Naim- Is AirPlay coming or not?

Excellent; this thread got me looking.. AirPlay (non mirrored mode apparently) can be very very cheaply and easily done with a Raspberry Pi... No expensive boutique hardware chips or licensing..  About $35, plus a little case, USB to SPDIF converter and other odds and ends,  a reasonable amount of time, and a bit of command line know how, and you are there... 

Definitely going to give this a go at some point, at least to experiment... Has anyone done this here on this forum?

Simon

Hi Hook

My spouse is picking up one of these receivers ($59.99) on an errand-run today and I will be connecting it via optical to a Wadia 151PowerDACmini integrated/dac and will transmit from my MacBook Pro across about 15 feet line-of-sight.  Set-up for Bluetooth in Mac looks pretty straight-forward.  Any hints I should be aware of ?

Thanks for mentioning this.  I was unaware of the product/provider prior to your mention.

regards

Jeff A

Hi Jeff -

Funny, but I was just repeating myself about this in another thread!

The only hint, for what it's worth, is that the quality of the optical cable seems to matter (or at least it does in my setup).  I replaced a Chord Optichord (a decent plastic Toslink cable) with a Wireworld Supernova 6 (a better glass Toslink cable), and heard a nice improvement in sound quality.

Otherwise, this little device really is plug and play.  Good luck -- I'll be interested to hear how it works out for you!

Hook

Hook

May I email you at the address in your profile ?

thanks

Jeff A

You betcha!

Thanks, done.  I appreciate your time.

Jeff A

Wow!  Michael Stanley Band.  Jeff, did you grow up in Cleveland?

Hi Joe

I grew up in NE Ohio near the PA border.  Have been an MSB follower since 1972 when I bought Michael's first solo album "Rosewood Bitters".  Only got to see them once, at the Akron Civic theatre in the mid 70's when they opened for Blue Oyster Cult.  This was the MS, Jonah, Daniel Pecchio (loved Glass Harp as well) Tommy Dobeck version of MSB, prior to Pelander (who I saw often in Reign) joining.  MS has the North Coast/Ohio vibe totally covered. I have owned all the recordings at one time or another (and any format) and currently have his last 10 or 12 solo recordings and the two MSB retrospectives/compilations and the MSB album which is my personal favorite.  Spanish Nights my favorite song.  Also saw and loved James Gang with Joe Walsh.  Went to MUC in Alliance a long long time ago.  18 miles from Kent State on May 4, '70, a strange time.  We were restless back then.

Are you now, or originally, from that area, Joe ?

Sorry to OP for being off thread.

regards

Jeff A

Hook

Thanks so much for your assistance.

Jeff A

This last part is pretty interesting to ponder.  One issue for Naim could be, philosophically, whether they want to put a so-called "low quality" technology into their products because of its overall utility.  Certainly can imagine pluses AND minuses from the 'corporate philosophy' angle.  (This is separate and apart from the 'you told us 3 years ago it's coming; what gives' angle.)

Glen - you gave an interesting example of one potential use (your daughter coming into the room with music playing on her iPhone, and it being 'picked up' by your system).  I've personally not felt that I NEED this capability, but it could well be one of those things (like a remote garage door opener and an ice maker in my freezer) that I was unaware that I needed and now could not live without!!!

Sorry to OP for being off thread as well.

Jeff A,

Yes, I grew up in NE OH, near Chagrin Falls.  MSB was all the rage on WMMS (home of the buzzard) during my high school years in the late 70s. He captured the local sound, though I don't think he ever had more than regional acclaim. Never bought his LPs but have a lot of Joe Walsh. I used to frequent the Agora in Cleveland in my post high school days in the early 80s. A great venue. Also visited the Kent State bars.  Saw Joe Walsh outdoors at the Blossom Music Center and lots of concerts at the Coliseum.  I moved from there when I was 23 and now live outside of Seattle - another great music town. Cheers!

in 3 years when airplay is done and gone, you will be happy to stream with upnp.

Patrick

At least you have always been consistent. Three years of continually bashing the largest company in the world.

I have a funny feeling Apple and their various technologies will still be around three years from now

I LOVE Apple.  Love them.  I dont like the Mac OS, but that is a different issue.  I have spent thousands on Apple devices and will keep doing so until something eclipses iOS (doubtful, but I can't rule it out).  Their hardware is second to none.

I also dont care for Airplay as you can tell.  And it wont be around for long in its current format.  Everything will be "iCloud enabled" is my guess.

I like to use the best tool for the job regardless of the manufacturer/developer.  Mac OS and Airplay simply aren't it for me.

No one likes to remember that I have said over and over how I love Apple.

