Unitiqute - how to stream radio from an iPhone app?

Could you use the headphone out of the idevice into the input at the rear of the unitiqute?

Stereo minijack to 2 x RCA phono.

Or - stereo minijack - stereo minijack socket on the front of the unitiqute.

This is strange. the few times my wired network has been down, I have used my Iphone and the app for national Danish radio through the Ndac or Ns01, so I see no reason why it should not work on the streamers.

Hi, Paul.  

Interesting question.  I see the Marantz is an AirPlay device, while the Qute2 is not.  You wouldn't think that should matter for USB playback, though, especially if the Qute2 plays from iTunes via USB.

Of course, you could do as Adam suggests, but I'd still like to know what is going on with USB, which I would expect to sound better, as, presumably, it bypasses the DAC on the phone.  The "Made for iPhone" certification on the Qute is suggestive of this ability, though the manual only says "files stored on USB sticks or iPod devices." Indeed, stated compatibility does not go beyond the iPhone 3GS.  (It would be surprising to learn your iPhone4 is not supported!) Maybe the Apple cert/license Naim is using does not permit streaming.  Maybe a firmware update will change this.

Good luck.

Nick

I believe that bypassing the dac in the iPhone is reserved for "made for iPhone" certified devices.  The Qute2 IS; I am just not sure if the original Qute is/was. 

I am told:

"plugging your iPod/phone into our streamer will immediately negotiate with the music app on the idevice. That is what we program for, it isn't a direct digital input.

It may be that your Marantz has different software that allows it to be more of a digital feed."

I have a lead (made for a car) which combines power in and an analogue signal out from the docking port of my iphone 3.

The enlarged plug incorporates (I believe) a chip dac or some such magic to allow analogue at the end of the signal lead.

The Qute essentially sees any iPod / iPhone plugged into the front as a storage device from which to read relevant files.  As Adam suggests, with the right cable you could connect it as another source.

I can't quite get my head round why you can't use the iRadio source of the Qute.  Are there restrictions on which internet sites you can access?  And if this is the reason, how come you can get them on your phone.  If the stations aren't already listed for the Qute, it is possible to add them via vTuner. 

If your radio station app supports AirPlay, you can connect an Airport Express or AppleTV to the optical input of the Qute and Airplay from your iPhone.

Adam,

Surely the USB feed from iPod/iPhone into the Naim DAC is digital; otherwise, why run it through the Naim DAC?  Are the Qute etc. different?  

Am I drawing the wrong conclusion?  Is the Naim DAC just a convenient platform for offering a USB interface, and its use of the DAC circuit with iPod incorrectly presumed?  Is it technically possible there could be a NAC with a USB port for this purpose without a DAC of its own?  Obviously files on a USB stick need the DAC circuit.

Thank you.

Nick

Qute sees the iPhone only as an iTunes library and does not seem to accept the digital stream through its  USB port - something NAIM ought to fix ASAP IMO.

Paul here again - you guys are all great!  Thanks for your comments, much appreciated!

I have found a workaround.  I guess it has something to do with the firmware(?)  Maybe some of you tech savvy folks, and/or some of you connected with Naim, can send this feedback to the engineers if it helps.

First, let me answer a few comments from the posts up above:

- Bart, I have a UnitiQute 2 (rather than a UnitiQute)

- Adam Meredith, I think you are definitely on the right track regarding the software difference between the Marantz MCR603 and the Qute (see my workaround below)

- Gavin B, thanks for the good suggestion, there are indeed many internet restrictions here (many!) but that doesn't seem to be the issue this time

- RaceTripper, for whatever reason, AirPlay doesn't work here ('restrictions' again, I would guess).

Here's what I've learned, including the workaround :-)

1) Forgetting the iRadio app issue for a minute ... just working with my iPhone 4 and the Qute2:

a) if I have the 'Music App' open in my iPhone before I plug the iPhone into the Qute, then the Qute will not play anything I ask it to play by using the iPhone controls.  Doesn't matter if I have a song playing on the iPhone or not - if I plug in the iPhone when the Music App is open, the Qute doesn't respond to any iPhone controls

b) alternatively, if I make sure that the Music App is closed in the iPhone (i.e. not open and not playing a song), then plug the iPhone into the Qute, and then use the Qute remote to select a song from the iPhone, then everything works as normal.  No surprise.

c) Once I have done 1b), only then I can use the actual iPhone controls (instead of the Qute remote) to select songs on my iPhone - in other words, I can now do what I couldn't do in point 1a) ... the difference between 1a) and 1c) is that I did 1b) first ;-).  So I seem have to give the Qute the 'first chance' to get itself calibrated when playing files from my iPhone ... I can't plug in an 'already playing' ALAC or AAC file and expect it to start playing (as I can on the Marantz).

2) The reason I posted 1 a) b) and c) is that this is partly how I found the workaround :-). Here's what I learned about the iRadio app:

a) if I start any iRadio app before I plug the iPhone into the Qute, it doesn't work (like 1a above)

b) and, if I plug the iPhone into the Qute first and then try to start the iRadio app (i.e. after the phone has been plugged in, not before), that still doesn't work (unlike 1b above)

c) however, if I do 1b) above  i.e. plug in the iPhone first, then play an iPhone 'Music App' file (AAC or ALAC) (this is the missing link, discovered by serendipity!), and then open the iRadio app ... presto, the Qute not only picks up the signal from the iRadio app, it also automatically switches from the Music App (and shuts off my ALAC or AAC file) and starts to play the iRadio stream (!)  

So there's my workaround, go figure ... if I want to play an iRadio app, I first have to play a Music App file (after I have initiated the Qute as in step 1b).  If I don't play an ALAC or AAC first, then I don't get the iRadio app to work ...

d) ... and as an added FYI, once I have done step 2c) and have my iRadio app playing, I then went back to the Music App and selected an ALAC or AAC file to play to see what would happen ... totally weird, now both the music file and the iRadio app keep playing together (creating a cacophony of unwanted noise);  so the Qute can't 'switch back' automatically from the iRadio app to the Music App, even though it can automatically switch to the iRadio app (and stop the Music App in the process) in the first place (as in step 2c).

That's it.  I really appreciate all the helpful comments in your collective responses.  Hopefully this reply might help some new UnitiQute2 owners, and perhaps Naim ...

Thanks again!

paul

great & congrats! make sure you pass that 'serendipity' on to NAIM customer support