The NAD is dead! Long live the Marantz!

[twelvebears]

Well it’s official. My very fancy, very expensive NAD M2 is officially dead and unrepairable.

After oh, about 7 years, a fault on the main board has consigned my M2 to the recycling bin. The board was no longer available from NAD and the complexity and surface mount nature of the board means a component level repair was impossible.

This has been a salient lesson for me in the potential issues of pure digital amps.

I’m am making myself feel better by enjoying sounds on a Marantz PM-11S1 which
I picked up in minty condition for a very fair price.

It’s big, heavy, analog and makes the reassuring sound of clicking relays when I press buttons.

Going forward, DAC duties will be handled by something which won’t render me amp-less and crying over a massive financial loss if it goes tits-up.

If ever there was proof to me that something can be too clever for its own good, this was it.

Despite all that, it is good to be back chaps!

[walpurgis]

Do you want me to change that title to Marantz?

[twelvebears]

Good grief! Yes please! (thanks)

[Floyddroid]

Well it’s official. My very fancy, very expensive NAD M2 is officially dead and unrepairable.

After oh, about 7 years, a fault on the main board has consigned my M2 to the recycling bin. The board was no longer available from NAD and the complexity and surface mount nature of the board means a component level repair was impossible.

This has been a salient lesson for me in the potential issues of pure digital amps.

I’m am making myself feel better by enjoying sounds on a Marantz PM-11S1 which
I picked up in minty condition for a very fair price.

It’s big, heavy, analog and makes the reassuring sound of clicking relays when I press buttons.

Going forward, DAC duties will be handled by something which won’t render me amp-less and crying over a massive financial loss if it goes tits-up.

If ever there was proof to me that something can be too clever for its own good, this was it.

Despite all that, it is good to be back chaps!

I heard the NAD M2 a few years back and thought is sounded great. What a shame this has happened. Sometimes old technology comes up trumps.

[walpurgis]

Good grief! Yes please! (thanks)

No sooner said than done! :)

[Pieoftheday]

Well it’s official. My very fancy, very expensive NAD M2 is officially dead and unrepairable.

After oh, about 7 years, a fault on the main board has consigned my M2 to the recycling bin. The board was no longer available from NAD and the complexity and surface mount nature of the board means a component level repair was impossible.

This has been a salient lesson for me in the potential issues of pure digital amps.

I’m am making myself feel better by enjoying sounds on a Marantz PM-11S1 which
I picked up in minty condition for a very fair price.

It’s big, heavy, analog and makes the reassuring sound of clicking relays when I press buttons.

Going forward, DAC duties will be handled by something which won’t render me amp-less and crying over a massive financial loss if it goes tits-up.

If ever there was proof to me that something can be too clever for its own good, this was it.

Despite all that, it is good to be back chaps!

7years old and unrepairable :( that's rubbish and no mistake

[Macca]

The Marantz PM-11S1 looks like a pretty serious amplifier. https://www.audioholics.com/amplifier-reviews/marantz-pm-11s1-integrated-amplifier/pm-11s1-build-quality-and-connections.html

[Pigmy Pony]

You expect kettles and toasters to be disposable, but not a high end component from a company that ought to know better. NAD should have sorted you as a goodwill gesture.

When the Valhalla packed up on an LP12 I'd bought secondhand, Linn replaced it FOC, even though I wasn't the original purchaser, and the deck was waaay out of warranty.

[twelvebears]

You expect kettles and toasters to be disposable, but not a high end component from a company that ought to know better. NAD should have sorted you as a goodwill gesture.

When the Valhalla packed up on an LP12 I'd bought secondhand, Linn replaced it FOC, even though I wasn't the original purchaser, and the deck was waaay out of warranty.

Yep it’s very disappointing. I have written to the Lenbrook Group CEO expressing my feelings that flagship product is beyond repair after just 7 years of introduction.... I’m not holding my breath.

In the meantime the PM-11 is a bulletproof beauty which sounds great playing The B-52s - The B-52s on vinyl.

[Pigmy Pony]

Oh well, I'll keep my fingers crossed. You never know.

