uniti - spotify

Posted by: Wee Man 69 on 22 January 2011

I realise this has been covered in previous forum topics, hoewever since the forum changeover, I am unable to locate relevant thread / answers.
Is it possible to stream spotify ( premium ) to Naim Uniti ?
Having much fun / success with new system ( Uniti - Apple TV - NAS - PS3 ) but would love to be able to utilise HD streaming from Spotify direct to Unity.
Any advice ?
All pointers greatfully received,
Cheers

Posted on: 22 January 2011 by Mike Smiff

Do you have an iphone or touch? Can you streem it via these on the later usb connection Unity? Or would this only work on the older Unity via the i-link cable?

How about via a netbook or laptop and usb> s/pdif interface, M-audio Transit would be good if they still made them, a HiFace could be OTT for Spotify @ 320 Kps.

Or if you have a modern digital TV with hdmi input and a s/pdif output, hook up a modern laptop or PC with hdmi output, you can buy a budget (long) hdmi lead, go from PC/laptop into TV and out via long Toslink into the Uniti digital input.

Posted on: 23 January 2011 by Wee Man 69

Thanks Mike,
I have a 2nd Gen iPod Touch & the new Uniti with full iPod functionality from the front USB. It is something I will investigate.I seem to be picking up bits of posts regarding setting up some form of iRadio connection on the Uniti via Naim v-Tuner but these link to the old forum & cannot be displayed. Searches on this new style forum just come up blank.
The laptop / netbook - TV solution is a viable one, I just wanted to get away from long runs of cable & having to " Hook stuff up ".
Many thanks for response though - I will give the iPod route a look first.
Cheers Mike

Posted on: 23 January 2011 by Oscar_F

I am streaming Spotify via Wireless to both my Uniti in my sitting room and a Revo iBlik radio in my office using Jamcast software. The Virtual Souncard feature in Jamcast allows you to stream music played in your computer to any uPnP compatible device. I am using it for Spotify, Deezer, the BBC iPlayer and iTunes streaming. Probably not the best "audiophile" solution but easy and very convenient. If interested you can find Jamcast at http://www.sdstechnologies.com/

You can try for free for 30 days I think and then it is not expensive at all. If you decide to try and need some help, more than willing to help.

Regards

Posted on: 23 January 2011 by GerryMcg

I also use jamcast to stream spotify to my xbox (for reviewing CD's prior to purchase). Jamcast is a bit of software , it cost me £18.75 a year ago.

Gerry

Posted on: 23 January 2011 by Wee Man 69

Thanks chaps - most helpful. One more question though ( inevitably ! ).
Streaming using jamcast - can you stream tunes @ a decent bitrate ( 320kbps ) and how does it sound ?
Cheers again Gents,

Iain

Posted on: 23 January 2011 by GerryMcg

I believe it does although via my Xbox the quality will be somewhat degraded. Also a point to note is that Jamcast will send any soundcard signal from your PC/laptop, e.g. internet radio.

Gerry

Posted on: 23 January 2011 by Wee Man 69

Thanks again Gerry / All.
Off to do a bit of tinkering.
Cheers,
Iain

Posted on: 24 January 2011 by 0rangutan

Hi Iain,

I have this working well on my setup.
I run Nicecast on my Mac, capturing the output from Spotify and broadcasting as a Shoutcast Internet radio stream at 320kbps.
I then used the Naim vTuner site to register my Qute and added the local IP address of my Qute as a new station.
I then tune in to this station on the Qute as an Added Station under iRadio.

Works a treat.

You can go further and buy yourself a Spotify remote app to enable easy search and control from an iPhone.

Good luck,
John

Posted on: 24 January 2011 by Oscar_F

I have compared the Spotify streaming to CD and several MP3 and lossless format files accessed directly via the USB connection in front of the Uniti. This is very personal but I find the quality of the streaming definitely lower than that of the CD and equivalent to a 320 kbps MP3 file. For me this is good enough for most pop and rock music listening though not for jazz and classical. I think you should try for yourself and figure out if you are satisfied with the quality you get.

