Some random questions (5Pin Din vs 4 Pin Din) & (UnitiQute upstairs)

Lewis posted:

As above, I have a few questions that I hope you can help with:

Question 1:  Downstairs I currently have a Nac 32.5 connected to a HC via a 4 pin din, and I am using a 5 pin link plug on the back of the 32.5 'Socket 4' marked HC.

- Would there be any benefit in using a 5 pin Din between the HC/32.5 in place of the 4 pin din, and removing the link plug?

Lewis, yes - at the moment using the SNAIC4, the 32.5 is only using one 24v rail from the Hi-Cap. You only really need this configuration when using a power amp to supply power to the pre-amp in a simple two box setup. A suitable power amp (90,110,140 etc) can only supply one 24v rail so uses the SNAIC4 and the link plug. Look at the connection labels on the back and you'll see what i mean 

Use the SNAIC5 and you get to use the full (2 x 24v rail) capacity of the Hi-Cap. Your 32.5 will thank you for it 

James

Re UQ1/2: Yes, I believe so. I'll try to give it a go on mine tonight (ND5 to UQ1).

The screen on my UQ has now 'gone' so will need to go back to Salisbury, and I might take the opportunity to upgrade the boards (although that's not cheap).

Lewis posted:

Question 2:  I have a UnitiQute 2 downstairs as my main source, and would like one upstairs as well to form a bedroom system.  

- Could I simply use a UQ1 rather than a UQ2, and use Spotify connect via the UQ2 and then 'stream' it through the UQ1 upstairs?  They can 'talk' to each other right?

Reason being, a UQ1 is much cheaper and there would be no point buying a second UQ2 if I have use the functionality of Spotify connect on my current one.  I hope this makes sense!

An older Unitiqute that only has the 24/96 streaming board cannot be a 'server' for multiroom, but it can be a 'client', i.e. it can receive a multiroom stream from your UQ2. The exception is that some of the very earliest UQ1s cannot do multiroom at all, so would need a hardware update. An old unit might need a firmware update, too. 

Are you making the most of that HC yet Lewis ?

Re Q2: yes (as ChrisSU says) you can use a UQv1 as a client for Spotify and Tidal from an appropriate server; you wish so do this with a UQ2 as the multiroom server, which I never had, but I did exactly this with a SuperUniti in that role. I’m not sure about Chris’ comment on the very earliest Q1 not being able to do this as a client, so worth checking... but mine was very early indeed (and I never upgraded to the 24/192 hardware from the 24/96 board, if that was the concern). Latest firmware, of course, is essential.

Best wishes in your search!

Rrgards alan 

Alan, I suspect it was only a small number of the earliest units that couldn’t do multiroom. I suggest Lewis has a read of the ‘multiroom supplement’ which explains all this stuff. 

james n posted:

Are you making the most of that HC yet Lewis ?

Hi James,

Sorry for the delayed response!  Yes, I am now in '5pin snaic heaven'!   I have removed the link plug and replaced accordingly.  Could I use a highline here instead?

One thing I did notice when fumbling through my collection of 5 pin Snaics is that some of the spacing of the pins differs between them.  What is the reason for this?

Re; UQ multiroom, a second UQ1 or 2 would communicate over the wifi network with the one downstairs surely?

[@mention:1566878603926433] - Incorrect, re SNAIC 4.  A SNAIC 4 (clue in the name) uses a 4 pin DIN plug, while a SNAIC 5 used a 5 pin 270 degree DIN.

Normal Naim interconnects (non SNAIC) as you correctly say, use 5 pin 180 degree DIN's.

Why....? Different plugs provide baulking - preventing the wrong plug going in the wrong socket. 

Posted again and corrected my daft SNAIC4 mistake - thanks Ian 

Hi Lewis - good to hear things are working well 

5 Pin DIN cables in the Naim world can be different things and use different plugs as you've seen - Normal signal cables (like the Lavender / Hi Line) just carry the L&R audio signals from a source component to amp and use the 180' type plug. The 180' means the 5 pins cover an arc of 180 degrees in the connector. 

SNAIC 5's carry L&R audio and power (in this case 2 x 24v power rails) .

The SNAICS's are thicker than the signal cables. 

James

 PS - and no, you can't use the Hi Line instead of the SNAIC. 

Lewis posted:

Re; UQ multiroom, a second UQ1 or 2 would communicate over the wifi network with the one downstairs surely?

It might be OK if you're lucky, but WiFi just isn't that reliable or predictable. If you have an early UQ1, I would be prepared to bet that its built in WiFi module would not be up to the task. Better by far to instal a network cable, or at least get an Airport Express to take over the WiFi.

Ok thank you.

I did try an Airport express ages ago and it was shat so I sold it.  My current UQ2 operates faultlessly using wifi almost 90% except on the odd occassion that it drops out due to my rubbish internet! My UnitiServe is connected to the Router upstairs, and I could connect the second UQ to that also, which my UQ downstairs should be able to pick up on the network right?  Presumably that would be more acceptable than using the wifi for them to 'speak' to each other?

I could just get a muso for the bedroom which I am tempted with, but I love the look of the Nait 2 CB and would probably use my personal collection one as an amp and the UQ as a source to it in the boudoir.

That being said, I guess I could also connect the UnitiServe to a Muso?

So many questions, thank again.

Anyone?

I am assuming a UQ2 Bluetooth upstairs to a Bluetooth receiver downstairs plugged into the back of my 32.5 would work...

Lewis posted:

I am assuming a UQ2 Bluetooth upstairs to a Bluetooth receiver downstairs plugged into the back of my 32.5 would work...

I thought the UQ2 could play music over bluetooth link from a suitable device (ie phone) but not transmit to another bluetooth receiver (if i have understood you correctly)

Lewis posted:

I am assuming a UQ2 Bluetooth upstairs to a Bluetooth receiver downstairs plugged into the back of my 32.5 would work...

At least one of them would need to be a Bluetooth transmitter rather than a receiver. A Unitiqute won’t do that, it will only take a BT feed from another device such as an iPhone. Also, I doubt BT would work between different rooms, as it doesn’t have much range. 

How about if the one upstairs is plugged into my router, as that's how the one downstairs finds the untiserve as that is also plugged in?

I'd go back to your proposed solution - move the UQ2 into the main system and then get a Muso for the bedroom. They should both play nicely together and with the Unitiserve. Saves messing about with BT etc. 

That is one solution, but I have a Nait 1 which I wanted to use in the boudoir, extravagant as it may be to run the UQ2BT as a source / and the US too.

Ok - so how about another option. UQ2 upstairs with Nait 1. US downstairs, S/PDIF into a suitable DAC (Naim DAC ?) into the 32 ?. You can play locally from the US to the DAC and then via UPnP to the UQ2 ?