Nstream V Nserve

Any of us who own a Naim server and a Naim player would have experience with both.

They are not interchangeable; it's not as if one has a choice of whether to use n-Serve or n-Stream.

David do you have a more narrow question?  Happy to try to answer if you do.

Bart,

I use Nserve in my setup (Unitiserve into V1 Dac into 552). If I changed to a Naim streamer, what would I like/not like about the Nstream App interface on my Ipad?

David

Hi David,

To me, the differences are minimal.  I can find artists and albums just fine in n-Stream, and select what I want to play and play it.  The layouts are a little different, but not in a way that prevents me from using either.  Others here sound a bit more critical of n-Stream than n-Serve, but I find them equally useful for controlling playback.

If you use the uServe as a UPnP server to a Naim player, you'll still be able to use n-Serve (OS X) to do some basic metadata edits, and to see what's on the server.  But playback will be controlled by n-Stream.

Me personally -- I'd not let this drive the decision to move to a Naim player. 

Thanks Bart, that is very helpful.

I mis-typed a bit.  n-Serve OS X is pretty much the functional equivalent of the Windows DTC.  I use it frequently.

You can still use n-Serve iOS for very basic metadata edits and to see what's on the server.

Thanks Bart, that's what I assumed you meant.

I really don't understand why nServe and nStream have to be different - why they can't be merged so that it's possible to use one app to control both servers and streamers.

Probably what I'm really saying is, if an HDX can both "serve" and "play" why can't it do both at the same time and why can't a combined nServe and nStream be used to control both functions.

Actually I'm probably just showing my complete ignorance of how these things work but it remains a disappointment to me that my HDX will do so much... and then fall short of that last step that would make it perfect.

I've heard somewhere that the new app, due in the autumn, will bring the nServe and nStream functionality together. Fingers crossed....

Well that would be step one of what I'm looking for.

Step two would be whatever it took to make the HDX "serve" and "play" at the same time, so that it could play-along with Uniti products in a multi-room system.  I don't understand what's needed to modify the HDX for that - is it a hardware upgrade or just software?

Step three would be to take the whole concept beyond what even the Uniti products are capable of doing today - multi-room playback, not just in mp3 quality but in CD quality or (dare we dream?) hi def quality.  I have no idea what's needed to achieve that but if Sonos (CD quality) and Bluesound and Simple Audio (hi def, apparently) can achieve it then it must be possible, at least in a wired environment.

It can serve and play at the same time.  It "serves" to a network connection, and "plays" to a digital output connection.  That's the terminology.  But the HDX (and UnitiServe) actually can do both at the same time.  However such is NOT designed to be a multi-room solution, and really is not.  

The app COULD have been written to control both, but Naim decided at some point, long ago, to write two separate apps.

Personally I prefer nServe. I find it a bit more intuitive, and I like the OS app that doesn't exist for nStream.

I'm going to keep digging in the hole of my own ignorance.

As I understand it (it's how it was sold to me), the HDX was designed to be part of a multi-room system.  It was called NaimNet, and it would serve and play the same thing at the same time but needed extra NaimNet (ie NetStreams) hardware and software to do it.

Hence my question.  NaimNet has fallen by the wayside but, if the HDX is inherently capable of serving and playing the same thing at the same time, can it somehow be upgraded (a bit of software, maybe a bit of onboard hardware) to integrate it with a different multi-room solution ie, to play along with the Uniti streamers?

No I really think (not knowing much at all about NaimNet) that it was the NaimNet hardware and software that took the single stream from the HDX and could 'broadcast' it throughout the home.  That had nothing to do with the fact that the HDX can serve music to two players at the same time, or serve and play at the same time.  There is no 'bolt on' for the HDX to give it NaimNet functionality, and discussions of homemade modifications to its hardware and software wouldn't be proper here on the forums per Naim's rules.  In a different recent thread, maybe in which you participated, I think that the consensus was that if you want a whole-home system, get Sonos or similar.

n-Stream supports volume control.  I use it to control the volume of my Qute.

Both are perfectly usable, nServe is nicer to use for me. It is better laid out, more intuitive to navigate, displays more information (such as bit depth) and had better drawn graphics. nStream has more user functions. It's not like you have a choice on which to use but some of us have occasion to use both. Development of both apps has seemed rather sluggish and nStream (to me) has an unfinished look about it. I'm looking forward to the new iteration. Not long now.

Thank you all for your observations. Looks like it was one of those   'I wouldn't start from here' moments which may sort itself out.