HDX v Core.

What’s wrong with a good Nas for £500? Sounds as good and saves a lot. 

Yup, I'm presently using a Qnap Nas running Minimserver, whilst the HDX is away, but in copying my files across, I've lost cover art in "folder view", get it back again in "Album" view, and it disappears once again in "Playing view".

It seems that some third party UPnP software doesn't handle too well Naim's proprietary tagging system, so, costs aside, I'm more tempted to stay with their ripping solution of my HDX, or possibly, a Core.

There's also the point that the HDX, one of the originals, doesn't owe me anything, having served me well for years, but it does represent a substantial contribution towards the cost of a Core, from early talks with my dealer.

On the other hand, if it comes back from HQ good as new, I might be tempted to keep it.

Difficult decisions Dave.   Open a bottle of something nice to help.

rjstaines posted:

Difficult decisions Dave.   Open a bottle of something nice to help.

Actually, it would be the obvious easy decision to hold onto the HDX, but as you know, only too well, our mutual friend has a habit of rendering foregone conclusions a tad more complicated! 

dave marshall posted:

Yup, I'm presently using a Qnap Nas running Minimserver, whilst the HDX is away, but in copying my files across, I've lost cover art in "folder view", get it back again in "Album" view, and it disappears once again in "Playing view".

It seems that some third party UPnP software doesn't handle too well Naim's proprietary tagging system, so, costs aside, I'm more tempted to stay with their ripping solution of my HDX, or possibly, a Core.

There's also the point that the HDX, one of the originals, doesn't owe me anything, having served me well for years, but it does represent a substantial contribution towards the cost of a Core, from early talks with my dealer.

On the other hand, if it comes back from HQ good as new, I might be tempted to keep it.

When the HDX returns, get it to convert the files to flac, stick them on the nas and everything will work. Give the £2,000 to charity, or have a holiday. Why buy something pointless?

As you’re  getting it serviced with new mech and hard drive just keep the HDX. 

No advantage in converting and transferring files to a NAS and the Core will not give you anything that you don’t already have, especially as it is likely to cost more even taking account of p/ex.

Presumably you’re  using the your NAS for back-up?

I’m streaming from the NAS until the HDX returns, after which it will revert to back up duties.

I just wondered whether anyone has been able to hear any differences between the HDX and the Core?

Keep the HDX is a higher quality bit of kit and definitely not to be traded for a core..

( yes...I'm a core owner..)

Dave, I have owned an HDX for many years, and has been upgraded to 2Tb unit.

i also have the core since its introduction, and is running with a 12Tb  hard drive.

i have not noticed any difference between the files from either unit, and have subsequently not used the HDX for several months and now resigned myself to selling the HDX.

on the plus side, the core has much more capacity, a much better user interface, and a longer life expectancy/ product support.

Hi Hungryhalibut, I'd say a good Nas does sound good, but they (Qnap ts251) do sound different to my Core. I know 500 to £2000 is a considerable difference but you should try and audition Nas vs Core and go with your ears. My view based on blind listening tests is that a Nas, wether a Core or your choice of Nas will add it's own signature to the sound and you may or may not prefer the Nas. It's also worth noting that using a Nas as a music store for the Core produces the same sonic results as using an internal drive in the Core yet with Nas to 272 the music is not quite so pleasing. All connected with Ethernet. As always, do a comparison and use your and your partners ears and don't buy on a whim. Rich 

An all-in-one system (HDX) is still a very attractive proposition.  That's why I have kept mine for so long.  Having said that, it is, quite frankly, a bit of a clunker and hasn't ben suported by NAIM (from a software standpoint) for several years.  I'll keep it until it just becomes financially unsound to keep getting it repaired, or until it breaks and parts are unavailable.  By which time something MUCH better than the Core will be available!

sktn77a posted:

An all-in-one system (HDX) is still a very attractive proposition.  That's why I have kept mine for so long.  Having said that, it is, quite frankly, a bit of a clunker and hasn't ben suported by NAIM (from a software standpoint) for several years.  I'll keep it until it just becomes financially unsound to keep getting it repaired, or until it breaks and parts are unavailable.  By which time something MUCH better than the Core will be available!

I think I agree with you there, and if my HDX comes home fully re-Naimed, there would seem to be little point in changing it for a Core.

Equally, I don't see me binning it in favour of a NAS, since it performs ripping and server duties rather well, which is all I need it to do.

Some pennies saved there, methinks. 

