My SuperNait freezes even after firmware upgrade

Posted by: Robiwan on 24 December 2017

My SN had the firmware upgrade last july at my dealer to get rid of the freez/locking up problems. After the upgrade it performed without any issues at all till last friday. Since then it has freez up about 8 times after selecting a different input (both analoque and digital or even the rec/mute button). I now have set all inputs to analoque and disconnect the coax cable for the Sonos streamer. It looks like to be stable now but it is very strange why this did happened the last 4,5 months? There where absolutely no issues at all!  There is not been a change in gear etc either.

I contact my dealer again in the first week of january. 

Anyone has an idea?

 

Posted on: 25 December 2017 by Adam Zielinski

Are you sure it’s a SuperNait?

Posted on: 25 December 2017 by Robiwan
Adam Zielinski posted:

Are you sure it’s a SuperNait?

??? No it's not that Super right now

Posted on: 25 December 2017 by Adam Zielinski

SuperNait does not really have a firmware upgrade capability...

Hence my question

Posted on: 25 December 2017 by Richard Dane

I take it it only happens when the Sonos is connected via Coaxial digital spdif? 

Is there an optical output you could try? 

That will at least isolate the SN from any vagaries from the (assume) floating earth of the Sonos. 

Posted on: 25 December 2017 by Adam Zielinski

Correction to my post - I missread the OPs post thinking it was SN2. 

Posted on: 25 December 2017 by Robiwan
Adam Zielinski posted:

SuperNait does not really have a firmware upgrade capability...

Hence my question

yes it has because my dealer fixed it in july, the update 01-04!

Posted on: 25 December 2017 by Robiwan
Richard Dane posted:

I take it it only happens when the Sonos is connected via Coaxial digital spdif? 

Is there an optical output you could try? 

That will at least isolate the SN from any vagaries from the (assume) floating earth of the Sonos. 

no doesn't matter if the dac is on or off, or if the sonos is connected or not. It freezes also with only my naim sources analoque connected. 

Posted on: 25 December 2017 by Richard Dane

Is it mains earthed? 

Posted on: 25 December 2017 by Mike-B

I'm not convinced your dealer is on the right track with changing firmware if all the inputs are set to analogue & it still hangs.    Have you looked at the possibility it might be something like a TV remote control ??   I had that problem with one of the all-in-one programmable remotes,  it did some strange things,  the SN would play OK but was stuck on an input,  it happened when the TV remote was used & the SN not playing,  it took a while to find it.  The fix was to scrap that TV remote.     

Posted on: 25 December 2017 by Richard Dane

Yes, Mike's post is a possibility.  The logic circuits can hang if they are bombarded with certain remote commands.  Also if close by to a screen that emits high levels of local RF noise, particularly if located underneath that screen.  Certain energy saving lights can also sometimes cause lock ups.

Posted on: 25 December 2017 by Robiwan
Richard Dane posted:

Is it mains earthed? 

Yes! 

Posted on: 25 December 2017 by Robiwan
Richard Dane posted:

Yes, Mike's post is a possibility.  The logic circuits can hang if they are bombarded with certain remote commands.  Also if close by to a screen that emits high levels of local RF noise, particularly if located underneath that screen.  Certain energy saving lights can also sometimes cause lock ups.

plasma is on the otherside as well as all my surround gear so no interferention possible. But the christmas tree with led lights is sitting in front of the SN about 3 meters away. But i'm sure that with lighths off it still froze

Posted on: 25 December 2017 by Robiwan
Mike-B posted:

I'm not convinced your dealer is on the right track with changing firmware if all the inputs are set to analogue & it still hangs.    Have you looked at the possibility it might be something like a TV remote control ??   I had that problem with one of the all-in-one programmable remotes,  it did some strange things,  the SN would play OK but was stuck on an input,  it happened when the TV remote was used & the SN not playing,  it took a while to find it.  The fix was to scrap that TV remote.     

plasma remote is not in use (no batteries) only the pioneer and horizon tv box but that was also the last 4 months at the same place and time. 

Posted on: 25 December 2017 by rainsoothe
Robiwan posted:
Adam Zielinski posted:

Are you sure it’s a SuperNait?

??? No it's not that Super right now

Best reply ever

Sorry you're having problems with your SN

Posted on: 25 December 2017 by Robiwan

and again a freez up I can hear it before it occurs when soundquality is a bit hard and shut in, and suddenly the SN controle unit is dead. With a power off and on things are normal but after a while, very random, it happens again. 

Posted on: 25 December 2017 by Daniel H.
Robiwan posted:
Richard Dane posted:

Yes, Mike's post is a possibility.  The logic circuits can hang if they are bombarded with certain remote commands.  Also if close by to a screen that emits high levels of local RF noise, particularly if located underneath that screen.  Certain energy saving lights can also sometimes cause lock ups.

plasma is on the otherside as well as all my surround gear so no interferention possible. But the christmas tree with led lights is sitting in front of the SN about 3 meters away. But i'm sure that with lighths off it still froze

My Panasonic plasma TV would freeze up my Nait 5i. It only happened when the plasma TV was on. I replaced the plasma TV with a LED TV 6 months ago. It has never happened with the LED TV in that time.  

