Naim/Mac UPnP problems

I wouldn't hold your breath!  From a JRiver developer on the same thread:

"It would be a very big project for JRiver. We have about 1.5 million lines of code and changes would need to be made throughout"

Not gonna happen soon.

"soon" is relative.

read here:

http://yabb.jriver.com/interac...ex.php?topic=72849.0

it makes the million lines of code a little less daunting.

"As Jim stated above, much of the work is behind us now.  The work did slow us down, but it also made the code better in many important ways."

Hi James,

from all the replies: you have hit a nerve! Keep your SU, it is a fine system (except for the heat).

So far, I have used elyrics on a MBPro without problems, but I might switch to Playback some day. But I am only toying with this, since I hope that  a HD5XS will come out this or next year. Also, note that Airplay might come out for naim/SU later this year, which would give you another angle on streaming. A shame that naim is not interested in accessing Apple home sharing - this would make our (mac) lives so much easier!

Finally, can you use optical out from Mac to SU - this is definitively painless (mentioned by others before)

Best,

Stefan

Hi all,

Just read this (and other threads) and I really feel there is a fairly simple and solid solution to these problems (it has been alluded to in passing). I have a Unitiqute and am real happy with it.

So here it goes: 

- Purchase one of those cute new Airport Express

http://www.apple.com/airportexpress/

- Configure it to join your existing wireless network

(Using the airport utility application, under airport/wireless, make sure you check "allow ethernet clients")

- Connect the LAN port of the airport to the LAN port of you Uniti(xxx) (the airport will act as a bridge). 

- Disable wireless on your Uniti(xxx).

- Bingo. It should connect to your network through its wired connection, via the airport express (might require exiting the config menu of the Uniti... a couple of times).  

- Purchase a toslink to mini cable:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/produ..._details_o00_s00_i00

- Use it to connect the audio out of your Airport Express to a Toslink in of your Uniti... Digital all the way to the Uniti...'s DAC.

 Done. 

You now have a fantastic airplay-enabled device. You can use it directly from itunes (and the likes), Mac, Iphone, Ipad, I-whatever-they-come-up-with-next.

If you want to route other sources from your Mac the Uniti..., you can also purchase Airfoil that will let you do just that.

http://rogueamoeba.com/airfoil/

So frankly, it really doesn't matter if/when Naim adds Airplay suppor to their products. You will always get better and faster connectivity (and airplay) by using a setup like the above. 

For UPnP, I use EyeTV (on my Macbook Pro), and whereas with the built-in wireless antena of my Unitiqute, I had a slow and unreliable signal (frequent disconnects), via the Airport Express, it's been solid and fast. Add n-stream to the mix, also solid and fast, and you're in audio heaven (make sure your songs are sorted by album - track number - and not alphabetically in iTunes. That will be reflected on n-stream. 

Let me know if you need more info.

Woops, just realized I referred to EyeTV (meant EyeConnect) instead of "Playback".

EyeConnect does reverse tracks.    

http://yazsoft.com/products/playback/downloads/

Try it out. In my experience, it works fine. 

What a long read and windows v mac, as uvexes confuses the issue. If either were so bad nobody would use them. I was a confirmed windows user and always extolled their virtues despite it being bloated with poor temp file management and somewhat flakey reliability at times. I converted to mac and it would take a lot to convert me back frankly despite a (very) few frustrations with certain programs now and again. They are, in reality, both pretty good systems as far as I am concerned..

As for iTunes and streaming etc these are my observations: firstly I mostly rip to AIFF though some of my earlier rips were apple lossless. Secondly it is now possible to redownloadpreviously DRR restricted tracks free of this so they can be played via Majestic which I have found to be reliable with my Uniti. The only issue I have had was when I moved my library to my Ready NAS and Majestic just didn't see the library (I didn't persevere with this and there may be a fix). The iPhone/iPad app for Naim isn't too good though I understand the new versions combined with the imminent firmware upgrade will be a little better.

Not all UPNP servers are created equal! This isn't, of course, a Naim issue but how the music is presented does seem to vary. The Rady NAS is ok I guess but the presentation of music still isn't as good as iTunes etdatabase are proper databases. 

