Introducing Uniti, our revolutionary new streaming platform.

Eloise posted:

nbpf posted:

Solid Air posted:

I agree with Jon. Free software just means there's no license fee  to pay.  All the costs of implementation, integration, support and so on still exist. Open source is great for many applications, but there's still a cost. 

Sure there are integration and support costs. Depending on the particular case, these might be even higher than those caused by proprietary software. But in the case of music server software, we have specific open source tools which have been succesfully integrated to deliver functionalities that the US was not able to deliver and that, at this point, we do not know whether the Core is or will be able to deliver. As I mentioned, Naim might have good reasons not to adopt such tools. But at the end of the day they'll have to deliver and it would be very disappointing if the Core would turns out not to be able to provide interesting internet streaming services to attached DACs or to run popular tools like minimserver.

Remember that when the US (or at least the HDX) was developed much of this open source software didn't exist or was very much embryonic. 

Companies such as Naim also have to be careful as some of the open source software we may be talking about may break trademarks or even patients which is fine for tiny companies such as Sonore, but should Naim use (as an example) open source implementations of AirPlay are likely to attract the attention of relevant companies (in this example Apple) for breach of trademarks and possibly patient infringements.

Having said all that, if Naim use open source components (and if they use Linux as a basis of the Uniti and Uniti Core units then they will be using open source) I do hope they are responsible and follow all Open Source requirements displaying licences clearly and offering access to the source code.

Agree. Do we know which OS the Uniti Core is based upon and which servers, players and communication protocols are supported? At this point, it would be good to have some detailed information on what the Core is designed to be.

nigelb posted:

You are right, no one has said ND / NAC-N component platform is going to be updated. It is just idle speculation from some of us forumites. I realise it is unfair to expect you to comment on this also. I was simply responding to those that said you had pronounced on the upgradabilty of the current ND range when clearly you have not, for good reason.

Well at least there is no flat out denial of the potential upgradabilty of the current ND streamers which gives me (as a NDS owner) a tiny glimmer of hope but I am not going to get too excited quite yet.

I don't mind the question being asked as long as you don't mind me not answering what I can't tell you (either because I'm not at liberty to or because I simply don't know).

The new platform for the Uniti series is not retrofittable to the old series units though.

Phil

Given that the new boxes are 8mm taller than the current ones, it would be a real squeeze to accommodate preamps etc in a standard Fraim shelf if they were changed to the new cases. From memory of owning a Fraim I'm not sure they would get at all - if they did it would look awful. 

Penarth Blues posted:

Apparently you can also attach a USB CD drive and USB HDD to the Nova to accomplish the same thing. The Atom, Star and Nova are limited to serving 20,000 tracks, whereas the Core will manage 100,000. Depends how much music you wish to store I guess.

For me, the sweet spot is sounding like the Nova - with the option to get into ripping your music to HDD without having to get the Core just yet, but then being able to upgrade to the Core as required. Clearly the Core will make the whole ripping process far less stressful, but at a significant price.

Outside of huge collectors, I think 20,000 tracks will be quite adequate.  I was just looking and (these are figures from iTunes) for over 1100 albums ripped I have around 16,250 tracks taking up around 350GB (mostly stored as ALAC).  Sounds like for many listeners if Naim have the browsing right for the built in storage that the Uniti range will be quite adequate (assuming sound quality is equal with internal and external storage).  

I know many people will have much larger libraries, but I would have thought my library is likely large compared with much of the target market for the Uniti range.

manicm posted:

To Phil, why did you stick with A/B amplification as opposed to class D (or variants thereof) that Cyrus and others are employing?

We've stayed with class A/B in the Uniti range because we were able to get the sound that we wanted from that amplifier design within the design criteria for those units - at this time the only class D amplifiers that we use are in the Mu-so and Mu-so Qb.

Phil

Eloise posted:

David Hendon posted:

The Uniti Core does have a digital output that you can connect to a DAC or a digital input on a preamp, so why would you want a streamer in the same box?

I assume people are wanting the Core to support streaming services such as Tidal and Spotify, Internet Radio and alternative network interfaces such as AirPlay...

...which would make it a different product range to the Uniti which is an all-in-one just add speakers device.

Phil

Penarth Blues posted:

More detail on the Uniti range can be found here: http://www.audiot.co.uk/news/n...release-date-prices/

I found it useful in understanding a bit more of the technical details of the units - though it still didn't answer my DR question from earlier in this thread, so I'm going to guess the answer is they are not DR'd.

 

The Uniti range is not "DR" as they aren't that line of system ... they're placed between Mu-so and the 'separates'.

