ND5 XS

Hey Meerkat,

The NDXS is a great - upgradable - streamer with a very good DAC. You should definately ask your dealer to have a home demo enabling you to judge its quality. I don't have a SuperNait so cannot compare its DAC section to the one in the ND5XS.

I think if you trade in the UnitiServe and buy the ND5XS, you should be at a reasonable budget. Furthermore you would always have the option to add the XP5XS later on, bringing the combo close to NDX level.

 

Good luck and keep us posted.

 

Iver

You mean the ND5 XS has better DAC than SN?

N-DAC couldn't be an option if keeping the US?

I had the ND5Xs...you would love it.

Go for a listening session.

Upgrade options_

• used XPS
• XP5XS

I would want to audition it the other way too -- getting a (used if better for the budget) Naim Dac as well.  I think that that's another reasonable alternative.

JRiver should do it as well.....

I would really go nDAC first - One of the, if not best DAC in its class IMHO. 

Then add ND5 for streaming/i-radio function or upgrade nDAC with PSU.

Chag - 

Mr Meerkat, if you have ripped your CD using the Unitiserve, I am afraid you will need to maintain that to play or source the files. The Unitiserve keeps the metadata in a seperates database away from the files, so most if not all other upnp servers will be unable to access the metadata.. All your ripped  will otherwise therefore be anonymous.

So given where you are, an NDAC connected to your SPDIF of your Unitiserve could be an effective way to proceed, if you require a more detailed, involving sound than yourSuperNait can provide.

As said above the NDAC is one of, if not the best in class.. It's quite phenomenal with upgrade PSUs.

Simon

Hey Meerkat,

Simon has a fair point. If everything is ripped with the UnitiServe you will notice it has its "own" way of storing the tagging/metadat in a seperate database. I think it depends a bit on the number of CD you have ripped. If this is anaything of let's say below 500, the re-tagging with tools like MediaMonkey is easily re-done. These tools allow semi-automatic tagging of Art, release year, Album name, AlbumArtis etc. It works fast and without trouble. Instead of many times posted on the forum; WAV files do (!!) allow a very good basis of Tagging. If your tagging remains in basic things (Album, Artist, AlbumArtist, Genre, Year, etc), the WAV files can handle it perfectly.

Having said the above, if the number of ripped CD's is not too big, I'd still consider the ND5XS and the accompanying re-tagging. If the number is bigger and your budget allows, the suggested nDac/PSU route is superb.

Enjoy,

Iver

Hi, and thanks to all that replied...

Oh, I understood that the ND5XS would read all the music files stored on a NAS, then display the metadata on the n-stream app. Have I got this totally wrong? My music is not stored on the Unitiserve, as I have the SSD version.

I have approximately 300 ripped CDs in WAV, plus about 6 Hi-Res albums in 24 bit FLAC, stored on the Qnap NAS.

I am a MAC user, so not sure what tagging software I'd need? If at all it would be required.

Hi meerkat, I have posted your answer, but it seems to have been forwarded to administrators for approval?? Perhaps there is a fault in the system... Please be patient.

Simon

Yes, unfortunately you have it wrong. The meta data is provided to the ND5XS and the Nstream controller via the upnp server. The ND5XS and Nstream  read the source files... At this stage everything is split up by the upnp server so as to work in a streaming way.. The key element reading the files is therefore the upnp server, which in this case is your Unitiserve.

The NAS really has little to do other than physically house the raw media files somewhere on your network.

Some people can run upnp servers on their NAS, and so the terminology used by some confuses (as perhaps has done here) when the say the music is streamed from the NAS. They should say the music is streamed by their upnp server that happens to be installed on their NAS. These are two different functions.

Simon

PS pardon the typos, my iPad really does fight with this Hoopla system.

Meerkat,

Can heartily recommend the system Simon refers to. Started with bare Supernait and US. Then upgraded to nDAC to relieve the SN of digital conversion duties, and now have an XPS2 powering the nDAC. Very very happy with the set up, each upgrade just brought more of just about everything, no plans to upgrade any time soon - unless perhaps they upgrade the power supply on the US.

Reading Simons post, I didn't realize when I bought the US that I might be locking myself in to Naim servers for evermore (assuming I don't want to re-rip a thousand odd CDs), but it doesn't really concern me. 

