Firmware 3.21 update disaster

What are you doing the update with?

A toshiba laptop (running windows xp) connected via a usb cable with a mini usb end plugged into the back of the streamer. Both the streamer and laptop are connected by ethernet cables to my home network and the laptop is plugged into the mains. I've successfully updated the firmware twice previously and this update looked like it was going fine (showing the lines written to the device) on the DSP DAC update right until the very end when it kept failing.

Both my laptop and the ND5XS are showing on my network.

It certainly looks like you're doing everything right.  Hopefully repetition will allow the update to conclude successfully.  I know I don't have any real help but wanted to post some moral support during what I'm sure is a frustrating evening for you.  Please let us know how things progress!

Thanks Barnaby.

I honestly can't see a solution as the whole DSP update process has completely stalled (i.e. it isn't getting past the entering reprogramming mode) and I can't abort without making the streamer unstable/unusable.

I'm sending an email plea to naim support and hope that they might have an answer. Otherwise if the update process doesn't suddenly unfreeze overnight I can't see any alternative to switching the switching the unit off and on again and/or aborting the update regardless.

Sjbabbey -

I seem to recall that one of the design points of this rather cumbersome PC/Mac-based upgrade process was to make it restartable after a hang, and thus minimize any chances for bricking.

At this stage of the game, what do have to lose by powering the ND5 XS down, shutting the PC down completely, and then powering them both on and trying the upgrade again?

Good luck.

Hook

Thanks Hook.

I took your advice. I didn't really see any other option but the warning against aborting the update is very worrying. Anyway I did restart the whole process and the ARM firmware write completed OK as did the DPS code rewrite this time and the firmware all installed and rebooted the streamer and all seems OK.

As a bonus, the Seek2Time seems to be working fine even with flac and DSD files transcoded to PCM wav via JRiver. 

Glad to hear things turned out well!

Hook is THE MAN

Well, at worst it was a flip of the coin.

Either Sjbabbey would come back and said thanks, it worked great, or...

...I would get to be permanently on his sh*t list for encouraging him to brick his ND5 XS.

Wasn't too worried though.  First, it wasn't my streamer.   And second, if the coin landed tails, I could have always blamed Phil for claiming the process was restartable.  

Besides, I am a big believer in foreshadowing. You see, early this morning, my garage door opener stopped working. Tried an alternate remote control, but no luck. Tried reprogramming the first remote, and still no luck.  Finally, after wasting 30 minutes, I unplugged and then plugged in the stupid thing and....voila!

So I just figured if it worked for a GDO, then it'd probably work for a high-end network audio player. Irrefutable logic!  

Thanks bud!

Hook

It killed my Unitilite.

Was running with Sony Vaio laptop (Win 7) and correct USB. It started the whole process and once the COM PORT was selected the Product Model is not detected. My Unitilite is now dead.

Have restarted it a few times. No luck. Have restarted the Soft 3.21 update too and no luck there either.

Any ideas chaps?

The Updater didnt detect my Uniti first few tries, whichever COM port I selected.

I remembered this happened before though on previous updates.

I disconnected the RS232 connection in my case (leaving network cable and power cable connected), then reconnected it and re-ran the updater.

Then it found the Uniti.

Hopefully this might help?

Hi Hook

You wouldn't have been on my sh*t list as I don't have one. But as I said in my post I was at the point where I couldn't just do nothing so your post just confirmed my thinking i.e. if in doubt switch it off and on again [the IT professional's creed] and hope for the best. Luckily it worked!

Just a note to say thanks to Steve Hopkins who sent me an email about my issue early this morning with a suggested solution.

FYI, found the comment on updater restartability from Naim's Phil Harris...

https://forums.naimaudio.com/to...28#18461704854387328

ATB.

Hook

I've got the same problem, but i've been unable to solve it. I tried switching off the PC and NDX, I tried  putting the NDX back to factory settings and I tried two different laptops. The NDX is ok and is saying it has the 3.21 update but there's no seek2time. I'm off to the dealer at the weekend :-(

Keith

Pardon my asking, but did you update nStream on your iPhone or iPad as well?

And what file formats are you streaming? Others have reported S2T not working with ALAC files and FLAC files transcoded to WAV (unless you update n-stream to v 3.3).