Phil

Eloise posted:

Can anyone confirm if the Uniti Core operates as a standard UPnP server for non-Naim devices?

Yes it does...

Phil

fred40 posted:

Thats why I like to see a streamer inside. A total box solution for an affordable price

If you are looking for ripping and streaming etc. as a single box solution then you're looking at "Star"...

Phil

USB
Play, store music to a hard drive or USB stick.

Is this in anyway different from the USB feature on the ND5XS?

Phil Harris posted:

Penarth Blues posted:

More detail on the Uniti range can be found here: http://www.audiot.co.uk/news/n...release-date-prices/

I found it useful in understanding a bit more of the technical details of the units - though it still didn't answer my DR question from earlier in this thread, so I'm going to guess the answer is they are not DR'd.

 

The Uniti range is not "DR" as they aren't that line of system ... they're placed between Mu-so and the 'separates'.

Phil

Cheers Phil. That makes it much clearer to me now about whether it can compete with the Classic series or not. The answer seems 'not', so my upgrade route will therefore be to wait for the update of the Classic Series look.

Solid Air posted:

I believe the Star doesn't have storage - it can rip and stream but not store music. So not a replacement for the HDX. 

It doesn't have provision for an internal hard disc but you can add an SD card to it (200Gb SD cards are available and will take around 400 full bitrate CDs or 800 FLAC ripped CDs) or you can add a USB attached drive for local storage.

Phil

nbpf posted:

Agree. Do we know which OS the Uniti Core is based upon and which servers, players and communication protocols are supported? At this point, it would be good to have some detailed information on what the Core is designed to be.

Core is intended to be a ripper, storage and serving solution.

It supports UPnP serving using our own UPnP server.

The underlying OS is Linux (as has been discussed elsewhere) but it is not intended that it will be open for the installation of third party applications on it and it is not planned to support streaming services on it.

Phil

I"m note sure if I understand this correctly. If I trade in my Ndxs5 streamer and by a Supernait 1.I  only need to connect the Core into the SN1 an use the naIm app as a interface on my I pad?

Phil

These are great looking devices - still have some technical questions:

(1) Is Star also able to rip to a network share? And are Atom, Star and Nova able to serve from a network share?

(2) For the "Monk" inside me - why do the Atom (95 mm x 245 mm x 265 mm) and the Core (95 mm x 214 mm x 265 mm) feature different dimensions (height)?

(3) Do Atom, Star and Nova feature a unity-gain AV input? I would like to integrate one of them into my AV2 setup.

Thanks

fred40 posted:

I"m note sure if I understand this correctly. If I trade in my Ndxs5 streamer and by a Supernait 1.I  only need to connect the Core into the SN1 an use the naIm app as a interface on my I pad?

Core would provide you with ripping, storage and playback of your CDs that you have ripped and any downloaded music files ... it would not give you TIDAL / Spotify / Bluetooth etc.

Phil

Penarth Blues posted:

Phil Harris posted:

Penarth Blues posted:

More detail on the Uniti range can be found here: http://www.audiot.co.uk/news/n...release-date-prices/

I found it useful in understanding a bit more of the technical details of the units - though it still didn't answer my DR question from earlier in this thread, so I'm going to guess the answer is they are not DR'd.

 

The Uniti range is not "DR" as they aren't that line of system ... they're placed between Mu-so and the 'separates'.

Phil

Cheers Phil. That makes it much clearer to me now about whether it can compete with the Classic series or not. The answer seems 'not', so my upgrade route will therefore be to wait for the update of the Classic Series look.

Hopefully that will be a long, long wait! Although, for me, performance will always outrank looks, I sincerely hope the Classic series does not follow the new Uniti trend. The current Naim look is unmistakeable - understated, specialist - classy! The new, so called 'Industrial' look could just as easily sport a Sony, Yamaha, Teac etc. logo. Fine for the 'one box' solution (although I still prefer the looks of my SU & Qute), but please, Naim, leave the Classic look as it is!!

Fleisch posted:

Phil

These are great looking devices - still have some technical questions:

(1) Is Star also able to rip to a network share? And are Atom, Star and Nova able to serve from a network share?

I've not had this confirmed yet...

Fleisch posted:

(2) For the "Monk" inside me - why do the Atom (95 mm x 245 mm x 265 mm) and the Core (95 mm x 214 mm x 265 mm) feature different dimensions (height)?

They're all 95mm high...

...the widths are different so that core visually lines up with the front fascia layout of a Star or Nova when stacked on shelves. Atom is the size that it is so that we could both physically get the insides into it and also so that the top panel looks balanced.

