NaimNet Cheap option
Posted by: Niklas on 07 March 2007
I'm a new member, coming from the world of high bitrate MP3s and active monitors. Listening to my friend's 282/200 & Allae has changed my feeling on how to listen. My system is exact, his has LIFE.
On to the theory. It seems that the new NaimNet amp NNP2 will be around £1000. It has a digital in, so I assume that the DAC resides in the amp as opposed to the Naim Music Server. The fact that the information is supposed to travel digitally from the NaimNet Music Server to the NaimNet amp also supports this.
Now, if I rip my collection into lossless FLAC or similar (on my computer), with EAC for error correction, the information will be complete. The computer then converts FLAC to PCM which goes via LAN to a nifty device called the Squeezebox, which sends it on to the NaimNet amp via optical. In theory, there should be no loss of information, except for possible jitter in the last optical stage.
The Squeezebox is £200, upgrading your computer with an extra 200GB harddrive is £100. I wonder if there is any difference in audio to the NaimNet music servers at ten times that price?
The crucial questions are: do the amps have a DAC, and is it possible to run (and control) the NaimNet amp without a connected Music Server?
Much appreciating your advice and thoughts on this, I'm aching to get my hands on an NNP 2 and a pair of Allaes in order to enjoy the same level of music as my friend, at a third of the price...
On to the theory. It seems that the new NaimNet amp NNP2 will be around £1000. It has a digital in, so I assume that the DAC resides in the amp as opposed to the Naim Music Server. The fact that the information is supposed to travel digitally from the NaimNet Music Server to the NaimNet amp also supports this.
Now, if I rip my collection into lossless FLAC or similar (on my computer), with EAC for error correction, the information will be complete. The computer then converts FLAC to PCM which goes via LAN to a nifty device called the Squeezebox, which sends it on to the NaimNet amp via optical. In theory, there should be no loss of information, except for possible jitter in the last optical stage.
The Squeezebox is £200, upgrading your computer with an extra 200GB harddrive is £100. I wonder if there is any difference in audio to the NaimNet music servers at ten times that price?
The crucial questions are: do the amps have a DAC, and is it possible to run (and control) the NaimNet amp without a connected Music Server?
Much appreciating your advice and thoughts on this, I'm aching to get my hands on an NNP 2 and a pair of Allaes in order to enjoy the same level of music as my friend, at a third of the price...
Dan, this is my question too. Here is one clue:
According to the NaimNet leaflet you can plug in your ipod to be played through the audiophile DAC (on the NaimNet server I guess???). See quote from page with info the connection on the front on all SERVERS:
"Local iPod – Digital Playback and Control
• Plays through the Naim audiophile DACs rather than the iPod analogue headphone socket. "
So there must be a DAC in the server (an audiphile one even!!!
). And it seems like a waste to have one "only" for the iPod.
I for sure would like to see a DIN connection on the servers ( I know that the top model have one) to plug in to my 282.
Speculation oh speculation. C´mon NAIM, feed us with some more info!!!
/Thomas
According to the NaimNet leaflet you can plug in your ipod to be played through the audiophile DAC (on the NaimNet server I guess???). See quote from page with info the connection on the front on all SERVERS:
"Local iPod – Digital Playback and Control
• Plays through the Naim audiophile DACs rather than the iPod analogue headphone socket. "
So there must be a DAC in the server (an audiphile one even!!!
). And it seems like a waste to have one "only" for the iPod.I for sure would like to see a DIN connection on the servers ( I know that the top model have one) to plug in to my 282.
Speculation oh speculation. C´mon NAIM, feed us with some more info!!!
/Thomas
quote:Originally posted by dan scott:
Thanks, at least its started somewhere, that's good to know. Now just for the mainstream to get into it and the CD could have increased competition.
Another idea would be for someone to do a "CD-Ripper" transport that would enable people to take high quality rips from a transport designed to minimise jitter etc.
Dan
That's what my Yamaha HD1300-CDR does - there is also the more advanced Alesis MasterLink DL-9600 on which you can your recordings in 24-bit, 96kHZ and even edit them and apply high-resolution parametric EQ and normalising and I think it makes the tea too.
Best regards, Rotf
quote:According to the NaimNet leaflet you can plug in your ipod to be played through the audiophile DAC (on the NaimNet server I guess???). See quote from page with info the connection on the front on all SERVERS:
"Local iPod – Digital Playback and Control
• Plays through the Naim audiophile DACs rather than the iPod analogue headphone socket. "
So there must be a DAC in the server (an audiphile one even!!!
Thomas,
sorry, I cant follow you. You connect an iPod digitally to a server, which transports the music digitally to a client, which does the DA-conversion. What makes you think, there´s a DAC in the server?
brgds..TC
quote:Originally posted by Niklas:
Personally, I'm a bit bummed by the inability to control the amp and the music from a PC. Once I have the music server, I can manage it from a PC, in order to have it access the PCs files. But why not simply use the PC and let software do the trick? In fact, if there is a need, people always tend to make ways...
I wouldn't want to use a PC - directly I need a PC to operate something then it becomes a non-starter in my Microsoft-free house. The unit needs to operate in its own right and dependency on a PC will make it less and less likely that I'd want to buy it. Unless the aforementioned PC is running AmigaOS.
ROTF: The Netstreams interface is in Flash, hence works on most platforms (possibly not on Amiga or SX81 though...) 
Sonofcolin: Interesting. I've pretty much given up on the Naimnet now that it seems one must have the musicserver, which for me is a waste of £3000, something I'd much rather spend on SL2's. I don't need multiroom or lighting control, I need to rip my collection into bit-perfect and have it reach the DAC in pristine form. I guess I'm back to my trusty Squeezebox feeding DAC through optical, then onto a Nait 5. Would VNC be another option? Could it control a Netstreams compatible device?
It is important to note that NaimNet is hardware that works on the Netstreams platform. There are many other brands, and there may be other solutions.
Thomas an I will do some testing though, and we'll see what surfaces!
Sonofcolin: Interesting. I've pretty much given up on the Naimnet now that it seems one must have the musicserver, which for me is a waste of £3000, something I'd much rather spend on SL2's. I don't need multiroom or lighting control, I need to rip my collection into bit-perfect and have it reach the DAC in pristine form. I guess I'm back to my trusty Squeezebox feeding DAC through optical, then onto a Nait 5. Would VNC be another option? Could it control a Netstreams compatible device?
It is important to note that NaimNet is hardware that works on the Netstreams platform. There are many other brands, and there may be other solutions.
Thomas an I will do some testing though, and we'll see what surfaces!