SuperUniti w/ Macbook Pro

Hi Nick,

The music player portion of the SuperUniti is what's known as a 'streamer player' or 'DLNA player.'  Other names too.  The point is that it is meant to act as the receiving end, on a home IP network, of music served by a UPnP music server.  The connection to your home network is via the ethernet port on the back of the SuperUniti.

You appear to be wanting to use it like a USB dac, which it is not.

The connection you really want is to have your music server (which can be a UPnP server product that runs on a Mac, but more popularly a nas that runs a UPnP music server, or a Naim UnitiServe, or a VortexBox or RipNas) and your SuperUniti all plugged into your home router, or a network switch that in turn is plugged into your router.  Wi fi is possible, but much less reliable especially if you are interested in hi res music files.

Have you discussed your desired setup with your dealer? They certainly should set you straight, but plenty of folks here can too.  Talk to your dealer to get the Network Streaming 101 tutorial from them, if possible! 

Hi Bart,

Thanks so much for your reply.

I have had three appointments at a respected London hifi shop and this was the set up which they recommended.

I want to use my Mac’s HD to store my music and also control files (select tracks, play pause etc) using the Mac wirelessly.  I was told that the only way to do this would be with a Bluetooth DAC plugged into the back of the SuperUniti (SU)… but lose SQ…

Surely, an Apple Airport or Apple TV would allow me to send the media from my Mac to the SU? As from what I understand, the SU does not support AirPlay.

Otherwise would an external HD plugged straight into the SU be the best option? Then control it using my iPhone with the Naim app?

Thanks again for any input, its very much appreciated. 

Hi, Nick,

Run an inexpensive server app like MinimServer on the Mac and the SU will see the music stored on the Mac across your network.  The n-Serve app only works for you if you use a Naim server box like the UnitiServe or HDX.  The n-Stream app is what you will use on an iPad/Pod to remotely control the SU.

Best results are had if all pieces are wired to your network, except for remote controls (iPad/Pod, etc.)

For Spotify, best result comes from connecting the Mac directly to the SU via optical digital cable.  Use the free Spotify app. on the Mac, and use SpotRemote app on iDevice to remotely control the app on the Mac.

Apple TV and AirPort Express, connected optically to the SU, are optional add-ons that have some benefits, but are not required to meet your goals as you present them.  If you do add either or both, they work best wired to the network, with WiFi turned off.  With either, you could stream Internet content like Spotify directly on e.g. an iPad, and throw its output wirelessly to your network, then down the wire to the Express or Apple TV.  Very convenient, but noticeably inferior sound quality.

Best of luck,

Nick Seattle

Nick,

That makes much more sense, I didn't realise that there were two different apps, with similar names.  I'll look into the Minimserver suggestion, the ipod/ipad app will control the music on my Mac and not look for music on my iPod or iPad correct?

If I wanted to watch a film using my Mac (connected to my projector) the Apple TV could be a solution? 

Many many thanks! 

Apple TV via HDMI directly into the projector is the more common config.  I do not do enough with video to know all the pros and cons versus running movies on a Mac.  I suppose if the movie is stored on a local hard drive, that might be a consideration.  Not sure about that either.  Apple TV is fun, and cheap to try, even if you don't end up using it.  I use mine mostly to stream radio and podcasts into a TV!

Nick

You can use SpotRemote to search Spotify for songs.  However, I prefer to run the Spotify app on my iPad, too.  That way, I can build my playlists using their full-featured app, and the updates show up everywhere I am logged into Spotify, because all of these preferences are in the Cloud, not just on the device in-hand.  Then, I go back to SpotRemote to resume controlling the Spotify session running on the Mac.

In truth, I prefer using Spotify within Logitech Media Server best of all; but this is not an option without a Squeezebox device, now discontinued.

Nick

Hi Nick, 

Do you need any additional hardware to use Spotify?

I've now spoken to a dealer you recommends the NAC - N 172 XS w/ NAP 200 (apparently this sounds 'better') over the SuperUniti, he also mentioned that i should use a NAS drive and then the n-stream app from a iPhone or iPad.  My question is, would the NAS drive wirelessly pick up any additional music I add to a synced folder automatically?

Hi Nick

My first post also, hope it makes sense. I got a superuniti in May. I copied all my CD collection using a rip-n-play, this is connected to the SU. I play the music from my I-pad using the n-stream. I have an airport express that enables me to play music from my Mac, using airplay on the SU. I also play vinyl but needed to buy a phono box, this is connected to the SU. I am no expert but this set up does everything I need with excellent sound. Hope this helps.

Jim

Nothing additional beyond the Mac you already have.  Get that going into either the SU or 172, then consider tweaks and add-ons, if you want.  Nothing to lose keeping it simple at first.  

The NAS is little more than storage on your network.  It is nice to have if you have a lot of CDs to rip.  Follow your dealer's advice re the NAS -- the right ones for this purpose are inexpensive.

Nick

Thanks so much for all the replies.  I think I'm going to find a new dealer, one where I can demo the Naim products using my Mac and also one who will show me how the NAS will work. As for the bluetooth solution I was initially presented with, I feel that this is not the correct route to go down. 

