CDS3

I tried this some time back. Basically I felt the original clamp to sound best on the VAM1250 units, however, I would imagine a VAM1202 type clamp may sound better than a slipping or worn VAM1250 clamp. With the VAM1202 type clamp any slippage is nigh on impossible because it has a magnet inside it and will attach like a limpet to the earlier transport hub.

I still have/use my original puck for my CD5i (three years old) and it has never slipped once and has been in the player clamped to a CD all this time.(VAM 1202) I much prefer it to the rubber tube type clamp (more convenient/reliable). With the CD inside the player at all times, i find it protects the lens from dust/fluff or inquisitive little tykes.

Steve

quote:

Originally posted by Richard Dane:
I tried this some time back. Basically I felt the original clamp to sound best on the VAM1250 units, however, I would imagine a VAM1202 type clamp may sound better than a slipping or worn VAM1250 clamp. With the VAM1202 type clamp any slippage is nigh on impossible because it has a magnet inside it and will attach like a limpet to the earlier transport hub.

Richard,

Interesting that you tried this some time ago.
What made you try it?

I have tried the new Clamp 5 against brand new Clamp 4's and IMO the former is still the best of the two types, and has the added benefit of not degrading through CD replay/use.
What I once thought were bad days due to atmospheric conditions and/or "poor electrical mains" days, have all been banished, the system now plays great and consistent music.

Look forward to your reply.

Best regards

James

quote:

James,
Naim advised me not to use a magnetic puck on the CDS3 as it was not the engineered partner for that transport and they did not know what long term effects using one may have.
I did try one on my CDS3 to see if it solved my 'skipping' problem, as the transport was dying I didn't feel I had anything to lose.
I am sceptical about this though I must be honest. Wouldn't Naim have posted it on this forum if we could all improve our CDS3's for the price of a puck?

Steve,

Thanks for the feedback, interesting that Naim also said in a different way that the Clamp 5 should not work on the VAM1250.

Just out of curiosity, when you tried the Clamp 5 on your slipping/skipping transport what effect did it have?

No one knows what the long term affect of any puck would be on a transport, until it is actually out there in use for extended periods of time. For example, the manual does not say anything about having to change the puck, or about not leaving the puck in situe on a CD in the player. But the dealers will tell you different, this should answer your question about why Naim has not posted this on the forum, as they could be open to critisism if it did not work for some, thats why the dealers are there to take any of the negative feedback.

We have to be thankful for the dealers who bend over backwards and work their magic to get our choice of Naim electronics to sound outstanding, leaving us satisfied and with big grins on our faces. But sometimes it takes a bit of your own tinkering with different options to get where you want to be.

All the best

James

James,

It was a bit by accident really. I was getting frustrated by the number of recent discs that were way out of redbook standard and had much thinner centres than normal. This was causing slippage and read issues with my CDS3. I guess the record labels had decided they could trim a penny or two here. Anyway, I had an old CD5i clamp handy and decided to try it out; hey presto! Slippage stopped and no more problems. So then I decided to try it on a redbook standard CD and it worked too, but I didn't think it sounded quite as good. Can't remember the details of differences now - this was a few years back now! Anyway, I used the original clamp for 95% of the CDs and the CD5i clamp for the later thinner-centred tricky ones...

quote:

...but Puck 3 does have rubber rings

...did you mean Puck 5?

PS, All I did was copy and paste part of the e-mail.

James,
like I say, my transport was terminally ill when I tried it so it may not be the most reliable result but I found the same as Richard - it sounded different, but to my ears it certainly wasn't better, lacking some of the transparency I am used to.
Like everything else that changes the sound though, it probably works for the better with some systems (and ears!) and for the worse in others.
Was it a dealer that pointed you in this direction. Mine has never suggetsed trying this option. Naim's warning about possible long term issues is enough to put me off trying it out on my new transport though.
regards,
Steve.

