Airplay integration

I may well be wrong, but I thought Airplay was more versatile than just sending music stored on an iOS device (and probably compressed) to a compatible client.  I think this is what happens when you use the music app on an iOS device.

However, I believe using the Remote app sends music stored on your mac (uncompressed / lossless) to an airplay compatible iOS device.  So when airplay is enabled on the SU, NDX etc. I would hope that Remote recognises it as an airplay device, and you can then select which (or all) devices your music gets streamed to.  Assuming it does work this way, and there is no loss of quality, I'm fully expecting to ditch n-stream and playback (very clunky) in favour of Remote (super slick) to control which music gets sent from my mac to my NDX. 

Nick - assuming your music is stored on a mac in a high quality format then I think an airplay compatible Zeppelin in the kitchen should be able to receive music in decent quality. 

As I say, I may well be barking up the wrong tree, but I hope not!

Airplay is not a single protocol. They use Bonjour (ZeroConfig) to discover other units. They prefer to use HTTP Live Streaming to sere the media. And so on.

Note that Airplay is coming to OSX in upcoming versions. It is not only for iOS.

If you sit with your iPad and stream from, say, your iCloud-account and then use Airplay to request replay continue via your Naim-system. The optimized way to do this is for the app to request the Naim system read directly from iCloud (this will also mean that the Naim system can negotiate better quality data).

But it is also possible the iPad-software just forwards whatever it gets. This is not not optimal but ...

Note that this is Apple. They like to actually deliver stuff that works. They dont hang around internet forums and trade shows speculating. So you can only really trust what Apple have released - anything else is just guessing.

As i said the atv2 makes a great client, just turn on itunes sever in the qnap and plug the atv2 in a little hifi.

Or logitech to an all in one job, might be a bit small though.

The whole Airplay issue has come slightly into confusion with the news that apple is about to deliver a new data format, including hidef elements. There are new mastering tools from Apple for iTunes too, and record companies are delivering some 96k/24bit masters to apple for this. I'd post a link to this on the apple site, but thats not possible. However www.apple.com slash itunes slash mastered-for-itunes will get you to the right place. A very interesting document there, plus the tools for those of us who take their music seriously enough to make their own recordings. 

plus appletv2 looks like its out of production, about to be replaced (next week?) by... well, who can tell?

https://forums.naimaudio.com/di...nt/13956224327205383

Garyi: Right, so this could be the answer.  Enable iTunes Server on the QNAP and it then it streams all my music to the Apple TV, or whatever is coming next week (thought it was an iPad event?).  Is it that simple?

Let's wait for March, 7th and the iPad 3 announcement. The rumor says they might release a new Apple TV and also a new audio format for iTunes Store music.

Yes - you'll need an Apple ID to enable home sharing - at least that's the way I got it working, but I don't have a QNAP. 

This is incorrect. iTunes also uses AirPlay. So although you *can* play music from yours and your friends' iOS devices, most people will mostly use it to stream direct from iTunes on their computer, probably controlled by Apple Remote on iPhone/iPad.

This is why AirPlay is critical for anyone combining Naim with Apple.

Simon

Nick, yea its pretty much that simple. A few things though.

1. Your music needs to be Apple Lossless, AAC or MP3, it wont do flac.

2. You need to initially plug your apple tv into a tv to set it up, i.e. find that music library and set an ipad or iphone as a remote, etc etc. After this you can then unplug from the tv and put on a hifi. 

3. It only has digital audio output, so what ever you have in the kitchen needs a dac built in.

Come to think of it, its not that straight forward

Pretty nasty actually ...

It needn't be complex.  aTV is probably overkill if it's for a kitchen system and you're not using its video capabilities.  In this instance I'd go with Airport Express analogue or digital out into hi fi, or neater still, stream direct to airplay enabled Zeppelin or other such device.  Both solutions controlled by iPhone or iPad.  Check the videos at the B&W Zeppelin website.

Thinking ahead to the airplay implementation on Naim devices - Naim wouldn't go near this unless it delivered top notch sound quality - i.e. uncompressed or lossless music.  I'm sure it will be a big step forward in usability.  

This is exactly what I want to do, but it seems I can't because my music is on a NAS drive in FLAC format. 

If I could set this out in a bit more detail.... I do have an iTunes music library on a Mac (mp3) but since getting the Superuniti I have been re-ripping my CDs in FLAC and putting them on the QNAP NAS which has Twonky.  I can then control this using n-stream on an iPad or iPhone.  So far so good.  Now I would like to be able to listen to my music in a second room (kitchen) wirelessly WITHOUT using the Mac, ie using the NAS drive as the source.  From what I have read / understood so far, this is apparently a bit of a tall order!  If anyone can suggest a solution I'd be very grateful.

