MacMini vs Unityserve

You can't really do a direct comparison out of the box. One is a dedicated music server optomised for its purpose, the other is a small form factor computer. Add a hiface / Int202 to the Mac to give it a coaxial dig output and then actually set the thing up right and you have a fair comparison.

If i had a Naim DAC then the Serve would be of great interest given its capabilities. I think its a rather good product given its multiroom potential and one box, ripping / local dig out / serving ability.

James.

Am using mac mini + Hiface into my Supernait and am very interested in this comparison too, I imagine many others are too.

Hope to get my hands on a home demo of the unitiserve in the next few months and will post the results. If anyone else gets there first, please do likewise.

Cheers, Paul

Same here, I'm very interested!

I recall a previous threat of AllenB about a HDX/DAC vs "full spec MAC"/DAC...the results is that they were on par.
So, just comparing the HDX (digital output) with the Serve will provide indirectly a good indication! Anyone on that?

James,

I think you can do the comparison quite easily, however, I agree that you have to define the relevant parameters that were involved (cables, interfaces, Software), most of them of course referring to the numerous options the Mac offers. What makes this so very interesting is how a bare MacMini (with optical out used only) compares versus a full spec MacMini (using specific interfaces, software, settings, cables etc), all measured against a UnityServe.

Mac will be different depending on what processes they are running - for example there is a load of junk sitting in memory when you hit F12 - this is maintain in the background - so it may sound different if you remove the junk and disable networking whilst playing music (assuming you are not playing from the network and are using directly attached storage - preferably SSD).

Naim's local dealer was kind enough to allow me to test the Unitiserve (SSD version) at home (home demo is not a common practice among HiFi retailers in this part of the world), spent my weekend with it. My current setup is MacMini(Apple Lossless files)-Hiface-Naim DAC-Supernait(with Hicap).

1. Music ripped and played from Unitiserve's hard drive - much better than MacMini(Apple Lossless files)+Hiface. Soundstage improved, more details heard.
2. I then transfer the ripped files from Unitiserve to my NAS (Netgear ReadyNAS Duo) and streamed thru Unitiserve, sound quality was comparable.
3. After that I copied some Apple Lossless files (ripped from the same CD, using itune) to my NAS and streamed it thru Unitiserve, sound quality was not that much different from that of my MacMini(Apple Lossless)+Hiface setup.
4. Ripped the same CD using itune in WAV format, then transferred them to NAS and stream. Slightly better than my MacMini(Apple Lossless)+Hiface setup, but not by a big margin. The Unitiserve is still way better.
5. Use the Unitiserve as a CD transport - play direct (no ripping) from it. Very good sound quality, comparable to 1. (the salesman at the shop said he found it even better than rip n play from Unitisever's hard disk, I do think the two are quite similar though.)

The Unitiserve is definitely a very good product and even my wife can tell the difference between it and my current setup. I am not a technical guy but my impression is that both the ripping process and the handling of the transfer of the data file to digital output contributed to the improvement in sound quality. In order to get the best out of it, you need to rip and play, not just streaming non-natively ripped files. The problem with me is that it can not recognize/display Chinese characters(album/artists/track info etc) and I have quite a collection of Chinese CDs that can not be ripped or streamed by Unitiserve!

Very interesting, thank you for the feedback.

quote:

Originally posted by Deng Yung:
Naim's local dealer was kind enough to allow me to test the Unitiserve (SSD version) at home (home demo is not a common practice among HiFi retailers in this part of the world), spent my weekend with it. My current setup is MacMini(Apple Lossless files)-Hiface-Naim DAC-Supernait(with Hicap).

The big questions are...

• Does the Mac improve with (a) Pure Music ($129) and (b) Amarra ($695)?
  
• Does swapping the basic HiFace for the Evo or Weiss INT202 improve the Mac?
  
• Do you get the same reslts with the Naim DAC which (theoretically) is less suspetible to outside influences / jitter?
  
• How does an Atom based PC with good SPDIF output soundcard compare?
  

