New n-Vi firmware still not satisfying

Posted by: Margan on 03 January 2008

I have updated to the latest n-Vi firmware version (0.189.5.6/DVc02-13). Apart from the problem I had to carry the n-Vi to my dealer because an internal video setting was changed and the picture was dark and shifted, I AM STILL NOT CONTENT!
Yes, the fan noise problem is solved and yes, the sound at the start of a film is now there but... it is still not possible to start a CD from a track different than 1! If the disc is stopped and I select track 4 the n-Vi displays track 4 and starts to play but either with track 1 or with one or two seconds from track 1, then track 4.
Naim, can you please tell me if you think this will ever be fixed? I don't know any other CD player that can't do this, it is ridiculous! It is really embarrassing when I have to tell my guests "Ah, that's a problem of the player. The price? Well..."
Posted on: 03 January 2008 by Mike1380
Got the same release on my n-Vi.... I find that the CD access problem you've described only happens under CERTAIN circumstances.....


if the tray is open, I pop a cd in, and just hit a track number on the remote then it'll close the tray, spin the disc, and play the track I asked it to.

If the n-Vi is on, with a disc inside, using any input other than disc, and I flip it to disc and hit a number then it also does what it's told.

If I've left a disc in the tray, the input is disc, but I've left the player in Stop mode unattended for a while.. then hit a number - it STILL does what it's told.....

BUT... if I hit PLAY followed by a track number I get a small excerpt from tack 1... also if the disc is stopped but I hit a track number within a short period of time then I also get the problem described above.

Seems to me that Naim have made a huge step forward on this issue, but there's still some ground to cover.... hopefully the detail above will help?
Posted on: 03 January 2008 by Duncan Fullerton
quote:
Originally posted by Mike1380:
Seems to me that Naim have made a huge step forward on this issue, but there's still some ground to cover.... hopefully the detail above will help?
You said that tongue firmly in cheek, right? I worked for Phillips in the Netherlands back in the early 80's and my hot-off-the-press CD-101 c. 1984 could do all this track skipping and playing malarkey with no problems. Granted, it sounded shite!

So ... "huge step forward"?? Nope. Just bungled in the first place. Winker

Duncan
Posted on: 03 January 2008 by Mike1380
Nope, meant what I said...

With a background in software testing I'm sympathetic to the problems a small, specialist manufacturer can encounter with a low production volume device that incorporates massive flexibility whilst focussing on quality video/audio reproduction.

I'd much rather have the trials and tribulations of n-Vi ownership than gone through the pain of being one of TVR's "paying" test drivers.

Am also prepared to bet that the n-Vi (from day one) has had less operating system revisions, and less bugs than my computer (or that of anyone else on here) has had in that same period of time.

I sympathise with Margan though.... but at least we all now know that direct track access is possible under many (if not all) circumstances.

Admittedly though, for my chosen medium of two channel listing, direct track acces by remote control is impossible.... Vinyl eh?
Posted on: 05 January 2008 by Duncan Fullerton
quote:
Originally posted by Mike1380:
I'd much rather have the trials and tribulations of n-Vi ownership than gone through the pain of being one of TVR's "paying" test drivers
Ah but with my various TVR's they at least did what they said on the tin. It's just that the quality of the workmanship/build was occasionally less than stellar!

With Naim and the n-Vi it seems to me to be the other way round IMHO.

Duncan
Posted on: 05 January 2008 by Margan
Mike,
I checked the behaviour you described above. My n-Vi NEVER does exactly what it is told, in the cases you describe always a small portion of track 1 is played.
Same firmware, different behaviour... dear Naim, may this be an hardware issue?
There's also this open issue that may n-Vi can't be really quite, volume 01 is too loud for some occasions, my previous n-Vis were better in this topic.
Posted on: 05 January 2008 by AV@naim
quote:
Originally posted by Margan:
Mike,
I checked the behaviour you described above. My n-Vi NEVER does exactly what it is told, in the cases you describe always a small portion of track 1 is played.
Same firmware, different behaviour... dear Naim, may this be an hardware issue?
There's also this open issue that may n-Vi can't be really quite, volume 01 is too loud for some occasions, my previous n-Vis were better in this topic.



Its "possible" that its hardware...but I cant say for sure. how old is the unit?

Are you definatley sure that both firmware updates were applied?

do you have any other issues regarding DVD/CD disc playability, loading/unloading?

Before I put my foot in my mouth, I will run some checks when i'm back on Monday. I was under the assumption that this issue was nailed in the latest release, given the selection of discs used for testing. Mike, your notes will be useful for re-creating this.

As to the levels, there were minimal changes to downmixing, but TBH, Vol 1 is pretty quiet
Posted on: 06 January 2008 by Mike1380
One other thing... if I hit "Play" followed by a track number under ANY of the circumstances I described then I do get an excerpt of track 1...
But if I just hit a number on the remote then the behaviour I described in my earlier post applies.

Mind you, I expect it to work that way... certainly my Linn Mimik assumes that, if I press PLAY rather than a track number, playing the disc means from the beginning.
Posted on: 06 January 2008 by Margan
Dear Naim,
my current unit is from autumn 2006, serial number 232903. Vol 1 was definitely more quiet in my previous units.
By the way, today I checked the alarm for the first time. Out of standby the disc does not play, out of "on" this works, but the volume ramp doesn't work.
Posted on: 06 January 2008 by AV@naim
quote:
Originally posted by Margan:
Dear Naim,
my current unit is from autumn 2006, serial number 232903. Vol 1 was definitely more quiet in my previous units.
By the way, today I checked the alarm for the first time. Out of standby the disc does not play, out of "on" this works, but the volume ramp doesn't work.


Thanks Margan, If your unit has an issue, meaning it will not correctly select tracks from stop state, then it may affect the alarms. If we can get your problem fixed, I suspect both issues will dissapear.

My n-Vi here at home does not sport the same issue. I will take another look with a range of units tommorow.

can you mail Steven Hopkins here with ref to this:-

info@naimaudio.com

he'll pass it on to me.
Posted on: 06 January 2008 by Margan
Ehm, sorry, I do not understand, WHAT should I mail?
Posted on: 06 January 2008 by AV@naim
quote:
Originally posted by Margan:
Ehm, sorry, I do not understand, WHAT should I mail?


Just put something along the lines of your issue and a link to this thread and a ref to Av@naim. Steve will then pass it on to me and we can get your issue sorted out ASAP.

I'd didn't want you putting your mail address up here.
Posted on: 07 January 2008 by Margan
I just sent the mail. I didn't understand your post before because I somehow thought that Naim is able to get my email-address from my account...
One missing answer: yes, I'm sure the firmware updates are applied, these are the versions that are shown when I press 'prog'.
One more problem, but I'm not sure whether it was in this firmware version or the previous one: on rare occasions the n-Vi jumped to a different track in CD play while nobody was touching the unit or the remote control...
Posted on: 07 January 2008 by AV@naim
Hi Margan,

I have received your mail. I will start a dialogue later today hopefully, my mail list is huge back from holiday!