different ways to connect UnitiServe and Uniti2 ?

Posted by: JR Dubuy on 17 February 2014

Hello everybody,

I have a UnitiServe2 and a Uniti2.

Today, I use the digital output of the Unitiserve (SPDIF) connected to digital entry of the Uniti2 , and all of that works pretty well. But this type of connection obliged the two devices to be near from each other.

I would like to move the UnitiServe to another room (my office) .

Is it another way to connect the two devices ? (I think of the network, RS232 connections, and uPnP)

I suppose it's possible because a diagram of this configuration can be seen in the NAIM commercial booklet about the UNITI system. But I don't know the settings and connections betwen UnitiServe and Uniti2, and what command to use to "call" the music from Uniti2 ?

Maybe it is a very basic question and I ask for your indulgence, but I am a newbie with the uPnP and streaming principles.

Thanks in advance for your help

Jean-Richard

Posted on: 17 February 2014 by Claus-Thoegersen

You can use the Userve as the UPNP server for the streamer. Both units on the Network and use n-stream to control playback. I guess it should be simple for the streamer to find the Userve as an available upnp server.

Claus

Posted on: 18 February 2014 by JR Dubuy

Thank you Claus,

"both units on the network" , it's OK, that's the connections I want to have the two units in different rooms.

"use n-Stream to control playback" ... Hmmm .... questions :

- does n-Stream works within a PC-windows configuration ?

- is it possible to use NAIM Desktop Client for the same purposes ?

Posted on: 18 February 2014 by nudgerwilliams

With the Serve in your office, you need an ethernet connection to the router for your home network.

With the Uniti2 in your listening room, you need either an ethernet connection or a wireless connection to your home network.

The Uniti2 will see the Serve when you select the uPnP input.

You choose the music you want to listen to using the remote control for the Uniti2, or using the nStream app which runs on iOS devices only (iPod Touch, iPhone, iPad, etc.).

You cannot use the UnitiServe DTC to control what is played on the Uniti2 in this configuration.

Basically the digital output of the UnitiServe is completely separate from the uPnP server and they have different controllers. With uPnP, the Uniti2 is "pulling" music form the UnitiServer, and so that is controlled with Uniti2 remotes. With the digital output, the UnitiServe is "pushing" music to the Uniti2, and so that is controlled with UnitiServe remotes (like DTC, or nServe on iOS devices).

The neat thing is it will do both at the same time, independently. So you can plug the digital output of the UnitiServe into a set of powered speakers in your study (provided they have a digital input) or a conventional DAC, amp, speaker combo, and play music in your study at the same time as somebody else is using the uPnP server to play music on the Unit2 in the listening room.

Regards

David

Posted on: 18 February 2014 by JR Dubuy

thanks Nudgerwilliams for your explanations, making the basics of uPnP more clear for me.

In fact, my units were properly connected, and ready to be used in uPnP mode, but the Uniti2 needed a little delay to display "unitiserve" after pressing the uPnP touch, and I thought the UnitiServe was not detected.

So It works well now, I can use the UnitiServe anywere in the house with the Network connections, but I will loss in terms of ergonomics to select the music from the display pannel of Uniti2.

N-Serve on an iPod or iPad can help for choosing the music to "pull", but is there the same kind of solution with an Android tablet ? or with a little PC/windows ?

Anyway, thank you for your help

Posted on: 18 February 2014 by garyi

Technically nserve is 'pushing music'

Nstream is 'pulling' music and thats only available on IOS. Prseumably you have an iphone or ipod as you have used nServe.

There was a little app somewhere on this board for PC to be able to control the uniti.