NAS Server and Ripping Software Choices

Well yes, I was surprised too, as the US with the power supply (made in Israel) costs about £2,600 whereas the bog standard Synology cost about £400. That was running Synology's own server - with Minim it's better still.

The extra £2,200 does buy you a nice green logo though, oh, and the ripping functionality.

I take your point Adrian,  however the (my DS214) Synology SMPS is a good quality inline type (not a wallwart).  

I managed to get hold of a copy of its manufacturers spec sheet & schematic & it appears to be well suppressed & does comply to medical grade SMPS standards. 

As an experiment,  I was able to borrow a lab standard regulated adjustable type & I really could not hear any difference.  That said my Synology SMPS is downstream of a UPS with an isolation transformer & C&D mode filter,  plus I have loaded its 230v supply & the 12vDC line with ferrite in addition to the ferrite moulded on the 12v cable.   In my case at least, the Synology SMPS is not a problem.

Providing the NAS is well separated from the Naim kit I see no reason why the NAS power supply would make a difference (within reason). The electricity going down the ethernet cable is interpreted into a digital data sequence, so its relative 'choppiness' is irrelevant - the ethernet protocol will ensure it's just noughts and ones anyway.

In an analogue-only world there's an inescapable end-to-end path through the system (hence 'source first'). But in the digital world there's a 'break' - anything upstream of the DAC is irrelevant as long as it provides the right noughts and ones.

While I agree that RFI can affect SQ to a point, the NAS power supply (through the NAS and down an ethernet cable into the DAC, not the amp section) is unlikely to have much effect. 

I suspect sound differences in NAS options are more software related, eg how they handle transcoding . . . always assuming they're really different at all. Personally, I can't hear any difference between them.

If a DAC just needs 'the right noughts and ones', I don't see how NAS software/transcoding could affect sound quality? As long as it's still lossless, the DAC still gets the same noughts and ones, doesn't it? If only life was that simple...

For example, Minimserver can transcode FLAC files into either WAV or WAV24 (from memory) which seems to have some effect on the sound. But like for like, I quite agree with you.

I don't believe there's some mystical way that the nougths and ones can be different. I think that idea is a hangover from the analogue world where there's an end-to-end path from your plug socket to the speaker drivers. In the digital world, upstream of the DAC, I don't see how that applies.

That's the problem though - all is fine in the digital domain - it's the conversion back into the analogue domain which is the critical step. At this point it's the right data but at the right time. 

The latest iteration of the Israeli power supply for the UnitiServe is not a linear PS, and it kills the music, so I'm not surprised by your findings. The Naim power supply restores the life and boogie. 

The orginal version of the 3rd party PS in question was a regulated design based on a transformer. However, the transformer was underspecified, which lead to overheating, which lead the designer to revert to a switching power supply, inside the same casing, followed by a small regulation stage and virtually no reserves. Not only does the new version kill the music, it fails at the simple tasks of allowing the UnitiServe to rip CDs, and to start up the U/S when it's warm. During these tasks its voltage falls below 11 V and the U/S shuts down...

Despite appearances, the original Naim PSU is a cannily designed unit that maintains a stable voltage (12V) and the large current swings (3 to 4 amps with 10 amp spikes) that the U/S needs to function properly.

I'm having a proper linear power supply built locally by a specialist. It's about the size of a HiCap !

Jan

No, in our exchanges, I pointed out that the new version was based on an SMPS and that the designer considered it as an *upgrade*...  

I see, that makes sense. Interestingly, I had no issues whatsoever in ripping over 2,000 CDs, and the server never one failed to start up either from cold or warm. I suspect you had a duff version, because the one I had was a significant upgrade over the Naim supply. And the one I had was definitely the SMPS version - I had this confirmed by the supplier. Since selling it, the new owner also thinks it's an upgrade on the Naim original.

My original findings still stand, in my view anyway.

Jan,

Could be the US. My experience...the PS supplied with the US from Naim is a switching version. My rebuild included a new no name (no pun intended... China) switching PS. As stated at the beginning of this post it's back in for repair a Audio Plus Services the North American Distributor. Hoping for successful outcome this time around.

M

Have you tried Daphile HiFi? It's open source.

Digital Music Convenience for Audiophiles:
Daphile is an audiophile class music server & player OS – targeted to dedicated headless PC.

http://www.daphile.com/

Wat, as a matter of interest,  have you tried you qute into your Hugo,  and if you have how does it compare to the mac?

Thanks Wat, much appreciated

I use dBpoweramp to rip CDs to flac. I have used the batch convertor to create mp3 files for use in my car.  My original NAS was a ReadyNas Duo.  I now also have a Synology on which I have installed MinimServer mainly to convert the BBC HD streams to something my Naim equipment can understand.  I have also added my flac music files.

I have just purchased an asus vivopc (4gb ram, win8.1 for $350 taxes in ) to replace an old hp windows home server. Installed asset upnp and stream from external usb 3.0 drives hanging off the back. Flawless and quiet as a church mouse. rip from dbpoweramp on laptop to new Asus , no problem. 

Cheap and simple for those at home running in the windows ecosystem.

timster