Qute2 loaded with glitches

NY-G, couldn't agree more. I've been very disappointed by the software issues with Naim for the past year. Your suggestion that they get someone else has been my opinion as well. I love the sound of my Hi Fi (all Naim) but feel the lack of options and user control is less than satisfactory.

However I do think that someone is finally listening and hopefully help isn't far away, we can only hope.

Hello NY-G

The radio turning on by itself issue is a known problem and I believe there is a fix expected with the next firmware release.

I suspect most of the other issues will have the root cause in your network rather than the Qute / control app.

How is your Qute connected to your home network?  Wired or wireless? 

The final two bullets are down to network setup. If you arrange a wired network with the streamer and server connected to a switch, and fixed IP addresses, these problems should go away.

The restarting radio is a bug that is being fixed. The way around it for now is to switch to a different input.

As to playlists, while I don't use them, the ability to move songs around within the list certainly sounds like something you should be able to do.

As per above on checking your network and moving to wired if it isn't already - I've had my Qute2 for over a year and have had no problems what so ever with it on a wired network

NY-G, are you sure you arent able to change the order of tracks in a Playlist in the Naim App?

If you touch and hold on the track you wish to move you will see it 'pop out', and then just move your finger to the position where you want to move it to, and let go (dragging/dropping, as you say).

It functions OK on my iPod/iPhone.

If it doesnt work on yours, maybe uninstall the App and reinstall it?

I've had a Qute1 since (nearly) forever, and network connectivity / core functionality gremlins were a major issue for a long time.

The recent series of firmware upgrades has been very effective, particularly with a bug that put the unit into non-interactive mode with a display message to the effect that an upgrade had completed and a power cycle was required. A few Qute1 and Qute2 owners experienced this also. I can't recall if it was the final v3 or the first v4 firmware that fixed this, but operational stability has been truly "as expected" since then. Kudos and thanks, rare and obscure bugs are the hardest to track down and squash.  

That said, the whole cult of "wired is required" puzzles me; blaming the network when dozens of other more complex devices "just work" is baffling. I know some network tweaks and maintenance has been helpful for many, and the sorts of "seems to be working but improper" home networks created when people just plug stuff together must be a help desk nightmare. But - issues of sound quality due to radio interference and possibly data rates for very high resolution files aside - I am just not convinced that the wifi implementation problems are all external to the Naim devices. Why? Because buying a hundred dollar Apple Airport Express, adding it to the existing wifi network and attaching the Qute to it via Ethernet eliminates all the issues (and gives AirPlay convenience as a bonus). Same network, different wifi device, improved Naim streaming performance. Hmm...

I love that the software team is on the job - on the App side, it's visible and on the firmware side it's vital. When they add new features, they also optimize the overall performance and stability. Things get better. Sure, it's frustrating to live through a show stopping bug and it can feel like forever when anticipating an upgrade. But I have more dead-ended equipment than I'm happy about, and the Naim approach - to include as much retrofit improvement as possible even though the business driver is to sell new units - is very much aligned with my own values and preferences. Keep going, guys! (And take a deeper look into your wifi device drivers in all that spare time you have...)

Regards, alan

Internet Radio turning on and off every 10 seconds is something my Qute 2 does on a regular basis. You have my sympathy!

two Qute2s here, wireless, no problems (apart from radio which is an easy workaround). As suggested start examining your network as a whole.

Strange how everything else in the house works fine on my network except the Qute...

IMO the wireless implementation in Qutes is not very good for whatever reason.  I have two of them and on the odd occasion I have tried (out of curiosity) to see whether wireless will work have quickly given up.

I got a Muso a couple of weeks ago and that works pretty well on wireless network (albeit one with decent wireless access points).  I get the occasional drop out, but it's pretty good even with 24/48k uPnP streaming.

Hence why I think the Qute wireless implementation is not terribly good.

To be fair to Naim I think their Qute product documentation does recommend wired networks, and if you are having problems using a Qute on a wireless network then that will be the answer to your problems.  If you have to use a wireless network and don't want to mess around with something like an Airport Express to give your Qute a fake wired connection, then my recommendation would be sell the Qute. 

Or buy some internet over mains plugs which work very well if you can't have wired and wireless isn't working for you

The Qute and other Naim streamers have wi-fi built in, and yet the constant advice is not to use it. I think it's fair to expect Naim to either provide wi-fi that works well or not at all. A promise of wi-fi and then having to sort out a fixed line network is highly annoying for the buyer and puts this Forum into the odd position of being an apologist for a company we don't work for.

Naim - sort it out.

Nevertheless . . . the reality is that Naim streamers work best with a fixed line connection, using a dedicated switch between the streamer and NAS. You can connect the switch to a wi fi range extender rather than a router if preferred, and then your UPNP data is going 'fixed' while Spotify, iRadio etc go over wi-fi from the range extender. That's what I do and it works fine for me. That advice, plus using a common NAS (Synology or QNAP, maybe Netgear), seems to solve most people's issues.