-Patrick

Of course!!!  They aren't going anywhere.  But you have to remember that they are now mostly a media company.  Everything revolves around you "buying" (renting) their content.

In three years you will be posting about why the Naim DAC555 isn't iCloud enabled.

-patrick

Gievethan - Here I am agreeing with Patrick again - (with the exception that I like OSX,  but then I liked System 7 and OS8 as well) Airplay is OK - could be marvellous if they put their mind to it but at present it isn't really much to shout about if you are paying the kind of money Naim and Linn charge for their gear. If you want a B&W A5 for the kitchen - no worries but fretting whether Naim have Airplay is like being annoyed that your new 911 won't tow a caravan - might be convenient but wouldn't you have chosen something else? 

Airplay might be around in 3 years - it might morph into something else for better or worse or it might not. In the meantime you have a wonderfull choice: a Linn with Airplay or a Naim without - nobody is forcing you to buy a Naim that doesn't have Airplay.

IOS devices are simply fantastic - sometimes familiarity breeds contempt - to avoid this spend at least 1 hour per week using an Android tablet or phone.

Tog

Tog

The Airplay is not for me - it is strictly for my wife and kids.  I myself want UpnP as I have my CD collection already ripped for use on the Klimax DS.

The system will serve two purposes - low res Airplay for the wife and kids AND uncompressed FLAC playback for me.  

I currently have a 20 year old Bose system in the room with satellite wall mounted speakers and a Bose subwoofer.  I want to improve upon that.  B&W A5/A7 ruled out as they will not be an upgrade.  Naim or Linn all in one with a semi decent pair of speakers should sound better than the Bose.  Granted the speakers (for now) will be on top of the refrigerator however the system still should sound better than what I currently have.

Airplay simply does what it needs to do - allow the wife and kids to play music off of their iPhones be it Pandora, MOG, Spotify or MP3's.  If that was the only music to be played on the system I would set my sights lower.  Unfortunately having full blown reference kit upstairs causes me to set the bar a bit higher.

Gregg

Gregg,

So using an Airport into your Streamer/DAC is not an option?  Seems like the best of both worlds.  You get Airplay AND Naim. 

Otherwise like Tog says, Linn have very nice streamers, according to those that own them.

I moved the AE I had in the backyard and jammed it in the wall behind the DAC.  Then i realized I need a mini-to-tos cable to hook it up so I haven't used it yet.  I will probably just keep it there until BBQ season is rolling hot and heavy.  I will see if i ever have the occasion to use it.  I doubt it but you never know.

-Patrick

Patrick

Someone else in the UK suggested a similar Denon product.  I am a bit confused by DLNA - what is it?  I currently run a 4Tb hard drive connected to an iMac.  MinimServer - a UpnP program written by a fellow Linn forum member (native Mac) serves up FLAC files to the Klimax DS upstairs.

DLNA does not appear to be the same as UpnP.  How do the files get to the Denon unit - would I need another type of software serving program (similar to MinimServer) running on the Mac at the same time as MinimServer and serving the FLAC files to the Denon unit?  The Denon unit could in turn then be connected to a Nait 5i?

This was another alternative I was investigating - taking a Linn Sneaky DS (Airplay included), disabling the amp and preamp (not as good as the Nait), and using it strictly as a DS feeding the Nait.  This way I could replicate what I have upstairs - Linn source into Naim amplification.  The Nait should also be much better than the Qute in terms of preamp/amp.

One last question (duck for cover) - if one goes with a UnitiQute how is Naim's iOS app for controlling the music on the Qute?  I know about the choices I have with my Linn for control programs - several different ones all of which work.  I have heard grumblings about the Naim iOS programs.

Gregg

Gregg check the Wikipedia article on DLNA; I think that for your purposes DLNA and UPnP are synonymous. 

Picked up a UnitiQute from Naim today and asked Paul Stephenson the question. Answer was that Apple keep changing things, so short answer is No, not in the foreseeable future.

Regards

Justin

Thank you.  Finally - an answer.

At least I can now weigh all my options, now that I have the facts, and proceed forward.  Not to say that the Qute is still not an possibility (the price is rather attractive for what it does).  At least I now know what it can, and can't, do.

I have only used NStream once.  I used it was just to change the volume on a Qute so I cant chime in on control.

If you had a nice upnp server there is bound to be a decent iOS app for it.

You are Mac-only guy right???

-Patrick

You wouldn't need anything else besides the Mac server.  The Denon unit is Airplay enabled so when doing that it would be bypassing the UPNP server that you use to feed it from your NAS. (assumption).

If you are willing to put a Linn in front of the Nait, why not just an AE in front of the Nait???