Oscar

Posted on: 24 January 2011 by Wee Man 69

Latest update - I have managed to track down some further info on this topic.
It seems by adding DSBridge - http://dsbridge.googlecode.com...dge-20090707-bin.zip
and Lame-enc - http://www.free-codecs.com/Lame_Encoder_download.htm
and doing some placing of relevant files in Spotify folder you can get it to stream in a format which can be caught by creating an added station ( as per 0rangutan ) in vTuner.
You just add the IP address of the streaming computer in the relevant boxes.
So far so good - Just have to get Spotify to recognise Lame_Enc file and we might be in business.
I will keep you all posted.
Oscar - thanks, I think my serious "Listening" will almost always be done from stored media ( WAV ) and CD. The option to have spotify stream tunes on demand would just be nice for the rest of the time.
Thanks all again,

Cheers,

Iain

Posted on: 24 January 2011 by Eloise

Out of interest, have people using nicecast and handset being able to compare this "connection" method to using a direct digital connection from your computer?

Eloise

Posted on: 24 January 2011 by Oscar_F

Wee Man

Just one point to be aware of... I also tried DSbridge, it works really fine with both Spotify and iTunes but has some problems with stability and compatibility with other software. Almost every software installation or update I did involved having to uninstall and install again DSbridge. After living like this for a few months I decided to look for something else when a compatibility problem between the latest Adobe Flash Viewer and DSBridge basically meant that I had to chose if I wanted to have streaming or see webpages full content.

Cheers
Oscar

Posted on: 24 January 2011 by Wee Man 69

Oscar,
You are truly a visionary - guess what problems I have run into .............?
Roll back latest Flash to earlier version or give up on DSBridge. I'll let you take a wild guess as to which of these has just hit the recycle bin.
So .... onwards to Nicecast or Jamcast
Thanks again

Iain

Posted on: 24 January 2011 by 0rangutan

Eloise, no, it does not sound as good in my set up. This is because Nicecast is taking the Spotify stream and re-encoding it to mp3. That said, it still sounds great for what it is.

Posted on: 24 January 2011 by Tog

Sounds complicated WeeMan! How about using Sonos to stream Spotify - or cheaper the Squeezebox plugin?

Tog

Posted on: 25 January 2011 by Wee Man 69

Thanks Tog - but I Reeaalllly want to do this with Unity in main room, and I'm too tight to shell out much more at the moment !
I'm gonna try the free version of Jamcast with Spotify when I get home on Friday. I have the program installed on laptop, just need to wait 'til I get back home to make sure it picks up the Uniti in it's devices & hopefully all will be well ........... Failing that - I'll be back on here whining again !
Cheers,

Iain

Posted on: 25 January 2011 by Tog

Uniti is very tolerant of high birate MP3 streams but i must ask ....Is it all going to be worth it and what will the SQ be like once it has bounced around all these different programs?

Tog

Posted on: 25 January 2011 by Wee Man 69

I hear you ..... but I can't resist having a pop. If it's halfway decent then great, however if it sucks..... well then I guess it sucks ! Anyway much happier now - just found a local 2nd hand music shop that does a lovely line in CD's - £ 3 / 4 a pop - all mint. Happy Daze !
Cheers,

Iain

Posted on: 29 January 2011 by phk

Hello,

I try to follow your method to hear Spotify on my Unity, but it does not work. I try with DSbriddge. Actually I cannot add the station on the internet naim site : when I then go the i-tuner, it cannot open the station I have added.

I tried both with adding http://myIPadress or http://myIPadress:8124/ ( as recommended by http://forums.slimdevices.com/...?t=64590&page=44) on the NAIM INTERNET RADIO TUNING SERVICE (http://myradio.naimaudio.com/), it is supposed to add the station, but it does not become available when I go to the Uniti to listen to it.

