Apple-streaming-Qute et al Summing it up

Posted by: NewMike on 03 October 2010

I’m something of a frustrated potential Naim user as I want to simply stream music …but I have Apple Macs. So in terms of streaming and accessing good quality music files based on Macs and pulling the threads together here the collective experiences appear to be
Naim tends not to play nicely with Apple iTunes – file formats etc
Naim apps don’t touch Mac Remote etc in terms of usability (and integration of radio etc)
Qute is neat and sounds good but is tricky re. above conditions
Unclear how to get any of this set up with a dedicated NAS or other external drive (Ok plug drive into wireless router…)
So where do we go?
How about any Naim amp (or supernait) plus dac of your choice plus new AppleTV plus dedicated NAS or other external drive?
What I’d like to think we get is a good interface, decent quality music, robust system and the virtue of Naim with the advantages of an easy to control system – via iPad, iPhone, iPod etc.
Job done…?

Posted on: 03 October 2010 by james n

Linn DS - All my music is managed via iTunes. I run Chorus DS as a UpNP server on one of my Macs. This reads the iTunes library XML file and all my musio is available to the player. Control is via my Ipod & Ipad. Perfect integration, superb sound. No messing around.

James

Posted on: 03 October 2010 by NewMike

quote:
Linn DS

Hadn't thought of the Lin route - will check that out - perfect integration is what I want !

Posted on: 03 October 2010 by sound_dust

Sonos?

Posted on: 03 October 2010 by David Dever

El Gato's EyeConnect will work fine. Cheap, easy and (for most) sufficient.

Posted on: 03 October 2010 by JonR

quote:
Originally posted by james n:
Linn DS - All my music is managed via iTunes. I run Chorus DS as a UpNP server on one of my Macs. This reads the iTunes library XML file and all my musio is available to the player. Control is via my Ipod & Ipad. Perfect integration, superb sound. No messing around.

I must admit the Linn solution looks attractive because of this simplicity. In comparison, going the Naim route looks too involved, especially if you're a Mac user...

Posted on: 03 October 2010 by Tog

Looked at Linn - quite good but fraught with similar problems especially for Mac users.

Majik Dsi sounds good but is not built with anything like the attention to detail of the Uniti and IMO sounds nowhere near as good. The Chorus control software is written by one v talented guy because Linns software was so dreadful. Their Cara and Kinsky software is pretty awkward especially for Mac users - although RipNas works well with Linn streamers.

Worst of all many people have had problems getting the Linn streamers to work on their network including reviewers.

The UPnp on my Uniti may not be pretty but it worked first time.

It just needs some work by Naim on the control point and server side.

I have no doubts that the Naim engineering is better.

Tog

Posted on: 03 October 2010 by NewMike

Tog - thanks for the Linn experience had just started to see there are 'issues' there. Sound-dust Sonos - have thought about it but while interface is good (nice apps for iPad etc) I am less sure about the quality you get from the ZoneBridge 100. David - EyeConnect will check it out - if it acts as a good Mac/Naim hook up and be nice it I can use Apple remote.

Posted on: 04 October 2010 by PureHifi

If you are prepared to convert your iTunes music to FLAC (far more universal than ALAC) or re-rip your CD collection then you could look at the UnitiServe.

Natively rips to WAV with extended meta data, options to store internally or on connected network location. Control with iPod Touch, iPhone, iPad, IR remote, PC & Mac via built in Web interface. Plays CD's as well. Playback of most common file formats..AppleLossLess being the obvious ommission. Functions as a UpNP server to feed other UpNP clients you may already have.

Digital output only (Toslink/BNC coaxial) to feed something like the supernait, or other amp with a good DAC attached..

Job done...Oh, and it sounds not half bad

Posted on: 04 October 2010 by Paul Stephenson

if you use allegrosoft it converts perfectly for mac

Posted on: 04 October 2010 by David Dever

quote:
If you are prepared to convert your iTunes music to FLAC (far more universal than ALAC) or re-rip your CD collection then you could look at the UnitiServe.

Just a note here–the UnitiServe will transcode Apple Lossless to WAV for use with the Uniti range of products–no conversion is required.

Posted on: 04 October 2010 by AV@naim

quote:
Originally posted by NewMike:
Unclear how to get any of this set up with a dedicated NAS or other external drive (Ok plug drive into wireless router…)

Generally with these porgrams you just need to tell the UPnP software where your folder of choice is. For instance with EyeConnect, you would need to go to the Content section and then browse to the desired folder, beit on a NAS or local to the PC/Mac

For Itunes users, EC has a Itunes setting built in.

Posted on: 04 October 2010 by Peter_RN

Hi NewMike

In case you have missed the posts from earlier this evening by SteveSky @ Naim R&D where I think he covers some of your points, take a look at the threads : EyeConnect, Mac Lossless and UnitiQute and Very technical UPnP question (for Qute)

It makes very interesting reading, and offers some insight as to why things aren’t quite as easy as we perhaps think they should be.

Regards
Peter

Posted on: 04 October 2010 by PureHifi

quote:
Originally posted by David Dever:
Just a note here–the UnitiServe will transcode Apple Lossless to WAV for use with the Uniti range of products–no conversion is required.

Thanks David...also relevant to the OP and my comments that the Serve range will play iTunes AppleLossLess natively, which it is doing happy on our shop NS01 right now. I think that feature was slotted in on the last software upgrade...but I had quite forgotten about it.

Posted on: 04 October 2010 by NewMike

Thanks Peter, PureHiFi and others. As others have note what we have here is HiFi trying to mange the unfamiliar world computer tech. What I'm now thinking is a NAS (or other Hdrive) hooked into a device like AppleTV, Sonos ??? plus DAC - controlled via a well designed iPad/iPhone/iTouch interface - hence into a Naim amp. I liked the Qute but there appear too many issues around playing nice with Apple stuff and HDrives (UnitiServe too costly and I have everything high res ripped already). For me the interface is as significant as the sound as I want all household members to enjoy it.

Posted on: 05 October 2010 by Alamanka

If you want to keep it simple with Naim, you could have:

1- a Nas with a media server software that supports both UPnP and your preferred music file format

2- Naim Qute

3- I-touch or I-Pad with N-Stream interface.

Too easy!

Posted on: 05 October 2010 by Tog

@PureHifi

Do you have a web based interface to the Serve - how good is it?

Tog

Posted on: 05 October 2010 by ferenc

Another simple solution.

Put your Mac with iTunes in a room where it is used generally. Get an Icron USB2 to Cat5 converter. Connect the transmitter end of it to the Mac's USB port, use a Cat5 cable or in -house Cat5 cabling and router, on the receiver end you can use the USB2 converter's 4 port USB hub and a HiFace (Evo). Connect the SPDIF out of HiFace (Evo) to a Qute's SPDIF input.

Perfect communication and integration with a Mac and iTunes, and you do not need a computer in your listening room, works up to 192 kHz/24 bit. Remote controllable with an iPhone, iPad, etc.

Posted on: 05 October 2010 by Guido Fawkes

quote:
Another simple solution.

ferenc, it doesn't sound very simple - compare with MacBook with SSD, fanless firewire disk, hiFace or just play some records on the old LP12.