Unitiserve power supply

Here's what I would do. Get the Serve to convert everything to flac, if you haven't done it already. Back it up to a Synology or Qnap nas. Load MinimServer or Asset on the nas. Discover that playing from the nas sounds better. Sell the Serve for between £1,000 and £1,500. Realise that you have saved a load of money. Sell the SU and get a 272/200 or 272/250. Have even better sound quality. 

Cheers for that HH! As you may remember I do have plans for upgrading in 2017 (272 or successor with ps, 300DR, bigger ProAcs etc), but I do enjoy the convenience of the UnitiServe. I'm perfectly content with WAV as opposed to FLAC. I'm not disputing that you personally hear an improvement in the quality of music streamed from your NAS (I have a Synology which I use as backup), but are you able to offer any explanation as to why this should be so? Did you ever try a linear ps when you owned your UnitiServe? I'm not rich, so would never say that the money isn't a consideration, but I'm loath to part with equipment that 'serves' (sorry!) me well without a very convincing reason.

Tim

Hi Tim. When I had my Serve I used a power supply from Israel. It did make the sound better, though I understand there are better ones now available. How useful the Serve is depends on how often you rip CDs I suppose, but doing a few on the laptop now and again is very straightforward and you tend to get better quality cover art, as the Serve often finds poor quality versions. 

Sorry to be so forgetful, I now recall you mentioning your plans. 

Why not try loading MinimServer on your Synology and trying it for yourself?

I use one of the 'better ones' referred to by HH - SQ is improved either streaming or running a Naim coax from the Unitiserve to Digital 1 on the NDS. My main motivation was taking a fairly cheap looking switched mode power supply out of harms way.

Thanks HH.

I'm not the most confident when it comes to trying new IT solutions! At present all that exists on my 2 X 2TB Synology are the backups of the US's MQ folder (approx. 1700 albums). On the US are a further 100 or so albums in the Download folder, which do not get backed up to the NAS for some reason I don't understand!

Were I to try your method, is it as simple as putting a copy of Minim Server from my iMac on to the Synology, and then pointing the Naim App to it? Does MS automatically detect all the music and arrange it as pleasingly as the Unitiserve? As you can doubtless tell, I am a total novice when it comes to networks and servers. My dealer installed the US and Synology for me, they work seamlessly, and what I don't want is to risk c**king everything up for little or no gain in music quality, given I'm not desperate to realise the cash value of the US. I haven't Googled anything yet, but do you know of a foolproof idiots guide to installing Minim Server? Would I have to move away from WAV? Would I still have access to the Rovi musical database I frequently access via the Naim app at present? Sorry for all the questions, but I know you've got a reasonable bit of time on your hands at present!! Talking of which, I was really pleased to read that your hearing was almost back to normal the other day - fantastic news.

Tim

Timmo1341 posted:

 

Were I to try your method, is it as simple as putting a copy of Minim Server from my iMac on to the Synology, and then pointing the Naim App to it?

Your Synology already has Minimserver & the also required Java per-installed - assuming you have kept your DSM updated.  Current is DSM 6.0.2-8451-3,  open (check/tick) auto-update & it will do it for you.

Tim

Not worth it. Just use the one that came in a box. 

Been there, done that... so I speak from experience. 

Adam

The point about FLAC rather than WAV in HH's suggestion is not to do with SQ, but rather that if you are going to use a upnp server on your Synology NAS then it will handle the metadata of FLACs much better than WAVs and getting the Unitiserve to do the conversion before you sell it on means that it will know best how to deal with its special way of storing and referencing WAV metadata.

But I'm with Adam. Personally I love the convenience of the US, think it sounds fine, and would rather spend (and do spend come to that) the money that an after-market linear supply would cost on more music and more, finer, wine.

best David

David Hendon posted:

The point about FLAC rather than WAV in HH's suggestion is not to do with SQ, but rather that if you are going to use a upnp server on your Synology NAS then it will handle the metadata of FLACs much better than WAVs and getting the Unitiserve to do the conversion before you sell it on means that it will know best how to deal with its special way of storing and referencing WAV metadata.

But I'm with Adam. Personally I love the convenience of the US, think it sounds fine, and would rather spend (and do spend come to that) the money that an after-market linear supply would cost on more music and more, finer, wine.

best David

Thanks David. Between you and Adam looks as though I've just saved best part of a grand! I totally get where HH is coming from,  but I love just popping the disc into that little US slot and 10 mins later finding all I want on the Naim app. Any editing is a piece of cake with N-Serve, including better quality cover art if I need it. All things considered I guess I'll stick with the status quo.

Cheers everyone for your input.

Tim - good choice.

Spend the money on music and wine. And if anything is left, on some gifts to fellow Forum Members

Sorry chaps, but I beg to differ. I use the same PS for my US referred to by HH and it definitely improved SQ using the US as a server which is how I use my US (also as a ripper of course). I bought said PS for a very few hundred pounds pre loved. Remember this is the US linear PS and is far less money new than you indicated.

Having said this, I am not sure I would recommend you spend money on this PS. You may want to consider ditching the US altogether in favour of a decent NAS as already suggested. If you are keen to hang on to the US then consider a pre-loved linear PS upgrade as I have or part exchanging your US for a Uniti Core, the new (and presumably more reliable) replacement for the US which come with a proper internal power supply.

Timmo1341 posted:

Thanks HH.

I'm not the most confident when it comes to trying new IT solutions! At present all that exists on my 2 X 2TB Synology are the backups of the US's MQ folder (approx. 1700 albums). On the US are a further 100 or so albums in the Download folder, which do not get backed up to the NAS for some reason I don't understand!

Were I to try your method, is it as simple as putting a copy of Minim Server from my iMac on to the Synology, and then pointing the Naim App to it?

Yes

Does MS automatically detect all the music and arrange it as pleasingly as the Unitiserve?

Yes, but better

As you can doubtless tell, I am a total novice when it comes to networks and servers. My dealer installed the US and Synology for me, they work seamlessly, and what I don't want is to risk c**king everything up for little or no gain in music quality, given I'm not desperate to realise the cash value of the US. I haven't Googled anything yet, but do you know of a foolproof idiots guide to installing Minim Server?

Minim website explains it, but it's a bit fiddly

Would I have to move away from WAV?

For the albums to show properly you'd need to convert them to FLAC using the Serve. You then set Minim to transcode FLAC to WAV when it plays the album. This sounds just the same as native WAV.

Would I still have access to the Rovi musical database I frequently access via the Naim app at present?

Yes you would, it's just the same.

Sorry for all the questions, but I know you've got a reasonable bit of time on your hands at present!! Talking of which, I was really pleased to read that your hearing was almost back to normal the other day - fantastic news.

Tim

Thank you Tim, you are very kind. As well as getting my hearing back I can now ride my bike and have managed the cross trainer without falling off. I still need my afternoon nap and get very confused though, but hey, things are definitely going in the right direction. 

I understand entirely how easy it is the rip with the Serve. But these days I buy few CDs and doing them on the laptop is very easy too. 

Tim:

[I'm not the most confident when it comes to trying new IT solutions! At present all that exists on my 2 X 2TB Synology are the backups of the US's MQ folder (approx. 1700 albums). On the US are a further 100 or so albums in the Download folder, which do not get backed up to the NAS for some reason I don't understand!]

Whilst you're basking in the glow of all the money HH has saved you I need to point out that you have to make provision for backing up those albums in your Download folder.  The US does not back these up as part of its inbuilt back up regimen.  YOU have to do it as part of a separate process .. I used to use Carbon Copy Cloner to copy them from the US to my NAS .. 

John.