New UnitiServe Fresh Out of the Box and...
Posted by: Obsessed1 on 17 September 2010
a bit of a surprise.
First off, digital connection is only by means of BNC connection (for which I have no suitable cable) or the inferior optical. No opportunity to use an RCA digital coax, like 99.99% (all?) of the competition.
Second, no cheapo ethernet cable thrown in to help me connect either.
Really? For three grand? You can't throw in one crappy $.05 connecting ethernet cable?
So, no joy tonight. Tomorrow I'm off to buy an ethernet cable so I can fire it up and give it a try.
As for the BNC, I refuse to succumb to the obvious marketing ploy to purchase a Naim BNC cable. For the time being, I will use the cheapo optical cable that came free (together with a decent RCA coax cable) with the Beresford DAC I bought for $200 a few years ago.
Very disappointed with the packaging. Let's hope the Serve acquits itself once finally connected up to my Uniti and the network.
First off, digital connection is only by means of BNC connection (for which I have no suitable cable) or the inferior optical. No opportunity to use an RCA digital coax, like 99.99% (all?) of the competition.
Second, no cheapo ethernet cable thrown in to help me connect either.
Really? For three grand? You can't throw in one crappy $.05 connecting ethernet cable?
So, no joy tonight. Tomorrow I'm off to buy an ethernet cable so I can fire it up and give it a try.
As for the BNC, I refuse to succumb to the obvious marketing ploy to purchase a Naim BNC cable. For the time being, I will use the cheapo optical cable that came free (together with a decent RCA coax cable) with the Beresford DAC I bought for $200 a few years ago.
Very disappointed with the packaging. Let's hope the Serve acquits itself once finally connected up to my Uniti and the network.
Posted on: 21 September 2010 by Obsessed1
Yes, the Serve is intended to act as a multiroom server to two other systems in the house.
If only I can get my Sonos to "find" the music on the Serve I will be delighted.
The Serve is quiet and now I don't need to keep my computer powered up 24/7. It sounds great, too.
If only I can get my Sonos to "find" the music on the Serve I will be delighted.
The Serve is quiet and now I don't need to keep my computer powered up 24/7. It sounds great, too.
Posted on: 21 September 2010 by dupton
I've just purchased a complete Naim system. It hasn't arrived yet. The source is the Unitiserv. I was rather hoping inside the box would be an itunes voucher to cover the cost of the control app. I guess I'm going to be disappointed!
The dealer is installing the kit and doing all the dressing. I understand it is all quite mysterious - leave the connector slightly loose, plug the cable in and pull it back 1-2mm, etc,etc. Sorry I've gone off topic. Anyhow I'm naturally very excited to get it all installed, although I must re-rip hundreds of CD's. That's my evening and weekends sorted out for the next few months then!
The dealer is installing the kit and doing all the dressing. I understand it is all quite mysterious - leave the connector slightly loose, plug the cable in and pull it back 1-2mm, etc,etc. Sorry I've gone off topic. Anyhow I'm naturally very excited to get it all installed, although I must re-rip hundreds of CD's. That's my evening and weekends sorted out for the next few months then!
Posted on: 21 September 2010 by Tog
quote:Originally posted by Occean:quote:Originally posted by AMA:
Richard, I guess both can pull data from NAS through ethernet connection: Serve outputs audio bitstream and Unity outputs amplified analogue to the speakers. So -- setting a rip-feature apart -- what is the extra functionality of Serve?
I think the RipNAS / Vortexbox / Thecus 5550 can all do this and allow you to add your own music to the internal drives. It will be fascinating to see whether the Naim UPnP is significantly better and the ripping software audibly better for the additional costs involved.
IMO The 1TB UnitiServe is too restrictive to make financial or practical sense. THE SSD version that draws on a NAS for its files is a far more logical choice but the cost is silly. 2800 fine English Squid!
Tog
It can play gapless (the Uniti can, only when fed by a serve/HDX)
It can play 192khz FLAC/Wav
It also creates a upnp network other devices can access
Posted on: 21 September 2010 by David Dever
quote:it can play gapless (the Uniti can, only when fed by a serve/HDX)
Uniti family can also do this with other UPnP servers with firmware 3.0 and above.
Posted on: 21 September 2010 by David Dever
quote:Originally posted by Obsessed1:
Yes, the Serve is intended to act as a multiroom server to two other systems in the house.
If only I can get my Sonos to "find" the music on the Serve I will be delighted.
The Serve is quiet and now I don't need to keep my computer powered up 24/7. It sounds great, too.
"Find Rhapsody UPnP Servers" within Sonos settings.
Posted on: 21 September 2010 by Obsessed1
Got the Sonos sorted.
