New User Feedback

Posted by: JLF on 02 May 2011

Not sure if  this will be of any use or interest to anyone here but I just wanted to say a bit about my entry into the world of Naim audio as a new user.

 

Last week I invested in a Uniti and Serve set up (upgrading from Arcam) and using my existing Monitor Audio spkrs and I have just spent the past weekend puting it all together.

 

My first impression is that this kit is absolutely flipping fantastic! I love it! The installation went pretty smoothly - Uniti and Serve talking to each other nicely via Netgear WiFi network and controlled from my armchair with the n-stream App on my iPhone.

 

I had just two problems during installation -

 

- The DTC couldn't find the Serve which I finally discovered was my over zealous McAfee AV software stopping it connecting to my network. Easily solved by adjusting AV settings.

 

- The Serve has rejected about 12 CDs during the ripping stage ( I've successfully ripped about 40 so far ). Well, it doesn't really reject these discs rather it can't seem to detect them in the first place and just sits there making a rather nasty groaning sound. However, I can abort the ripping process and continue ripping other discs with no problem. I have also copied the discs that the Serve doesn't like to new blank discs ( Memorex ) and these have then ripped without problem. Looks like a problem with the physical construction of some discs - size? weight? smell? - who knows?

 

Hopefully this issue with the Serve won't develop into a bigger problem later.

 

Anyway, thanks Naim, wonderful kit, great sound, and I am rediscovering music not listened to in ages. Brilliant!

 

JLF

 

 

Posted on: 02 May 2011 by Hook

Hi JLF -

 

Welcome to the forum, and a good first post!

 

Nice catch with the McAfee sofware, but that sounds like way too high of a miss rate for a UnitiServe.

 

I would email Naim support.   1 in 50 might be tolerable, but not 1 in 5!

 

Good luck.

 

Hook

Posted on: 02 May 2011 by Jan-Erik Nordoen

Hello JLF,

 

I'm with Hook on this, the reject rate from your Serve seems high. Contact your dealer. That being said, the Serve is a wonderful way to start your relationship with Naim ; it opens up so many possibilities, giving you a rock solid source to build on, should you wish to go further.

 

Welcome to the forum and Naim ; watch out for the nymphs.

 

 

Posted on: 03 May 2011 by JLF

Thanks, Both.

 

Yes, I'll contact support if the problem persists.

 

As I say,  the Serve happily rips from the copied discs but not the originals so I'm assuming that the 'fault' lies with the discs and not the Serve.

 

Great sound, though.

 

JLF

Posted on: 04 May 2011 by lhau
If that is the case, I am afraid your CDs are damaged. The US, like any good ripping engine, would read and reread until it is sure the read was correct is correct, but a normal cd copying program just fill in what it appears to read in the first run. So your copy maybe containing sound file with different data......
Posted on: 04 May 2011 by Tog
Originally Posted by Jan-Erik Nordoen:

Hello JLF,

 

I'm with Hook on this, the reject rate from your Serve seems high. Contact your dealer. That being said, the Serve is a wonderful way to start your relationship with Naim ; it opens up so many possibilities, giving you a rock solid source to build on, should you wish to go further.

 

Welcome to the forum and Naim ; watch out for the nymphs.

 

 

Are Naim running a special offer? - my dealer never mentioned a Naim nymph otherwise I would have bought that UnitiServe! That is where all the N-Stream development effort has been going.

 

Bet Linn don't have nymphs ... or if the did they'd be called Klimpts or Nymphic

 

Tog 


 

Posted on: 04 May 2011 by JLF

Thanks Ihau,

 

Yes, that explanation makes sense.

To my (probably uneducated) ears the copied discs that the US then successfully ripped sound fine and its not a big deal if the CDs are at fault - rather that than the US.

 

Thanks again,

 

JLF

Posted on: 04 May 2011 by Jan-Erik Nordoen

JLF : rereading your original post, I understand that your Uniti(Qute?) is not hardwired to your router. Have you tried linking the Uniti to your router by Cat cable ? It's a substantial upgrade from wireless.

 

Tog :

 

Jan

Posted on: 05 May 2011 by JLF

Hi Jan,

 

I have Uniti (not a Qute) that is not hard wired to my router. The WiFi seems fine to me - good WAV quallity sound and no drop out. The Serve is upstairs in my study with the Uniti about as far away as possible at the other end of my house in the living room. Hard wiring the Uniti to my router is not really possible because of the different locations but I'm sure you're right in saying that the sound quality would improve if it was wired.

 

My plan was to move the Serve to the lounge and hard wire it to the Uniti if I had any sound problems with my WiFi network but, so far, the sound has been excellent. And I can now also access all my CD collection stored on the Serve on my internet radio in the kitchen.

 

I suppose for many people like me getting the best possible sound and convenience from streaming audio is a bit of a compromise between cost of equipment, living space, location of router, location of player and speakers etc etc.

 

I have to say that I had some apprehensions about whether the whole Uniti/Serve/router/WiFi thing would all work but it has proved to be absolutely excellent for me. After reading this Forum for some time I understand that some members are not over happy with things like the n-stream App but I think its all brilliant.

 

Cheers,

 

JLF

 

Posted on: 08 May 2011 by JLF

Hi Allen,

 

Yes, I suppose one of the disadvantages (or advantages) of attempting to attain excellence as Naim do is that it creates a very demanding customer base with increasingly high expectations as is exhibited on this Forum. From Naim's point of view Forums ( Forii? Fora?) like this should provide great user feedback on which to base their improvments.

 

In Naim's defence, I suppose using 'App' technology is relatively new and they are learning about, and developing, it as much as we are but I agree that streaming media is only going to become bigger/better/faster/more and companies like Naim need to keep on the ball to keep us all happy.

 

PS. Update on the Serve to anyone interested. It finally conked out and stopped ripping/playing CDs. Just started making a nasty groaning sound and wouldn't release any disc that had been inserted. So, with the help of my excellent dealers, it is going to be replaced with a new one. Shame that it happened but it looks like a simple (?) mechanical issue with the disc drive which will hopefully be a one-off problem.

 

Fingers crossed.

 

Cheers,

 

JLF