UnitiServe with Airport Express

I've used AE as a wireless bridge for NDX. At least the newer Airports are able to share/bridge their ethernet connection with an external unit (eg. Userve) effectively giving you 5GHz wifi but operating the Naim unit in ethernet mode.

NDX operates in wired or wireless mode, not both, so hoping to use the wifi just for control point management is not possible. This is probably same for Userve. However, a properly setup wlan is more than enough for (hires) audio streaming.

The other advantage of utilizing an AirPort Express lies with the fact that you get a free AirPlay-compatible (mini-optical) digital source to plug into the same DAC you'd use with the UnitiServe. This is great for premium streaming services such as Spotify or Rhapsody, many or most of which have their own AirPlay-compatible iPad / iPod touch apps.

As far as address reservations go–this would typically be done at your router (I'd reserve one each for both AirPort Express as well as UnitiServe), as you'd need to make sure that the reservations lie within the correct range. If you are using an Apple AirPort Extreme as your router, this is VERY easy to do.

With a clean wireless network, one can easily get a few streams off an 802.11n Wi-Fi network IF you pay attention to detail as regards adjacent channels, address reservations, dual-band etc.

Thanks for the replies, guys - it seems I'm on the right track.

My only remaining problem is, I still can't figure out why the UnitiServe is more expensive than the UnitiQute - it seems like the UQ gives far more for your money...

Or is the correct answer simply that the UQ gives stunningly good value for money? Frankly, for what I'm trying to do, I could get a UQ and a non-Naim UPnP set-up, which would be cheaper and give me the option to use the UQ as the basis of a second system at a later date.

Nigel

The Naim US is very well made and does everything it claims to do; it is also a nice component of a fully Naim system. You can use it to rip your CDs and be assured of first class rips every time. Moreover, the US rips will create the correct tags for Naim's UPnP server, which is 100% compatible with Naim products like the UQ an NDX. 

However, I'm confident I can make perfect rips that sound fine and can store my files on an Apple Computer or, better still, a Vortexbox. I can also organise the files in the way that best appeals to me irrespective of whether I downloaded them or ripped them. I can edit the tags and change the artwork in the way I want. The VB is fairly cheap too. 

Whereas I can put together a nice box that does for me what I believe the US does, I would not have a hope in a million of building anything that could do what my UQ can do or what my Naim DAC can do. 

Of course with a Naim US you get not only a box that works, but Naim's service. So the US is a good buy, but I still feel the Vortexbox is adequate for me especially as it serves my Sonos system as well as my UQ (or at least will do when I've finished putting it together; my aged Apple Server does that right now). 

Agreed - Vortexbox would be my first choice and I'm currently on my 3rd VB Server.

There are lots of claims about Naim's version of UPnP - all I can say is that their streamers work well with most UPnP servers and that compatibility is probably over exaggerated.

As for the nDac it is very good but there are many Dacs out there that IMHO work just as well.

Tog

If I may add, it offers cd-replay up to the standard 5XS - sold for £1,750.

US is one of the new products with future proof, Rips/Store/Playback/Stream/Serves and internet radio is about to be activated.

Also, it's capable of doing more - yet to be activated.

IMO, US its a high quality source whereas UQ is a build to price integrated component - value for money maybe but it's built on compromises.

However, I do agree with your point of view that there are cheaper alternatives but it does not proof/mean they are better.

Finally, I've had friends around for comparison with HDX (£4,500) and it's very close and on some recordings its hard to differentiate. I can assure you HDX is not 2.5 times better than US as the price indicated. Price matters but it's not the de-facto in decision making process - just one of many attributes to consider.

{I am aware HDX has a DAC section within it - whereas I am using Benchmark DAC HDR with US, I suppose nDAC would be the approriate DAC to use with US for fair comparison with HDX BUT benchmark is cheaper than nDac which bodes very well with vortexbox as an option}.

Be subjective but with open mind.

Akd

By the way, the HDX and the UnitiServe use the same HD PCI card for digital output, which is also transformer-isolated at its (BNC coaxial) output.

The UnitiQute is limited to 96kHz/24-bit output, unlike the UnitiServe which can handle 192kHz/24-bit with no problems.

The only thing missing from the UnitiServe is digital iPod connectivity (now that Internet Radio functionality is pretty well close to shipping), but its core competency is really as a music server / player.

In that guise, it can feed other UPnP devices as well, which may include more products in the Naim range in the future, including the SuperUniti, for example.

@AKD

Lovely idea - bit nothing is "future proof' - if someone in retail tells you their product is "future proof" then someone from marketing has told them to lie to you. If you are going down the streaming route -CD replay is an obsolete technology that five years from now you will be laughing about. Remember CD has all the nostalgic charm of a bird scarer - which incidentally is the best use for those shiny, ugly plastic disks I've seen, just drill a hole and add string. It's not as if CD's have the retro appeal of Vinyl either so nobody will think you are cool if you are still spinning those disks.

At the moment the CD/DVD drive is only useful for ripping those ugly disks whilst they are still available. Please don't pay £1700 for one now. I have plastic boxes full of the damn things that are simply awaiting the time that landfill or the incinerator beckons....

My Uniti is fantastic, lovely streamer and preamp - in the 12 months I have owned it I have used the CD player exactly once. I await the SuperUniti with open arms .....

The UnitiServe is a beautifully built piece of Naim engineering that contains an enterprise level HDD,    simple embedded XP PC and audiophile sound card (but one that many Naimites are sniffy about before they even get to the power supply!)

Is it lovely? Yes it is! Is it good value at £2300 ...er no it's not! There are better ways to spend the money so that you have lots left to spend on other Naim goodies or as Mrs Tog would say "Cushions!"

The time of "Redbook" quality downloads is fast approaching - well approaching anyway. The current Boxer Rebellion "Live in Tennessee" album is a wav download from their website and sounds fantastic. Why do I need or want a plastic disk and an infernal "jewel case" (don't get me started!) when I can pay Boxer Rebellion or Sun Kil Moon directly and download a CD quality file. 

Oh and well I about it - blu-ray - it's going nowhere fast.

Here you go - I'm off to take my meds.

Tog

Nice one Tog.

I agree - well almost.

I did consider other options - http://www.computeraudiophile.com/ & Tranquill pc/Dell box/apple mini but I like US sound. The other attraction is it's portability for HD/local playback.

I had Squeeze box duet with Pc/dbpoweramp FLAC rips before I bought US and the sound of the FLAC rips is not as good as Naim WAV rips - So I Re-rips 2000+ CDs & sold Squeezebox

Maybe I should sell US (now that i've ripped all my CDs) & buy NDX but I will hang on to it until Naim brings out a product that tick my boxes.

For instance, the SU is a surprise product - let's see how it sounds...

I am new to Naim & am trying to avoid endless PS upgrade that's the attraction of Uniti products.

Thanks

Akd

Dave,

It may be a silly question but.... with a UnitiServe can I stream remotely to PlugPlayer as I do know with my JRiver Server?

Also, can I setup multiple servers in the Serve, e.g one at Full PCM, and one transcoded for remote streaming?

Thanks!

Patrick

Hi all this thread is over a year old however if anyone can add to agree with these solutions as a way to wi-fi connecting a UnitiServe rather than ethernet cable? Thanks.