Fortunately I have already ripped my CD collection to my laptop.  I'm struggling to see the benefits of a NAS over an external HD connected to the SU by USB...

My avatar is the artwork from one of my favourite albums Nils Frahm 'Felt', hopefully this doesn't breach any forum policies! 

Many thanks,

Nick 

Hi Jim, do you noticeably lose sound quality using the airport express?

Many thanks,

Nick  

Hi Nick

Most of the downloads on the Mac are not of the same quality as a ripped CD. I did download Antonio Forcione and SS 'Meet me in London' which sounds great to me. The airport express has done what I wanted and that is give my son access to the Naim and me access to all his music. The sound quality is still excellent.

Best wishes

Jim

Using an AirPort Express can potentially free your Mac from needing to be connected via Toslink to the SU et al.  Older Macs may not be able to get Spotify to the AE via Airplay -- not sure about this though.  

In my own case, after protyping with both of these alternatives, I decided to buy a low-end Mac Mini with 2TB USB drive and dedicate it to the music system, freeing my MacBook for other uses.  Family required a system they could depend on, even when I took the laptop away.

A NAS is really a stripped-down computer, with the ability to run certain server apps unattended.  Install the DLNA server app of your choice and activate it once, and from then on just switch On the NAS and the music stored on it becomes available to the SU.  No other device or computer required, unless you want Spotify.

Nick

I'm definitely going to get an apple airport, that just makes complete sense.  I will use that for 'everyday listening' but I'm also going to hook up a external HD to the SU and control it with my iPhone, my dealer told me that the SU cant deal with large external HD's with lots of data, but I have around 70GB of music which it should handle easily. I've also found an ex demo SU which is around a year old and nearly £1k cheaper than a brand new unit, still with 4 years warranty, so hopefully I'll be able to pick that one up asap and have it for xmas to play carols in flac 

Joking, right?

Nick

Nick,

Just to let you know, I have everything pretty much sorted. Im using minimserver on my mac, I would recommend this over playback, minimserver is so simple and has worked flawlessly with the superuniti hardwired, and my mac on wifi connected to the airport express, this also enables me to use spotify and watch films through Airfoil. Let the burn in commence. 

It sounds awesome! 

Great news, Nick.  Thanks for the follow-up.  Tog put me onto minimserver -- I liked it a lot during my Naim streamer demos.  Trying a few alternative server apps is the best way to appreciate how they affect the user experience on the SU differently, and how good minimserver is.

Still sitting on the sidelies re changing streamers, myself.  I like the Naim DAC, and its flexibility, too much to trade it for NDanything at the moment.  But, it is only a matter of time, I suppose!

Best,

Nick

So over christmas, I found a Zyxel NSA 310  drive at my mothers house of all places, which was not being used. So I brought it home, spent hours trying to get the thing to work. Weirdly Zyxel only has mac setup software from their US site, useful. I continued to copy over my music library, everything is fine until...... I guess its using twonky which I've read about.  The problem being is the way in which it sorts my library is awful.  For instance; if I have an artist which features another artist (say a vocalist) it will create a new folder and therefore takes that song out of the original album! If I sort by 'Artist' it sorts tracks alphabetically, how that is useful, I'll never know! This way I have no ability to listen to an entire album from start to finish, either without selecting the tracks manually, or listening to it in alphabetical order. 

Is there a way to use another programme to sort my music?  I used Minim server on my Mac, which worked brilliantly.  Not sure how to go about installing this on the Zyxel NSA 310 or if thats even possible? 

Nick,

You begin to see why a lot of our friends here end up installing a dedicated computer -- running MinimServer on a Mac Mini, or Asset or JRiver on a Windows box, or a Vortex Box, or a Uniti Serve, or a Raspberry PI -- even if all of their music is stored on NASes and/or remote hard drives.  

Still, some get satisfactory results with NAS-only solutions.  I will step aside and let the more-experienced testify.

Good luck.

Nick

Nick,

Yes, everything that didn't make sense is starting to become clear!

Many thanks,

Nick

Decided to import the troubled albums (those featuring different artists) into itunes then manually edit the metadata (tags), this then appears to keep each track in one album, and not in multiple. 

I've also just plugged my Unique Melody Miracles (CIEMS) into the super uniti. They've never sounded better.  The superuniti is one amazing piece of kit.

Nick  

It's great to hear of another happy SuperUniti user. I'm so enjoying listening to music on mine. As you like Felt, have you bought Spaces, which was released quite recently? It's a very good album. Also, if you don't have it, get hold of A Winged Victory For The Sullen.

Hungryhalibut,

Yes, I do have 'Spaces' in fact all of Nils' catalogue.  For me its so close between 'Felt' and his EP 'Wintermusik' both of which I cannot fault.  I've seen A Winged Victory For The Sullen live with Nils Frahm at the Hackney Empire, that was such an incredible concert. I'm listening to 'Steep Hills of Vicodin Tears' right now.... brilliant. 

Nick