excited new ndx owner

Congratulations on your purchase. You have much fun ahead of you.

to answer your questions :

1. There is currently no android version of n-stream.

2. The best was to play music is wired, then wireless, the USB. Although wireless may struggle to play hi res recording due to the higher data transfer rates required. 

have fun

The iPod touch is reasonably cheap and works well as a hand held portable controller. G

Hi Hertz, congratulations on your new NDX. The NDX sounds good either ether wired Ethernet or SPDIF/Toslink. The USB is fine. The only method that I am not fond of is the Wifi Ethernet link, as it can struggle with hider and the wifi unit seems to make the NDX quite warm.

Alas there is a noticeable lack of commitment from Naim on an Android version of Nstream. Many of their customers have been requesting it for what feels like 2 years now which is a very long time in the world of 'computer' based audio, but I guess Naim have other challenges to deal with currently.

Simon

Congratulations. In the dedicated streamer hierarchy the NDX definitely offers the best performance per pound of outlay. For network streaming it's got to be wired to get the best out of it. Have fun.

I started with an ipod from that-auction-site as a 'proof of concept' (i.e. to see if it actually worked).  It did, so I bought an ipad - soooo much better than the pod.

I would heartily recommend going straight to an ipad - you really won't regret it, promise !

PS - NDX - great machine - enjoy !

If the primary function of your i device would be to control the NDX (i.e. you don't NEED it for much else) I'd advocate you get a refurb of the cheapest iPad from the online Apple store.

That said, they only have wifi models at the mo. which you don't need but you should be able to get a 16 Gb for under £300. Buy it through Quidco and get another 3% off.

I suggest this because I found (by accident) that it's a delight to use and allows a bit of browsing around the music/artist/equipment etc. you're listening to.

Mick

Thanks for the quick replies. I am really excited. Are there any NAS devices that you all recommend? I am looking for 2 tb setup in raid configuration so that there is always a backup done when I copy something to the NAS.

Will any regular router from d-link etc work with this device ? I am old school audiophile who is a bit worried about the quality of cables and all – I can see many  of you smiling J I know this is just data we are dealing with when you do networked audio. I just trying to make sure I have not left any stone unturned before I buy anything.

I currently have a regular 25 $ wifi router from dlink connected to my modem. Model - Dir 300

http://www.dlink.com/uk/en/hom...00-wireless-g-router

Can I connect a NAS to this and then route a wire to the NDX ? Do I need to add a network switch ?

Hi hertz,

    Re the NAS, I have a 12tb NAS from Iomega set in raid 5, which is great and gives me big capacity and raid protection.

That being said, raid is not a solution for back up, and you really need to make a seperate back up on another drive which you could then store elsewhere ( off line and off site).

I use a number of 1tb small portable USB drives

make sure you don't listen to it with the XPS unless you want to part with a wad of cash ;-)  although nice to know you have a great upgrade path to even more sonic heaven!

enjoy! :-)

Agreed and it's the iPad I use mostly...but with 3 kids in the house I need something I can hide about my person! G

A Netgear ReadyNAS Duo with a couple of 1 (or 2) terabyte disks installed works absolutely fine and would be considerably cheaper than Cbr600's set up ! 

Plug the NAS and your NDX straight into your D-Link router and you're good to go... up to 96khz hi-def. 

If you're thinking 192khz hi-def files, then I would put a gigabit switch in the system. Plug the NAS and the NDX AND the router into the switch (3 wires into the switch) and then forget networking, it'll just work... with all your music files.

(famous last words ???  )  

Hi I also recommend a ReadyNAS. With respect to the upnp server, if you are not using a Unitiserve, a recommend AssetUPNP. A great piece of software that transforms the usability of Nstream in terms of indexing and navigation  if you do get that Apple iPad and effortlessly handles all on the fly transcoding in case you get codec anxiety... AIF vs FLAC vs WAV it ceases to matter.....

Asset runs on MS operating systems with a beta I believe on Mac OS. I run my Asset on a tiny micro Windows HomeServer machine (about the size of a large text book) and it just works fine. Although my particular hardware is discontinued you can shop around for a tiny home server for not much out lay.

Simon, I don't disagree with what you say, but Hertz, be aware that your NDX will work fine with the ReadyNAS built-in UPnP server using your I-pxd.  So if you're not into setting up servers and installing software (and let's face it, some people just aren't), the ReadyNAS is still a good way to go.  

PS - just switched my Qute from the ReadyNAS Duo UPnP server back to my HDX - playing the same track - for me no discernible difference.   (but I make no claim to the colour of my ears - neither pink nor gold)

I can recommend the ReadyNAS, it is a really terrific machine. I also have a 2TB Vortexbox, which at £300 delivered from your-not-so-favourite non-tax paying internet superstore is terrific value, and is a one box ripping/storage/rendering solution.

Hi Hertz,

as already stated by Cbr600, don't confuse the survivability of your NAS (via RAID configuration) with a backup solution, the latter needs a physically seperate configuration.

And yes, you can simply add your NDX to your DIR-300 router (where your NAS is connected) and be good to go, as its four ports is the "switch" component of the DIR-300.

Enjoy !

Stefano

Thanks guys.

So a gigabyte switch is a necessity if I were to play 192 khz. Are there any models you would recommend from d-link or any other decent brands ?

Is this the readynas you are all talking about ?

http://www.macnn.com/reviews/n...readynas-duo-v2.html

The vortex box also looks nice ? I normally rip my cds using EAC or db Poweramp on a regular pc. Will the vortex box give me the same quality rip ? If so, it is a two in one solution :-) Ripper and NAS

@Stefano,

Will the "switch component" in the DIR 300 handle 192 khz ?

Thanks.

Hi hertz,

a 100Mbps lan switch will not be the bottleneck for 24-192 replay.

all the best

Stefano

Hertz, I've used relatively inexpensive gigabit switches by DLink and now by Netgear.  I outgrew my DLink 5-port switch and now have a Netgear 8-port model, all from Amazon.  You definitely want an "unmanaged" switch -- these are totally plug-and-play. 

IRjstaines indeed, but from my expierience I have had nothing but frustration from the ReadyNAS inbuilt upnp servers including Twonky, those NAS's just dont have enough memory or horsepower other than to offer a very basic upnp implementation. Your mileage varies by the sound of it, but it'd be a shame to dampen the enthusiasm of a great NDX with a less than ideal upnp server. But yes it will get you started... But its worth pointing out to Hertz there are better options, especially for large collections.

Hertz, no a gigabit switch is not required, although now cheap and readily available. From a streaming point of view upto 24bit/192 Hz and double, a regular 100Mbps switch will be significantly  more than ample, try and go for a quality brand where one expects more care over electrical noise. 

Remember the NDX is upto 100Mbps only... so best keep it simple.

Simon

@ Bart,

Sorry  i am a little inexperienced with network gear.

what is an "unmanaged" switch ?

@ Simon,

You said "  those NAS's just dont have enough memory or horsepower other than to offer a very basic upnp implementation "

You got me all worried now :-)

What is an ideal NAS then ? I am looking for playing high definition music using these NAS devices.