New Naim Muso anyone?

I do hope that you have a backup of your NAS!

Agreed - I have always said that nStream lacks the ease of use of Apple's remote app or Sonos' control point but the argument put by fellow forum members has been that since both competitors use a different streaming technology to UPnP the comparison is unfair. 

In addition, the new Muso appears to take it cues from the rather traditional machismo oriented black metal and heatsink  school of industrial design with all it's comforting suggestions of power or reliability. I'm not at all sure that this works as a multi room product where it will have to blend into a far wider range of environments without being required to dominate its surroundings. 

Tog

Tog, Allen, I don't think it has anything to do UPnP / DLNA libraries; it really is down to the UI design and control point features.

There are good and UPnP control point apps out there.

i was discussing Naim UI app development with TJ on Thursday and we touched on the area of 'Community Development', that is, releasing APIs for open source development. TJ is still very against this in terms of being a drain on support resources, the lack of quality, product control and the need to put more resources into making the underlying API's more robust, and I totally empathise and appreciate his points. However TJ could also see possible benefits from community development in terms of UI features and usability innovation, so the door is perhaps not definitely shut for ever on this.

The new NStream  looks quite tasty however and is still in development.. I made one suggestion that I have aired on this forum before ... TJ pondered it briefly... We will see if it gets into the final cut 

Simon

Ok but this will probably kill it right off.... But it was configurable meta data mapping and meta data display layout to suit taste, different genres  and meta data mappings from different UPnP / DLNA products.

And your UI hypertext idea was an example of possibly being ideally suited to a community development type project.... Not least because of the huge number of variables on the client to contend with.. and the potential unreliability of the hypertext links based on the meta data. TJ quite rightly said Naim can't release a product that sometimes works....

Simon

I wonder it is possible to use software that is native to the device that is connected to the Muso, I.e. iTunes, Audirvarna, JRiver, etc.?

Or is control limited to using NStream which has to interact with a UPNP server or Airplay?

Jude 

With no async USB input ( idevices only) I think the Muso is limited to Airplay / UPnP / Bluetooth wireless or UPnP/Airplay Ethernet.  Fine as far it goes and since it isn't intended as purist device it may well suffice - however I'm more concerned about the design aesthetic of the Muso - fine in a Hoxton loft or Soho den - not so good in a Victorian townhouse.

Tog

First of all, nice to see you posting Allen. Glad to see this topic has grabbed your attention, and I agree pretty much with what you've said.

To date, I do give Naim a passing grade for software development...but just barely. nStream system automation works, but navigation remains poor.  My biggest pet peeve is how the browser overrides my "The" artist and album sort setting in Asset, leaving me with tons of listings under "T".  The only fix is the sluggish "compatibility" mode.

Nevertheless, nStream has been very stable for me.  As an album listener, I am able to quickly find and play my selection. Most importantly, I have not missed an evening's music in years.  And now that we learn there's an entirely new interface coming, I am willing to cut Naim some more slack for the lack of nStream improvements to date.

In my view, the metadata mappings Simon suggests should be doable. I'm all for giving end users more flexibility in what they see, and it can't be that hard to allow users to check box the information they want to see on a given screen. And I agree that genre is probably the right way to organize this. Am sure TJ was thinking:  if I give the users this much rope, how many will hang themselves?   Also, I would bet that Naim sees Rovi access as a reason for not having to do this at all.  In theory, were the database more complete, and the service less glitch free, then it could become the main view to what's playing.  If it could be indexed by our music collections, it could even be the basis for a very powerful search capability (akin to Meridian/Sooloos).  But that's likely just wishful thinking, and I digress...

As far as hypertext links, I would be happy with a bookmarking/favorites menu that is universally available from all screens.  It could be pre-populated with all of the usual suspects (e.g., top menu by service), and then users could add links to their favorite play lists, control screens, whatever.  But if this all new and improved nStream maintains the hassle of tree walking (and especially going back up ), then it will be a huge disappointment.

Personally, I have thought about and dismissed the idea of a second system for quite some time. But if the new software is cool, then sign me up. Of course, being more of a traditionalist, I'll take my Muso end panel in Naim green thank you very much!  

ATB.

Hook

Can MUSO be used as a source?

does it have any kind of preamp out or line out?

In some ways Naim are playing catch up with B&O who have far more experience with high quality powered speakers and have adopted the WISA standard for wireless streaming.

Tog

Agreed that the absence of async USB may not matter to the 'target audience'.  If I get one, I guess, it can be connected via Ethernet or optical to the Mac mini to make the most of the Muso's capability. Unfortunately, my TV has coax only.

Regarding the design, in some ways it looks like a part from an Aga 

Being  dumb and Dutch I wonder what device this is? I read a wirreless speaker but don't you need two  speakers for stereo? I'm lost here. 

fred

if you follow the links to the what press hifi release you will see that the muso has 6 speaker drivers and as it is 2 foot (63cms) wide I'm sure it should be capable of providing a stereo image.

From the photos posted on the Hi-Fi Corner thread the bass drivers are located in the centre next to the tweeters with the midrange at each end.

Ah...an expensieve Böse Clone. I have my doubts. It's Nice as a tv soundbar, but no Namie in his right mind would even consider this being a serious  high end device. 

Has anyone said it is?

Ah...naim has become average all of a sudden. sad but treu. 

So Statement is too expensive and out of reach and Muso is too average and not high end enough. What do you want?

Unless we regard our understanding of acoustics or physics as being fixed or immutable then surely we can anticipate that things will change and designs will alter. My parents would have regarded streaming music as plain daft and my dad just never got the hang of the mobile phone. 

If the Muso works as planned it will push forward what is possible rather than ape products that are already available. If it doesn't - no doubt Naim will have learnt enough to try again.

My concerns are for the software and aesthetics of the thing - I'm sure Naim can get the engineering right. As for the concerns voiced in other threads regarding the choice of China as a manufacturing base I think we should avoid falling into the trap of thinking that 'foreigners' cannot make stuff just as well if not better than ourselves.

Anyway - stereo sound from a single speaker - that's just daft isn't it.

Tog

I never said something About The statement. But to me naim represents high-end not sonos and Böse    Clones. Made in China.

No you just neglected to remember it! Naim speaker cable is £26 a metre, that's just too cheap for you? Too affordable? How about their entry level separates?

I'm very concerned about this being made in China.  

I worked for Sevenoaks for 7 years, I remember Arcam rep coming to the store and saying only the CD73T would be made in China then the whole factory moved there,  Musical fidelity came round and said the new Xray components would be made in China then the whole factory...   When Audiolab returned to the fold after many years they started off being made in China using good quality components, when the factory ran out of the right capacitors, resistors etc. then they just substituted the good stuff for anything they could get their hands on.  Reliability on these three brands went from a tiny amount of faults to an everyday occurrence.

See a pattern emerging here?

I really hope that the CD5i, Nait 5i, followed by the Xs series follows suit.

The one positive I can see is that if it's being sold in John Lewis and Apple store is that it will introduce the Naim brand to a much larger audience who have never heard of the 'Hi-fi' scene or 'Naim' for that matter.

Although it's drastically gone up in price over the years I think that NACA A5 works extremely well in a 'NAIM' system I wouldn't call it expensive.  I once owned Nordost Red Dawn @ over £100 per meter and in a Naim system I find the NAC A5 performs better

槍口

It's the beginning of the end . Naim being a highly regarded brand in high-end circles.