Problems with HDX

Posted by: GoBlue on 25 July 2010

Hello-
I upgraded my Naim Stereo system in the middle of May of this year and have run into a series of significant issues /problems with my HDX seeing the external sources attached to it. I need help and at this point even my Naim dealer seems to be at a loss to solve the problems.

My Current configuration is:

- HDX
- DAC
- XPS-2
- NAC 252 Preamp
- SuperCap
- NAP 250.2 Power Amp
- NAT05 XS Tuner
- Hi - Line DAC to 252
- Naim DC1
- Cable Pro
- Powerline

My External connections are:
1) D-Link NAS connected thru ethernet for back-up
2) Seagate 1TB Ext.Hard Drive for older Hi-Res Music (USB)
3) WD MyBook 1TB Ext. Hard Drive for additional CDs (USB)
4) WD MyBook 2TB Ext. Hard Drive for New Hi Res Music I download from Naim, Linn, HDTracks,etc,.(USB)
5) Toshiba 16GB Memory Stick (Inserted into front panel HDX USB port)

Through either the Naim Desktop Client or on the internet, I can only see the the Seagate and the 1TB WD Drives. When I attach the 3rd drive - the 2TB WD, the HDX "freezes" and when searching USB Music, on the HDX it says "Loading Music Data"for hours at a time. Last night, I attempted to listen to some Hi Res Music from the Toshiba memory stick, and I had to undock all but the Seagate HD in order to "see it" and play the music. Also, although it was docked, the Seagate HD was not visible thru the Naim Desktop client, the internet or the HDX front panel. Very strange. BTW, all the External HDs are powered. I did try to attach a 1TB WD portable HD thru the HDX's front USB and couldn't see it or access the music. We assumed it was a power issue and therefore went with the 2nd powered WD 2TB external HD through one of the 4 rear USB ports and it doesn't seem to work either.

I love the system and when I can get to the music, it's great. But, for the last 2 1/2 months, it's been frustrating to say the least.It seems like it should be a lot easier for the consumer.
Can anyone make any logical sense of this? Is it a USB power issue? Is there a limit of USB inputs you can use at once? Is it an incompatibility with the Ext hard drives? Do the drives have to formatted a certain way or differently from the way the come from the store? Are the files from Linn and HDTracks too large i.e (24bit, 192kHZ, WAV files converted form FLAC on dbPoweramp)? Lastly, did I just get a "Bad" HDX with faulty USB configurations? I can't tell you how many hours my dealer and I have spent on this, but suffice to say, it has been a lot.
Please, I'd appreciate any help I can get on this.
Thanks in advance.
Bob
(GoBlue)
Posted on: 25 July 2010 by SteveH
Bob

The USB connectors on the HDX are not ideally suited to being used to connect hard disk drives, but more temporary storage like small USB flash drives.
Naim recommends that external storage is on Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices that tend to be more permanent parts of networks, that tend to enumerate quickly and that are not variable in performance due their very different current requirements as USB drives can be.
An ideal strategy might be to use a NAS drive large enough to hold all your music and to set up differing shares on it to keep your hi-res from your ripped CDs. Your existing USB drives could be used for backup of the NAS. Even a Raid 5 NAS should be backed up just in case.
Something I read recently suggested the 321 backup plan. Data should exist in three places, on two different media of which one should be offsite

Hope this helps
Posted on: 25 July 2010 by GoBlue
I assume then that I would have to convert, copy and store my newly downloaded Hi Res music files on an external HD and somehow copy or move them to a separate partition (share) on the NAS. Should the sound quality from the NAS be the same as the Ext hard drives?
Thanks,
Bob
Posted on: 25 July 2010 by SteveH
Bob

Sound quality should be 99.9% the same, maybe better maybe worse, but the differences between drives are very small. I know there shouldn't be differences but there are.

Yes, copy the music files from the USB drive to the chosen share on the NAS.

You shouldn't have to convert, unless you decide to go for the final small improvement in SQ you would get if you kept your music in WAV format rather than FLAC. Again it's one of those subjects that creates much discussion/argument but the differences are audible on my system which is not dissimilar to yours.
Posted on: 25 July 2010 by Klout10
quote:

- HDX
- DAC
- XPS-2
- NAC 252 Preamp
- SuperCap
- NAP 250.2 Power Amp
- NAT05 XS Tuner
- Hi - Line DAC to 252
- Naim DC1
- Cable Pro
- Powerline


Hi Bob,

Just out of interest: what speakers are you using?

Regards,
Michel
Posted on: 25 July 2010 by GoBlue
I have the Sonus Faber Cremona Auditor M's with stands and am using Naim Speaker Cable. They sound unbelievable. If you haven't heard them, try to find a dealer and schedule a demo.
Bob
Posted on: 26 July 2010 by gone
Forget USB hard drives with the HDX - it's just not supposed to work, so if it does, don't expect it to work reliably.
Get your files onto a NAS or other share on the network and you'll be fine
Posted on: 26 July 2010 by David Dever
Your retailer has been advised that we do not recommend NAS drives over USB. If you have any further questions, e-mail us in Indianapolis.
Posted on: 26 July 2010 by GoBlue
Thanks. Just a simple question then- Why have 4 rear USB ports and 1 in front if they are not useful? Could you give me an example of when and why they would be used?
Bob
Posted on: 26 July 2010 by gone
A very good question. Dare I suggest that the 4 ports on the back were provided for free with the PC motherboard built-in to the HDX? Nothing to do with the implementation of audio-related features I suspect. Of course, I suppose they could have been blanked off to avoid temptation
Pure speculation on my part, so treat with suspicion/contempt
Cheers
John
Posted on: 26 July 2010 by David Dever
It's not the ports themselves, it's the fact that USB connections are not persistent nor monitored by the OS, therefore it is quite possible for an attached USB device to go to sleep ("energy-saver mode") without first notifying the OS of its intentions.

One can also use the USB port with a VGA-USB touchscreen for control.

I generally use the front port for USB thumbdrives, as the rear ports are inconvenient to access.