Might have been asked before but do people leave their pucks on the transports when not in use (obviously without CD) - or do they remove their pucks completely and store elsewhere.

Gregg

Gregg,

I usually leave the clamp in the player. I'm too good at losing things like that, otherwise...

The big "no, no" though, is to leave the player with a disc inside and the clamp on the disc. This will end up squashing the rubbers on the clamp.

quote:

The big "no, no" though, is to leave the player with a disc inside and the clamp on the disc. This will end up squashing the rubbers on the clamp.

Richard...even with this big "no no", my first puck lasted approx three years (i.e. better to leave a CD & puck in place when not in use to guard against prying little fingers, as new puck is cheaper than new transport )...this says a lot about the resilience of the rubbers....I now use my old puck and CD when not in use to protect the transport from prying fingers saving the new puck rubbers from taking the strain......simples!!!

...or maybe I should just get a life

quote:

Originally posted by BigH47:

quote:

Anyone know what the situation is these days on replacement transports for the CDS II?

I was told earlier in the year they were "plentiful".
Not actually how many a plentiful is though.

I got a new one for mine only about 3 weeks ago. I think it was under £300 but I'm not sure as I had a general service of the CDP and the XPS at the same time.

quote:

I got a new one for mine only about 3 weeks ago. I think it was under £300 but I'm not sure as I had a general service of the CDP and the XPS at the same time.

How was the result, Chris?

I think I will get mine done before christmas this year, CDS2 + XPS.

quote:

Originally posted by BigH47:

quote:

I got a new one for mine only about 3 weeks ago. I think it was under £300 but I'm not sure as I had a general service of the CDP and the XPS at the same time.

How was the result, Chris?

I think I will get mine done before christmas this year, CDS2 + XPS.

Very good. It was begining to skip quite a bit and it had sounded pretty rubbish for sometime; when I noticed that my Arcam DVD player sounded better with CD's, I knew it was time to act! I think it was £700 for the lot, which, if it lasts another 10 years, will be very good value.

Richard

Thanks for the reply - glad to know I have been doing the right thing

Gregg

just got a clamp 5 for my `03 cds3, result no more skipping and sounds more musical all the time, so far. Certanly performs better than clamp 4 to me, though i think a new drive is on the not to distant horizon!

Anyone heard the new CDS3, the one with the VAM1202 disc drive? Does it sound better than the one before #270....?

Thanks,

Patrick.

I do think the fact the CDS3 now comes equipped with the same transport as the entry model Naim CD player cheapens the kudos and exclusivity of the unit.

I found it slightly 'galling' when I picked up my CDX2, as I was looking forward to having the legendary top of the range philips mech but it wasn't to be; I bought just as the mech was changed! However, it wasn't too much of a problem as the CDX2 sounded fabulous.

Anyway, I wouldn't fork out for a CDS3 with an entry level transport. No matter what tweaking went on.

This topic should go on!

From their web site: the CDS3 features the latest generation Philips CD10 transport using a high quality hall motor disc drive VAM 1250 mechanism.

There’s no mention anywhere of the 1202.

Brian

To help deal with the paranoia perhaps folks should remember that Naim have designed their own control software in the CDS3 to optimise whatever mechanism is in play, and each generation of CDS player seems to have improved measurements despite using different mechanisms.

Kind regards

Dev B (on the wheels of steel)

quote:

Originally posted by Lapdog:
From their web site: the CDS3 features the latest generation Philips CD10 transport using a high quality hall motor disc drive VAM 1250 mechanism.

There’s no mention anywhere of the 1202.

Brian

It is not mentioned, but today the use of the VAM1202 into the CDS3 is a reality.

Patrick.

....clamp 5 sounds good!

Hope the new CDS3 sounds at least as good as before.

paranoia ,hearsay,gossip, nonsense.

why worry bout a thing every little things gonna be all right da da da dada da.

....but this Forum is all about worries...

...no worries, no need for Forum