All Digital Inputs on AV2 are dead :-O

I'm sorry to say that it sounds very much like the same thing that happened to mine a few years ago after some lightning and thunder in the area......

@Richard:

Would a "scrambled DSP" be fixable locally then or would it just be a "smaller" repair compared to the other possible sources?

I did not unplug anything yet. I can do so if you think it helps but I figured since analogue works fine and optical connections do not trasmitt electrical noise (sat receiver is connected optically and only DVD5 via toslink), I didn't think there would be much point. 

@blythe:

No need to build up suspence ^^

What was wrong with yours in the end and how where you or was Naim able to fix it? Or was it an expensive paperweight afterwards?

If you still had stuff plugged in to the AV2 - particularly a TV or sat receiver box and these weren't unplugged from mains and/or aerial then any spike or somesuch from the recent storms may have zapped the chipset.  A scrambled DSP can usually be fixed just by a hard power down and power up. 

We didn't have any storms here. No power outs. No spikes. So it really just was from turning the system off and on again.

Also the entire Naim system is electrically isolated from any and all other devices.

Meaning, all connections from anything other than the DVD5 is toslink. So basically an isolated system. Even a dedicated spur

Is a hard power down shutting it off without putting it into standby? Or a special power down routine?

And, most importantly: Thank you!

OK thanks.  That does rather rule out a number of possibilities. If a hard power down and power up doesn't clear the problem then try a factory default reset;

To restore the factory defaults, go into the setup page (Input setup mode, press & hold the Input button on the front panel, speaker setup mode, press & hold the mute button) then in each mode press & hold the handset display button. (display flashes once to confirm)

If that doesn't work then try a power down and power up again.  Beyond that, it's then something you should contact your dealer or Naim about.

I thought I had gotten lucky, but I didn't

Turned it on after two days of power down and reset each page.

Tried a DVD right away and worked. Tried another. Worked.

Switched to optical abd it worked. Switched channels (sat receiver running enigma2 [dreambox]) and everytime you switch channels it cuts the optical output. So the AV2 has to relock onto the signal. Never caused any problems. Now it does.

Seems like whatever i wrong with the AV2 is triggered somewhere on signal loss or when it tries to reconnect or reinitialise or whatever it does.

Left it running now while I am away to see if it loses the signal and starts plopping again even when the signal is constanly there.

Will reset my satellite receiver tonight as well. Just to make sure.

Is the signal processing unit (DSP) soldered or is it the unit that is swapped when chsnging the firmware? I think I might still have the old firmware chip somewhere from when the software wss updated.

Any point in trying that or are the two not connected?

No way - don't touch it.  You'll likely cause electrostatic damage to the chips.  It won't show straight away but the breakdown will happen gradually until one day in the future (maybe very near future) they fail. 

Performed with the necessary grounding precautions (not sure what it is called in english) when we replaced the chip last time. Could do it again, if that is the chip in question. Of course system and technician would be "grounded" ^^

But as I said, only as a last resort and only if that is actually the chip affected. Don't worry, I love my AV2 very much and I will do all I can to save its precious life :-)

Best take Naim's advice here.  Unfortunately now on break though, so perhaps talk to your dealer.

Will wait for Naim to return fron their summer break then :-)

It's been years since my dealer last had an AV2 so all he could do is send it back anyway (not complaining, just logical that this kind of problem can only be sorted with Naim HQ really).

Maybe turning the volume to 99 and leaving the house for a few hourd will set it straight again ^^

@GreenAlex

I hope you can solve your problem.

@Richard Dane

What is what you call "scrambled DSP" ?

I use my AV2 everyday for hours but may be once every 10 days, it sticks with "No Sig" flashing on every digital input.

Fortunately, it can be solved with hard power down and power up procedure.

Is this regular failure the beginning of the end for my AV2 or a usual bug that I shouldn't worry about ?

Karyboue,

no, I think this is not something to worry too much about.  The AV2 was fairly sensitive to any mains anomolies, whether directly or via anything with a floating mains attached to it through signal interconnects.  In my old house I had pretty variable mains and sometimes this would happen quite regularly - I'd come home and find either no signal or lost settings.  A hard switch off and on would clear it and it would then be fine.

Sorry for my late response - Naim did indeed fix my AV2 which is still serving me very well 

Thanks.

Yeah, mine sometimes got stuck on "no sig". Power down and back up and it was sorted.

I spent 4 hours until 2am trying to solve it somehow. 

In the end it has become aparent, that the av2 does have something wrong with it. Ruled out everything else.

Managed to screw up my sat receiver doing so, so will need to reinstall the firmware on that tonight^^

But I must admitt, that if i could remember where i put that firmware chip I might have swapped it last night just to check if it fixes things. Will look for it again. I know i did not throw it away. 

Sorry Richard, I promise I will take all the needed precautions! But right now I have a very expensive, although pretty looking, paperweight

If only I didn't have real work to do now... -.-

@blythe: I figured Naim was able to fix it. I was wondering what they had to fix?

Can't see anything obvious wrong with it. No fried chips. Where is the DSP in question located? Is it one of the PLCCs?

I would definitely leave it be until your retailer can coordinate further diagnostics with the factory / distributor.  There really are no user-serviceable parts inside and, as Richard indicated above, the surround processor board module is rather susceptible to ESD damage.

Alex, as you have it open and you say you have all the correct ESD precautions in place (strap, ground mat, clothing, shoes) then you might want to carefully lift the PIC chip with a PIC removal tool and then re-seat it.  Maybe just a poor contact.  Worth a go.  If you don't have the full precautions then don't touch anything - it'll inevitably result in chip breakdown somewhere on the board, if that's not already the cause of the problem.  This board is very fragile and prone to ESD if not handled properly - just a wrist strap won't cut it.

What I find curious is, that although it is on digital inputs, it sounds like static. Like white noise.

It seems to happen when the AV2 loses the signal and has to start decoding/processing again.

It does not seem to happen while the stream is constant. Only after the signal is lost (e.g. switching channels) and the AV2 locks on again.

Probably someone at Naim knows exaaactly what the issue is and why this is happening, whilst I just feel like kicking that gorgeous black box -.-

Hi Alex,

Sorry, can't help you on this one but it's good to see you back on here again! 

Hope you get this sorted quickly.

Best wishes,

Tony.

Sorry to hear about your AV2 Alex. Just back from a work trip in the States. I left at the same time we were having the thunder storms so unplugged the entire system before leaving. I even went as far as removing the optical cable from the Virgin box to the AV2. Turned it all back on and everything seems to be fine. Hope you can get yours sorted out. 

Cheers,

Rack.

Thanks guys :-)

I will contact Naim mid-week to give them some time to return from their short summer break before bothering them with my broken av2 :-D