You could install Logitech Media Server on the NAS. This will then support a Squeezebox Radio in your kitchen.

LMS could be a second installation on your NAS, but it could also act your sole server, if the UPnP support function of LMS is activated. It would then serve both your Naim and the Squeezebox. N-stream will remain your control tool for the Naim. I don't know if it will also control  SB. If not, there is iPeng as a contol app, which is gratis. But you can also operate the Radio directly. You might even be able to syncronize Radio and the Naim. But this is just a faint chance.

Thanks PinkHamster.  This sounds promising. Looks like iPeng is £6.99 now by the way.

What??? It's still for free here in Germany, if I'm not completely off.

Hi  I'm new to the forum, and to Naim, with a uniti and currently looking at either a qute or super.  we have music in the kitchen, and garden, and bedrooms all from sonos.  the most cost effective solution for your kitchen might be a sonos play3 and a bridge on your router.  all controlled by iphone apps and will play apple, flac wav et files.  we use a ZP90 in our kitchen and the uniti pushes the cd content to this.  radio and NAS play directly in the kitchen without the uniti

hope this helps

Surely the easiest way to play music in your kitchen or bedroom is to get an iPod dock of some type - possibly a Zepplin - and plug your iPod in. I can't see the benefit of streaming from your PC/NAS.  You would need to keep going to your PC to choose songs or use ipeng on your iPod to choose a song!

Airplay in to a Zepplin would allow you to keep the iPod in your hand but not really a big bonus.

I have a B&O dock in my bedroom and just plug an old iPhone in to play or even my classic.

With AirPlay I could lie in bed and stream from the iPod to the dock - I can see the advantage there.

Regards

Huw

Depending on the size of the music collection, it may not be possible to have all of it on an iPod, not even in a very reduced format. Therefore streaming from a central NAS is the solution of choice. This is what streaming is all about - to access a central library by various client.

BTW a Squeezebox Radio can be controlled all by its own without an external control point. So the iPod can stay in the car, where it belongs.

" I can't see the benefit of streaming from your PC/NAS.  You would need to keep going to your PC to choose songs or use ipeng on your iPod to choose a song!"

Not necessarily - Logitech devices have a nice readable (from across the room) screen which gives full access to your stored music as well as radio and streaming services. Also has a remote so you don't even need to leave the sink/cooker let alone the room. Would think Sonos is the same. I only use my iPod on the beach or for taking music to friends' houses - streaming gives you access to all your music not just what you can cram on an iPod.

Guys, you are far away from the original topic. WHEN is Naim going to integrate airplay. If you want to discuss about other streaming options then you may open a different thread. 

Cheers

Elija123, if you bother to read the full discussion you will see that the OP miss understood what Airplay was capable of.  So, on the contarary, we are trying to help the OP with his actual needs.

Pev, you have point, but my own experience of Logitech's server software is rather jaundiced. It never seems to work correctly after an update and I have stopped using my Classic, simply because I can't be bothered to spend hours trying to work out what's wrong with it.

On the other hand, my 64Gb ipod hold 6000 songs at 320 kbs and my Classic holds that many in Lossless. At 128kbs that's a heck of a lot of music.

I would be pretty certain a B&W Zepplin would give better sound reproduction than a Squeezebox Radio and can play Radio, Spotify etc just as well. 

If I was looking for a good quality sound in the Kitchen I think I'd go for a laptop like say a Macbook Pro or PC and a set of B&W MM1. That way you can get 1Tb of music, any radio you like, Spotify, iTunes or any other music player and move the whole set up as the feeling takes you.

I use MM1 in my study and they sound pretty impressive. I also stick them in my suitcase and take them on holiday!

Regards

Huw

Huw,

setting up a laptop in the kitchen .... with external speakers .... really a brilliant idea .... maybe for some poeple's kitchens, usually this will be quite unhandy

The Squeezebox Radio only takes up a fraction of the space of a Laptop plus speakers. The problems  with LMS were ONLY with version 7.6.x. We are now well into 7.7x and all trouble is long forgotten, except for those ever yester-dayers still clinging on to 7.5.x , which also works flawlessly in most cases btw.

The performance is outstanding nowadays. A full rescan (not just search for new tracks) of my 220 GB library only takes 9 minutes. And the server is installed on a NAS with limited processor capacities. This is really exellent. In addition to that the usability is, I dare say, the best in class.

You may rant on the SQ of Squezzeboxes which underlies subjective experiences, but the performance and usability of the Squeezebox System is superb.

Guess what, I do not have a Naim streamer because of its rotten control point software!!!

Elija123 WAS the OP!  It was me that misunderstood Airplay.  Wouldn't like him to be falsely maligned!

He has a fair point I think.

Sorry Elija123, I have no idea when AirPlay will be available.  

Regards

Huw