Nice day at Cymbiosis. Is my Buffalo NAS OK?

Congrats on the purchase. No help for your Q, but out of interest, is the 555PS going on the NDX or the nDAC?

Phil at Cymbiosis recommends using it on the NDX.  Sounded great at the demo hooked up like that.  When I get it I'll probably try it the other way just to see what it's like. I think I'll have to try the NDX without the nDAC as well.  It's like waiting for Christmas again!

That's nice to know.  I'll have to check specs again. The problems I found when I did my belated research (mainly Amazon comments, and the Netgear forums) seem to relate mainly to problems with ADSL1 (ADSL Max) connections - which alas is what I have here (the curse of living in a village, I suppose).  Apparently the N600 has a habit of frequently losing this type of ADSL connection, and doesn't automatically reconnect, which means manually resetting it.

I'd certainly take Phil's recommendation over mine, but my gut tells me the 555PS would make the difference to the nDAC's analogue stages rather than the digital NDX (how does a better PSU improve a digital component?).  I've been thinking about a 555PS as my next acquisition, but there's the small matter of not having the necessary funds...

For what reasons ?

Well, what he said was that they'd tried it both ways, and putting it on the NDX was better.  He even said Naim themselves now suggest this.

Dungassin,

The N600 is a great router, and if you plan to use an Ipad2, you can connect at 5GHz for a faster/cleaner connection.

Do not worry, new software - update when you first install- has solved the ADSL 1 problem.

As for a nas, try a Qnap 212, or 219 pII . Both run twonky, and have two drive bays for raid. But remember raid is not a foolproof back-up, keep another drive (USB) with another backup in an off site location.

Sound quality not as good as the streamers.  As my only reason for going down the streaming route is the reproduction quality, and the price differential wasn't great, I didn't argue.  Also, if I had got the Unitiserve, I could have seen myself hankering for an HDX to replace it in the near future.  To be honest, the only reason I had been considering the Unitiserve was because I thought I would need a separate server with the NDX.  If the server can just be sitting in my router (N600) or NAS, then ultimately I thought the NDX the better option.

As I said, I did listen to the ND5XS as well, but preferred the NDX (both into the nDAC)

Just started ripping a few discs with dBPowerAmp, using FLAC uncompressed, in the hope that my possible Buffalo problems are moot.  I'll rip the same discs to WAV as well, just to do my own comparison before ripping the whole collection.

My younger son-in-law witll be very pleased when I have done all my rips, because he had already put in a claim for my DVD5 to replace his Rega CD player.

I've always been a bit of a "belt and braces" man, like most "gasmen" (hospital speak), so for all the files on my laptop I usually have 3 backups.  Got a nice little box full of 500GB 2.5" drives, and that's what my Buffalo NAS was originally purchased for as well.  Just wish I hadn't deleted the free backup software that came with it, as it would have been nice to be able to verify the copies.

The other consideration with any new NAS is that it must be fairly quiet, because for now it will have to live in the same room as the system.  (while I persuade SWMBO to let me put it somewhere else).

Note to self ... when Network man comes, must make sure to get an access point in one of the other bedrooms ... or perhaps I should have it installed in the loft ... 

As regards the N600, I'll go to the Netgear site and download the latest firmware and persuade the Network man to install it for me.

I'll be using an iPhone with nStream for now.  Having seen my youngest daughter's iPad (1, not 2) I still feel that it's just an overgrown iPod touch.  Did try to persuade SWMBO to get one, but she insisted on a "proper laptop" of her own (she got a Toshiba).  Just wish she would learn how to use it and not keep asking me for help ...

Just been playing with the AV system as it currently is before the arrival of the new toys.  Thought I would try FLAC uncompressed and compare it to straight WAV (not really expecting to hear any differences, BTW).  Put one of each on a USB stick to plug straight into the nDAC.  FLAC uncompressed didn't play at all, so I assume the USB inputs won't do the FLAC uncompressed - or is it just my nDAC needing a firmware update or something?  It plays 24/192 WAV files perfectly well from a USB stick.  Slightly confused now ...

Qnap 212, or 219 pII are not on the Naim approved list which I have sitting on my desk.  I assume that they work fine, with full metadata (as from dBPowerAmp) shown on nStream?

Your DAC needs a firmware update to play FLAC from the USB socket.

Thanks.  Now if I could just find a simple way to ensure that copying from an NAS to USB external hard drive is verified as accurate - preferably set up as the default option.

RichCopy?

I don't think Robocopy does verify, and I'd rather not have to resort to a command line interface (getting lazy in my old age).

Clicked on the Naim logo here, thinking to go to the Naim main website to see if I could download upgraded firmware for the nDAC, and the website appears to be "down" - kept getting an error message.  Rebooted my PC, tried again - same result.

Just been checking the QNAP NAS manual.  Seems that the QNAP NAS suggested will copy/verify with no real trouble.

Syncback works well for synchronising two sets of directory structures and has verify.  I use this for my off site backups.

Thanks.  Probably moot now, as I have just order a QNAP 219 PII and 2 Samsung HD204UI 2TB drives to go in it.  Backup software included.  However, I will look at it for future backup of the Buffalo drive. 

' As regards the N600, I'll go to the Netgear site and download the latest firmware and persuade the Network man to install it for me. '

No need to. Gone are the days of downloading firmware, unzipping and pointing the router at it; your new N600 is automated ! Every time you log on to the router, using 192.168.---.--- it will look for new software. If software is found you can choose to download it or not, so it is worth logging on to the router every couple of months, even if you know very little about it, just to check the software is up to date.

also if your not setting the router up, its worth getting 3 wifi networks set up, all with different names and passwords.

1, a 2.4GHz as the 'main' wifi network, for use in ripping music, checking the router etc, using the laptop.

2, a 5.0GHz one, in case you get an Ipad2, again on the network, for control of the streamer.

3, a second guest 2.4GHz network. This one is closed from the home network, and only allows access to the internet – useful to stop teenagers from messing up the NAS, or deleting music by mistake/revenge, or anyone else who needs internet only, and you want to keep away from your home network.

And as you've already found out, the 219 has backup built in. I usually connect a USB drive directly, and do a backup, you have a choice of full backup, or just the differences/new music.

Thanks for all the helpful replies.

I've downloaded and installed the Freeware version of Syncback.  Works very well, and I've just finished using it to take a verified copy of the audio files I'd already ripped to the Buffalo NAS onto one of my external hard drives.  Should make it easier when the QNAP arrives.  Just need to think about which USB 2TB external drive to buy for my safety backup.

Alas, my Netgear N600 still hasn't arrived.  The network installer says he should have it by Monday.  Had a long discussion with him about a home Network, and decided to move the Router to our living room (where the main BT telephone socket is situated), and have 2 output sockets in my study and 2 in another bedroom.  I know CAT5e is adequate, but I've opted for CAT6 cabling for a little bit of future proofing. With SWMBO's agreement I'm being allowed to move both the QNAP and Buffalo into that bedroom rather than keep them in my study.  The network installer is getting back to me on Monday with his quote for the work.

All seems to be working out well.  I've just got to think about how I'm going to fit the new Naim bits into the study - looks like I'll have to spend an afternoon dismantling and reassembling the system to get it ready.  Come to think of it, I may have to do the same for the living room active system as well - see if I can find that missing spare puck for the CDS ... I think my granddaughter may have "hidden" it there a year ago.