About to buy second hand UnitiQute, any advises?

There is a firmware upgrade for the Qute (and other Unitis) that will enable a clock/alarm feature I believe but for 24/192 it is a hardware upgrade that is return to base at present (this will change,  dealers will be able to do this when they have had the required training). The upgrade will also allow streaming of ALAC (Apple Lossless) up to 24/96. The cost is in the region of £420 I believe.

Regards

Neil

I think there are a lot more questions than answers about this upgrade. What I know is there are both a firmware and hardware upgrade. The question is what doe the hardware upgrade bring, and what does the firmware upgrade alone bring. I have heard it could be the opposite of what you describe. Hardware for the clock feature, and firmware for 24/96 + ALAC.

I couldn't care less about the clock/alarm feature. It will never get used in my system.

RaceTipper 

You have been misinformed! Wishful dreaming? Who would pay £420 for an alarm clock feature? The Qute will be available in two flavours for a while I believe: the current 24/96 and the new 32/192 with Apple Lossless support before just being available in the latter (about £1600 will be the new price). Look at the SuperUniti spec for what the upgraded Qute will handle.

This is a high price for ALAC support so I have a SuperUniti arriving next weekend for a week's trial. If it sounds as good as it did at 'The Festival of Sound' then it will stay and the Qute will return to TomTom.

This may clear your thinking:

http://www.naimaudio.com/news/article/3422

Regards

Neil

Thanks. The link seems to clear some things up.

I think you meant 24/192. There is no such thing as 32/192 that I've ever heard of.

I will have to think about whether I want to upgrade my unit for 24/192/ALAC, or give up on streaming, sell my Qute and just get a proper NAC instead for my vinyl.

Nevermind. I see the SU has hardware support for 32/192. But that's only half the equation. Is there any source material at that resolution? 

Buying used equipment privately is fine if you know your stuff. The problems start when something goes not quite right after your purchase and you need help/support. No dealer will be very interested in spending time giving you anything other than very superficial advice - why should they be if you are not a customer of theirs?

Peter

Naim tells me the upgrade will be a new streaming board plus software.

Here is the explanation from TJ from Naim about the software and hardware updates:

"The clock feature should actually arrive with the pre Xmas software update.

That news article above is regarding a hardware upgrade that is not required to get the clock feature. The hardware update will enable 192kHz playback and Apple Lossless."

Just like I said......

Now I'm looking for cost, and whether it can be done at dealer, or requiring a return to Naim US.

I saw that, but I'm in the US. Things are different here. Price, for one.

According to What HiFi december mag. cost could be around 250£.

"Sound" interesting (in every way  )

Plus in my case it will bring me some dealer support.  That would be the best of the two world!!! 

That was the initial price I heard but dealer a few weeks a go said £420. When was the article put to print?

Neil

On my electronic copie (Zinio) there is no clear date mention except as I said that it is the December release.  Again to make sure not to start rumors, it is mention "around 250".  So let's not take anything for granted yet.

Meanwhile I gave a call to my local dealer to ask if they were are planning to offer that upgrade.

No luck there... The guy was no even sure what upgrade I was talking about.  All he heard so far was about a possible "software" update maybe in 2012... 

This is in Montréal / Canada though.  We are not a big market so we tend to see things late and be more expensive.

My dealer (in St. Louis) knows about the upgrade, but doesn't know details yet.

£420 just seems high for a board upgrade. That would translate easily to $600-700 here (in which case I would pass). £250 sounds more reasonable. My threshold of pain for this update installed is around $400 US.

I will give Sheila @Salisbury a ring in the morning tom see if I can get a definite price.

Testing the SuperUniti over the next week as £420 seems a very proportion of the price of the Qute and the money might be better invested elsewhere.

Neil

Spoke to Mr Hopkins at HQ and it would appear that it is £250 if your dealer does the Qute board upgrade for you. Naim will be offering training (I don't know if this will cost the dealers) in the next month and thereafter. Some dealers may not offer to do the upgrade depending on their level of competence. If it goes to HQ then it is £350 + couriers etc. I believe. The £250, which was the initial figure I heard, is much more reasonable as a proportion of the initial price of the Qute. I'm assuming, maybe incorrectly, that this includes VAT - forgot to clarify, may ask again to be sure.

Regards

Neil