Qobuz claim streaming via naim is on its way 1st half 2015?

Of course, it would be nice!

If one googles 'microchip jukeblox qobuz connect'there is an indication that qobuz connect already exists for the jukeblox. I can't profess to be any sort of expert on these matters but it does imply that Qobuz connect is being rolled out. Whether thie is only for microchip products remaiins to be seen.

Perhaps the forum experts on these matters can elucidate?

I did, but perhaps I understood it differently.

I don't think Naim were forced to go down the Connect route by Spotify. Since Naim started supporting Spotify other hardware manufacturers have implemented Spotify without Connect, some with both.

I think Connect suited Naim because it was less intensive on it's hardware and software resources, ultimately allowing them to offer access to the worlds most popular streaming service in time for the Mu-so launch.

I attended the Statement demo here in the Boston area today.  As to streaming, reps of both Naim and our US/Canada distributor said Tidal is coming to Naim.  I think 'by the end of the summer' was the quote.  But they were unequivocal that Tidal is coming to Naim.

Maybe Naim has taken an example from the Apple marketing book: do not announce any new products or features until it is ready and keep silent in the mean time

if Naim would request a connect type interface it would mean that they will not have any or hardly any work on their side but offering an entry point. The streaming service would have to provide the interface and the data stream. If services come or go, it would have zero impact on Naim, which sounds like a strategy that every manufacturer or streaming service should adopt. Decoupling is a good thing on the technical level, as long as the use experience is seamless.

I don't like the Spotify iPad interface, but the connect experience is seamless. That I really do appreciate.

What? Just like the Apple wrist watch which has been hyped and leaked for months and months and still not launched.. I think they must need to re read their marketing manual.. 

I think we can assume that Qobuz is coming and coming this year, unless there's a technical or contractual screw-up.

Keith

Perhaps naim are trying to do the lossless streaming and DSD64 firmware upgrade in one.

I don't disagree, but there is also value to be had through integration.

Aggregating search results from your own NAS/computer and the streaming services you subscribe to, shared queues and playlists are three things that immediately spring to mind. I also find the current two app dance between the Naim and Spotify apps far from elegant.

You guys love to forget my previous comments written only weeks ago, we will expand our offering of streaming services, the hold ups are technical and are covered under nda agreements between various parties, I can say it's no lack of resource, money or people on our side, we favour the connect approach as I explained for several reasons once the tech is concluded to our satisfaction we will launch.

The Bermuda Memorandum, indeed, one would have thought that would have put an end to things.

I feel your frustration.

Why can't Nam be Sonos, why can't Sonos sound like Nam?

Why can't Naim be Chord?

What would poor JK think?

SJB 

Looking forward to it Paul.

G

@Paul - I think many of us (probably most of us) haven't forgotten your post and have been quite happy to let you folks get on with it :-). I've been in the situation myself of having a tricky software problem to solve and people getting antsy about it, but my answer is always the same: we're working hard on it and we'll let you know when we're done.

Hi Paul,

i appreciate these kind of developments. I think it's a further step in the right direction.

Bert

I'm sure we would all welcome Qobuz but I think you could make quite a strong argument that as the leading streaming music provider with a worldwide presence, Spotify was a good option to launch Naim in to the internet streaming age. Spotify will before too long offer a CD quality service I am sure. 

Mu-so broadens the definition of a Naim customer and I hope that most of Naim's Mu-so customers are not like me; an existing customer, because the pool of people willing to spend 4 or more figures on hifi is not big. When Naim profiled a typical Mu-so customer I can imagine 'they' might be willing to spend GBP 10 a month on streaming and not 20.

Unless it can scale up more quickly Qobuz is going to have a hard time. Qobuz still doesn't offer streaming abonnements in the USA and is only available in a handful of countries and languages and by comparison it's apps are poor. I cancelled my subscription at the end of February knowing the Deezer deal would soon drop. I was a happy Qobuz subscriber for 16 months, but now Deezer comes along with 35 million tracks and offers me CD quality streaming for a year at GBP 31. The Sonos Connect I bought in October last year has more than paid for itself. That's a no-brainer. On March 19th Deezer Elite will be available in 150 markets! allbeit as a Sonos exclusive initially. How long can Qobuz compete with that! 

