CD play options?

The Unitiserve is a server meant for ripping and storing audio files to its hard drive. It's  not really intended as a CD player, and may well be no better than your computers cd rom drive when playing back CDs. Serving them on the other hand it is very good at.

I still run my bare CDX2 into my bare 272 and it sounds great. I may explore a core next year but I still love the sound of the CDX2

If you have a 272 rip and stream (using the UnitiServe, Core or your computer). It sounds better. You're still "playing" the CD so no, CDs are far from obsolete as they are still the cheapest way to purchase music and the liner notes are way better sorted than that which come with many on-line downloads. However, if you find a higher res download at an agreeable price of the CD you are about to buy, obviously purchase the download.

I don't think CD's are a thing of the past.....

When I purchase a CD I rip it to a NAS and play from there, it works for me and I am happy with the solution. 

I do not find the need for a CD player or CD Transport and find selection of music through a UPnP^™ (Universal Plug ‘n’ Play) server residing on the NAS to preferable to physically handling the CD with each play.

I also enjoying streaming music on TIDAL which allows ample sampling prior to a purchase decision. 

That's what works for me.....

i read here that unitserve/ ndac / xps / in spdif is a little better than cdx2/ xps but unitserve/dacV1 i don’t know.  The dacV1 must be the same as the dac inside the 272....

For me I just couldn’t be bothered with the ripping and tagging so I keep my CDP.   The CDX2 is an excellent machine.   

Why would you need a Dac V1 in this scenario??

Playing CD's certainly is a thing of the past, for me.  Rip the cd's to the UnitiServe and don't look back!

I agree with @Tobyjug, you don't need a DACv1 in the setuo

I understand that I may connect the US directly to the 272, however, a number of threads/posts seemed to indicate an improvement may be obtained by using an external DAC? Although neither the V1 nor the 272 featured explicitly in these posts, so I was considering the principle rather than discrete evidence.

Thanks all for the responses, all make sense and will drive the considerations.

KR, J

Dr_J posted:

I understand that I may connect the US directly to the 272, however, a number of threads/posts seemed to indicate an improvement may be obtained by using an external DAC? Although neither the V1 nor the 272 featured explicitly in these posts, so I was considering the principle rather than discrete evidence.

Thanks all for the responses, all make sense and will drive the considerations.

KR, J

You'd need an external dac that bests the dac in the 272.   Of course this is possible, depending on your price point.

Having given the options some considerable thought, I have settled on a CDX2 .

Some, perhaps many, opinions might indicate this to be a ‘bonkers’ choice, but having had a lengthy listening session with a 272 + XPS DR + 250 DR vs 272 + 250 DR + CDX2, I know which my ears preferred, so I decided to go with that. I don’t plan to change it in this lifetime, and, lottery permitting, I can always add psu’s at a later date.

Many Thanks to all for their advice and wisdom, you know who you are.

Happy New Year to All,

KR, J

Glad to hear you’ll be enjoying the sound of the CDX2. I’m very reluctant to move mine on at the moment. When I initially got my 272 I felt that streaming files from my laptop was on a par with the CDX2, but after streaming and spinning discs, I just can’t get away from how much better the CDX2 is at making music.

Finkfan posted:

Glad to hear you’ll be enjoying the sound of the CDX2. I’m very reluctant to move mine on at the moment. When I initially got my 272 I felt that streaming files from my laptop was on a par with the CDX2, but after streaming and spinning discs, I just can’t get away from how much better the CDX2 is at making music.

Quite agree. The DC1 improves on the Chord Clearway Digital as I play my CDX2 into nDAC + XPSDR. The UnitiServe via the same route is not as good and the Core not as good as the UnitiServe. The system setup needs to be spot on as well to really hear what these boxes can do. I still prefer vinyl!

Phil

Well diverting the thread somewhat but the Core is not as good as the Unitiserve?

Finkfan posted:

Glad to hear you’ll be enjoying the sound of the CDX2. I’m very reluctant to move mine on at the moment. When I initially got my 272 I felt that streaming files from my laptop was on a par with the CDX2, but after streaming and spinning discs, I just can’t get away from how much better the CDX2 is at making music.

Well the CDX2 is one heck of a player... for me it’s just the right device for certain CDs... elsewhere I use a non Naim DAC fed by my Naim NDX transport... however there is multitude of choice to suite taste and mood. BTW the CDX2 uses the same TI DAC chip device as used in the NDS and NDAC... however component  selection and implementation are different, but the CDX2 uses the renown ‘Pacific Microsonics’ DSP... really stonking  for CD.

