Naim Audio CDS-3 Owners manual

WORLD CLASS HI FI

OWNERS MANUAL

CD Players: CDS3, CDX2, CD5

ISSUE 2

1

2 Cables and Connections

Please do not modify the standard interconnect cables

supplied with your Naim equipment. This is important for

safety as well as performance. One end of each cable is

marked with a band to establish its correct orientation.

The band always marks the end that connects to the

signal source.

Loudspeaker leads are also very important. Naim

loudspeaker cable is correct for your system and your

dealer will make up leads to suit your equipment

installation. The leads should each be at least 3.5 metres

long and of equal length. The recommended maximum is

20 metres. Loudspeaker leads are, like interconnect leads,

directional, and should be connected so that the printed

arrow points towards the speakers. Using alternative

loudspeaker cable will degrade performance, and may even

damage your amplifier. An exception to these loudspeaker

cable constraints is the NAP 6-50 multi-room power

amplifier. The NAP 6-50 is designed to be tolerant of both

a wide variety of cable types, and cable runs well in excess

of 20m. The loudspeaker connectors supplied with all Naim

amplifiers and loudspeakers have been specifically

designed to make a robust mechanical connection. It is

essential that these are used in order to comply with

current European safety regulations.

All the plugs and sockets supplied with your Naim

equipment have been chosen because they make the best

possible connection for their purpose. A poor contact will

degrade the signal substantially and plugs and sockets

should look clean and free from corrosion. The easiest way

to clean them is to switch off the equipment, pull the plugs

out of their sockets, and push them back in again. Special

contact cleaners and contact enhancers should not be

used as they tend to deposit a film which is very difficult to

remove and may degrade the sound.

1 Equipment Installation

Normally your Naim equipment will have been installed by the dealer who sold it to you

even if you live outside their immediate vicinity. Your dealer is responsible for making

sure that the system sounds exactly as it should and information given here is not

intended to reduce this responsibility in any way.

Introduction

Naim Audio products are always conceived with performance as the

top priority and careful installation will help ensure that their full

potential is achieved. This manual begins with statutory safety

warnings and general installation tips for all Naim Audio products.

Product specific information begins in Section 6.

3 Getting Started

3.1 switching on and off

Source components and power supplies for cd players,

tuners, preamplifiers and crossovers should be switched

on before switching on the power amplifier(s). Always

switch the amplifier(s) off and wait about a minute for

the power supply capacitors to discharge before

connecting or disconnecting any leads. Always use the

power switch on the product rather than a mains outlet

switch.

3.2 running in

Your Naim equipment will take a considerable time to run

in before it performs at its best. The duration varies, but

under some conditions you will find that the sound

continues to improve for as much as five weeks. Better and

more consistent performance will be achieved if the system

is left switched on for long periods. It is worth

remembering however that all electronic equipment can be

damaged by lightning. Please read the warnings section.

CONTENTS

Page Section

1 1 Equipment Installation

1 2 Cables and Connections

1 3 Getting Started

3.1 switching on and off

3.2 running in

2 3.3 mains supply

3.4 siting the equipment

3.5 if you have a problem

2 4 Warnings

3 5 Connection

5.1 mains lead

5.2 mains plugs

5.3 fuse carrier

5.4 plug fuses

4 6 CDS3 Installation and

Operation

6 7 CDS3 Rear Panel and

Connection Diagrams

7 8 CDS3 Operation

Diagrams

9 9 CDX2 Installation and

Operation

11 10 CDX2 Rear Panel and

Connection Diagrams

12 11 CD5 Installation and

Operation

13 12 CD5 Rear Panel and

Connection Diagrams

14 13 CDX2/CD5 Operation

Diagrams

16 14 Puck Identification.

17 15 Flash Handset

19 16 Narcom 3 Handset

21 Standards Declaration

2

3.3 mains supply

Where fused plugs are used 13 amp fuses should be fitted.

Fuses of a lower rating will fail after a period of use.

A hi-fi system usually shares a mains circuit with other

household equipment some of which can cause distortion

of the mains waveform. In some Naim equipment such

distortion can lead to a mechanical hum from the

transformers. The hum is not transmitted through the

speakers and has no effect on the performance of the

system but is purely local to the transformer itself. A

separate fused mains circuit (like that reserved for electric

cookers) may reduce transformer hum. Such a circuit

(ideally with a 30 or 45 Amp rating) will also have a lower

impedance, supply cleaner power, and consequently

improve system performance.

Do not wire voltage dependent resistors or noise

suppressors into mains plugs. They degrade the mains

supply and the sound.

3.4 siting the equipment

Power supplies and amplifiers should be located a

reasonable distance away from other equipment. This

separation will stop transformer radiation causing hum

audible from the loudspeakers. The maximum separation

distance for connected equipment is that allowed by the

standard interconnect lead.

Some Naim equipment is extremely heavy. Ensure that your

equipment rack or table can easily support the weight and

is stable.

3.5 if you have a problem

Legal consumer protection varies from country to country.

