Spotify connect and bluetooth!

The sticky post says it is "We are delighted to announce that our award-winning Uniti range of all-in-one players will now feature Bluetooth (aptX) and Spotify Connect. 

Since the launch of the original NaimUniti in 2009, the Uniti range has grown ..........."

Earlier this year Marc Urselli tested streaming quality of a number of services using a track from one of his recordings.

The original WAV file is 66.3Mb and a 320kbps MP3 version of it is 15Mb.

 

WiFi network in my home in Manhattan

 

Beats Music 54.70Mb (highest quality – REAL CD quality – the winner of the award “the only company who didn’t lie to us”!)
MOG 39.18Mb
Play Music 33.19Mb
Rdio 18.59Mb
Spotify 12.15Mb

As you can see Spotify came last in the wifi test. He also tested 3/4G streaming and offline downloads, where again the results were quite mixed.

From my own experence I can certainly confirm that Beats sounds good over WiFi, but as Marc points out the offline downloads are bad enough that I can't listen to them in the car, which is a shame because I have nice system and like to drive.

You can find all the details here:

http://www.marcurselli.com/201...-vs-rdio-vs-spotify/

Well, I found out today that my SuperUniti cannot be Bluetooth upgraded and the serial number on my SU is 373xxx, so very new indeed. However, the dealer told me that the SU with Bluetooth will be more expensive!  I'm going to try and negotiate my way into another NAC252 and out of my SU and use something else for streaming.

As an owner of a Naim streamer, what you state above is highly illustrative of the fate of products in this category.  Unlike say, integrated amplifiers or loudspeakers, the tech in this particular product category is advancing so fast that it is almost a given that product obsolescence is something we will have to accept much sooner than in other categories.

Does it mean I will trade my beloved ND5 XS for a viny turntable? No way. It just talks about how particular this category is in terms of its life span in the face of tech changes.

One of the reasons (among a few) that put me off going for an all in one solution (e.g. SU) has been confirmed as valid. I argued that at least with a two box solution (e.g. Streamer + amp), I would at least only suffer from 50% obsolescence, not not 100%. I am not knocking the SU or Uniti products, far from it, they are truly fantastic, it's just the nature of the (streaming) beast.

Well said. I 100% concur. I should have adhered to this philosophy earlier.

Although I have to admit, it is beginning to happen (the process of obsolescence that is) sooner than anticipated.

If I were Naim, I would seriously consider taking an approach similar to NAD's et al of modular design, at least for this sub-category of products (i.e. streamers, DACs etc). Design products from scratch that contemplate changes in tech, and most importantly, are user serviceable. "New streaming tech? No probs. Open lid, release latch, slide old tech out, pop new module in, Close lid."

http://youtu.be/RPEtuyDrbDQ

I bought my first Naim products recently (July) and that was very much in my mind. I looked very closely at the SU, but in the end decided to go with the NAP 100 / DAC-V1. If/when Airplay arrives I'll take another look at a Naim Streamer.

Personally I'm quite interested in a hypothetical 'DAC-V2' that provides the V1's current features and a streamer in 1 box. 

It comes back to the same thing every time. Get a small form factor computer mac mini/intel nuc, Hide it behind the hifi, and stream from there. 

This really is a no brainer solution to every ones angst.

I'd guess not, but I'd be pleasantly surprised if so. I'm still running an analogue iPod NaimUniti with the 96 kHz streaming board, so I am guaranteed not to be Bluetooth-compatible.

Putting Spotify into the Uniti range is not about appealing to existing audiophile Naim users, it's about removing a barrier to purchase for new Naim customers. I'm willing to to bet that somewhere in the sales process, every prospective new customer now asks 'can it do Spotify?' Their kids want it, or their partner. So instead of getting shoved off to Sonos or whatever, the Naim supplier can now say 'yes' and that box is ticked. It doesn't matter that many people won't use Spotify with Naim - indeed, some Naim equipment would pretty ruthlessly expose the atrocious quality of Spotify - the point is the barrier has gone.