In my case, it was the plasma TV that was causing the problem. The plasma TV was at least 4 feet from the Nait 5i, and the Nait was off to the side of the TV (not in front or under). It still froze up the Nait 5i. Back when I had a phonostage, if I turned the plasma TV on, and the input on the amp was the phonostage, a high amount of noise was picked up from the phonostage and amplified through the speakers. The sound quality of my system improved when I unplugged the plasma and replaced it with a LED TV.

Plasma TVs radiate a lot of interference. 

 

Posted on: 25 December 2017 by Robiwan
Daniel H. posted:
Robiwan posted:
Richard Dane posted:

Yes, Mike's post is a possibility.  The logic circuits can hang if they are bombarded with certain remote commands.  Also if close by to a screen that emits high levels of local RF noise, particularly if located underneath that screen.  Certain energy saving lights can also sometimes cause lock ups.

plasma is on the otherside as well as all my surround gear so no interferention possible. But the christmas tree with led lights is sitting in front of the SN about 3 meters away. But i'm sure that with lighths off it still froze

My Panasonic plasma TV would freeze up my Nait 5i. It only happened when the plasma TV was on. I replaced the plasma TV with a LED TV 6 months ago. It has never happened with the LED TV in that time.  

In my case, it was the plasma TV that was causing the problem. The plasma TV was at least 4 feet from the Nait 5i, and the Nait was off to the side of the TV (not in front or under). It still froze up the Nait 5i. Back when I had a phonostage, if I turned the plasma TV on, and the input on the amp was the phonostage, a high amount of noise was picked up from the phonostage and amplified through the speakers. The sound quality of my system improved when I unplugged the plasma and replaced it with a LED TV.

Plasma TVs radiate a lot of interference. 

 

Naim better make things less immune to IF like other brands. If my dealer can't cure the problem i'm selling the SN.

Posted on: 26 December 2017 by analogmusic

they may be able to do this, but it might impact SQ.

Naim always chooses SQ first. And I prefer that too.

There's no effort I would spare to gain top sound quality and I'm happy Naim do the same (first)

I have a 202 next to a plasma and it freezes all the time

My 282 (not next to a plasma) never does.

I will get rid of the plasma soon and replace with LED. (hence what I said about efforts above)

That old, outdated, power hogging and (noisy !) technology belongs in the past now....

I'd much rather sell the Plasma, than my Naim system, but hey ho, it's down all to everyone's priorities.

Posted on: 26 December 2017 by Robiwan

they better made the Input boards/control better which doesn't effect SQ, is that too much to ask? With this problem you never know if the SN or other Naim gear with same problem, performs as it should be.

Posted on: 26 December 2017 by Robiwan

i put the small christmas tree with burning led lights right in front of the SN at about 10 cm. I wasn't able to force it in freez mode. Strange very strange my house is probably haunted.

Posted on: 26 December 2017 by Mike-B

Hi again Robiwan,   I doubt its the red lights on the tree,  but ya never know.  One thing to try & at least eliminate/prove where the cause for the button input control confusion is getting in;   cover the SuperNait logo (its the IR sensor)  with black insulating tape or similar.    OK it means you need to manually control volume & inputs,  but if it fixes the problem for a significant period,  or that it does not fix the problem,  then you have made a significant diagnostic step.

Posted on: 26 December 2017 by Robiwan
Mike-B posted:

Hi again Robiwan,   I doubt its the red lights on the tree,  but ya never know.  One thing to try & at least eliminate/prove where the cause for the button input control confusion is getting in;   cover the SuperNait logo (its the IR sensor)  with black insulating tape or similar.    OK it means you need to manually control volume & inputs,  but if it fixes the problem for a significant period,  or that it does not fix the problem,  then you have made a significant diagnostic step.

it seems very strange to me to not been able to use the remote. It now plays a whole 1,5 hour without freezing, hope for an other hour.

Posted on: 26 December 2017 by Klout10
Mike-B posted:

Hi again Robiwan,   I doubt its the red lights on the tree,  but ya never know.  One thing to try & at least eliminate/prove where the cause for the button input control confusion is getting in;   cover the SuperNait logo (its the IR sensor)  with black insulating tape or similar.    OK it means you need to manually control volume & inputs,  but if it fixes the problem for a significant period,  or that it does not fix the problem,  then you have made a significant diagnostic step.

+1 ... 

Posted on: 26 December 2017 by Mike-B
Robiwan posted:

it seems very strange to me to not been able to use the remote. It now plays a whole 1,5 hour without freezing, hope for an other hour.

I would hope (wait) for another few days to be sure.  If by then the problem has gone away with the sensor covered,  then its a process of elimination,  TV remotes are favourites but don't disregard anything,  I read a www case about a dog shaking its chain collar messing with TV channels.

Posted on: 26 December 2017 by John Bailey

My Supernait (2009 model year) locks up every time I connect an Arcam Rblink Bluetooth receiver to the SPDIF connector. Without fail. Never did it when I had the Sonos connected the same way and until the Rblink had never frozen once in 7 years of ownership.  Connecting the Rblink via its analogue outputs (i.e. using its DAC rather than the one in the Supernait) causes no problems so I use it in that configuration.