Naim CDI differents

Helle experts,
i want to get a old Naim CDI Player.

Can someone please tell me the difference between version 1 and version 2?
I have not found any information so far.
On the back wall of the first version is written NACDI. For example what is the name of version 2?

Regards Joe

 

Possibly I'm wrong but I don't think there are two versions. The CDI was only on sale or 3 years from 1992 to 1995 and was replaced by the CD2.

 

The CDI was the first Naim intigrated CD player. It was basically a scaled down CDS, with integrated, smaller power supply and a simplified spring system. It had the same top loading transport and I believe the electronics were identical.

When the stock of transports started to run out the front loading CD2 was released as a replacement. I think the CDI is cooler and probably sounds better but it is now very old and the (I believe irreplacable) transport is at risk of failing. The transport always had problems with slippage as the puck doesn’t clamp the CD very tightly.

Hans

 

AFAIK, the CDI originally used the CDM4 mech, but switched to the CDM9 later, before being discontinued and replaced by the CD2 (also CDM9).

 

Now I understand it.
I thought first there are 2 versions of the CDI.
Thank you very much

 

Interestingly the CD2 internally is (imo) actually rather closer to a one-box CDS, than a reworked CDi. On examination the psu design architecture is really rather good, and in some small details it might be better than either. Am keeping mine.

 

I had a CD2 and it was an excellent player for the money, only sold it when I got a CDS3 last year.

 

I still have a perfectly working CD 2 and it’s bloody marvellous.

 

FWIW, a quick search online revealed a couple of internal pics:

CDM4



CDM9



(credit to OPs)

 

The CD2 is the only radial mech/TDA1541A equipped Naim player that I haven't heard - I wonder how it compares, performance wise, to the CDI?

 

Gaius ( Mark ) of this Forum put me onto a CDS/ CDPS and have never looked back. Maybe send him an email as I think he’s owned two CDS’s and a CDI so he’s very knowledgeable on the Olive Naim CD players.

Regards,

Martin

 

CDIs are great, I have 2 cdm9 based machines in various levels of modification...just in case

 

There were two versions of the CDI as pictured. Originally with the CDM4 mechanism, and latterly with the CDM9 Pro. Of the CDM4 versions the early ones used a Philips servo board hacked to work with the microswitch in the lid, and later ones used a Naim-designed version. The Naim version sounds a little more analogue in presentation.

The CD2 is a re-engineered CDI to use the front loading tray as seen in the CD3. As Martin says they changed the power supply a little, for the better. The board revision of the CD2 marks it as a CDI v2 out of interest. The CD2 used the CDM9/44 mechanism rather than the pro as used in the CDI. I haven't heard much difference between them and lasers are now scarce compared to the almost bullet-proof CDM4 used in the original.

The CDS, CDI, CD2 and CD3 use the same 16 bit 4x oversampling TDA1541A/SAA7220P/B chipset and same spec of DACs, usually single or double crown. Lots of tweaks are available to get even better performance out of these chipsets. My current favourite is off-boarding the analogue supply to my CDI, but we can shoe-horn an extra regulator board in it instead. That gets me very close to CDS sound.

 

I actually have a CDS, but wondered about a CDI as a back-up - I did own a CDI (CDM4 version), but that was back in the nineties!

 

What are the options now if a CDM9 CDI suffers a laser failure, do you still have stock to repair the unit to original spec?

Many thanks

 

We purchase replacement lasers for CDI/CD2/CD3. They're interchangeable between the CDM9/44 and CDM9/Pro. Even these are getting very scarce and expensive now.

CDM4 donor players are far more useful and easier to obtain.

I've had exactly one CDI with a CDM9 pro we couldn't fix - it had a faulty motor, so I retro fitted the circuitry from the CD2 to run the CDM9/44 transport instead. It's a very easy fix and there's a thread in the DIY section. This machine also had a servo board fault with a bad track that was intermittent and would fry lasers by upsetting one of the control chips. It took a while but I got it going again without issues.

 

Excellent info. there. Many thanks for the concise answer as always.

Regards
Kenny

 

Agreed, decent working 9/44 donor machines getting harder to find now. I still have good 2 Kodak CDP/photo disc players in my cellar

 

Very interesting.
When was the CDM9 installed? What is the better buy?
Are there any differences in the service life?
Regards
Joe

 

Google is your friend - as covered by MJS, cdm4 Version with Naim servo board (under mech) was supposedly better than the first version with Philips servo board. I’ve heard neither, but love my cdm9 based players.