Best way to integrate Qobuz into a Naim system

Goon525 posted:

Promising, Ardbeg10Y, but what I need to do is send the SAME programme via video to my TV, and via audio to my hifi. (And they need to be absolutely simultaneous, with no data lag either way.) Any chance you can see if that works?

Thanks 

Paul

... and there are devices available which steal the audio signal from a hdmi cable (between CA + TV) and send digitally to an amp. The more advanced devices have some lip-sync settings to avoid lags.

I remember in those heady pre-digital days watching live proms on the TV while listening to the Radio 3 broadcast, so I know what you're trying to achieve Paul.  The Chromecast Audio is due for delivery late pm, so I'll report back.

chris

Chris

Indeed - but this should be much easier. We're not synchronising a BBC2 telly picture with Radio 3 sound, but just splitting the audio and video of the SAME signal to two different places. As Ardbeg10Y says, I believe there are devices which extract the audio component of an HDMI signal, but I haven't yet (and would prefer not to!) investigate them.

Me too, and also much earlier setting up two AM radios to listen to "stereo". One of the demos was of a ping pong match! Meanwhile, back on topic, currently listening to Music for a While L'arpeggiata Christina Pluhar streamed from Qobuz at 24 bits/88.2 kHz via the Chromecast Audio, thinking it doesn't get much better than this, and getting a bit worried that I might starting wanting always to listen in 24 bits...

david

David

Presumably you own the Christina Pluhar album in hi res, since I believe that's the necessary condition for streaming it from Qobuz at more than CD quality. I wonder how long before they introduce a higher level streaming tier more generally.

How would you compare the CC Audio streaming into the SU (or similar) versus audio natively processed on the SU from e.g. Tidal (if you have experience on this)?

Personally, I'm very satisfied by my Spotify / CC Audio / Supernait setup, but I would like to know which area I should spend my money on when I get some pennies again.

Doubting to put it in either source or speakers and I don't know yet.

Well, that's impressive, apart from one big BUT - gapless playback doesn't seem to work.  This must be down to the Chromecast Audio as the Qobuz app works fine (apart from the SQ) with Bluetooth

Otherwise setup was very easy and the sound is excellent.  I've connected the Chromecast Audio to one of the TOSLINK inputs on the SU.  Comparing CD quality using one of my Qobuz purchases - streaming using JRiver running on a MacBook Pro as the UPnP server perhaps has a slight edge but it's very close.  I tried one of the high res downloads but this played back at CD quality - I though I could stream high res without a sublime subscription.

Once an app is connected to the Chromecast Audio, it doesn't show as being available in other apps, but there's no conflict.  I can stream Netflix to the Chromecast on the TV at the same time as listening via Qobuz - I don't know how much the newly installed fibre broadband is helping.

Apart from the gapless playback issue, it's such a good solution for Qobuz on the iPad that I'll definitely use it for most of my Qobuz listening - and hope Google get gapless sorted.

Thanks for the update, Chris. But that's a huge BUT for me - I listen to a lot of classical , and gapless is crucial to avoid gaps in the middle of continuous pieces. And it seems that I would have to use the tv digital audio output when running an App like the Berlin Phil Concert Hall - not the end of the world. It looks like I'm probably back to the Mac Mini solution.

I'm a bit surprised that DavidS hasn't mentioned the gapless issue, as he seems to listen to vocal classical material.

Only one proper answer: FFS Naim, get Qobuz intregrated! Please. Nicely.

Gary

I don't think there's a prayer of that happening now. They're relying on Google Cast in the new Uniti series. And Qobuz have just published on their website saying that Google Cast is the access medium for Naim. Bluntly, it's taken Naim ten months not to fix the Tidal problems - I really don't think we're going to see built-in Qobuz.

Cheers Paul.

<heavy sigh>

Paul, yes I listen almost entirely to classical so it is a real pity, unless they get it fixed (remember the early day of Tidal?).  Listening to Danil Trifonov's Transcendental, the sound seems better than Audirvana+ via the optical out on the MacBook Pro.

i agree about Qobuz integration into the Naim streamers being dead in the water.

A search on the internet produces depressing results - it doesn't look like there's much prospect of gapless playback on the CCA any time soon.  I guess classical music listeners are in the minority, but Pink Floyd fans also suffer.  I've had a fun afternoon trying it all out though, and the CCA will be useful for  gapfull albums.

[@mention:49577343082471944] Yes, sorry I didn't notice that gapless wasn't working. In fairness, comparing Music for While on Audirvana the track changes are very little different. However, on Celine Frisch The Well Tempered Clavier, where on Audirvana you can hear that she goes straight from Prelude 1 to Fugue 1 (the dying resonance of the prelude is still audible when the fugue begins), there is a tiny gap on the Chromecast. Perhaps our best hope is to ask Qobuz if they can persuade Google to fix it. If we both wrote to them, it might carry more weight. What do you think?

AIUI being able to stream in Hi-Res is one of the benefits of Sublime. To me it is also one of the benefits of ChromeCast Audio because my iMac is on the other side of the room from the mu-so and plugging in a 10m TOSLINK cable to listen to Hi-Res was too disruptive, to say nothing of the dog tripping over it. Up till now, I've streamed my Hi-Res downloads with UPnP. Being able just to tap a button on the Qobuz app is much less intrusive.

Given that I remember the BBC's early experiment with stereo, I don't really trust my hearing any more but I've been very impressed so far.

david

Goon525 posted:

... Qobuz have just published on their website saying that Google Cast is the access medium for Naim

Where did you see that? I can't find it.

david

DavidS posted:

Goon525 posted:

... Qobuz have just published on their website saying that Google Cast is the access medium for Naim

Where did you see that? I can't find it.

david

Here:

L'un de nos lecteurs nous pose cette question :

Bonjour,

Pouvez vous me dire si l'intégration de Qobuz pour le mu-so (Naim) est pour bientôt ?