[jandl100]

That lovely NAD M2 dead? Ouch.
Must admit that had been on my Want List from when I heard of your enthusiasm for it, Steve.
No longer!

How does the Marantz compare? It does look a serious beast.

[Jac Hawk]

The problem is surface mount, easy for a machine to populate but hard for a human, rule of thumb any surface mount pcb is designed to disposed of in the event of failure rather than repaired. i am surprised that NAD don't carry any spare parts though, although again this goes back to my point about about parts designed to be chucked away when they go wrong, maybe anything that went wrong while under warranty was just replaced, it sounds stupid especially if the equipment is high end, but their thinking would be it's cheaper just to replace everything that comes back under warranty than go to the expense of a repair centre which costs money to run regardless of there being anything to fix. Legally they are covered and would have probably had units not for sale but in stock to cover warranty issues up to about 3 years after the product went EOL. Not great for you Steve, although you would expect a company wanting to keep customers and build customer relations would offer you something to keep you sweet, i'll keep my fingers crossed for you.

[twelvebears]

That lovely NAD M2 dead? Ouch.
Must admit that had been on my Want List from when I heard of your enthusiasm for it, Steve.
No longer!

How does the Marantz compare? It does look a serious beast.

Hi Jerry, hope you’re keeping well.

The PM-11 is a cracker actually and it’s making me feel better about the loss of the M2 (which was disgraceful from such a long established brand as NAD).

It’s got a lovely deep soundstage, definitely doesn’t push things as far forward as the M2 did, and has real grunt - definitely very conservatively rated power-wise.

The bomb proof build is what attracted me - real hi-end Japanese stuff. Plus has a very respectable phono stage, so much so that I’m probably going to let my MF LP2 stage go.

I’ve got a second hand MF MX-DAC pulling digital duties and I’m really enjoying things at the moment

[twelvebears]

Thanks Jack. Yes this has been a painful lesson for me. As you say, once the main board became unavailable, the M2 was basically on borrowed time.

I will never commit such an investment to anything which is not either repairable or comes with a lifetime warranty!

[Jac Hawk]

Thanks Jack. Yes this has been a painful lesson for me. As you say, once the main board became unavailable, the M2 was basically on borrowed time.

I will never commit such an investment to anything which is not either repairable or comes with a lifetime warranty!

I was talking to a colleague about high end audio repairs, he told me he sent the main board of an amp off to Japan to be repaired, he didn't tell me what amp it was but he did say it was surface mount parts that needed replacing, round trip was about 4 weeks, i'll try to find out who they are and let you know their contact details.

[Jac Hawk]

Alternatively you could give these a call http://www.retronix.com/services/pcb-services/

[Pieoftheday]

Well it’s official. My very fancy, very expensive NAD M2 is officially dead and unrepairable.

After oh, about 7 years, a fault on the main board has consigned my M2 to the recycling bin. The board was no longer available from NAD and the complexity and surface mount nature of the board means a component level repair was impossible.

This has been a salient lesson for me in the potential issues of pure digital amps.

I’m am making myself feel better by enjoying sounds on a Marantz PM-11S1 which
I picked up in minty condition for a very fair price.

It’s big, heavy, analog and makes the reassuring sound of clicking relays when I press buttons.

Going forward, DAC duties will be handled by something which won’t render me amp-less and crying over a massive financial loss if it goes tits-up.

If ever there was proof to me that something can be too clever for its own good, this was it.

Despite all that, it is good to be back chaps!

I have just received an email from Nad, any device can be repaired they say?

[Manicatel]

It is simply not realistic to expect any item to be eternally repairable. A relatively small company cannot be expected to keep every single spare part for every single model they ever produce.
No one expects a tumble dryer or microwave to still work after 30 years, cars need servicing, upkeep, consumables replaced etc to last a lifetime, so Hifi also has a life expectancy.
However, seven years is a blooming poor show, especially a flagship model.
If it was me, unless I received at least a decent goodwill gesture from a company in this situation, I would hardly be a loyal returning customer!