Airplay?
Posted by: jon h on 14 October 2011
Any news on Airplay support?
Posted on: 17 October 2011 by jon h
Posted on: 18 October 2011 by Nagoya
I think Naim are planning to introduce Airplay next year. But I think you need to have a device with the new 24/196 streaming boards or have your NDX, Uniti, Qute similarly upgraded. Thanks!
Posted on: 18 October 2011 by likesmusic
Linn have nearly finished developing some software called Songcaster that should enable the sound from any application on a pc or laptop to be 'broadcast' over your network via UPnP. If this works you could use it not only like Airplay but conceivably for a wider range of things - YouTube, BBC iPlayer - anything that plays on your pc/laptop. You wouldn't be able to transmit from an iPhone or Pad though, so AIrplay might still have some relevance, but Songcaster seems a very general solution otherwise.
Posted on: 20 October 2011 by jon h
Originally Posted by Nagoya:
I think Naim are planning to introduce Airplay next year. But I think you need to have a device with the new 24/196 streaming boards or have your NDX, Uniti, Qute similarly upgraded. Thanks!
Is that position officially stated anywhere? This is the first I've heard about board upgrades required to support Airplay.
Posted on: 20 October 2011 by Tog
Yes Naim did explain their intentions when they announced the streamer updates. The updates together with wireless n and a firmware update provides the hardware platform needed for Naim to introduce AirPlay confidently - apparently.
Think AirPlay is a red herring unless the specs improve.
Tog
Posted on: 21 October 2011 by murkku
I wonder why eg. NDX isn't AirPlay compatible hardware-wise already. Or is it?
It sure has the crunching power, network capability (especially using ethernet) and the Apple ID chip (used for USB-input). What are we still missing?
Posted on: 21 October 2011 by pcstockton
sorry for being dense here but..... I cant remember why people want Airtunes for Naim Servers.
Do you want to stream to one of those weird B&W boomboxes or something? Or would it allow you to stream to your iOS device as you would with PlugPlayer?
-Patrick
Posted on: 21 October 2011 by murkku
Airplay support allows you to stream pretty much everything from iOS devices and OS X (with airfoil).
I get the same result by plugging Airport Express into NDX, but I'd rather not have to do that.
Linn's Songcaster seems integrated application of Nicecast + iRadio (which is yet another kludgey way of doing the same with Naim).
Oh well, only Linn app updates this week. But hey, what's another weekend of waiting in the dark?
Posted on: 21 October 2011 by Tog
Naim want a wireless update to "n" and a firmware update before going AirPlay ready.
AirPlay has potential but for audio-obsessives it is not quite there yet. Apple do have a way of getting things to work simply and reliably though! Cue disagreement from Patrick
Tog
Posted on: 21 October 2011 by Guido Fawkes
Originally Posted by pcstockton:
.... I cant remember why people want Airtunes for Naim Servers.
-Patrick
Because it is really cool
I can point my iPad at my Apple TV and watch all manner of old sitcoms that people have thoughtfully put there to while away the hours, beats conversing with the flowers
With a Chord DAC you can just point your iPad (with a dongle) at it and it plays beautiful music; this works with a B&W Zeppelin without a dongle and sounds good if not up to the Chord's standard.
So I want to do that with my UQ and if Naim brought out a pure streamer with that too
Imagine the look of envy in the neighbours eyes as I say look I can just point my iPhone at my system and it explodes in to a rousing chorus of Imperial Zeppelin by Peter Hammill.
It would also be a neat way of send music from Apple Music Server downstairs to the main system and remove the need for a Sonos (I know it wouldn't sound as good, but it would be really cool). Although my Vortexbox kind of makes that unnecessary as it supports that UPnP thingie (but that isn't cool).
I suppose I could just plug a MacBook Air into the Naim DAC through UPnP to S/PDIF converter, but where is the fun in that.
Plus if it is Apple, it'll just work.
All the best, Guy
Posted on: 21 October 2011 by Tog
AirPlay and Apple TV is fantastic and it's interesting that for video I think they have hit the nail on the head. For ease of use AirPlay for audio is very cool.
+1 for Peter H
Tog
Posted on: 21 October 2011 by Steven Shaw
Listening to some tunes from my MacBook Pro via airport express right now. The ease of use is great for just picking out random tracks using iTunes.
If Naim gets this integrated into their streamers that will be a massive bonus. It seems that loads of posts in the streaming section are people who can't get upnp to work properly.
I've not personally had any problems using upnp, but iTunes is better than n stream by a mile.
Posted on: 21 October 2011 by Tog
I love the attention to detail in Remote - the way that the cover art bumps into each other on the iPad. However, I too find that UPnP works well and nStream whilst not perfect often does the job quite nicely.
Tog
Posted on: 23 October 2011 by pcstockton
Originally Posted by Guido Fawkes:
Originally Posted by pcstockton:
.... I cant remember why people want Airtunes for Naim Servers.
