NDS and stored music

What is your question? What does the Userve have to do with the NDS?

NDS plays music from US or a computer connected to the network and so on. Is there big differences if I use computer stored AIFF rips on my Mac as a start, compared to UServe WAW?

Better or worse?

S

A streamer couldn't care less where the source of the stream is stored. The Userve is only interesting for poepe who do not want to or are not capapable of ripping CDs on a regular computer, but would rather like to have the enhanced ripping functionality of the Userve. Otherwise the Userve is a complete overkill - unless one wants to use it as hard disk player. But that is a different story.

Don't tell that to Naim though, they'll have a different view.... Who knows, some with high end systems can hear a difference others cannot... I think it's the least of your worries. You could start out ripping and storing your music on your Mac, no problem. Best use XLD for ripping, iTunes for CDs where XLD doesn't show any metadata, that's how I do it. There is now a beta version of Asset UPnP for OSX, worth checking out, or Playback UPnP, works fine on your Mac too. Good luck! 

+1, nice kit though, if you're not bothered about the money. But it's better spent elsewhere in your system, that's for sure.

Thanks to both of you. I feel comfortable not buying a serve then, just use Mac with its Ext HD as it is.I will check out XLD for ripping on Mac. So far iTunes have worked fine here.

I was told that NAS was the best and most stable solution, working well with US, but agree in the huge cost and even not using it`s dig. out.

Remains ordering an NDS then  

Best

S

You are missing that is also provides a DEDICATED and robust upnp Server whether or not you rip with it.  Many dont want to run a PC 24/7 just in the off chance they want to hear a tune or two.  Plus given its digital output, you could easily simply run this and the Naim DAC and control all through iOS.

But its main function is to Serve, hence the name.  Ripping is an added bonus.

GOOD LUCK trying to find a upnp server you like, and that runs [well] on MacOS.

-Patrick

Stover, I predict you'll be very happy with the NDS.  Remember it needs a power supply too.

I use the uServe to serve music to my  NDS, but came about that by first using the uServe as a player into the Naim DAC.  I've also used my Synology nas to serve to my NDS using its upnp server.  Which is "slicker" imho?  The uServe.  But definitely you can serve your music to the NDS using any of a variety of upnp server solutions.  Your results (how the music is displayed in the nStream app) will vary from server to server.  But, I believe, no audible differences.

Thank you Bart and others. Now it comes to my mind why UServe was an option after all, this UPnp issue of course. I'm at a simple level here and reminders needed.

My worries will be after spending alot of money on the NDS, not to get a positive experience out of it. I now understand UI is the issue, not soundwise necessarily.

Have had US on loan connected to the NDac I had, using the dig. Out. This time it will only be the server/ ripper. I use Mac and I now have two choices. Use the Mac as explained above and learn how to install and use Asset for OX or second, go US in the start. The question will then be, will I get to the US sooner or later because of it's stability and userfriendly interface compared to Asset or others?

By the way, using 555PS.

S

If you can't run to a UnitiServe (which obviously I would suggest given that we've written it to work correctly with our UPnP clients) then I would strongly suggest that you at least try to get something like a NetGear ReadyNAS and a couple of drives in it - the UPnP server on that will be a lot more stable and trouble free than running a UPnP server on your MAC and it'll always be available on your network ...

Phil

Thanks to you Phil as well.

The US is obvious to me also, the cost of the NDS just makes me try to save the money. I was a little naiv here. Using a troubled interface will make me struggle to enjoy the Music, I know By experience. I have contacted my dealer about US. 

If i should do a comparison. I spend a lot of time with my Ovators placement? After a lot of work, thinking, listening, I found it's spot. I learned alot about the room and also the speakers and the result was great.

If going the UPnp route through my Mac I could easily take the job and frustration, but I need to know that the result in the end will be a good one and not temporaily and not well working after all. You see?

S

Stover, I originally bought the uServe at the very beginning of my hi fi "journey" and bought it for the reasons you stated; I wanted a truly plug-n-play solution to playing music where I 'never' had to 'fiddle' with 'computer stuff' to get my music playing.  Sitting with my wife in the living room with some wine, listening to music, is not the time for "sorry sweetie I have to reboot the blah blah blah" for me.

Now having played with my nas, I know that I could likely achieve that goal without the uServe. But I'm really glad I own it.  I can tell that, as Phil wrote, its system was written to work seamlessly with the Naim streamers.  It just depends on where you personally come out on the value; many different opinions here on that but it's just an individual decision.  I've lately been ripping a pile of cd's I forgot to rip months ago, and once again I'm reminded how simple the entire process is from putting a cd in the uServe's slot, to having the music on the network, with metadata and artwork, to play on the streamer.

That was very clearifying Bart, but at the same time makes the decision harder. Well, I should as Phil says go for a UPnp NAS and I will aim for Synology. Then I can decide either to check out the function in the NAS itself for learning and as you say it work well on its own. Then, and if necessary, buy a US later.

Very helpful after all then

Another issue for me. Does US rip all your cd's without any problems? I have som classical music boxes, how will that be? I have a CD5XS that I could connect to NDS dig. Input, but is it really necessary?

Thanks

Not sure why people love the Synology NASs (apart from they got a good writeup in What HiFi) ... anyway, if you do go for one then do a bit of research first as I was emailed a couple of months ago by a customer who was using a Synology and everything was being streamed to his UnitiQute as MP3 - it seems the Synology UPnP server was transcoding everything to MP3! (I don't have one here to test with I'm afraid so I can't confirm this but it did seem that was what was going on.)

Phil

My dealer said Synology was a good thing with Naim.......earlier, now he says like you, ReadyNAS. I guess you recommend RN based on experience at Naim?

Thanks again for your help.

I recommend QNAP - without having experience with the other brands, which might be also excellent.

But with QNAP I know that it works.

QNAPs have been good for us on the whole too but they run Twonky as a media server which has had its ups and downs so although Twonky is generally OK we're not completely happy to say that it won't have issues.

Cheers

Phil

Phil how would I test if my Synology NAS does this?  Let me know and I will report the results in a few hours

If you are using nStream it shows you the format of the file it is streaming in the top right corner of the now playing screen. If its getting transcoded this should show MP3. I transcode FLAC to WAV and I get WAV displayed.

Bart - in the "Now playing" screen of NStream it will display the file format / Biteate / sample rate in the top right hand corner.

Thanks to you both -- I've not noticed that yet.  I will do the "test" tonight (East coast US time).

Although I run a non Upnp server on its own micro server seperate from the NASs for flexibility, it has functioned well. However there is one disadvantage currently with non Naim upnp servers and that is with the database.

Now that Naim uses controller based playlists, the media index is essential for playlists to work, and with third party upnp servers you have little control of this index, and you can find your playlists suddenly become unreachable as indexes are rebuilt or rescanned. With Naim you appear to have more control on this.

It sounds esoteric until you find your playlists start to become unplayable  

Now if Naim provided/sold their upnp server software that would be very useful....

Simon

My Synology DEFINITELY does not transcode to .wav on its own.  Flac = flac.  Mediaserver 1.0-2259 (current as of 15 Nov 2012). 

It's not "theirs" . . . I'm not exactly sure who they license it from, however.  I suspect that it's not a huge secret, but I just don't know.