Not a helpful attitude

I can understand Naim not wanting unofficial repairs discussed on their lest it be taken as endorsement. There is a place for this discussion but this isn't it.

I can also understand that there is a limit to the effort that Naim will go to to source obsolete parts and given that they select components to meet their criteria and sell on the rest, scratching around for the last few isn't feasable.

Rega keep 2 spare transports for every Isis they sell but eventually they will be used up and the players become obsolete, there's nothing lasts for ever, including us.

By which I don't mean Naim, I have no connection.

Actually, with Naim on this because there could be some users who go to 'unauthorised' on a recommendation and then have no re-course should something go disasterously wrong. I've never known them to rub their hands with glee at thought of one of their owners having to 'cough-up' again and in fact I've seen some official Naim postings on upgrade questions on this forum where they suggest simple solutions first.

As CD becomes less popular I think  Naim simply cant get transports that no ones making any more, I'm delighted that you found someone who could source transports and sort your CD player.

Maybe helpful if Naim kept a list of unofficial centres with recommendations from forum members such as yourself but with a disclaimer. I have to say, when you're drinking at last-chance-saloon it's got to be worth trying somewhere that might be able to rescue your device!

There's two sides to the argument here. If Naim are not prepared to support a legacy product then where's the problem with a.n. other offering the support ?  Conversely, why should Naim hold parts "for ever"; they do have a manufacturing business to run. 

If I were the op, I would want it repaired. A repair gives the player some value and the option to sell a working player. If sold, there would be funds which could be put towards a new CD player or streamer so giving Naim a new sale.

Naim cannot be all things to all men all of the time but my opinion is that the owner of any product should have the opportunity to have it repaired or serviced.

Yeah, I know where you're coming from OP, however it's always been this forum's policy and I can understand why. But then if you want to get your Naim equipment repaired or modified by unofficial means it's not exactly difficult to find the information, is it?

Jazz Doc,

sorry, the rules are there for good reason.  You did ask whether your post broke the rules - it did on a couple of points at least, so it had to be removed.  What you do with your Naim kit is up to you, and yes, there are people out there who reckon they can keep your CD player going even after Naim have exhausted stocks of genuine replacement parts. I have no beef with them and if you decide that's where you want to send your player, then it's your choice.  But Naim cannot, and will not sanction any repairs or modifications carried out by unauthorised third parties and certainly don't wish for their forum to be an advertising platform for them.  I'm sure some are of good quality and fine service but there are others that are poor at best, and dangerous at worst.  Either way, once something is modified it's no longer as intended by Naim.  Pity the poor person who buys secondhand unwittingly thinking they have Naim's finest.  because if it's poor, or unreliable or even dangerous, you can be sure it will be Naim's hard earned reputation that suffers. So, it's not even something that's up for debate.

JazzDocNaim posted:

 

It is sad that there are people on this forum whose allegiance to Naim Audio has left them blinkered. It seems that we must all live our lives according to the gospel of Salisbury and that any posted criticism of Naim Audio and/or their company policy is quickly is quickly removed. I hope that you will allow this post to remain Richard. I would be interested to read any responses that less affluent Naim owners might wish to make. In the meantime, I will leave you and your colleagues in Salisbury to laugh all the way to the bank!

"This forum". The Naim forum. Run by Naim. Provided at no cost to us. This forum that in fact, allows lots of discussions that are at times extremely critical of the Naim products. This forum that must have a line drawn somewhere. If you want unlimited discourse on matters such as unauthorised modifications and repairs, there are other places for that. 

Jazz doc,

Naim position is understandable, but equally so, that of an owner of vintage stuff that needs repair, to retain its use.

an option would be to support fellow enthusiasts by offering info outside of the forum.

an example of this is the Facebook web page run and used by naim members, and I see no reason why info cannot be posted there for users to see (if wished)

These days the only people laughing all the way to the bank are the big multinational tax avoidance corporations. ( and maybe a couple of ex politicians)

Naims forum, Naim's rules. It has always been thus on forums and this particular forum at least chimes in tune with the corporate philosophy.  Accordingly, Richard's response is as reasonable as it is understandable.  You have to draw the line somewhere and it's not like it's indistinct or ambiguous. Other places exist, many of us resident on them, where this information will not be embargoed.  

Jazz Doc,

I saw your original post and followed the link. While I appreciate you were sincerely sharing a friendly tip with fellow members, I understood you'd soon be moderated for fair reasons. Those reasons are well expressed above and you ought to find an objective logic in them. I don't consider myself affluent and have a ten year old Naim CDP that might need service in the future. In that event I'll have to go the same route you did - investigating options via the internet and deciding if it makes sense to have the unit serviced, possibly through a third-party. Whether or not Naim as an organization has any ulterior motivation to see my CDP fall into obsolescence wouldn't enter into the equation for me.

There are more HiFi forums on the internet than the Naim Forum, so place your useful information on another forum in an informative post, with a bit of luck your thread will get traction and will be spotted by the search engines so that other people in your position can find a solution if they ask the search engine a sensible question.

I'm surprised the mechs for CDSII have run out as I was told there where plenty when mine was replaced a couple of years back.

Tangential but my CDI 'failed' and I feared the worst.   In the event Naim were able to repair it, as on inspection they found it didn't need a new transport.

Thanks for the replies. I followed up my post with a phone all to the factory and had an interesting discussion with a member of the Naim Audio staff team. I take the point that Naim Audio are wary of any repair work that is not factory endorsed or may use parts that are not sourced by or approved by the factory. Richard ... You make a good point about resale. If I were to sell my CDS2, I would advertise it as having had the mechanism replaced and would name the company who carried out the work. I would also be happy to declare that the company who carried out the work were not an authorised Naim Audio service agency. During my telephone conversation with the factory, they mentioned an unauthorised service agency who also offered after market power supplies. I am not, and would not, advise owners of Naim Audio equipment to engage an unauthorised service agency when there is an option to have the factory or an authorised service agency carry out the work. I pointed out to the gentleman with whom I spoke that, according to the gospel of Salisbury, I had two choices ... Bin the CDS2 or upgrade to a newer model for which mechanisms are available. It's a shame that there is no option on this forum for members to share information and opinion through private messaging. It is interesting to note that at present, there is a Naim CDS (Transport only) advertised for sale for £858 and a CDS2/XPS for £1550. That's a lot of money for something that might become a door stop at any point in the future. Caveat emptor I guess. I sincerely hope that Naim Audio are not encouraging their authorised dealers to sell older Naim CDPs that cannot be serviced an/or repaired or, if the factory sanctions this, they ensure that their dealers inform prospective buyers that there may be an option for these units to be repaired.

JazzDocNaim posted:

Thanks for the replies.............

................I sincerely hope that Naim Audio are not encouraging their authorised dealers to sell older Naim CDPs that cannot be serviced an/or repaired or, if the factory sanctions this, they ensure that their dealers inform prospective buyers that there may ??? be an option for these units to be repaired.

Have you omitted a "not" in that last sentence ?

BigH47 posted:

I'm surprised the mechs for CDSII have run out as I was told there where plenty when mine was replaced a couple of years back.

According to what I was told by AV Options at the time, they had already run out in 2013.