Let's call a spade a spade.

As a beta tester I have also completed the process many times without any issues.  I find it amusing that a forum full of people who will happily spend hours dressing cables and using a spirit level on their speakers take issue with a process that takes a half hour every blue moon in return for increased functionality and SQ.  

Ditto

Following the instructions has always helped I find. Never had an issue, I'm not even nervous when I do it now.

Bruce

Mike, Huge, you've won me over.  I'll drag out my little switch from now on to update my NDS  My Qute2 is hardwired to my 16 port switch and I've got space on it for this.

(I only have one ethernet 'jack' behind my Fraim, so I'll need a switch to split it so that both the NDS and laptop can be on my home wired network at the same time.  I have a little Netgear switch that I don't use. I'll drag it out!)

I think it is more interesting that the complete separation of circuits prompts for this upgrade method, and it is even more interesting to consider the fact that the Naim engineers did not think about the consequences for the users. Or rather, they did not engineer a solution into the machine to have this complete separation and yet a simple and robust over the air upgrade method.

New machines can be designed with this in mind though...

Now I understand why there are two connections, I will never ever upgrade with my laptop connected through wifi to the ethernet port of the ND5XS! 

I'm thinking the same as you to be honest. I can use a computer but I'm no expert and felt a bit out of my comfort zone when I upgraded my Superuniti. 

I'm with SJB on this, and not purely because of his splendid avatar. How magnificent that we even had the 'bits are bits' line in this thread. Worth reading just for that...

Yes, we dutifully go through the whole wretched rigmarole every time, because - er - we don't have any choice (other than not upgrading, and who would want that?) Yes, by and large we muddle through (thanking our lucky stars that we are not one of the unfortunates whose units are bricked each time). Yes, we bow to the superior technical knowledge of Huge and others who explain why we have to do what we do (without really understanding the details, being - at least in my case - bears of little brain).

But come on, secretly we all wish Naim stuff was like Sonos - one press of a button and the upgrade is sorted. Simples. John Peel would surely agree...

There is no doubt that the upgrade process is showing its age, and that it's easy to think of it as a special price demanded for audio purity. Back in the day, lo these many years, firmware upgrades were always nerve wracking and fraught with anxiety. I experience these old time emotions each time I plug the serial cabling together, even though I've now done it many times as part of the beta program. I sympathize with folks who've never done anything like this and feel terrified at the idea of wrecking one of their most expensive and prized possessions. 

One thing that hasn't been shared though is that the Naim Updater has also been improved considerably during the recent beta program of more rapid upgrades. It is much more robust and reliable than the first time I ever performed an upgrade (using a DB9 RS232 serial cable), or the first time I upgraded from a Mac (using a USB to RS232 converter). 

Dinosaurs like me who always update their iDevices by wired connection to their computers were immune to the recent fiasco experienced by people who did over-the-air upgrades with low levels of available memory...so I'm nervous about things going wrong all the time, not just when I flash the firmware on my stereo!

So - yes it's better than it was, yes you can get used to it, yes there is a technical explanation for the system design that uses both Ethernet and serial interfaces...but no, it's not as user friendly or convenient as most other consumer devices.

Regards alan 

Nice summary. 

How in the world is it difficult? You run the program on you mac, you plug it into the streamer and boom it's done. It is literally 2 steps. It would be difficult for it to be more simple. While online updates would be great, I don't think that was baked into the original architecture.... 

I think you are being unfair. I am a Sonos owner and its a lifestyle product. Usability has priority over SQ. For its intended audience it s fine. Also the areas of the architecture the Sonos updates is more limited than with a Naim architecture.

Naim however focuses on SQ. all updates used to be done by the dealer or factory. Many of us requested DIY updates several years ago with the first streamers.. DIY upgrading was offered... The dealer option is always there should you want it.

For Naim to include a more automated update process more memory, imore nternal computer resources and a different architecture would be required. This would detract from the SQ performance. After all we learn Naim finalise their designs based on listening tests.

the Muso was targeted at a different audience. Here usability and form has priority over SQ and a more automated consumer friendly upgrade architecture has been implemented. 

My suggestion is careful what you wish for.. More automation and simplicity will almost certainly detract the SQ performance with Naim products.. There are other makes to choose who focus on lifestyle and usability over SQ.

Simon

YES .................  

Yes for some it is a PITA, its a PITA, oh no it isn't oh yes it is.  

We have heard it all a few times over from a number of posters but FFS isn't it time to give it a rest,

The reasons why & that its the way they are all built & nothing but nothing will change that on your machine in your system.  

Naim have clearly read & understood,  time to close this post methinks

Fair enough - blame it on me just starting hols in south of France. Normal service will resume in a couple of weeks...

Sonos owner who buys a Naim system for the first time...

"Wow where did all that extra music come from, everything just sounds so much more detailed and so much more alive."

The Sonos system is pretty good for what it is, but it's not Naim system good - horses for courses.

 I agree ... it's a bit of a PitA ... just a minor one.

The Linn systems are based on Pulse Width Modulation amplification (i.e. class D), which is less bothered by small disturbances in the ground planes (such as RFI).  However no one has yet managed to get the same degree of vitality in the signal from class D systems, so Naim use analogue amplifiers and hence rely on better circuit isolation.

You have to compromise one way or the other.

John, if you're so bothered by it, perhaps you should just get a Linn system and accept the inherently different sound that results.

Agree with you it's a real pain if you need to take your streamer out of the rack and move it to where a PC is.  Provide you have a laptop, though, my view would be it's only a PITA if you want to think of it that way. 

Personally I view an upgrade as spending 30 mins to get some new features / performance for free, and it's 30 mins a couple of times a year I'm happy to spend.  Sure it would be nice if it worked with a button press like a mu-so, but I don't see it as such an inconvenience that I let it change my view of or enjoyment of the product. 

I wish I could have the same mindset about renewing my car insurance.  I like my car, and I love driving, but it's still an hour a year I hate even if I do end up saving some money. 

David

Having owned both and currently owning NAIM, I do prefer rather strongly the NAIM sound. Linn makes a very well made and in many respects terrific streaming product, it is also very nice that it does HDMI switching too. But the engineering and design philosophy are diametrically opposed. Not that Linn or NAIM is wrong, but you need to realize that they are two very different animals.

+1 from a fellow bear of little (computer-tech) brain -- and Tigger, too!

In a separate thread, I recently asked: "What would it take for the high-end streaming audio experience (with Naim or similar gear) to be as simple and relatively painless as using iTunes and Sonos?"

Well, a fellow can dream, can't he...?

iTunes painless? I must be doing something wrong, but then I prefer things to be simple.. The Naim app with MinimServer is far more reliable an predictable for me.. The number of times my iTunes directory has got corrupted has become a right pain..

Agree Sonos is pretty close to perfect.. Just would prefer better metadata lookup.

Simon