Naim, What!!

[Anh]

I'm not suggesting that an unskilled person attempts to repair them, and certainly not the mains sections. I'm saying that a competent repair technician can repair them, and for an awful lot less than £300. But do carry on believing that Naim can only be dealer serviced if you wish.

You are missing the the point. Most (not all) Naim equipment is sought after and command high prices in the used market, and the expectation is if any servicing or repairs was done, it's not good enough for any qualified technician or an experienced DIY'er who argues on a forum in his spare time, it would have to be from the vendor itself.

Dont take my word for it, try putting a Naim olive or CB era pre or power amp on for sale at the going rate and you will understand.

 

[Anh]

I've asked Naim for a quote to have my UQ screen display replaced - lasted around 5 years only since last replacement service.

Offer matched pricelist - with added Brexit customs and eventual delays.
In short, this was a definitive no go dealbreaker.

I'll order the €100 eBay screen display and DIY.

My Uniti 1 had a dying screen and I was quoted £400 + to service and replace screen - the market value for a working Uniti did not justify the outlay so I sold the unit as spares & repairs for still a decent amount.

 

[Featsdont]

My Uniti 1 had a dying screen and I was quoted £400 + to service and replace screen - the market value for a working Uniti did not justify the outlay so I sold the unit as spares & repairs for still a decent amount.

On the other hand if your uniti had been upgraded to the higher spec and could handle Tidal , once repaired/ serviced you would have had another likely 5 years of use for £400 ( ie £80 a year) - I have 2 unitis - one upgraded to the higher res boards. - and thus able to stream from Tidal - and one - not upgraded but c 10 years old which serves as a CD player/internet radio/ streamer from local NAS /AV amp which is not bad for c £200 a year in terms of ownership cost from new. Even if the screen goes other posts on this and the green forum indicate that it is usually possible to operate it from the app…..

 

[stevec67]

You are missing the the point. Most (not all) Naim equipment is sought after and command high prices in the used market, and the expectation is if any servicing or repairs was done, it's not good enough for any qualified technician or an experienced DIY'er who argues on a forum in his spare time, it would have to be from the vendor itself.

Dont take my word for it, try putting a Naim olive or CB era pre or power amp on for sale at the going rate and you will understand.

I'm not missing the point, I know as well as anyone else that a section of the buyers want dealer serviced gear. How many of them are prepared to pay for a £300 service over the same thing at £30 remains to be seen. (I recently paid a whole £20 to have Tony, who does it for a full time job, repair and service a Rogers amp.) You may be prepared to pay the £300 difference when buying used gear. Everybody else? I know the answer.

 

[Anh]

I wanted to sell the Uniti - regardless.

 

[Anh]

I'm not missing the point, I know as well as anyone else that a section of the buyers want dealer serviced gear. How many of them are prepared to pay for a £300 service over the same thing at £30 remains to be seen. (I recently paid a whole £20 to have Tony, who does it for a full time job, repair and service a Rogers amp.) You may be prepared to pay the £300 difference when buying used gear. Everybody else? I know the answer.

If you had invested thousands in a hifi rig or peice of collectable machinery and that you want to retain the value, you factor in the premium of a vendor or vendor authorised service/repair.

If you elect to service/repair high value goods through economical or DIY channels, it just come across as a someone taking short cuts. But it is irrelevant if you dont ever intend to sell on though.

 

[Craig B]

Even then it's very straightforward. The mains bits are, by law, protected in the case. It's obvious where they go. As for complexity, let's all have a good laugh at the Flatcap, the schematic for which I can draw in 5 minutes after consulting my O Level Electronics memory from 30+ years ago and the LM 317 datasheet that's on the net. That really is a complex beast. Honestly, I've got more electronics in my car key, and that costs £35 including cutting.

The secret to FLATCAP was Naim getting the correct ratio of clean Salisbury air to parts within. Obviously, the more air the better.

 

[PerF]

the screen goes other posts on this and the green forum indicate that it is usually possible to operate it from the app…..

It is for most daily use but certain settings are not available via app (such a router PW for example)

 

[kaypeejay]

It is for most daily use but certain settings are not available via app (such a router PW for example)

Yep. When I changed ISP and had a new password it forced me to fix the screen on my 10 yr old Uniti. It came back fixed, serviced, recapped and upgraded for £400. I think that was worth it.

if they would do that for the new price of 549, It is still probably worth it as you are getting practically a brand new piece of kit back.

 

[Craig B]

Yep. When I changed ISP and had a new password it forced me to fix the screen on my 10 yr old Uniti. It came back fixed, serviced, recapped and upgraded for £400. I think that was worth it.

if they would do that for the new price of 549, It is still probably worth it as you are getting practically a brand new piece of kit back.

