HDX-SSD - Meta-data for ripping

I think that what you're missing is that when you use the HDX to rip a cd, the default format is .wav and the metadata is created in a separate .xml file for the HDX and Naim apps to use. 

Also, the Store that the HDX rips to is not meant to be read by other hardware; it's really for the HDX.  It's locked, meaning you cannot edit the files.

If you want a more universally accepted format for your cd rips, set it to rip to .flac and/or convert your Store of .wav rips to .flac.  This will indeed create metadata that something like Minimserver can use.

Thanks Bart for clarifying, I'll now have to decide how FLAC compares to WAV :-)

Many don’t hear a difference between these two formats and if you fall into that cohort your troubles will be over shortly. Some of us can hear a difference in favour of WAV. But all is not lost. I retagged about 1200 WAV albums when I went from HDX-SSD to Minimserver. It was therapeutic. It also highlighted a lot of errors in the tagging. I now have a collection which contains all of the correct tags. Much of the conversion is done using batch processes. 

Don't forget that you can transcode flac files to WAV on playback. In my experience WAV sounds better than FLAC, and transcoded FLAC files sound exactly the same as native WAV. So by storing in FLAC and transcoding, you get the best of both worlds - smaller files with decent metadata, and the best sound. 

Thank you all for your advice

Rob I rip to flac with my uServe, and tell it to transcode to .wav when serving back to my players. Best of both worlds.

If I do chose to rip as FLAC and transcode to WAV what is the correct setting for 'Transcoding' under Miscellaneous Settings?

Does this setting only apply to HDX rips?

I have downloads in both FLAC & WAV and various sample rates and bit depths

Whilst it'll likely be fine to also transcode those FLACs to WAV would the sample rates and bit rates stay native for such FLAC & WAV download files?

For the sake of others here's the reply from Phil H, (thanks Phil)

The setting you want would be ‘Decode’ and that would apply to *ALL* files played via the HDX’s UPnP server and the sample rates and bit depth would stay as per the source file format…

I am doing the same thing but on UServe. There doesn't seem to be a Decode option, only Transcoding - which I have set to WAV and Transcode Media Type - Should I set FLAC to  True?

In n-Serve for OS X, in the Maintenance section . . . under Transcode Media Types set flac to "true."

Thanks Bart