USB memory stick

Usb stick sounds much better.

If a USB sounds better than however your local streaming music is connected,  that's indicative of something wrong or sub-optimal on the streaming network.   Checking against a USB is the LAN benchmark test

Get a MiniMac or a proper NAS,  it takes as much time as does to fit a USB,  probably less effort as well.

I"M saying a USB stick sounds better directly in the streamer . Usb via  computer sounds worse.

Thanks, I have a Mini Mac but to use it you have to obviously turn it on go to iTunes etc. but the stick is just stuck in the front of the uq and off you go. I just want the best I can get out of the music.

Well if you want the best get a Naim statement!

Get a NAS job done.

I'll have a word with the wife about the statement but problem is wouldn't be able to play it down the b&b.

mabye I'll look into a nas but know very little about them.

Well worth the effort to sort out a NAS once done it makes streaming music a joy when using the Naim app.

A Nas is really a joy! And soundwise there is no problem to find.  A  usb stick direcly into the streamer just sounds a bit better.

Thanks for all your replys, I'll carry on with the USB stick as it sounds like it's ok but I will investigate a nas drive or the naim unityserve?

Dear prcm50, i'm doing the same:i have also a UQ2 and have usb 128gb stick directly...

think it's... enough.

(less equipment/ less fuss)

+1 for getting a NAS (Network Attached Storage) - I'd say it's worth getting a decent one with a decent server software on it too, such as a QNAP running Asset server, or a Synology NAS. Not too expensive either way but you might also be OK with a Western Digital NAS (I use 2 for my back-ups).
Plug it into your router (or a network switch) and all of the music stored on the NAS will be available to all players on the network.

Thanks for nas info, have looked at Western digital and the Synology funny enough, just got to decide in the meantime the stick still in use.

 I prefer my Qute v1 with a USB Stick plugged into the front.  The sound is just crisper. I went through several tests of this including having my music server and Qute on the same switch literally next to each other on the shelf. 

You lose the ability for playlists and cover art. 

Yes you do lose artwork but a small price for better quality 

prcm50 posted:

Thanks for nas info, have looked at Western digital and the Synology funny enough, just got to decide in the meantime the stick still in use.

I'd suggest Synology or QNAP. Bear in mind that you cannot run Asset on Synology, if that's important to you. Minimserver works fine on Synology though. 

USB vs NAS (wired) = no discernable difference for me, either on the Qute/PMC.21 or SU/PMC.22 [WD NAS + Twonky]

Wired vs Wireless is very much audibly different (go wired if poss). Other upgrades that really work are separate dedicated spur / F speaker wire connection.

prcm50 posted:

Can anyone help? Am I losing out using a usb memory stick to play my music on a uq2 instead of from my Mac. All the CDs are ripped to apple lossless, I just find it easier than starting up the Mac every time I want to listen to some music. I have been thinking of a unity serve but not sure if I would gain anything?

unityqute2 + nap100 through PMC20 21 speakers.

My Qnap NAS is now unplugged, and is only used for back up duties. I now use my iMac which is hard wired to my ND5, via a switch. Why? I find that accessing my music is so much faster, using my iPad. The processor on the iMac is far superior than that on the Qnap, and never skips a beat, even when transcoding FLAC to WAV on the fly, using Asset. Accessing the music is not a problem either, as my iMac is on from about 8am to midnight...or later!

This arrangement may not suit everyone, but I've not looked back.

Synology NAS has its own bundled Media Player software, which works fine for me. The whole thing was very easy to set up and is easy to use. (There's even a setting to switch it on automatically after power outs, if you suffer from that sort of thing...)

I used to use my Mac with Asset but the problem I had was my Mac is not turned on all the Time, so I would have to start up and turn off auto close to stop the music stopping. That's why I swapped to the USB stick.

Yes, there's something to be said for simplicity, the less links in the chain the better.

I never saw the advantage of employing a NAS, just another bit of gear to go wrong.

All my music is on my Macbook pro and hardwired to my streamer, then again nothing wrong with plugging a USB directly into the streamer, simple..........