It if doesn't, and you have consistent problems, my guess is you have a faulty unit. 

Incidentally, quite often on this forum people say that they stream to their TV and it works fine, so why not to their streamer? Clearly, people think that the amount of data in a TV signal must be much greater, but it really isn't. An hour of standard TV may actually be less data than an hour of WAV music. The other thing about TV is that people don't notice the data issues so much - I know everyone will say they do, but all the evidence is they don't. Slight pixelation or smearing is generally ignored, and TVs also have software which is designed to smooth out errors. Your hi fi is designed to represent the flow data as accurately and transparently as possible, and your TV is designed to hide every error and glitch as effectively as possible. It's not the same thing at all.

As someone who has worked as a network engineer, the case against Wi-Fi is strong. Networks are more complex than just hooking things up and getting an IP address. There is no reason to assume that because one device on the same network works fine that the network is therefore not the problem.

I won't bother going into the more complex reasons that can affect single devices on both wired and wireless networks, but simple ones for WiFi can be the location of the receivers. Items in one room at one height may work fine but others may get interference from things in between such as metal bolts inside walls or (most often) go nuts when a microwave is on and on the same plane as the unit.

Wired networks also can have a host of problems that are not immediately apparent and affect some devices and or protocols but not others.

It's definately possible that there may be some faulty Qutes out there. But just because a PS4 works on the network and the Qute doesn't, absolutely does not confirm the network is okay.

I would agree - attached NAS into my NDX then via switch into Devlio plugs and then upstairs to Home Hub, radio cuts out when signal is not best which is radio station rather than internet -

NAS connected in to source improves the sound no end - Netgear switch was around £20 very well spent

My set-up is more or less the same and have only had problems when the broadband speed drops below 3 - 4 meg (no superfast infinity type bb here).

Have had my qute2 about 5 months now and still chuffed, but if I'd had the problems the OP has had I think it would have gone back to Acustica in Chester along with a few strong words about a week after I got it.

But it just so good, it can be forgiven so much. The best ever piece of Hi Fi equipment??

NY-G,

I understand fully your frustrations; I had them for three years myself with a UQ1. Even with a solid wireless network the inconsistent performance was just too much. Is the UQ a great piece of equipment? I really do think so. But it is not, (was not, for me) reliable enough in its connection stability. As Alan 33 mentions, it is puzzling that the advice is so often to wire things together; and yet the wireless streaming is the strength of a streamer for many of us and, lets face it: all the Uniti products come with an antenna. We expect to stream wirelessly. As Solid Air says, 'work it out'. 

Too many posts end up advising us that we need to change our router, our UPnP software, or our hair colour. It is never the fault of the unit, and the failure to deliver on the promise of wireless performance is glossed over.

I had too many events where the UQ would not connect, or the 'streamer not found' message came up, that I moved to another product. More than once with my UQ, I tried to demonstrate the system to friends and had it lose it's connection when switching from iRadio to UPnP. So, instead of getting a SU I sold my Naim and moved on. The new product, by the way, has not had a dropout ever... not once has it failed to find itself, and has never required me to restart the unit, or the router. I stream wirelessly, without problems. 

I like Naim equipment, and the UQ is a tremendous value for sure. I really do hope you get things sorted. You're not the only one in this boat. 

Notwithstanding the limitations of Uniti products using wi-fi - which is Naim's responsibility - there is some clear advice on this forum about how to make the kit as reliable as possible:

 - Use a wired network if you can. If you can't use a wired network, at least have a wired connection between the Qute and NAS via a dedicated switch (eg Netgear). This can then connect to a range extender or other bit of kit to get to the internet. But a switch is essential.

 - Use a recognised NAS brand. You won't go wrong with Synology or QNAP. Run the latest software on them and get the NAS working in standard configuration before using any third party UPNP software. WD Red disks seem the best.

 - There is a required minimum internet speed to get reliable Spotify or iRadio. Not sure what that is . . . 5Mps?

If you follow the above advice and still get regular drop-outs or failures, you have another problem. It should be easy to identify though - if UPNP works fine but iRadio and Spotify drop, then you have a network issue (even if all your other kit works fine). If you do the above and UPNP streaming also drops then you have a hardware issue and should contact your dealer.

It is absolutely possible to get a Qute working very reliably, but set up is critical. 

All +1 Solid Air  x 10

Ethernet - as much as possible & wireless as least as possible

Network Switch - it is the networks data sorting hub,  ISP wifi hubs are not switches   

NAS & its native/stnd UPnP server - K.I.S.

I would also add EoP in cases were wifi struggles,  they are far from ideal as they add a lot of noise,  but they can fix a problem when wifi fails