Thanks for your help

Posted on: 31 January 2011 by Wee Man 69

@All
After a weekend of fettling & cursing, I have come to a few conclusions.

1.) - The DSBridge way is just too much hassle and depends on sooooo many different permutations & configurations of system ( What OS - What version of Flash - What the weather's like.........ad finitum )

2.) - Spotify with Jamcast is simple enough to set up, however SQ poor. This may improve by going premium for a tenner a month, but my gut feeling is no.

3.) Stuff ripped to NAS in FLAC is pretty good, WAV downloads are decent to excellent depending on source. CD is good ( just not great yet - equipment support needed methinks ) Tunes in Apple lossless from Apple TV via Digital Optical sound just fine.

4.) - It is better to chill out & enjoy your sounds than have to fret & surf endlessly for answers !
Cheers,

Iain

Posted on: 07 February 2011 by birdie339

I have no problem with the DSBridge/Lame route but you must drop back to the previous version of Adobe Flash. There was certainly no hassle in setting it up and the sound quality is fine (premium Spotify does make a difference).

Posted on: 07 February 2011 by phk

Hello,

Thanks for the replies. Could you please be a little more precise ?

1/ Which version of Flash should be used ?

2/ Could you please help me solve the problem I have with naim e -radio to connect Uniti with the output stream from DSound?

Philippe

Uniti, PC, Windows Vista, foobar (or else...)

Posted on: 07 February 2011 by birdie339

Hi Philippe,
1. Adobe Flash 10.0.45.2 (delete 10.1)
2. I haven't tried to add DSound but can't you just add it as a station on the Naim Internet Radio Tuning Service page? That's how I have added all my favourite streaming sources, i.e. those that don't pop up as being already available anyway.

Hope this helps

Posted on: 08 February 2011 by phk

Hello
Thanks again for your help.
I installed the old Flash version (it was not so easy...). I put the DSbridge file in the spotify folder, and the lame file both in flash and spotify folder. I have also created indeed a new station with the Naim radio internet service (adress http://myIP:8124/ is this correct ?).

But it stille does not work : when, on the Uniti, I go to i-radio, I can see the new station with the name I gave to it, but it is not available.
What should l I do ?
Thanks for the advice, it is intellectually frustrating

Posted on: 08 February 2011 by birdie339

Hi Philippe,
Further to your post today please find below the set up to stream Spotify to the Naimuniti (http://www.hifiwigwam.com/show...tify-to-a-Naim-Uniti). Malcolm Steward's blog was helpful because youonly know it's working when you see he blue or green spot in the task bar.

I couldn't get it to work ith Adobe Flash 10.1 so I just went back to it's predecessor. Apparently it should work with 10.1 if you deposit the dsbridge and lame files in with the Adobe Flash file but it wouldn't for me.

Anyway it works now. After entering as an added iRadio station the naim input defaults to Upnp.

Godd luck with it

imported post

"After much research I've found what seems the best way to send a Spotify stream to the Uniti from Windows.

I've used dsbridge which can be found here.

Extract the dsbridge files and place them in the Program Files/Spotify folder. You'll also need the lame mp3 encoder dll, make sure it's version 3.98.2 and this also needs to be in the Spotify folder. Read the readme.txt file that comes with dsbridge too.

Once you've done that you can then use the Naim vTuner site to set up an iRadio station. There are instructions here on Malcolm Steward's blog on how to use vtuner.

At the station URL entry on vtuner you need to enter in the format 'http://YOUR IP ADDRESS:8124/, e.g. 'http://192.168.1.1:8124/

The IP address being the one of the machine where Spotify will be streaming from.

Restart Spotify and make sure you select iRadio and Added Stations then the named station you set up on vtuner on your Uniti and off you go.

There might be an issue if the IP address changes I guess, and I may have to assign an IP address from the router.

For the purists amongst you this may not be the best way as the stream is being reencoded by lame to 320k mp3.

Certainly works better than the alternatives I can find (jamcast)"

Good luck Philippe!