-Patrick
Because it is really cool
Ya... I know what Airplay is.
What i was forgetting is why people want it for Naim.
Is it so you can use iTunes? Or because there aren't any decent upnp servers for Mac?
-patrick
Posted on: 23 October 2011 by pcstockton
Originally Posted by Tog:
Apple do have a way of getting things to work simply and reliably though! Cue disagreement from Patrick Tog
You are confusing yourself. I LOVE Apple's products and hardware. It is simply the Mac OS I dont get along with. That's all. No big deal.
Posted on: 23 October 2011 by pcstockton
Originally Posted by pcstockton:
Originally Posted by Guido Fawkes:
Originally Posted by pcstockton:
.... I cant remember why people want Airtunes for Naim Servers.
-Patrick
Because it is really cool
Ya... I know what Airplay is.
What i was forgetting is why people want it for Naim.
Is it so you can use iTunes? Or because there aren't any decent upnp servers for Mac?
Do you think it will be lossless and not all jacked up like the digital outs on ATVs etc?
-patrick
Posted on: 23 October 2011 by Simon Everest
I can't speak for everyone, but I'd imagine that many people have iTunes at the heart of their music systems. Particularly that'll be the case for people carrying music around on iPods and iPhones. iTunes is a great application in its own right, that manages all my music, and is really easy to use.
To create a seamless connection with my Uniti, I have to use an Airport Express - it's not ideal, but sounds fine to me, I'd just like to get rid of that extra box. I don't want more software, particularly non-Apple software, which always feels a bit clunky.
N-Stream is ok, but a bit like the app equivalent of a kit car… very impressive, and well done, etc., but where's the air con, why does the window not close properly, is that petrol I can smell and is your AA membership up to date…? Etc.
I suspect that the barriers to AirPlay have little to do with technology or sound quality, but everthing to do with license cost… it does need sorting though. Ordinary people won't want to faffing around with UPnP.
Simon
Posted on: 24 October 2011 by realhifi
Originally Posted by pcstockton:
You are confusing yourself. I LOVE Apple's products and hardware. It is simply the Mac OS I dont get along with. That's all. No big deal.
I'll second that! From Both Naim and Linn's recent development issues I would imagine they would agree also.
PS. SongCaster from Linn will stream anything from your computer in higher resolution than Airplay and yes, it will be avaiable for iOS devices.
Posted on: 24 October 2011 by realhifi
Originally Posted by pcstockton:
Originally Posted by Guido Fawkes:
Ya... I know what Airplay is.
What i was forgetting is why people want it for Naim.
Is it so you can use iTunes? Or because there aren't any decent upnp servers for Mac?
-patrick
Bingo to both. Folks dig that iTunes remote.
Posted on: 24 October 2011 by pcstockton
Originally Posted by realhifi:
Originally Posted by pcstockton:
Originally Posted by Guido Fawkes:
Ya... I know what Airplay is.
What i was forgetting is why people want it for Naim.
Is it so you can use iTunes? Or because there aren't any decent upnp servers for Mac?
-patrick
Bingo to both. Folks dig that iTunes remote.
I hear you. I still regularly use my Remote App for Foobar. If I want easy access for my guests and want the lyric plug-in for Foobar, it is my goto control point.
-p
Posted on: 24 October 2011 by Iver van de Zand
Posted on: 25 October 2011 by spartacus
This discussion is why I made the decision About this time last year to not buy a unitiserve and uniqute. Instead I bought an nDAC, Mac Mini, iPad, and 2 x Airport express. I have music in multiple rooms and main system all controllable from the iPad using itunes and the FREE apple remote application. No hassle, no messing about with drivers (windoze), great integration and it all just works. My view was that I'll let the Hi-Fi people do the Hi-Fi bit (the DAC) and the software people do the software and control point (Apple). The only thing for me to do is sit back and listen to music.
**Edit**
Oh I forgot the Qnap NAS in the office 2x2 TB.
Posted on: 27 October 2011 by murkku
It could be this easy...
Posted on: 27 October 2011 by realhifi
Originally Posted by murkku:
It could be this easy...
Only problem is that it's less than cd quality. No biggie for casual listening or background but certainly not doable for good hifi.
Posted on: 27 October 2011 by Frank Abela
In my opinion, Airplay is absolutely crucial in this game. Naim have firmly stuck with Apple for remote control so they are embracing 'the Apple way'. Airplay is the Apple way for music delivery between servers and clients in the same way as uPnP is 'the network way' or A2DP is 'the Bluetooth way' for such delivery, so a lack of Airplay on Naim products would be bad. Apple users expect this stuff to just work, and that means Airplay in this context.
The question in my mind is whether the servers need to be Airplay certified too. Is that the case?
Regards,
Frank.
All opinions are my own and do not reflect the opinion of any organisations I work for, except where this is stated explicitly.
