MinimServer

Posted by: hungryhalibut on 19 March 2015

Since selling my UnitiServe, I've been playing music directly from the Synology NAS. I installed the Synology music server package, which seemed the easiest thing to do. In use, however, I've been finding the structure quite hard to navigate, even on the advanced option. I've set it to transcode to WAV, which sounds better to me, but there were two issues: gapless albums judder between tracks, and there is a .flac extension after every song title, which looks untidy.

Now, I'm a bit hopeless when it comes to IT, Asset won't work on Synology, and the installation process for Minim looked quite complicated. But after an hour of head scratching and tea drinking, Minim is installed.

What a difference! A lovely simple structure that makes finding albums really easy, no silly .flac extensions, no juddering, and much better album art. It's much faster in use and I'm convinced it sounds better, which I hope is not self delusion.

So, I'd say to anyone using a Synology NAS that they should give Minim a go. I would be interested to hear what others think of its functionality as well as its comparative sound quality against Synology's own server. Can the upnp software really make a sonic difference? Whether it does or not, it's a jolly sight better to use.
Posted on: 25 May 2015 by dayjay

If you are feeding a Hugo I would leave the digital setting as native. This will mean that your Hugo recieves the file without it being up or down sampled by your NDX.  You can check if this is happening by playing different bit rate files and watching the Hugo light change colour

Posted on: 25 May 2015 by Simon-in-Suffolk

I agree with Dayjay, only use the 96/24 over ride setting if you are connecting to an older style DAC that can't handle higher bit rates, and/or has a poor reconstruction filter that benefits from this hard wired upsampling for Redbook etc... but in such circumstances I suspect you will be better off with the native NDX DAC.

However the Hugo has no difficulty, so best leave the setting as native for maximum quality.

 

To Paradox2701, the NDX doesn't transcode the same way as Minimserver. The NDX when providing a digital output has to transcode data framing types such as those obtained from FLAC or WAV into the SPDIF framing protocol. The Minimserver can only transcode between sample file formats such as FLAC to WAV for example and does not itself create SPDIF. I have found using the Hugo with the NDX, there is little if any benefit from file format transcoding by the media server such as Minimserver.. Unlike when using the native NDX DAC. Confusingly when using the NDAC with the NDX, I could clearly hear benefit to file format transcoding with the media server, with WAV sounding preferable.

 

Also remember when on digi out, to disable the analogue outs and unused digi inputs for possible tiny SQ betterment.

Simon

 

 

Posted on: 25 May 2015 by james n
Originally Posted by Paradox2701:

Dear all,

 

sorry I did not update that I am trying out the Chord Hugo, hence the digital out and the difference between the two.  Is there any difference transcoding using minimserver, or using the NDX transcoding?  And the change from 44.1kHz to 96kHz, is there anything Naim did such that this transcoding is not affected the way Simon-in-Suffolk suggested? THanks!

Ah ok understood. I'd follow what Dayjay / Simon recommends above.

Posted on: 26 May 2015 by mackb3
Originally Posted by sjbabbey:

James is suggesting that you should disable the digital output of the NDX as this will improve its SQ.

Sorry, missed the key word. Yes NDX digital OUT is disabled.

 

M

Posted on: 26 May 2015 by Paradox2701
Originally Posted by Simon-in-Suffolk:

I agree with Dayjay, only use the 96/24 over ride setting if you are connecting to an older style DAC that can't handle higher bit rates, and/or has a poor reconstruction filter that benefits from this hard wired upsampling for Redbook etc... but in such circumstances I suspect you will be better off with the native NDX DAC.

However the Hugo has no difficulty, so best leave the setting as native for maximum quality.

 

To Paradox2701, the NDX doesn't transcode the same way as Minimserver. The NDX when providing a digital output has to transcode data framing types such as those obtained from FLAC or WAV into the SPDIF framing protocol. The Minimserver can only transcode between sample file formats such as FLAC to WAV for example and does not itself create SPDIF. I have found using the Hugo with the NDX, there is little if any benefit from file format transcoding by the media server such as Minimserver.. Unlike when using the native NDX DAC. Confusingly when using the NDAC with the NDX, I could clearly hear benefit to file format transcoding with the media server, with WAV sounding preferable.

 

Also remember when on digi out, to disable the analogue outs and unused digi inputs for possible tiny SQ betterment.

Simon

 

 

Thanks for the clear explanation and sharing of your personal experiences!  Still burning in the Chord Hugo..so still listening to improvements in SQ