CD servicing ?

I don't know what Naim's policy is, but Linn recommend you get a CD player checked out every 2 years.

******************************************
Linn recommend you get a CD player checked out every 2 years.
******************************************

Why? And for how much? Just curious.

Brian

Before you decide to have it sent to Naim for a check-up, purchase for yourself (CDI) another one- and two-footed clamp; clean the platter using Blu-tak (as recommended by your dealer, natch) and you should be 85% of the way there.

The smaller ALT20/22-type capacitors in the CDI have a pretty long lifespan (about or exceeding ten years) and should be fine for a while.

Hope this helps,
Dave Dever, NANA service

Re Linn - mostly to check/recalibrate the laser I think. Dunno how much it costs, very little I would have thought with the Ikemi at least as it can self report to the dealers equipment.

Dave,
First thing I did was get a new 2 ring puck (Hat) - hey presto no more misreads (thanks to this forums advice).

Is there nothing that needs adjustment / cleaning ?

- Simon

Simon,

quote:

---

First thing I did was get a new 2 ring puck

---

What are these rings, where did you get them and where did you install them ?

I have a problem with my CDi - sometimes it can't find a track at the middle of a cd if I try to go directly to it. While playing a disc continuously
this problem does not occurs - is it connected to these rings ?

Arie

I recently had problems with my CD2 (4 year old). Laser stopped reading all CDs. It went back to naim and they replaced the laser mechanism for around £170. Best money Ive ever spent. Sounded incredible afterwards. I can only assume a) it had been going wrong for some time and Id been getting used to the sound and b) they put the latest kit into it.

Arie_Gur,
I had the same trouble with the CDI – It was fine reading track 1- end. But wouldn’t go to say track 4 or above (varied from disc to disc) directly. Got a new puck and no more trouble.

I have got the old type transport (CDM4?) this takes a “top hat” type puck; These come with one or two little ring like feet on the under side. The 2 ring job is supposed to be for trouble discs (most in my case). Its not supposed to sound as good as the other version but I can’t detect much difference to be honest. It still doesn't like beign left in the machine all night though.

I suspect this may start another Ma*a thread but what support have you got under your player - it appears to quite sensative to this?

- Simon

Simon,

Thanks for the explanation, I talked with Naim dealer and I'm going to replace the cdm4 with a new one and I hope it will solve my problems.

Arie

Arie_Gur,
I would try a new puck first as its only going to cost you 10 pounds or so. That a LOT cheaper than a new transport 200 plus pounds.

Simon

Simon,

Naim dealer let me have two pucks - and after your explenation I tried the other one but nothing went better.

The dealer suggested that I'll try to push something soft into the ring to try and see if it increases the friction between the hat and the disc, I'll try it later but it seems to me that I have to replace the transport.

Arie

After learning out of this post that there are hats with two legs - I asked Naim dealer about it. He instructed me to remove a leg out of one hat and to glue it about 5 m"m close to the leg in the other hat. IT works !! The CDi goes now directly to any track on the cd - unbelievable.

Thanks a lot,

Arie

Arie,
Let me know how you get on. I didn't think they had any CDM4 (old) type transports left, you may endup with a CDM9(pro?).

Simon

- Sorry you beat me to it.

[This message was edited by Simon B on SUNDAY 12 November 2000 at 16:51.]

Simon,

As I told you, after gluing the second leg to the hat the CDi works properly now.

Naim dealer told me that the cdm4 is in use with the CDs - and Naim prefer to instal the CDM9 in the CDi machines in order to keep the CDM4 for the CDs machines - it is all because Philips don't manufacture the CDM4. As I understand Naim dealer, the CDM9 is newer than the CDM4 but not a better one. It is Naim policy to keep the CDM4 for the CDs machines - I hope I understood well Naim dealer so all of what I say about the CDM4/9 is what I understood.

Arie

I spoke to Naim about my Cdi and servicing
I've also just bought one ~1993 with orig. transport

Misreads ~70% of my cd's Bought it from a dealer(remain nameless) who's only response was that the last owner had no problems--bring it back 100's of others would like to buy it!!-not we will get naim to check it out for you under our warranty.
Naim do service CDi's
They can refocus the laser if necessary,fiddle +tune the transport and replace around 20 odd small capacitors on the mainboard
However they said this isn't always required like it is in power amps--but may help a little on a older well used model.

They quoted ~£100

As for the pucks I've spent alot of time experimenting

Its all a matter of friction or lack off--e.g narrow versus wide tyres on a sportscar

1 ring puck misreads on 70%--new replacement no better than old one.Have noticed that that the new one's ring is as oval as the old one after only 2 weeks(I often leave a CD in my player overnight with puck on by mistake)

2 ring puck READS 90% VOILA the other 10 % Naim recommend masking tape stuck around the center where the puck sits(make sure its symmetrical to cut out unbalanced vibration on disc rotation)
They've tested lots of tapes e.t.c and the paper based masking tape is king apparently for sound quality.

BUTTTTT for my ears the 2 ring Puck sounds noticeably worse---Dryer and slightly less detailed(Thro 72/hi/140/ES14's or kans)
The voice echo on a Sarah Maclughlin track became almost impossible to hear(very clear when it tracked with masking tape +1 ring puck)--but scale/dynamics e.t.c uneffected

So left with either playing 30% of CD's well or 90% slightly less well(a n audiophile hates to compromise!!)
So I cut circumferentially thro a ring on my old puck(creating a 'tyre' less than Half the width
) and supergluing it 2mm from the ring on the new 1ring puck (in the same plane)

SO a 1 and athird ring puck plays 85% and I can hear the echo back again and can hear no difference to the single ring puck.

I don't normally play with Naim stuff but all you loose is a £15 puck and gain alot more cd tracks and those endless irritating period before thet 'ERR' message aahhhhh!

Cheers Richard
Ps the impression I got was that the service may or may not improve the CDi's tracking problem.The fact that Naim CD players can track so badly after a few years perhaps should be better publicised in this forum.I know you have to compromise for excellence.Earlier Ferraris used to stall and be unusable in traffic--a price most would pay--but we perhaps need to be told of this rather severe characteristic.Masking taping 100's of CD after spending a lot of money on a CD player is a little ridiculous.At least the 2 ring puck may cure it(if you know about this)---or maybea 1 and one third one!!

P.P.S yes I tried the Bluetack!

Richard--

I think you are missing something important, and that is that CDs that will not be easily read by a Naim CD player are invariably out of the Sony/Phillips "Red Book" specification. Usually this is for disc thickness--Naim players have difficulty reading discs that are too thin and this why the masking tape tweak works.

In other words, instead of damning the player we should be damning the record companies for knowingly making our of spec CDs and then charging us an arm and a leg for them. It is not the fault of the player.

Cheers to you for all your efforts and investigations on how to make discs play--commendable.

Cheers,

Bobk