Just go to Music>Set up Music Library>Add a Library
Added the Serve as a network attached device using its "\\nssrv****\MUSIC" path.
The last trick was that you have to specifically select the nssrv folder from the ipod or controller to see the music library on the UnitiServe.
It all works brilliantly, and the album art shows on the Sonos controller or ipod without a hitch. Sounds good, too, although not as good as directly from the digital out of the Serve into my Uniti.
Just go to Music>Set up Music Library>Add a Library
Added the Serve as a network attached device using its "\\nssrv****\MUSIC" path.
The last trick was that you have to specifically select the nssrv folder from the ipod or controller to see the music library on the UnitiServe.
It all works brilliantly, and the album art shows on the Sonos controller or ipod without a hitch. Sounds good, too, although not as good as directly from the digital out of the Serve into my Uniti.
Posted on: 22 September 2010 by Phil Harris
quote:Originally posted by AMA:
Richard, I guess both can pull data from NAS through ethernet connection: Serve outputs audio bitstream and Unity outputs amplified analogue to the speakers. So -- setting a rip-feature apart -- what is the extra functionality of Serve?
Hi AMA,
What you're missing is that the UnitiServe will rip CDs to a network share (or its own internal storage if it is a 1Tb unit) and will go and find network shares that contain music and agregate them into a common pool of music that is then visible on teh network through its own UPnP Server (and can be played locally thropugh its own S/PDIF oputput)...
...whereas...
...the Uniti / UnitiQute *CANNOT* pull music from a network other than via a UPnP server (as the Uniti and UnitiQute are a UPnP client) - in this respect (as I have stated several times in other threads) the UnitiServe and Uniti / UnitiQute are *COMPLEMENTARY* products rather than competing products and function together to provide a solution.
Cheers
Phil
Posted on: 22 September 2010 by AMA
I see -- I really did not realize that Unity is only a Client.
As I can see now -- Unity can not find NAS and pull data from it -- it needs a dedicated PC to handle the NAS and send data to Unity. Or this can be done with UnityServe -- offering complete Naim solution.
Is that correct?
And what about HDX?
As I can see now -- Unity can not find NAS and pull data from it -- it needs a dedicated PC to handle the NAS and send data to Unity. Or this can be done with UnityServe -- offering complete Naim solution.
Is that correct?
And what about HDX?
Posted on: 22 September 2010 by Thomas K
quote:Unity can not find NAS and pull data from it
If the NAS has a UPnP server installed (and as far as I know many NAS devices offer UPnP server functionality), it will work just fine.
Posted on: 22 September 2010 by Phil Harris
quote:Originally posted by AMA:
I see -- I really did not realize that Unity is only a Client.
As I can see now -- Unity can not find NAS and pull data from it -- it needs a dedicated PC to handle the NAS and send data to Unity. Or this can be done with UnityServe -- offering complete Naim solution.
Is that correct?
And what about HDX?
The Uniti / UnitiQute are a UPnP *CLIENT* and therefore get their data from a UPnP server. The UPnP server is a piece of software which can exist as an application on a PC (such as Twonky or TVersity) or can be embedded in a NAS (the NetGear ReadyNAS Duo has a built in UPnP server as do many others) or is installed as part of the software on our own "servers".
The NS0x / HDX and UnitiServe *ALL* have UPnP servers running on them and we have obviously checked to ensure during testing that our UPnP clients work correctly with our UPnP servers - we found during our own testing that whether a particular UPnP client works with a particular UPnP server is a bit of a duck-shoot!
Cheers
Phil
Posted on: 22 September 2010 by Tog
Thanks - good explanation of how the Serve operates - in my dense way I now appreciate what Naim are trying to achieve. I understand now why you are in no hurry to allow free access to the drive itself If the Serve can pull together all music libraries and yet see them as one.
if the UPnP software is bullet-proof I might be tempted ... Now how to get it past Mrs Tog....
still think it is expensive but that is Naim....
Tog
if the UPnP software is bullet-proof I might be tempted ... Now how to get it past Mrs Tog....
still think it is expensive but that is Naim....
Tog
Posted on: 22 September 2010 by AMA
Thanks, Thomas and Phil.
It's all clear now.
Now I see that all Linn DS are Clients as they need Twonky-NAS.
My Logitech Transporter is also a Client as it requires a SlimServe software to run the show on some network attached PC.
This "server" feature definitely gives extra value to Serve and HDX.
It's all clear now.
Now I see that all Linn DS are Clients as they need Twonky-NAS.
My Logitech Transporter is also a Client as it requires a SlimServe software to run the show on some network attached PC.
This "server" feature definitely gives extra value to Serve and HDX.