Problems with my Naim Audio system

[Gabrijel]

The sound coming out of my speaker's tweeters is very distorted and it sounds like the tweeters are blown , but they aren't.
I ordered new tweeters (Scan Speak D 2010/851100) but that doesn't make any difference. A few months back it was just the one tweeter but now it's both. So the problem must be somewhere in my system rather than in the speakers.
My local Naim dealer told me that I need to recap my whole system which is going to cost my around 6k. I wonder now if I couldn't try to fix it with some DIY recapping on my own.

Where would you start with searching for the problem? Do I really need to recap the whole setup or could I start with just one component and see if it fixes the problem?
My setup (all olive series):
- pair of NAP 135
- Nac 82
- Supercap
- CDS1
- DBL's with passive x-over

The components are all from around 1995 and AFAIK no recapping was done so far.

Thanks for your help!

 

[Mort2k]

Hi

If you have checked all cables are secure ( I had a loose burndy some something similar) then I’m guessing something has done pop in one of then boxes.

My system also did something similar and it turned out to be a blown cap in my SuperCap. It’s was a cost effective fix at Class A in Sheffield.

You should not need to recap everything to fix the issue so shame on your dealer for such bad advice.

Where are you based?

Rob

 

[Sonci]

Strange that they need recapping in only 20 years, my japanese amplifiers from the '80ies have no problems and capacitors are fine.
What capacitors was Naim using at the time?

 

[anotherdom]

Where are you based? A fellow Naimee may be able to travel with pre and power amps to sub out and ID your fault? Reservoir caps in both NAP135s and SuperCap are an easy DIY replacement if you’ve got the skills; but may not be the culprit. Presumably this happens with all sources, and with the same sources plumbed into different inputs?

 

[MJS]

This is classic NAP250/135 instability caused by oscillating power supply boards. It's not the main reservoir caps that cause this, just two little caps on the power supply boards. A full service will fix it.

 

[anotherdom]

I can recommend the lads at Witch Hat for power amp servicing; with the money you’ve saved have a look at their HatPin cables ;-)

 

[venton]

Strange that they need recapping in only 20 years, my japanese amplifiers from the '80ies have no problems and capacitors are fine.
What capacitors was Naim using at the time?

Not strange at all. Naim recommend recapping every 10 years with vintage kit. You would have thought they would know best as they designed it.

 

[lencotweaker]

The Naim recapping mantra is just to get the kit sounding its best as far as I understand. Sound degradation from degrading reservoir capacitors is a slow process so you may not realise if you've owned the kit for a long time.

Recapping a full system at Naim would be very very expensive but there are several companies, like Witch Hat, that can do this much cheaper and even offer upgrades at the same time. That NAC82 of yours can be transformed apparently by Witch Hat to use all of your Supercap's power supplies. This is where I would look for classic Naim servicing/upgrading these days.

 

[Mike Reed]

Not strange at all. Naim recommend recapping every 10 years with vintage kit. You would have thought they would know best as they designed it.

Yes and no. It obviates any flack arising from problems after 10 years and was a rather clever marketing ploy to keep loyalty to the brand and continually increasing revenue from servicing. A by-product of this, possibly not envisaged initially, is to keep an acceptable floor in used values.

 

[linnfomaniac83]

I can recommend the lads at Witch Hat for power amp servicing; with the money you’ve saved have a look at their HatPin cables ;-)

I bet they won’t charge £6k either!

 

[Gabrijel]

Hi

If you have checked all cables are secure ( I had a loose burndy some something similar) then I’m guessing something has done pop in one of then boxes.

My system also did something similar and it turned out to be a blown cap in my SuperCap. It’s was a cost effective fix at Class A in Sheffield.

You should not need to recap everything to fix the issue so shame on your dealer for such bad advice.

Where are you based?

Rob

I didn't check the cables so far but that's a really good idea to check them! The system was working great for years and it is only since I moved the sound system to my studio that I am having these problems.

One thing I did change at the new location is that one of the speaker cables is double the length of the other one and this is also the speaker where the "problem" is more noticeable than with the other speaker.
The Naim dealer said that using two different lengths of cables is a very stupid idea and could be part of the problem. So I'll be changing the cables too.

 

[Gabrijel]

Where are you based? A fellow Naimee may be able to travel with pre and power amps to sub out and ID your fault? Reservoir caps in both NAP135s and SuperCap are an easy DIY replacement if you’ve got the skills; but may not be the culprit. Presumably this happens with all sources, and with the same sources plumbed into different inputs?

I'm in Switzerland based but now that you are mentioning this, my brother in law has a Naim 90 series system and I could ask him to come by and then try to locate the problem by changing supercap to flatcap; nac 82 to nac 90 etc.

 

[AndrewM]

+1 for Witch Hat

 

[Gabrijel]

This is classic NAP250/135 instability caused by oscillating power supply boards. It's not the main reservoir caps that cause this, just two little caps on the power supply boards. A full service will fix it.

Thanks for the hint!

 

[Sonci]

Not strange at all. Naim recommend recapping every 10 years with vintage kit. You would have thought they would know best as they designed it.

Replace caps every 10 years?
They surely use fake or cheap parts then, even the new modern supercrap caps made in China last more than 10 years, let alone the high quality caps for audio, made in the late '80ies..

 

[PhilofCas]

My local Naim dealer told me that I need to recap my whole system which is going to cost my around 6k

Deary me, sounds like a really nice caring dealer, I wouldn’t cross his door threshold ever again.

 

[rich46]

power amp recap is my guess ,high frequency caps maybe nanofarad/pico farad .the very small one are pico .. you could look at pcd board for any discolouring/misshapeing of caps .power down and leave a day or so. don't touch cap connections for safety.. LARGER CAPS MAY LEAK OR SWELL.these will hold charge

CAP the whole system is a cop out ,

 

[Dowser]

I'm in Switzerland based but now that you are mentioning this, my brother in law has a Naim 90 series system and I could ask him to come by and then try to locate the problem by changing supercap to flatcap; nac 82 to nac 90 etc.

Where in Switzerland? I’m 25km down lake from ZH Stadt and am happy to help if you’re close by.

Richard

 

[DavidS]

Never heard of different speaker cable lengths causing a problem.

 

[Craig B]

Not strange at all. Naim recommend recapping every 10 years with vintage kit. You would have thought they would know best as they designed it.

They also used to recommend leaving the gear on 24/7 to keep it warmed up for use, which helped to perpetuate the myth that their amps and sources only 'came on song' after days of being powered up.