Good luck, Paul

Paul, indeed I really did rather like the Unitiserve idea, but that point did ultimately take me down a different solution for  streaming my CDs.

Thank you Simon for your detailed reply...

I just thought that the idea of Naim Network Players, was to find music stored on the network, or USB device, then play them back through a DAC/Amplifier.

Is it all to do with file types? As suggested by Iver and Ragman, to retag to WAV files to FLAC? Or won't that help?

UMeerkat,   Of course in my above post the word 'don't ' disappeared from the sentance "ND5XS and Nstream don't read the source files"....

Network players for the most part is a short hand term for a streaming renderer using the upnp /DLNA  protocol or proprietary variant from Apple Airplay, Squeezebox etc.

Retagging doesn't change this, other than it does allow you to use a non Naim upnp/DLNA server that can then read the ripped / retagged files, extract the meta data and then send to the renderer and controller such as the ND5XS, NDX, NDS, Nstream etc.

Hard disk players such as the Unitiserve (in player mode) and the HDX can however read and play directly from the files on a hard disk without the need of a upnp/DLNA server. So here you can 'simply' connect a NAS and the player can then read the music file like a regular computer file and play it directly.

Simon

Thanks Simon, I think that I can now see where you're coming from. 

Here is a scenario then...I don't have a Unitiserve and have never owned one. All my music files are stored on my home computer, (In my case, a MAC) or USB hard drive.

I buy a Supernait and an NDX. What would the ideal set up be?

Sorry to be a pain in the butt!

David 

In that case Meerkat you simply install a UpnP server on your pc - for example Assett -. The UpnP server is once pointed to your WAV ir Flac files. Off you go: the NDX would recognize the Assett UpnP and will start playing music.

What would be still open for you to do, is to re-tag your Wav since you will notice some of the tags are missing (due to the alternative metatadata-storage uf UnitiServe)

Iver

Iver...I think we are now cooking on gas! Thank you

Just as a measure, I am going to do what you suggested, and re-tag my WAV files to FLAC. I am a Mac user, and never used Media Monkey before, so I will investigate.

Thanks again for your kind help.

David

Hey Meerkat,

Okidoki, just post here in case you have any questions. MediaMonkey is just a Library maintenance-tagging application I use, but there are plenty of good alternatives. Lots of people here use JRiver or Foobar. Just google a bit to see which ones support the Apple platform.

If I were you, I first would ensure your UpnP server is working properly. As said, I use Assett with great pleasure. Assett does have a variant for Apple/Mac but it is in beta. There are a few here that tested it. Also for Assett there are alternative UpnP servers for Mac available.

Iver

David, where folks get frustrated most often with UPnP based streaming is in the setup of the server software on a home computer and getting the server, the player, and the iPhone or iPad to all talk to each other on the home network, reliably.

When I first started with all of this, I bought a UnitiServe and a Naim Dac and used the uServe as a player into the Dac.  This is very similar to what you are doing now.  I can tell you first-hand that there are FAR fewer issues doing this than setting up a UPnP server on a nas or a computer.  I just have a sense that the later will frustrate you to no end.  That is why some of us have mentioned purchasing a Naim Dac as a way to both upgrade your replay AND "keep it simple" and avoid getting you into the home networking wormhole (unless you really want to go there).

Honestly, for me, I did want to learn the networking UPnP stuff and so I accepted the challenge

Thanks Iver

I have search the internet for a Mac based WAV to FLAC converter, but the only one that would download on to my Mac, was Xilisoft. Looked a bit longwinded to do my entire music collection!

Most of them only work with Windows based computers.

David

I would expect XLD to be able to convert Wav to Flac ?

Thanks Bart...I was just sending Iver a message, when yours popped up.

I agree, the easy way is always best. I spoke to a Naim dealer earlier, he told me that providing your NAS has a UPnP, the NDX will work just fine. He states that's how he demos the kit in his showroom.

Yes, adding a stand alone DAC would be top stuff, but I need to sell the Unitiserve to buy any other piece of kit.

David

Hey TBM, you sure you've got this under control, seems aufully complicated to me, I'll stay with my CDS3 and CD's. just listening to the Eagles 'One of These Nights', absolute dogs whatsit's!

Shat it!

TBS