Fleisch posted:

(3) Do Atom, Star and Nova feature a unity-gain AV input? I would like to integrate one of them into my AV2 setup.

Yes...

Phil

Yes, please leave the classic look as is.. 

Jus to chip in on terminology: the term 'industrial design' is jargon meaning the final, structure, look and feel of a product. I believe it originated to distinguish between purely artistic drawings of a product designer and the actual built design of a product. It doesn't mean that the design principle of the Uniti range is 'industrial'. All manufactured products have an 'industrial design'. 

Timmo1341 posted:

Penarth Blues posted:

Phil Harris posted:

Penarth Blues posted:

More detail on the Uniti range can be found here: http://www.audiot.co.uk/news/n...release-date-prices/

I found it useful in understanding a bit more of the technical details of the units - though it still didn't answer my DR question from earlier in this thread, so I'm going to guess the answer is they are not DR'd.

 

The Uniti range is not "DR" as they aren't that line of system ... they're placed between Mu-so and the 'separates'.

Phil

Cheers Phil. That makes it much clearer to me now about whether it can compete with the Classic series or not. The answer seems 'not', so my upgrade route will therefore be to wait for the update of the Classic Series look.

Hopefully that will be a long, long wait! Although, for me, performance will always outrank looks, I sincerely hope the Classic series does not follow the new Uniti trend. The current Naim look is unmistakeable - understated, specialist - classy! The new, so called 'Industrial' look could just as easily sport a Sony, Yamaha, Teac etc. logo. Fine for the 'one box' solution (although I still prefer the looks of my SU & Qute), but please, Naim, leave the Classic look as it is!!

I agree with your view on the look as I prefer clean and understated too, but I can't see how they can remain as they are. For coherence and cost reasons they are bound to get the upgraded screens which immediately changes the height. It's all very confusing. As you say the sound doesn't change of the old kit, but the new digital platform sounds as if it should bring significant improvements to the digital domain and this has to mean change to the Classic line as far as I can tell.

I'm guessing at a new housing for the Classic line, with significant changes in the digital sections of the preamps, but less 'under the hood' changes in the power amp sections as they've just been improved. This could take a few years though, so if I think the new Uniti's are a good step up then I may trade in my Uniti2 for a Nova as an interim upgrade on my way to DR'd amplification in the future.

Phil Harris posted:

fred40 posted:

I"m note sure if I understand this correctly. If I trade in my Ndxs5 streamer and by a Supernait 1.I  only need to connect the Core into the SN1 an use the naIm app as a interface on my I pad?

Core would provide you with ripping, storage and playback of your CDs that you have ripped and any downloaded music files ... it would not give you TIDAL / Spotify / Bluetooth etc.

Phil

Well Tidal does not work on my Nd5 anyway so there is"nt a loss.I know what the core can do but it does"nt answer my above question.

fred40 posted:

Phil Harris posted:

fred40 posted:

I"m note sure if I understand this correctly. If I trade in my Ndxs5 streamer and by a Supernait 1.I  only need to connect the Core into the SN1 an use the naIm app as a interface on my I pad?

Core would provide you with ripping, storage and playback of your CDs that you have ripped and any downloaded music files ... it would not give you TIDAL / Spotify / Bluetooth etc.

Phil

Well Tidal does not work on my Nd5 anyway so there is"nt a loss.I know what the core can do but it does"nt answer my above question.

Hi Fred40,

I'm afraid in that case I'm not sure what your question actually was ... could you possibly give me a little more information as to what you are actually asking?

Phil

Phil Harris posted:

fred40 posted:

Phil Harris posted:

fred40 posted:

I"m note sure if I understand this correctly. If I trade in my Ndxs5 streamer and by a Supernait 1.I  only need to connect the Core into the SN1 an use the naIm app as a interface on my I pad?

Core would provide you with ripping, storage and playback of your CDs that you have ripped and any downloaded music files ... it would not give you TIDAL / Spotify / Bluetooth etc.

Phil

Well Tidal does not work on my Nd5 anyway so there is"nt a loss.I know what the core can do but it does"nt answer my above question.

Hi Fred40,

I'm afraid in that case I'm not sure what your question actually was ... could you possibly give me a little more information as to what you are actually asking?

Phil

I think the answer is yes ... the Core can be connected directly to a DAC; including the one in a SuperNait 1.  That would allow you to play back ripped and downloaded music controlled by the updated Naim App.

The question remains one of sound quality in relation to the digital-out of the Core vs ND5XS.

G