nvi scrap

What rotten luck. Hopefully your dealer will be able to help.

Cheers

Don 

mjl,

I sympathise with you. Having owned a DVD5/AV2 in the past, and having been plagued with "buggy" operation, I came to the conclusion that Naim are not at their strongest, to say the least, with software driven products. The nVi in particular seemed to be riddled with problems throughout its life, although these were supposedly pretty well sorted towards the end according to some sources. One has to ask that if this is the case, why is it so difficult to fix your machine?

I am not sure of your legal position as regards a refund, but I would think that in the circumstances Naim should  talk to your dealer and arrange for you to be reimbursed, and they in turn should reimburse the dealer  

Best of luck with this and I hope you get a satisfactory outcome.

Peter

Thankyou for your replies.

Fortunately I have a very sympathetic dealership who are being very helpful.

It was also very nice to have Naim say to you that you have a "Friday afternoon machine", and  that they can do no more.

I can only suggest that Naim go down to a four day week and maybe start producing a more reliable product.

.....or three days. I would avoid any products built on a Monday as well! Perhaps Mondays and Fridays should be recreational days at Naim rather than production days. A chance to listen to music perhaps...

I must say I'm surprised that Naim washed their hands of your machine. It does seem to be very "un Naim-like". More what I would expect from a downmarket brand.

Peter

I was initially very impressed by my experience with Naim and even wrote to the MD praising the customer service I had recieved. Since then the guy I had been dealing has left. Unfortunately his shoes have not been filled with the same passion for service. I like to buy british and support local companies, but I am now left looking elsewhere. A shame really, as I was looking at a Uniti 2 and HDX. But do you spend 7 large and in 5 years time be informed it was made on Friday. I may need to make my way back to Arcam.

Do they work a 4 day week at Arcam then?

I think so because I sold two amps and a dvd player of theirs that were ten years old in perfect working order to get the Nvi. They never missed a beat and were used daily for hours.

I only wish I had read more into the experiences of other Nvi owners, as I feel mine is not an issue in isolation.

mjl,

I used Naim products for around twenty-five years, only swapping to something else a few years ago purely for financial reasons. In all that time I have been thoroughly impressed with their amps, CD players and speakers. I believe that they are un-matched for musicality. 

My dissatisfaction arose over the DVD5 and AV2, which I believe were under-developed products and should not have been marketed until they were fully sorted. My current Pioneer DVD player and a Sony Home cinema receiver which I used to own perform(ed) far more reliably and at a fraction of the price. Picture quality is better than the DVD5 IMO.

What I am trying to say is that IMO Naim excel at making traditional hi-fi equipment, but they struggled with the A/V stuff. It was a folly, and their decision to abandon it from the product range speaks volumes. It is a great pity if you let your experience with a very untypically "duff" product and related service drive you away from Naim. It is of course your decision, but speaking for myself, despite my huge disappointment with the DVD5/AV2 I will have no hesitation in returning to Naim amplification when I can afford to. Why? Because IMHO there is none more musical.

Peter

I agree with you about their audio equipment that it's hard to Beat. I too have a DVD5/AV2 and at the moment is performing without problems, but that was not always the case as the units have been replaced because of their problems. My dealer spent a lot of time around my house trying to sort out the problems which he wasted a lot of time and money, but naim were not willing to reimbursed him with any sort of payment. Hence, now mainly because of that and probably one or two other things he is not a naim dealer anymore.

Super,

Glad your units are performing OK. Mine never did, despite a software (or was it firmware?) update. Full of annoying bugs.

On the first AV2 I had one of the digital inputs refused to work. The unit was replaced, but the replacement unit arrived with something loose rattling around inside the casework! That unit was replaced, so the AV2 I ended up with was the third unit sent from Naim. I was not impressed. I had always had the highest regard for Naim and their QC but this incident, and the general problems I had with the units, really shook my confidence in Naim as a company.

In retrospect now, viewing things from a distance, every company has their problems from time to time and the DVD5/AV2 was but a blip on a long and unblemished record of Naim ownership for me. As I indicated before, I believe that Naim's foray into the AV world was a brave one that just didn't pay off for them or for some of their customers. No matter, forgive and forget and move forwards.

Peter

Very strange experiences!  As a rule, "fixing" a product like this means little more than swapping out a board or replacing a drive.  Can't fathom why NAIM can't fix it, unless they've run out of replacement components (which doesn't bode well for other owners).

?????????

I would have a lot more respect for a company that puts their hands up and admit they have produced a ringer.

To be told that they cannot fix it and you have brought a Friday machine is just second rate by anyones standards.

The Nvi when it works is a cracker, it does all I need it to do. But I am now left in a situation where I have nothing to replace it, except going back to seperate dvd and processor/amplification.

I would like to try the uniti 2 to get stereo back but feel a little incentivisation by Naim would not go amiss.

Processor wise I may replace with loewe tv and set-up.

As for being unserviceable, it is mad as noted on other post, all the nvi is, is a few boards coupled together.

mjl,

I fully understand your frustrations and I think they are entirely justified. You have had a bad experience with Naim - I assume the nVi was your first Naim product, which is very unfortunate. Despite my bad experience with the DVD5/AV2 I have a different perspective on things since I had 25 years of happy Naim ownership.

All I can say is that, based on my own long experience, don't be put off by the ownership of one duff product and the duff service that went along with it. It is not typical of Naim or their dealers. Your experience though is enough to make most people run a mile, so I can well understand why you may want to move to another brand. I don't think anyone, including Naim, could blame you for that.

Peter

I avoided Naim's AV products because, reading between the lines at the time, it was obvious they had serious problems.

They have also produced one or two amps that didn't inspire me, but at least they were relaible and I simply didn't buy based on listening alone.

The Naim CD range has been much better than their AV range, although there have been problems with sourcing transports. Naim have even offered very attractive low-cost upgrades to help out when product lines were about to run out of replacement parts.

I don't have personal experience of their streaming products, but they do sound good in demos and most reports here and elsewhere suggests they are reliable.

If I were in your shoes, I would base my choice on sound quality/enjoyment knowing that in the vast, vast mojority of cases, Naim produce very reliable products and their after market service is second to none.

Cheers

Don

Thankyou for your further comments and advice gents.

I shall audition a few bits and pieces in the new year and hopefully things will sort themselves out.

Merry Christmas to you all.