Airplay is coming
Posted by: feu77 on 03 January 2012
i've heard that Airplay is coming this year for Naim streamers but not for Naim Servers! Was there an official statement already?
Regards,
Chris
There seems to be this mistaken impression that HD tracks music is all up sampled. This is not correct at all. Admittedly there were a few albums offered that were slated as being upsampled but the vast majority are genuine re-masters that the original record companies are happy to be associated with
The founders of HD Tracks are David & Norman Chesky who are also behind Chesky Records that has gained a reputation as a first class recording and mastering issuer.
Personally I have quite a selection of HD tracks Albums at 96/24 and 192/24 and find they give excellent results that certainly have an audio clarity and depth beyond that of the original CDs.
HOWEVER don't count on any 'Airplay' software being capable of Hi Res replay. The Apple and Linn examples both only deliver 44.1Khz. In Linn's case up to 24bit but I am not sure that Apple does better than 16bit
regards
Geoff
Personally, I will be using it to stream Spotify and YouTube wirelessly to my main system. Multi-room is already taken care of by Naim if I am prepared to shell out for a Qute or three.
I have a few HD Tracks files and have found them to be excellent. Some, such as Moving Pictures, are available elsewhere as DVDAs and Blu-Rays, which provides reassurance, but it would be nice they could give details of the source of their files and how they were produced.
Gilad Tiefenbrun was interviewed in Hifi Choice, a few months ago, and claimed that 2012 will be the year that the major labels will get behind 24 bit downloads. Hopefully, this is true, but if it is there will be the danger that upsampling will increase as more people get involved.
Keith
The fact remains that only the super-rich can afford multi-room systems that do hi-res justice and they can stretch to Naim or Linn UPNP or NaimNet solutions in every room. For most of us, multi-room is a lifestyle thing, intended for casual listening. Serious listening is done in the living room or music room, sat on the sofa in front of the speakers, preferably with a glass of wine or beer in hand. UPNP works splendidly in this context.
The worry is that the terrifying rate of technological change will render the current generation of streamers obsolete (the curse of Home Cinema). The world may move on and leave UPNP, and the like, behind. If that's the issue, I don't know if AirPlay is a better bet or if it's more desirable to develop bespoke networking solutions.
Keith
Keith
Linn have recently delivered their bespoke 'airplay' solution which is called Songcast. It is implemented as a small piece of clever software that sits on your computer and wifi (or ethernet) streams whatever audio is playing on the computer to any of their DS boxes and hence into your HiFi system.
The obvious implementation being from i-tunes which can of course play WAV files up to 96/26 aswell as ALAC etc. It works really well and obviously can also be used with the likes of i-movies, Spotify and even BBC i-player I presume.
Interestingly it is FREE. Wonder if Naim will get round to doing something like that 
regards
Geoff
Linn has both actually. They have their own proprietary streamer software which is called Songcast which will stream anything from your computern (either Mac or PC) at whatever resolution you can play it on your computer.
They also support AirPlay from Apple's computers and iOS devices. It shows up on the Apple device (or your PC running iTunes) as a player to stream to just as their Apple TV and AirPort Express does. The intersting thing will be if their new DSM series will take video from AirPlay also and spit it out the HDMI outputs on those devices.
i would personally love to see Airplay implemented on the unitiqute. i think Airplay is going to blow up this year in terms of public recognition.
Me too
+2
i think Airplay is going to blow up this year in terms of public recognition.
How is this year different than any other? People are more interested in a full-home streaming solution. Sorry, Airplay IS NOT it.
-patrick
I don't think it's worth paying a license to Apple for Airplay. I like Linn's position on this. I don't need Airplay to play my music. The only reason it would be useful would be when a guest in my house could be able to send the music on his/her iPhone directly to my music system, which should be a feature of his/her iPhone.
...and if I don't have Airplay in my system, an AirportExpress connected to my dac would do the same trick.
I've always thought airplay would be useful because I like the way it works compared to N Stream, and use it for casual listening in the living room (my Naim system is in a different room).
Since my iTunes library is not for the most part lossless, I would have to reconvert my Flac files which I don't want to do since they then wouldn't fit on my iPod, which I use in the car. And if anyone comes around, they can just plug their iPod into the front of my unitqute.
The more I think about it I'm happy with iTunes using aac files, airplay and iPods for more casual listening and UPNP using Flacs for my Naim. Just hoping N Stream picks up in usability. A desktop client (mac compatible) would be really nice with similar functionality to iTunes. (Linn Users have Kinsky which isn't too bad).
It's weird how some of you are opposed to added feature(s).
I really feel that casual Spotify/whatever searching is essential for modern streaming solutions. And why would you want an external AE+cabling if you can have it's functionality included in your streamer?
I've always thought airplay would be useful because I like the way it works compared to N Stream, and use it for casual listening in the living room (my Naim system is in a different room).
Use a different server and control app. JRiver and JRemote app come to mind.
Then you can serve Video and Pics as well. And serve up different streams to different rooms or upnp/dlna players.
They could be cheap PCs ($200) or laptops running JRiver. They could be Squeezeboxes or Qutes or whatever you want.
Unfortunately Mac machine dont have a place here.
-Patrick
...and if I don't have Airplay in my system, an AirportExpress connected to my dac would do the same trick.
Or if you have a nDAC you can plug right in! I am not sure if the streaming range has this technology or not.
I would definitely value AirPlay as an additional feature. Those that don't want it need not use it. I think AirPlay should definitely be on the list of features to support, as it'll be a de facto standard.
I'd also like a way to update firmware in Naim products without using a PC, as I haven't got one and don't want to use one - I'd like a computer free way to do the software updates. It would be crazy to make people use a PC to update the SU firmware to support AirPlay. I like things that just work.
So c'mon Naim - please can we AirPlay and a way to update firmware without a PC.
[People say that I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one]
It's weird how some of you are opposed to added feature(s).
I really feel that casual Spotify/whatever searching is essential for modern streaming solutions. And why would you want an external AE+cabling if you can have it's functionality included in your streamer?
I suggested AE as a temporary solution if needed. I am surely not against added features; that's why I feel Linn's "virtual" Airplay and Songcast are steps in the right direction. I just suggested that Naim should not pay licenses to Apple because this feature would only interest Naim customers who have already paid for Apple products.
> I just suggested that Naim should not pay licenses to Apple
I think they may have to because you need a licence for AirPlay, but I'm unsure of the cost - probably quite reasonable. However, if to upgrade the firmware for it I need to buy a Windows PC then that makes it rather less than economic. Hence, my gripe about needing a computer to do a simple upgrade. Hopefully this serious shortcoming will not make its way to the NDS.
> I just suggested that Naim should not pay licenses to Apple
It is funny to see people here who have no problem living in Apple land and want Naim to do the a same, but hate Windows, 2 companies that make way to much money from the users. Apple probably more so for each individual than Microsoft.
The Linn sollution adapted to Naim is the way to go. I would really value the possibility to stream music from my pc to the hifi. With upnp working out of the box on the servers why would I want another similar solution that we have to pay Apple licens money to have implemented.
Claus
Update only for the streamers and not for the servers? What a shame ...
Regards,
Michel
... Hence, my gripe about needing a computer to do a simple upgrade. Hopefully this serious shortcoming will not make its way to the NDS.
Totally agree; any device connected to the internet should be able to download its updates.