forget it.

Since when does opening a Naim unit void the warranty? That's news to me.

Regards,
Frank.
All opinions are my own and do not reflect the opinion of any organisations I work for, except where this is stated explicitly.

So who's going to know who opened the unit, a user or a dealer? 

Unless of course all dealers have a magic rune stone  to wave over the unit before opening?

I have just had a quote from my dealer for a Uniti update of £420 plus £40 shipping back to Naim

That's 20% of the retail price FFS.

Just passing on the info FFS

I echo the sentiments on the cost and I wonder why there's such a price difference between the board updates for the NDX and Uniti/Qute. Also, it's not a straight forward dealer update either if they're going to ship the units back to Naim. Thanks!

Allen, I understand your frustration but I doubt that addition of 24/192 will make NDX sounding any close to the best Naim players. This is more of a "feature" type of thing and NDX is still far behind the best knowledge Naim has collected from CDP experience.

As for me, since I didn't see NDS on horizon, I went for Linn KDS1 which streams 24/192 easily and makes a MUSIC of amazing quality  

I got some studio tracks which clearly show the advantages of 24/192 -- you can imagine the level of details with such a machine as KDS.

But I don't think it's a breakthrough comparing to 16/44 -> 24/96. Possibly, I need more tracks to check up. Not to say that 24/192 is not widely available...

Ooo Allen...do tell?

Do you have a plan?

Hello Allen

We have been following your run of extremely bad luck with your new kit and must say we feel for you. I also think your observations over the upgrades are spot on. Although personally they are of no interest whatsoever to us because as I feared the addition of wireless on the new streaming boards means we are unable to use any of the streaming range from Naim going forward. Some of the prices being talked about here are frankly ridiculous IMHO; ours will be staying as is! 

So Allen, your HDX will simply replace the Userve then, is that correct?  This is the only box left that we could use, (I’m sorry I just can’t accept the Userve, it’s PS and slot loading drive makes it a non-starter for me) but if an HDX will not improve the sound over the Qute (through the nDAC) £5K seems rather a lot especially as I would not re-rip our Cd’s.

Will look forward to reading your findings on your new kit, assuming you feel inclined, and trust the new kit is to the standard that we have all come to expect from Naim.

Regards

Peter

The real achilles heel of the Naim proprietary approach to music streaming is that it seeks to control even how the music is stored on the NAS/Server so that in Allen's case he is left with no alternative but to use Naim or re-rip all 800. This is unacceptable and what distingusihes Linn from Naim. Linn have no interest in how you store your music and encourage an open source approach. Naim insist that their way of storage - even on your own NAS is the best/only way.

Wrong.

Tog

Tog……. I find that I have sympathy with your view as this is part of my reluctance to rush out and order an HDX, I am very happy with the ripping solution I have in place. On a personal level I also question the addition of wireless in any high quality streamer range, something else that Linn had the foresight to omit.

Peter

@Peter - I have never had a minute's problem with wireless but it is Linn's agnostic approach to storage, ripping and the server side of the process that links in view that their gear is only there to reproduce the music; how their customers store that music is up to them. It means that Linn can concentrate on audio reproduction of common file formats rather than arrogantly insisting on wav.

I love the Naim sound and their design aesthetic but the Linn streamers are starting to look attractive.

Tog

Allen

Having sold many UnitiServes and many more NDXs and Unitis, I cannot agree with what you say about the Naim ripping solution. I can honestly say that the UnitiServe has actually solved many problems with customer stores music and streaming.

Anyway, all I can say in support of Naim to your comments regarding ripping is, watch this space!!!!!

Cheers

Gordon

G, yes, can you say a little more about ripping if possible, please.

AB, I realise you had problems but I don't understand why you have to get shot of your NDX and replace it with the ND5 XS.

Thanks!

What exactly do you mean? I do not see any problems with our NAS using Uniti when there is no Naim Server in the system

I´m afraid that Naim will be the ones to convey the information.

Gordon