USB 3 into ND5XS / NDAC

Posted by: Nagual on 14 October 2014

Hi all,

 

I loaded up a 32 gb USB 3 stick with a couple of hi res albums( 24/44.1), plugged it in to the ND5XS in my second system,  plays without any hassle.  Plugged it into the DAC to see if I could light the HD light - through the HDX it doesn't light -  but it wont even play.  Is there an issue with USB 3 and NDAC that anyone is aware of?  I searched the forums but couldn't find a relevant post.

 

thanks in advance

Posted on: 14 October 2014 by Nagual

I should mention the DAC an HDX  is in my primary system not the one with the ND5XS in it

Posted on: 14 October 2014 by Phil Harris

What format is the stick? We only support FAT formatted sticks in the DAC...

Posted on: 14 October 2014 by Nagual

ok thx Phil I will check the format tonight.  Previous USB's I have bought have worked straight out of the box in the DAC but I will check this Sandisk one and see whats up.

Posted on: 14 October 2014 by Huge
Originally Posted by Phil Harris:

What format is the stick? We only support FAT formatted sticks in the DAC...

Nagual, Phil,

 

If it plays in the ND5 XS, then I believe it must already be in a FAT format (if I'm right the ND5 will only recognise FAT formats - Phil correct me if I'm wrong).

 

It's also known that some USB sticks just won't register in various Naim devices.  From my knowledge of the USB device side, I believe this may be an incompatibility with the controller chip being used.  This could account for it playing in one type of device and not another.  Some of the controllers 'push' the timing limits a bit to get more performance, some others make assumptions that the USB host will always be a computer and skip some set-up negotiation steps.

Posted on: 14 October 2014 by Mike-B

I asked the same question a while back

- what USB sticks are suitable/able to work with Naim. 

- Make-Model-Size etc

Posted on: 14 October 2014 by ChrisSU

This has got me thinking about a cheap 128GB USB3 stick I bought recently to play music from my Unitiserve in my car. It works very well and only cost £25. I've just tried it in the front of my Superuniti, and it works there too. In fact, I've a horrible feeling it might sound better that my US via UPNP.......now look what you've started!!!!!!

Posted on: 14 October 2014 by Huge
Originally Posted by ChrisSU:

This has got me thinking about a cheap 128GB USB3 stick I bought recently to play music from my Unitiserve in my car. It works very well and only cost £25. I've just tried it in the front of my Superuniti, and it works there too. In fact, I've a horrible feeling it might sound better that my US via UPNP.......now look what you've started!!!!!!

Chris,

 

I found exactly the same with my ND5 XS - using just a USB stick sounded better than UPnP.  I fixed this by clipping ferrites to all my Ethernet cables and to the leads (mains and DC) of the power supplies to the NAS drive and router / switch.  It really did make that much difference, now they sound identical.

Posted on: 14 October 2014 by Huge
Originally Posted by Mike-B:

I asked the same question a while back

- what USB sticks are suitable/able to work with Naim. 

- Make-Model-Size etc

If this could be organised, and if we can find out about the controller core and RAM type used for enough devices, then eventually we may be able to see a pattern emerge.

Posted on: 14 October 2014 by Nagual

well it seems it is FAT format 

SanDisk Ultra Fit High Speed USB 3.0 Flash Drive 

 

32 gb

 

works in the HDX and the ND5 but with the DAC the dock and stop buttons illuminate but thats as far as it goes

Posted on: 15 October 2014 by Claus-Thoegersen

I have the same experience, the servers work with more sticks than the ndac. It seems newer sticks at least in my collection are not fat or fat32 formatted, witch  of course explains why they do not work.