My my gut feeling is that streaming is a commodity product for most people, which is why Apple is spending the time to try and disrupt the current model, with a more interecting offering. How many of these companies will be around as independent entities in 24 or 36 months, once Apple and Google properly commit themselves.

Tidal would probably be a better launch partner for Naim and CD quality streaming. By the end of the quarter Tidal, already in major markets like the USA and UK will be available in an additional 22 markets. 

As I've said before my particular beef; based on my experience with the Mu-so, is in the limited nature of the Connect offering, rather than Spotify itself. 

Guys, as I have said before, this capability needs to support multiple service providers as each has its own focus regions, feel, selections and specialities. Qobuz will be great for many of us in Europe, but not much good for the US currently and vica versa with Beats.

The challenge for Naim will be to connect to these services within the capabilities and resources of the Naim players and fairly rapidy without too many technical issues and development requirements.

Alas by Naim preferring/requiring 'connect' type functionality, the more creative, edgey side of streaming services such as SoundCloud may be natively inaccessible to Naim customers.. As the service will be limited to the 'corporate' players... However if the case then so be it.. We can still use our Sonos for those more creative services.

The web is a great democrotiser as it provides choice and an expectation of choice if you use it. 

I am genuinely intrigued to see how Naim grapple with it now they have let the genie out of the bottle.

Allen, however I think going 'connect' route requires more ties and joint integration/development with the streaming service prover.

A simpler web service type interface (like Sonos and others)would be better at decoupling between Naim and the service provider.. But there would be a reliance on Naim to manage the library functions themselves, just as with native lical UPnP streaming.

Going the connect route to my mind is like having a bespoke integration for every NAS/UPnP media server combination that you might have for local streaming.. And using the media server's own app for navigation and library functions.

Simon

The Qobuz app has improved a lot in the last few weeks. In fact, it (and the Sonos) update look very similar to nStream (if that's still it's name?). I have no real problem with the connect route, as long as it's sustainable in the long term. I can still use Sonos to search and create playlists which cross more than one service.

Allen makes a good point about Apple/Beats, but who knows how that will work. Perhaps they'll "do a BBC" and hide it behind HLS?

On which subject, if it's a resource prioritisation issue, I want Naim to focus on getting HLS and DASH working.

Keith

Well, the Beeb has disregarded audiophiles and the rest of the Internet in their choice of technology so it's not a big stretch to imagine Apple limiting their premium SQ product to their own devices. However, it's probably unfair to assume BBC levels of incompetence and arrogance to other organisations!

Keith

Is any company more arrogant than Apple? The mind boggles

Well the only saving grace, is that if the Apple offering is too restrictive and anti competitive, the EU will no doubt wade in with sanctions and fines like it has done previously with some of these big US IT companies. Whilst the EU is such a big market, it's probably the only thing some of these companies will listen to, I am not sure too many companies with global aspirations will want to exclude the EU.

Apple has plenty of (consumer and professional) audio industry personnel as well as musicians and other content creators on its payroll - I'm certain that they see they wider picture outside their own walls.

Unlike Microsoft in the 1990s, they are not worried about setting restrictive standards for purposes of licensing revenue - rather, I'd surmise that they're trying to avoid (as best as possible) being saddled with sub-standard industry, err, standards....

As for Qobuz - they have a lot to prove before manufacturers will get behind them.

I have no idea what you are talking about.. Why should a service provider prove anything to a hardware manufacturer.. This is not the 1980s... It's the customers that matter and they will vote with their subscriptions and purchases or not as the case may be,,

if vendors want to work with Qobuz they will do.. but they don't have to or even need to .. It will be a mutual benefit with the interst of their common customers in mind.. .. And there appears a steady trickle of such relationships currently.. I call it healthy.

Hi dajay,

Apple may have the edge when it comes to arrogance, but the BBC brings incompetence to the party. Check the the overview on the BBCs Audio Factory blog which attempts to justify their internet radio strategy. Read the posts and the BBCs cringe-worthy responses. Hugely entertaining.

Keith

+1, something of a public relations disaster