I swapped a HDX for a Core in my main system and whilst the interface is less clunky I can't say that i noticed any meaningful sound quality uplift. I'm still using another HDX in my second system and it continues to deliver sterling service so i'd say save your money and stick with your newly serviced HDX

I should say that I did have a choice of Core or HDX, I chose the Core, but each to his own. Rich 

I've said it before and I'll say it again... the Core software comes nowhere near the HDX for replicating the folder structure you've thoughtfully designed and implemented...  however if you haven't  implemented a thoughtfully designed folder structure to categorise your music at a very high level, then either you haven't understood the opportunities available, or you have understood the opportunities but have decided to ignore them for some strange reason   (why would you do that? **).

Whichever it is, I think Naim's policy of attempting to normalise your complete music library is ill advised.  It remains a fact that different people (like me) want to categorise their collections in different ways, and dumping your music files into separate folders as a starting point, isn't compatible with the Core's philosophy of pooling everything into one big box, so to speak  (or is it vice-versa?) 

This seems similar to the Roon strategy  (I think, after only 3 days trial so far), however Roon offers its 'filters' as one means of digging into this top level of categorisation; the Core doesn't - that is to say, the Core I owned for a week and sent back a while ago, definately didn't.

So... keep your HDX and wait for the Core software designers to catch up with their predecessors who did such a good job with the the HDX software way back in 2008    

Roger

** one legitimate answer could be that you only have CDs ripped by a Naim server in your collection... I suppose 

My HDX ripped CDs are listed alphabetically by album (with a picture) and by artist, with the addition of a genre list, most recent, and most played that’s all I need really. The track search function is useful on occasion.

Interested to know what different ways people want to categorise their music.

Jonn posted:

My HDX ripped CDs are listed alphabetically by album (with a picture) and by artist, with the addition of a genre list, most recent, and most played that’s all I need really. The track search function is useful on occasion.

Interested to know what different ways people want to categorise their music.

Persactly!

Jonn posted:

My HDX ripped CDs are listed alphabetically by album (with a picture) and by artist, with the addition of a genre list, most recent, and most played that’s all I need really. The track search function is useful on occasion.

Interested to know what different ways people want to categorise their music.

As well as the usual Album, Artist, Genre catagorisation which the HDX handles just as well as the Core does, I can see my 312 high definition albums (I sometimes get a hankering to hear hi-def stuff, especially when trying to justify a thirteen grand streamer to myself ).  Then I have all my MP3 downloads (I sometimes get a hankering to listen to cr*p... again when trying to justify a £13k streamer... yes, the ND555 plays MP3's beautifully, even when they're cr*p ).   I have separated out my downloaded FLAC files as well as my WAV+WMA and my i-tunes purchases from way back.  And I have a separate folder where tracks are separated into decade from 1950's through to 2000's  for some reason - it seemed a good idea at the time as I remember, but as they are all MP3's I don't often delve into this lot.  There's also a separate folder for stolen  music files, but this is empty of course. The thinking was that I would be able to return them if ever called upon to do so (i.e. if ever found out)... not sure how far down the 75cl bottle of wine I had reached when this brilliant idea surfaced.  But it did, and there's the folder waiting just in case it's needed. 

And finally,  if I were ever to come to an arrangement with a friend to act as an off-site backup for his or her music file collection (it would probably be a reciprocal agreement), then a new and separate folder would be created to house his or her off-site music collection; not intentionally incorporating the backup files into my own library, of course.  Other folk would have their own, different needs to create folders, of course... the HDX allows you to do this and access it with ease... the Core most definately doesn't.

Ooh, I nearly forgot... there's yet another separate folder for my Naim-ripped albums.

rjstaines posted:

Jonn posted:

My HDX ripped CDs are listed alphabetically by album (with a picture) and by artist, with the addition of a genre list, most recent, and most played that’s all I need really. The track search function is useful on occasion.

Interested to know what different ways people want to categorise their music.

As well as the usual Album, Artist, Genre catagorisation which the HDX handles just as well as the Core does, I can see my 312 high definition albums (I sometimes get a hankering to hear hi-def stuff, especially when trying to justify a thirteen grand streamer to myself ).  Then I have all my MP3 downloads (I sometimes get a hankering to listen to cr*p... again when trying to justify a £13k streamer... yes, the ND555 plays MP3's beautifully, even when they're cr*p ).   I have separated out my downloaded FLAC files as well as my WAV+WMA and my i-tunes purchases from way back.  And I have a separate folder where tracks are separated into decade from 1950's through to 2000's  for some reason - it seemed a good idea at the time as I remember, but as they are all MP3's I don't often delve into this lot.  There's also a separate folder for stolen  music files, but this is empty of course. The thinking was that I would be able to return them if ever called upon to do so (i.e. if ever found out)... not sure how far down the 75cl bottle of wine I had reached when this brilliant idea surfaced.  But it did, and there's the folder waiting just in case it's needed. 