Je pensais que c'était prévu pour 2016.

Bien à vous.

 

Notre réponse

Bonjour,

C'est la toute nouvelle gamme Uniti qui va supporter le protocole GoogleCast avec lequel l'application Qobuz est compatible, ce qui peut être une façon de profiter de l'application Qobuz avec ces appareils de la marque Naim depuis un smartphone ou une tablette, sous iOS comme sous Android, le tout en Hi-Res.

Rappelons que le protocole GoogleCast ne nécessite aucune installation de la part de l'utilisateur de Qobuz puisque ce protocole est intégré à l'application Qobuz et que celle-ci va automatiquement reconnaître qu'un appareil GoogleCast, sur lequel elle pourra se connecter, est présent sur le réseau.

Pour plus de précisions sur GoogleCast et le streamer ChromeCast,voir cet article.

Quant au Mu-so, celui-ci étant compatible AirPlay et UPnP, il peut être utilisé avec l'application Qobuz sous iOS et Android (avec Bubble UPnP).

Cordialement

 

Says it all really, eh?

ChrisByrd posted:

Paul, yes I listen almost entirely to classical so it is a real pity, unless they get it fixed (remember the early day of Tidal?).  Listening to Danil Trifonov's Transcendental, the sound seems better than Audirvana+ via the optical out on the MacBook Pro.

i agree about Qobuz integration into the Naim streamers being dead in the water.

Nothing to do with this topic, but it is worth noting that the best output from Audirvana is via usb (preferably dedicated bus), bypassing the Mac's soundcard, but then with an isolator to remove the electrical/rf noise unless the DAC used has excellent rejection.

Bubbleupnp on my qnap works fine with linn kazoo. It took some time to get access on the configuration-page. But when the settings are done it sounds very well without any gaps or streaming-problems, even 24/192. For me it is the best solution for playing qobuz on my 272.

Reinibert posted:

Bubbleupnp on my qnap works fine with linn kazoo. It took some time to get access on the configuration-page. But when the settings are done it sounds very well without any gaps or streaming-problems, even 24/192. For me it is the best solution for playing qobuz on my 272.

I use Bubble/Kazoo to an NDX with a Sublime subscription, but can only stream at CD rates. According to Qobuz Kazoo (and Lumin) don't stream HiRes.

Unless I'm missing something!

Gary Shaw posted:

Reinibert posted:

Bubbleupnp on my qnap works fine with linn kazoo. It took some time to get access on the configuration-page. But when the settings are done it sounds very well without any gaps or streaming-problems, even 24/192. For me it is the best solution for playing qobuz on my 272.

I use Bubble/Kazoo to an NDX with a Sublime subscription, but can only stream at CD rates. According to Qobuz Kazoo (and Lumin) don't stream HiRes.

 

Unless I'm missing something!

You can only stream albums in hi-res that you have bought from Qobuz, not all available hi-res albums on Qobuz. Secondly it's not Kazoo that does the streaming, Kazoo as a control point only generates the playlist on the streamer device. A Linn DS definitely can stream hi-res from Qobuz. I assume that Bubbleupnp assumes the role of the Openhome renderer (in place of a Linn DS), but I don't know if Bubbleupnp supports hi-res audio.

My misunderstanding, though the benefit of streaming an album one already owns is a bit dubious. Ah well. Bubbleupnp sServer does support HiRes from Qobuz btw.

Cheers

Come on, a little bit of french needn't put you off. You're still part of Europe 

and there is always Google translate for those who have forgotten what they learned at school.

essence of the message "Naim are going to support ChromeCast protocol in their new Uniti line, and the Qobuz application is already compatible with that protocol. Otherwise using AirPlay and UPNP on iOS or Android with BubbleUPnP should connect the Qobuz application with Muso (which was the device the poster asked about specifically)."

They apparently assume ChromeCast is going to be supported more widely, also outside the Uniti-line

I just wanted to express my appreciation to everyone who has contributed and made this such an interesting thread. From my point of view, given that I want to maximise my chances of running current and future streams from orchestras, opera houses etc, but also get the best out of Qobuz, I think the MAC Mini is really my best option. I guess I should start a new thread on whether to buy new or second hand, how much RAM to get etc etc. I know there have been some threads on this topic before; and I also know that new models are rumoured for imminent release. Thanks again, everyone, especially those who tried to help me get Bubble UPnP Server working. Can't win 'me all!

I have to say that after reviewing all of this I think you want access to Qobuz you are better to use one of the conventional streamers.  

I use Bluesound Node 2 into Naim DAC and Amp - seamless integration and great sound quality.  The only irritation is that the iPad app is less-than-perfectly intuitive - it tries to do a bit too much and ends up confusing.

I also have some old Simple Audio units which I like a lot.  They have integrated Qobuz and a very nice and intuitive iPad app.  Unfortunately, the company went bust so the iPad app is no longer available and the system itself requires a bit of ingenuity to keep it fully functional.  If you're game, though, the units themselves come up very cheaply on a certain auction site, and I think the PC and Mac software is still available on the Simple Audio website. 

Sonos is also very good for integrated Qobuz.  The downside is a lack of hi-def capability, which Bluesound and Simple Audio both have up to 24/192.

I don't think any of the above will allow you to access album booklets via the control app but I shouldn't think it was a great hardship to flip to the Qobus app or desktop.