I am now a bit tired of having to have a computer running to play my iTunes library and, conveniently, play Spotify (via Airfoil on the mac) so have gone over to using a sonos unit and coaxial digital connection to the Uniti to stream the library (transferred to the NAS). This is so much more convenient and can all be controlled from my iPad as both devices have appropriate apps. Rock solid, reasonable quality (given the source material) and, of course, Sonos can be expanded to allow iTunes playback into multiple rooms as well.

Ripping via XLD has been faultless too so, frankly, I am not feeling disadvantage by being a superior mac user!

Sorry for the poor spelling which I can blame Apple for as I am typing thifrom my iPad in a layby! How technology moves on.

Good idea with the AE although this limits you to playing 16/44.1 files.

Mac UPnP works fine for me - get the network basics right and that's 90% of your problems sorted.

James

I agree that the Airport Express is a really neat solution to the iTunessituation albeit with slight compromise with regard tas streaming quality, but that's not a big issue given that one isn't going to get ultimate fidelity from iTunes anyway.

The reason I went to a Sonos was its ability to stream Spotify and the fact that I don't need another computer on to listen to iTunes. It also hascoaxial (and optical) outputs and can be entirely controlled from my phone or iPad.

An AE is great for £90 though and a cheap way to stream if the budget is tight. Oh and with extra Sonos unittithe music is nicely in sync which, alas, it isn't using AE.

Oh my spelling!

You know you can edit text right?  Both before AND after you hit "Submit Reply".

What and spoil all the fun?!

I agree that the Airport Express is a really neat solution to the iTunes situation albeit with slight compromise with regard tas streaming quality, but that's not a big issue given that one isn't going to get ultimate fidelity from iTunes anyway.

The reason I went to a Sonos was its ability to stream Spotify and the fact that I don't need another computer switched on to listen to iTunes. It also has coaxial (and optical) outputs and can be entirely controlled from my phone or iPad.

An AE is great for £90 though and a cheap way to stream if the budget is tight. Oh and with extra Sonos unit the music streamed to each can be different and if not it is nicely in sync all over the house for background (or party) listening which, alas, it isn't using AE.

There, hope that makes a little more sense?

Thanks for this suggestion, which seems like a good backup plan if UPnP for a Mac/ iTunes causes too many problems. The amount of faffing around which seems to be required for UPnP on a Mac and the trial-and-error-ness is sort of off-putting, nevertheless some get it to all work out and others don't.

By the way are there any new and improved UPnP softwares that anyone could recommend for MacBooks?

I have downloaded n serve to my mac air.  When I start it searches and then says no devices in spite of my having 2 unit is and an NDX which are switched on and connected to internet radio or my server.

I'm new to all this and to this site.

Nick 

Hmmmmm.

first of all nothing wrong with the Superuniti.

Some people use wifi, and wifi extenders. result : it will drive you insane.

you basically have a networking issue at home.

I have used minim server with MAC and it works good.

Wifi and streaming is difficult. too many variables. Does the SU pick up the signal from the router? How strong is the signal. etc etc etc. 

Your kit needs to be professionally installed. 

Or get a computer networking company to come and configure it, one to 3 hours work

I haven't tried the Linn UNPNP server software for MAC, but they do seem to have worked all this out. And their server software should work on Naim streamers.

Another option , but please ask about it as not 100%sure about it! is that you could try and get a parallel software from Apple which will allow you to run both windows and mac interface at the  same time. You don t even have to shut the computer and restart it under windows.

then get jriver, which will automatically find your itunes library and add it to your jriver libray. From there it s easy for the naim SU to find jriver and you r on your way.

please do confirm with somebody that has much more experience in computer than me as would hate to be the cause of another disaster.

keep us informed

regards

Hello Nick

The nServe app that runs under OSX on iMacs and Macbooks is an application that controls Naim music servers. 

Unitis and NDXs are network players not network servers (those are the UnitiServe and HDX in Naim's range).

So nServe is not finding any devices because you don't have any that it works with.

If you want a remote control app for your devices you need nStream which is only for iOS devices.

David