The Strat (Fender) posted:

Well diverting the thread somewhat but the Core is not as good as the Unitiserve?

If the OP brings UnitiServe in then why not Core? The Core is thought to be better for playback over Ethernet. I prefer my CDX2 over the UnitiServe using a better dac.

Phil

Simon-in-Suffolk posted:

Finkfan posted:

Glad to hear you’ll be enjoying the sound of the CDX2. I’m very reluctant to move mine on at the moment. When I initially got my 272 I felt that streaming files from my laptop was on a par with the CDX2, but after streaming and spinning discs, I just can’t get away from how much better the CDX2 is at making music.

Well the CDX2 is one heck of a player... for me it’s just the right device for certain CDs... elsewhere I use a non Naim DAC fed by my Naim NDX transport... however there is multitude of choice to suite taste and mood.

Very much agree with both comments, some cds are best used as coffee coasters others exceptionally good ...

Dr_J posted:

Having given the options some considerable thought, I have settled on a CDX2 .

Some, perhaps many, opinions might indicate this to be a ‘bonkers’ choice, but having had a lengthy listening session with a 272 + XPS DR + 250 DR vs 272 + 250 DR + CDX2, I know which my ears preferred, so I decided to go with that. I don’t plan to change it in this lifetime, and, lottery permitting, I can always add psu’s at a later date.

Many Thanks to all for their advice and wisdom, you know who you are.

Happy New Year to All,

KR, J

I think the 272 may be the bonkers element here, if you’re not going the streaming route you’d be better with a 282. Always get the best pre you can. 

Frankly this seems a silly shortsighted system to me and your dealer is doing you no favours.  

.sjb

Good advice above.... get the best pre you can.. and with Naim that typically means standalone NACs, unless you specifically want the convenience of streaming integration.

The Strat (Fender) posted:

Well diverting the thread somewhat but the Core is not as good as the Unitiserve?

In what way?  The question is somewhat moot; the Unitiserve is part of the old platform and the fw won't be further developed whereas the Core is part of the new platform and will be supported and the fw will be further developed 

Sloop John B posted:

Dr_J posted:

Having given the options some considerable thought, I have settled on a CDX2 .

Some, perhaps many, opinions might indicate this to be a ‘bonkers’ choice, but having had a lengthy listening session with a 272 + XPS DR + 250 DR vs 272 + 250 DR + CDX2, I know which my ears preferred, so I decided to go with that. I don’t plan to change it in this lifetime, and, lottery permitting, I can always add psu’s at a later date.

Many Thanks to all for their advice and wisdom, you know who you are.

Happy New Year to All,

KR, J

I think the 272 may be the bonkers element here, if you’re not going the streaming route you’d be better with a 282. Always get the best pre you can. 

Frankly this seems a silly shortsighted system to me and your dealer is doing you no favours.  

.sjb

And if, as I said, I happen to like it........? Mostly I stream, but from time to time I like to spend a late evening spinning CD’s, which indeed I still buy.

And, indeed, my dealer discussed the possible ‘issues ‘ around adding a CDX2 to my current, streaming centric system......

Although, it’s true, I am quite short sighted ...... but not silly enough to take the above personally.

More and more threads on this forum seem to be tending towards an unhealthy, hectoring tone, and subsequently ever more ‘thanks and goodbye ‘ posts. Keep this up and there’ll be no-one left to talk to!

TTFN,

KR, J

Richard Dane posted:

The Strat (Fender) posted:

Well diverting the thread somewhat but the Core is not as good as the Unitiserve?

In what way?  The question is somewhat moot; the Unitiserve is part of the old platform and the fw won't be further developed whereas the Core is part of the new platform and will be supported and the fw will be further developed 

Quite right Richard, I picked a US as an interim (Naim) solution, not as a competitive product against the new Core, which has much to offer in terms of next gen tech, software and functionality. And, so far, I’m really pleased with my choice.

As ever though, t’internet always asymmetrically reflects those less happy than those delighted with their choices.

Of course I may have made another silly and shortsighted decision....ROFL.

KR, J

Guys sorry for the confusion and I may have misunderstood but further back there seemed to be a suggestion that the Core wasn’t as good as the UnitiS.   This I would have found surprising.  

The Strat (Fender) posted:

Guys sorry for the confusion and I may have misunderstood but further back there seemed to be a suggestion that the Core wasn’t as good as the UnitiS.   This I would have found surprising.  

unitserve with a good linear ps is a little better for some, as myself.....and free of all actual problems with metadata or cd not ejecting and so more....New is not always better....

The uniticore must first stabilize and resolve all its problems....