Of course it's still not apples vs apples as the UnitiServe has other things going for it but would be interesting.

Eloise

Thanks Deng, you have the same hardware as I do. I use Focal speakers. Do you think it is worth buying the Unitiserve if you have a Mac and Hiface already?

Regards,
Huw

Dear HuwJ,

I have a pair of Sonas Faber Cremona. Assuming you don't have language problems like mine, you should buy it. For me, still not sure.

Deng Yung

Hearing a Mac through a SuperNait DAC I was unimpressed, but hearing a Mac/hiFace through the Naim DAC is very much better IMHO. So as Eloise asks the question remains is the UnitiServe/nDAC significantly better than Mac/hiFace/nDAC.

Is UnitiServe/nDAC a match for USB stick/nDAC (still the best digital sound I can get out of my system)?

Very interested to hear the UnitiServe can act as a good CD transport.

I guess an audition is called for ...

Anybody made any progress on this topic?

What about Atom PC/Foobar/WASAPI/INT202 vs UnitiyServe both thru nDAC?

I'm sorry -- I can't get used to Mac and don't want to re-code my FLAC collection.

quote:

Originally posted by AMA:
What about Atom PC/Foobar/WASAPI/INT202 vs UnitiyServe both thru nDAC?

I'm sorry -- I can't get used to Mac and don't want to re-code my FLAC collection.

As soon as I get some time I am going to get a home demo on the unitiserve - I am very tempted buy one but I need to see improvements over my current PC/Juli@ setup before I go spending £2k - and of course have to get on with the GUI.

quote:

Originally posted by Occean: As soon as I get some time I am going to get a home demo on the unitiserve -

Careful, you'll be fumbling with your credit card in no time...

quote:

I am very tempted buy one but I need to see improvements over my current PC/Juli@ setup before I go spending £2k - and of course have to get on with the GUI.

If you're worried about the Naim GUI, don't be. Try it with a touchscreen or the nServe application on the iPod/Pad/Phone : simple, intuitive and addictive.

Jan

quote:

Originally posted by Jan-Erik Nordoen:

quote:

I am very tempted buy one but I need to see improvements over my current PC/Juli@ setup before I go spending £2k - and of course have to get on with the GUI.

If you're worried about the Naim GUI, don't be. Try it with a touchscreen or the nServe application on the iPod/Pad/Phone : simple, intuitive and addictive.

Jan

The touchscreen GUI on the UnitiServe / HDX / NS0x does seem to go down well ... I tend to have that sat so that anyone who visits can just poke and browse music and they seem to find it pretty intuitive (I rarely have to help them with what to do next) and when we've shown the GUI that way at shows then the public seem to have had no problem drilling in and finding something they want to listen to.

The iPhone / iPod Touch interface is a bit more "personal" and is what I tend to use myself at home generally (although I do run it on an iPad as an expanded app) when I'm sitting and actually listening.

If I'm sat "working" on the PC at home then I use the Desktop Client App...

Phil

This all sounds good to me

I will 99% of the time be using it through the PC interface.

I need to call my dealer soon I think.

AllenB

What is the actual price charged for the Weiss Int202?

Georg

quote:

Originally posted by lawoftrust:
AllenB

What is the actual price charged for the Weiss Int202?

Georg

£900

Not far away from Evo + external PS.

Allen says INT202 can also be powered from external PS but it seems there is no one around with such experience.

quote:

Originally posted by Deng Yung:
The problem with me is that it can not recognize/display Chinese characters(album/artists/track info etc) and I have quite a collection of Chinese CDs that can not be ripped or streamed by Unitiserve!

This is very good to know. I have a number of Japanese and Chinese CDs and I was wondering how a Unitiserve would handle them.

quote:

I should have a UnitiServe within a couple of weeks, although I am getting it for ripping & serving purposes, I will of course be able to check out the digital out quality against the Mini/INT202 (assuming I still have that)

Allen, I go grab a beer to read your new post

AMA, I got a SB touch to test! let me know when you are available!
cheers

Hi, Mattia. Great news -- let me call you!