Some years ago, McDonalds started marketing their 'healthier' (ahem) food with ads showing groups of slim young women sitting in McDonalds eating salads. I spoke to their ad agency about it - did they seriously expect young women to go to McDonalds for salads? And the answer was no, they didn't. The only purpose of the salads, and the ads, was so that when Dad and the kids want to go to McDonalds, Mum says 'oh all right, I guess I can have the salad'.

I'm not equating Naim with the big yellow arch (more Marco Pierre White I would have thought), I'm saying that sometimes it's not about a positive feature, it's about removing a barrier to purchase.

Not just end-users, but retailers & the wider market channels. Uniti especially provides the vector for new business that wouldn't be found within sales for traditional two-channel legacy separates.

It should be on 3.22. Mine is.

I just got out of my SU. Gone back to the traditional many boxes that being NAC252, SC, NAP300 with source being CDS3 and NDX.  The NDX works fine with my NAS and Apple TV / Mac Mini.

+1

Latest reports show that Spotify royalties in Europe are higher than iTunes.  

However, Apple's response is yet to come with the purchase of Beats and the suggested new music buying format that is supposed to focus on album rather than track sales.

Whilst I understand David Devers point about Naim accessing a wider demographic, I cannot see much of Uniti range being sold outside of dealers unlike the Muso.

Personally, I have same point of view as Simon and others who want to keep options open for the choice of streaming service.

In respect of Aptx, I just wonder how many Windows and Android mobile have this capability (a recent report from Facebook itself shows that 66% of Android phones accessing Facebook are as old as 2011 or earlier).  So, is the use case for Aptx, something like - I want the convenience of streaming low quality music into a superior hifi product for short periods of time wirelessly with my oldish phone/tablet.  ?

I agree.

Offering Bluetooth (Whatever is the new flavour of the month) and Airplay and whatever comes after that is simply a matter of offering choice for consumers. Simple as that. I see there is no wrong in Naim choosing to do it. Us consumers are finicky and demanding. Sometimes manufacturers give in (if they think money will follow) sometimes they won't. In this case, they did

I personally cannot wait for Spotify Connect come to my ND5 XS.  Discover music through Spotify (the app design and navigation is simply a peach, and Connect won't drain my iOS battery like AirPlay does) then, buy what I love in CD, rip it in ALAC and listen to it from my NAS ... All is a lovely virtuous circle. The day Spotify decides to dip its toes in the loss-less streaming market, I'll simply remove the "Buy CD and rip" from the cycle and voila. The Future.

Did I say that?! Actually, I think it was Jude - how weird! Broadly speaking, though, I agree. Perhaps Naim know something about Spotify that we don't, yet. There are so many hardware and software permutations, and so many new developments, that it's pointless to agonise over the lack of any particular feature. There are plenty of ways to enjoy great sounding music now, and life's too short to get stressed about what you can't have.

Amen.

I agree

On a Naim device Not the best SQ in Streaming avaliable.

It's just for market Share not SQ

+1

Have spent more in a Month and sometime in 2 Weeks form the 1 Year Qobuz Price and can here more recordings as before.

And doesn't need Storage on the NAS or Backup.

I understand what you are saying here; bluetooth is Naim's equivalent of Marco's oxo cube

AirPlay can be driven from a Mac mini or an Apple laptop (among other non-Apple solutions ) over Ethernet as well, so it's not entirely all about battery life. Bluetooth, on the other hand, is strictly about convenience as well as ease of wireless discovery (c.f. the many examples of users here who have had issues with app discovery of devices over Wi-Fi).

I have to admit that I have really come to appreciate the ability to stream from Tidal on a dedicated machine (source) to an AirPlay sink....

Of course David! but that is assuming you want to run/have a dedicated PC attached to your sound system. I am a big fan of apple and actually run a MacMini as a media centre but I just don't like to depend on it for my music.  My iphone is always in my pocket, always on, hence the beauty of Spotify Connect (for casual listening and music discovery purposes) I totally hear what you say, but having a computer on all the time with all the wake-up connectivity issues it might bring can be a bring another layer of complication. I am not saying it is not possible or that it's difficult, but for ultimate simplicity, it aint the answer...