Blue tooth and Unitiqute?
Posted by: Juddson Plimpington on 21 January 2018
Two questions regarding the original Unitiqute (1):
Did this come in two versions (96khz versus 192)? If so, what series number is the changeover?
and
Does it have a Bluetooth module?
Justin
Gosh, I hope I get this right...
Yes, the original UQ was first 24/96 and then 24/192 and early units IIRC could be upgraded. Not sure on serial numbers but you can double check with Naim on any unit you may be interested in.
The aptX Bluetooth capability came about a year into the UQ2's life, so no UQ (1) would have it.
The 24/192 update was in 2011, but to find out for sure you need to check the following:-
24bit/192kHz capable streamers are identified by displaying 3DXXXXX in the “BC SW” line of their System Status screen (Setup > Factory Settings > System Status).
24bit/96kHz streamers display 2DXXXXX in the “BC SW” line of their System Status screen
Maybe easier said than done if the unit is not in your possession? Bluetooth is easier to identify, as there will be a Bluetooth antenna connection on the back of the box, in addition to the WiFi antenna.
So, presuming I get a unitiqute 1 (no Bluetooth), will I be able to play music that is normally streamed to my phone (Tidal) without having to tether my phone to the unit with a cable. I do have WiFi in the house.
Justin
As long as you have the later 24/192 version, and the firmware is up to date, you can stream Tidal directly to the Unitiqute. You can control it from the Naim app, but you don't need the phone connected to the Unitiqute.
You may well find that the Unitiqute struggles to perform over WiFi, and I would strongly recommend that you give it a wired Ethernet connection to your router.
ChrisSU posted:...You may well find that the Unitiqute struggles to perform over WiFi, and I would strongly recommend that you give it a wired Ethernet connection to your router.
You need to try it for yourself. If your Wifi is well optimised then it may be just fine, but if you're just using a bundled router then you may want to use either wired, or another alternative would be to use an Apple Airport Express to connect to an Airport extreme. Wifi is primarily for convenience but is not the best for reliability of connection or throughput.
One more detail: a Qute 1 that has not been upgraded to 24/192 (the upgrade is still available) cannot be controlled by the current version of the Naim app. Remote control only.
Hmm, this must be why I am seeing so many Unitiqute 1’s going for sub $800 lately. Tempting, but it seems like I may be in for some compromises.
Juddson Plimpington posted:Hmm, this must be why I am seeing so many Unitiqute 1’s going for sub $800 lately. Tempting, but it seems like I may be in for some compromises.
You should still be able to use a third party UPnP controller. Though of course that only controls (local from UPnP server) streaming - and probably volume - but you would need the IR remote for selecting other inputs.
Bluetooth can be added to any UnitiQute easily via third party adapter.
Eloise posted:Juddson Plimpington posted:Hmm, this must be why I am seeing so many Unitiqute 1’s going for sub $800 lately. Tempting, but it seems like I may be in for some compromises.
You should still be able to use a third party UPnP controller. Though of course that only controls (local from UPnP server) streaming - and probably volume - but you would need the IR remote for selecting other inputs.
Bluetooth can be added to any UnitiQute easily via third party adapter.
Or use a Chromecast Audio on the WiFi network (connected to the UQ via optical S/Pdif) - better SQ than BT.