In most territories a dealer must be prepared to take back

any Naim equipment he has sold you if he cannot make it

work to your satisfaction in your own home. A problem may

be due to a fault in any part of the system or its

installation so it is essential to make full use of your local

dealer’s diagnostic skills on site. Please contact your local

distributor, or Naim at the address in the back of this

manual, if any difficulties cannot be resolved. Some Naim

equipment is made in special versions for different

territories and this makes it impracticable to arrange

international guarantees. Please establish the guarantee

arrangements with your own dealer at the time of sale. We

are always available to offer help and advice.

It is essential that repairs and updates are only carried out

by an authorised Naim dealer, or at the factory by Naim

itself. Many components are made, tested or matched

specially for Naim and appropriate replacements are often

unobtainable from non-specialist sources.

4 Warnings

Naim equipment is designed to offer the finest sound

quality that can be achieved avoiding compromise

wherever possible. This can lead to circumstances that

may be unfamiliar. The material that follows contains

advice specifically related to Naim equipment as well as

more general warnings about the use of domestic audio

products. Please read it carefully.

The transformers in Naim power amplifiers and power

supplies may sometimes make a mechanical noise caused

by distortion of the mains waveform. Naim transformers are

large in size and have heavy gauge secondary windings

making them relatively sensitive to such distortion. A

separate mains circuit for your hi-fi system may reduce the

effect while also giving an overall improvement in sound

quality. It may be necessary however to take account of

mechanical transformer noise when siting your equipment.

IMPORTANT

In order to comply with
current European safety
regulations it is essential
that the Naim loudspeaker
connectors supplied with
amplifiers and loudspeakers
are used.

Do not under any
circumstances allow anyone
to modify your Naim
equipment without first
checking with the factory,
your dealer, or your
distributor. Unauthorised
modifications will invalidate
your guarantee.

For your own safety do not
under any circumstances
open Naim equipment
without first disconnecting
the mains.

The following label is
attached to all mains
powered equipment:

WARNING

THIS APPARATUS

MUST BE EARTHED

Introduction

3

In some circumstances, depending on where you live and

the earthing arrangements in your home, you may

experience radio frequency interference. Controls on

broadcasting in some territories allow very high levels of

radio frequency radiation and both the choice and exact

siting of equipment may be critical. If there is a known

problem in your locality it is advisable to arrange for a

home demonstration before purchase to find out if Naim

equipment is likely to be affected. Susceptibility to radio

frequency interference is related to the wide internal

bandwidth necessary for high sound quality. Systems

incorporating moving coil phono preamplifiers and active

crossovers are more likely to suffer. A radio frequency filter

kit is available for some Naim equipment but sound quality

will be progressively compromised as more elements of the

kit are fitted. In situations of extreme radio interference

Naim equipment may be unsuitable.

Your Naim hi-fi system can be damaged by lightning. Power

amplifiers are particularly at risk and should be turned off

when there is risk of lightning strike. For complete

protection all mains plugs and any aerial cables should be

disconnected when not in use.

Equipment must not be exposed to dripping or splashing

and no objects filled with liquid, such as vases, should be

placed on the equipment.

Use of non-standard speaker cables or interconnects may

invalidate your guarantee.

5 Connection

5.1 mains lead

As the colours of the wires in the mains lead of this

apparatus may not correspond with the coloured markings

identifying the terminals in your plug proceed as follows:

The wire which is coloured GREEN-AND-YELLOW must be

connected to the terminal in the plug which is marked by

the letter E or by the safety earth symbol or coloured green

or green-and-yellow.

The wire which is coloured BLUE must be connected to the

terminal in the plug which is marked with the letter N or

coloured black.

The wire which is coloured BROWN must be connected to

the terminal in the plug which is marked with the letter L or

coloured red.

5.2 non-rewireable mains plugs

If a non-rewireable plug is cut from a mains lead (for

whatever purpose) the plug MUST be disposed of in a way

to render it totally useless. Considerable shock hazard

exists if the cut-off plug is inserted into a mains outlet.

5.3 fuse carrier

Should the plug fuse carrier be damaged or lost, the

correct replacement must be obtained from your dealer, or

from Naim Audio direct. Do not use the plug until the fuse

carrier is replaced.

5.4 plug fuses

Replace only with ASTA or BS 1362 approved fuses.

NOTE

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the relevant EMC and Safety
Standards, and, where applicable, also complies with the limits for a class B digital device,
pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules.

These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in
a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency
and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful
interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will
not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to
radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning off and on, the user is
encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

• Increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver.

• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver
is connected.

• Consult your Naim dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

Introduction

4

6.1 disc loading

Disc loading is illustrated in Section 8.2. To load a compact

disc lift the transport lid from the front of the player. Place

the disc on the platter followed by the magnetic puck. Do

not use a puck from any other Naim CD player. Different

Naim CD players use dissimilar pucks. The illustration in

Section 14 will help identify the correct puck for the CDS3.

If an HDCD® encoded compact disc is loaded the CDS3

will automatically recognise and decode it. The display will

read HDCD for a few seconds after play is pressed.