According to Naim's Service Banding Price List 2022, that lot will end up being £929 now.

 

[RoA]

This is only my shallow me but were I to buy a reasonably expensive Naim product second hand, a Naim Service receipt listing the work done would inspire more confidence than one from an independent repair man.

I appreciate this is probably unreasonable but that's me

Now, would I pay more for day a 20 year old Supernait that had a full service and test as opposed to one that didn't?

Probably if the difference is a couple of hundred quid.

 

[stevec67]

According to Naim's Service Banding Price List 2022, that lot will end up being £549 + £549 + £299 = £1397 now.
."

Must be one born every minute.

 

[PerF]

According to Naim's Service Banding Price List 2022, that lot will end up being £549 + £549 + £299 = £1397 now.

You may be right, but I'm not reading the pricelist for a Uniti - includes the £299
Could be nice to know

 

[stevec67]

This is only my shallow me but were I to buy a reasonably expensive Naim product second hand, a Naim Service receipt listing the work done would inspire more confidence than one from an independent repair man.

I appreciate this is probably unreasonable but that's me

Now, would I pay more for day a 20 year old Supernait that had a full service and test as opposed to one that didn't?

Probably if the difference is a couple of hundred quid.

This one pops up on a regular basis. "I have a Naim XXXX that was last serviced X years ago, if I get it serviced by Naim will I get back the £200/300/whatever it costs as I plan to sell?" Cue 5 pages of yes/no, but come the ad arrival I don't see the faithful pitching up with cheque books at the ready for the one that's £200 more and has seen the magic soldering iron.

 

[say it as it is]

sadly, the service costs make some entry level products like the Nait 5i that Linnfomaniac bought from me would be scrapped for a component costing pennies. Cases like that and the logo bleed etc that Naim know very well to be component failure they should look at differently I think.
I get they have moved way up market and silly costs but ignoring their heritage or making servicing unrealistic is long term a bad move for the brand in my opinion
Shoe on other foot it is business and consumer can vote with their feet

 

[Craig B]

You may be right, but I'm not reading the pricelist for a Uniti - includes the £299
Could be nice to know

Perhaps I've got this wrong, but upgrades appear to be listed separately at £299 for products excluding Server, Mu-So/Qb.

EDIT: seems this 'band' is for items that were originally priced between £500 to £1000. What are these when they are at home?

P.S. Previous post corrected.

 

[JoeJoe]

I wonder if he would. He was a canny businessman and would of course know that times and methods change. The fixed priced servicing can swing both ways, but at least gives certainty. Everything seems to be expensive these days - I damaged a Tudor watch when I came off my bike and the watch cost over £800 to service and fix, and that’s on a £2,800 watch. Naim don’t get everything right and I too sometimes miss the time when you could call the factory, speak to Sheila and arrange everything. It does seem that many like to take any opportunity to slag off Naim. If Naim sent them £100 for their birthday they’d probably be bleating that it wasn’t £200. I just don’t understand it. If people hate Naim so much they don’t own it and the cost of servicing isn’t an issue for them.

….oh I’ve owned too much Naim in my time, that company milks their devotees dry!….it’s quite unpleasant really. Unlike their products, which sound very pleasant!

 

[PerF]

It does seem that many like to take any opportunity to slag off Naim

This kind of post comes up every so often a Naim subject is discussed.

I wonder if people think discussion (in a broader sense) is considered "slagging off"
Not everything can be praise, not even on the green place.

 

[HifiDan]

I've asked Naim for a quote to have my UQ screen display replaced - lasted around 5 years only since last replacement service.

Offer matched pricelist - with added Brexit customs and eventual delays.
In short, this was a definitive no go dealbreaker.

I'll order the €100 eBay screen display and DIY.

Where can you get a screen for €100?

would buy 1 of them if I could!

 

[RoA]

This one pops up on a regular basis. "I have a Naim XXXX that was last serviced X years ago, if I get it serviced by Naim will I get back the £200/300/whatever it costs as I plan to sell?" Cue 5 pages of yes/no, but come the ad arrival I don't see the faithful pitching up with cheque books at the ready for the one that's £200 more and has seen the magic soldering iron.

Yes, understand. However, on a 15 or twenty year old product spending a couple of hundred more on something that has been serviced in the last few years surely is a good move from a buyers point of view. As a seller, this is more questionable as you likely won't get all of it back, especially not at Naim's prices.

Like I said, it makes most sense if you have some treasured products which you plan to keep.