And finally,  if I were ever to come to an arrangement with a friend to act as an off-site backup for his or her music file collection (it would probably be a reciprocal agreement), then a new and separate folder would be created to house his or her off-site music collection; not intentionally incorporating the backup files into my own library, of course.  Other folk would have their own, different needs to create folders, of course... the HDX allows you to do this and access it with ease... the Core most definately doesn't.

Ooh, I nearly forgot... there's yet another separate folder for my Naim-ripped albums.

 

Hi Roger,

I'm certainly moving further and further away from the notion of swapping my HDX for a Core, and your second from last comment interests me particularly.

Foolishly, I had assumed that the creaky nServe app would be used to control and access the Core, even though replay, using the streamer, would obviously be via the Naim app.

Editing metadata, creating folders, and generally shuffling music around is so straightforward on nServe, and I'd be reluctant to give that up.

So, as far as the Core is concerned, is nServe now redundant, and so last century? 

dave marshall posted:

 

Hi Roger,

I'm certainly moving further and further away from the notion of swapping my HDX for a Core, and your second from last comment interests me particularly.

Foolishly, I had assumed that the creaky nServe app would be used to control and access the Core, even though replay, using the streamer, would obviously be via the Naim app.

Editing metadata, creating folders, and generally shuffling music around is so straightforward on nServe, and I'd be reluctant to give that up.

So, as far as the Core is concerned, is nServe now redundant, and so last century? 

Our familiarity with Nserv app and also the Desktop Client means we'll instinctively object to anything new, like for instance using the Naim app to manage our Core server contents.  So we should step back a pace or two and take time to familiarise ourselves with the new offerings, both hardware and software, and then make a reasoned judgement.

Only then should we return the new hardware to whence it came, post derogatory comments on the Naim forum declaring the software to be utter rubbish,  and determine to stick with what we know and love for at least another five years. 

Who says audiophiles 'of a certain age' cannot be relied upon for informed evaluation and helpful comment?

PS - re your last question, Dave... 'No'

rjstaines posted:

dave marshall posted:

 

Hi Roger,

I'm certainly moving further and further away from the notion of swapping my HDX for a Core, and your second from last comment interests me particularly.

Foolishly, I had assumed that the creaky nServe app would be used to control and access the Core, even though replay, using the streamer, would obviously be via the Naim app.

Editing metadata, creating folders, and generally shuffling music around is so straightforward on nServe, and I'd be reluctant to give that up.

So, as far as the Core is concerned, is nServe now redundant, and so last century? 

Our familiarity with Nserv app and also the Desktop Client means we'll instinctively object to anything new, like for instance using the Naim app to manage our Core server contents.  So we should step back a pace or two and take time to familiarise ourselves with the new offerings, both hardware and software, and then make a reasoned judgement.

Only then should we return the new hardware to whence it came, post derogatory comments on the Naim forum declaring the software to be utter rubbish,  and determine to stick with what we know and love for at least another five years. 

PS - re your last question, Dave... 'No'

.

How do you categorise your music with an HDX into hires and lores???

Consciousmess posted:

How do you categorise your music with an HDX into hires and lores???

Depends what files you are talking about. For downloads, not that easily, as you cannot search by format. You would have to edit the abum title to incluse the format, or maybe create genres called 24/96, DSD, or whatever. 

For CD rips, there is the MP3 ‘parallel library’.

rjstaines posted:

dave marshall posted:

 

Hi Roger,

So, as far as the Core is concerned, is nServe now redundant, and so last century? 

PS - re your last question, Dave... 'No'

I think Roger's answer is somewhat misleading. It is certainly the case that you cannot use the nServe app with the Core and, so far as the Core is concerned, n-serve is now redundant.

Whether that makes it "so last century" is another matter. You can't use the Naim app to manage the Unitiserve or HDX, so for anyone who has one of the old Naim servers, n-Serve is very much still essential (unless you have a hankering for 1960s style software in which case the Naim Windows DTC, which looks and feels like it is last century, will no doubt continue to delight you.)

best

David

David Hendon posted:

rjstaines posted:

concerned, n-serve is now redundant.

Whether that makes it "so last century" is another matter. You can't use the Naim app to manage the Unitiserve or HDX, so for anyone who has one of the old Naim servers, n-Serve is very much still essential (unless you have a hankering for 1960s style software in which case the Naim Windows DTC, which looks and feels like it is last century, will no doubt continue to delight you.)

best

David

Function over forms who cares about UI if funtionality is lost! I have a long list of things dtc can do and it is stable, but of course if you ar  more to nice looks go for something else.