6.2 player controls

previous: With a disc loaded but not playing the previous

button searches the disc contents backwards,

either one track at a time, or sequentially if the

button is held. While a disc is in play, the

previous button searches the table of contents

backwards. Play resumes with the selected

track when the button is released.

next: The next button operates in the same way as

the previous button, but moving forwards

through the disc instead of backwards.

stop: Stops play and resets the player to its start

condition. Pressing and holding stop will clear

any programmed play order, or, if no play order

is programmed, return the player display to its

default state (track indication).

play: Plays a disc from track one unless another track

has been selected. Play operated while a track

is playing will re-start the track.

CDS3

6 Installation and Operation

The CDS3 CD Player can only be operated from a Naim XPS Power Supply. Connection of

the power supply is illustrated in Diagram 7.2

The CDS3 should be installed on a dedicated equipment stand intended for the purpose.

To improve sound quality the player has hard metallic feet which may blemish any

delicate surface on which it is placed. Do not stand the player directly on top of another

item of Naim Audio equipment. Care should be taken to ensure that the player is level.

Transit screws on the underside of the CDS3 case and beneath its transport lid should

be removed before use and must be replaced if the unit is to be moved or re-packed

and shipped. The transit screw locations are illustrated in Section 8.1. The transit

screws must not be used in any other Naim product. Do not invert the player once the

transit screws are removed.

pause: Pauses play. Pressing pause a second time will

resume replay. If play is selected while the

player is paused, replay will resume at the start

of the paused track when pause is deselected.

The pause button indicator will flash when pause

is selected.

If the CDS3 is paused for more than 10 minutes it will

enter a “static pause” mode in which the transport laser

deactivates and the disc stops spinning - so reducing wear

on the transport. The player can be left in static pause

indefinitely. The pause button indicator will illuminate fully

rather than flash when the player is in static pause mode.

Pressing the pause button will deselect static pause.

Replay will resume at the pause point.

display: Scrolls through the display options of “track”,

“time” and display off.

All CD control functions are duplicated on the NARCOM 3

and Flash remote handsets. The handsets also provide CD

programming facilities. See Sections 15 and 16 for more

information.

6.3 front panel control mode selection

The CDS3 has an optional front panel control mode. This

multi-function mode provides an alternative front panel

interface in which fast forward and fast reverse can be

selected by pressing and holding next and previous

respectively.

To select multi function mode press and hold next while the

player switches on. To select the standard control mode

press and hold previous while the player switches on.

®

, HDCD®, High Definition Compatible Digital®and Pacific Microsonics™ are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Pacific Microsonics, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries.

5

CDS3

6.4 player display and indicators

The alphanumeric display indicates track and index numbers,

time in minutes and seconds, or various system messages

(Error, Track programming info, etc). The full stop on the right

of the display window illuminates when the player receives a

signal from the remote handset. If a track play list is

programmed the time displayed reflects the duration of the

program. Above the display are four indicators.

HDCD: Illuminates to show that an HDCD encoded disc

is playing.

time: Illuminates to indicate display of total disc time

or elapsed time of track being played.

repeat: Illuminates to show that repeat has been

selected from the remote handset.

prog: Illuminates to indicate that a program has been

stored. Further information on play list

programming can be found in Sections 15 and 16

6.5 output socket selection

A pair of phono output sockets are fitted at the rear of the

CDS3 to provide an alternative to the preferred DIN socket.

Proceed as follows to select the phono sockets.

With the player stopped, press and hold the remote

handset disp function (handset in CD mode) or front panel

disp button until the CD player prog indicator flashes.

Further operations of the disp function will now cycle

through each combination of the two socket types (DIN

only, phono only or both). The selected option is indicated

on the CD player display as shown below.

Socket Option Player Display

DIN

O

Phono o 0
Both O o 0

Press and hold the disp function a second time to exit from

socket selection mode.

6.6 player maintenance

It is important for reliable operation of the CDS3 to ensure

that the surfaces of the transport platter and the underside

of the puck are free of dust or debris which can prevent

the disc from sitting properly and cause it to slip.

To clean the transport platter, take a piece of Blu-tack and

lightly apply it to the top surface of the magnetic metal

hub, picking up any material attached to it. Brush the

plastic outer edge lightly with your finger or a soft brush to

ensure that it is dust and particle free. Similarly, clean the

puck with Blu-tack, to remove debris from the three

locating pins on its underside. Take care not to damage the

rubber pressure pads. Brush them lightly with your finger or

a soft cloth.

Do not, under any circumstances, use any solvents or fluids

for the cleaning process.

6

CDS3

mains input

to preamplifier

XPS power supply connection socket

CDS3/XPS Burndy

180° 5 to 5 pin DIN

Interconnect Cables

cable
direction
marker

ch1

out

-ve

nc
nc

ch 2

out

CDS3 Output

7.1 CDS3 Rear

7.2 CDS3 Connected to XPS Power Supply

XPS

CDS3

alternative

RCA phono

output sockets

RC5 input

Note

The RC5 input fitted to the CDS3 is intended to accept

external control signals for multi-room applications. Contact

your dealer for further information on its use.

optional
RS232
data port