Sign the petition! - An XS Series Streamer

quote:

Originally posted by Aleg:

quote:

Originally posted by likesmusic:
For two decades, according to Naim, s/pdif was the work of the devil. Now it's the basis for decades of product life! Hmmmm ...

It's called progress.
-aleg

Plus, the choice was optical or coax. And Naim seem convinced that coax is the better solution. Quite possibly true, I do not know.

Seems to be "easier" to get a top quality coax connection than a top quality toslink.
I think Naim commented on this and explained why they prefer coax, but can't remember.

Personally, I use coax between Naim components and use toslink from external components simply because my Naim is on a separate spur and and electrical connection like coax can cause problems (hum, loop etc.).

How can you call it 'progress' if, even after 20 years, you can only use one (optical) of the two supposedly viable interconnects? Not to mention having to use a USB/s/pdif convertor to connect it to your pc?

quote:

Originally posted by likesmusic:
How can you call it 'progress' if, even after 20 years, you can only use one (optical) of the two supposedly viable interconnects? Not to mention having to use a USB/s/pdif convertor to connect it to your pc?

You said

quote:

according to Naim, s/pdif was the work of the devil. Now it's the basis for decades of product life!

Now they know how to handle spdif properly.
That's progress.

No problem using both COAX and TOSLink. I do it daily.

-
aleg

Maybe in another 20 years they'll figure out how to put a DAC on a network ... some of us live in hope.

quote:

Originally posted by likesmusic:
Maybe in another 20 years they'll figure out how to put a DAC on a network ... some of us live in hope.

I can't imagine why anybody would that!!
God forbid.

quote:

Originally posted by likesmusic:
Maybe in another 20 years they'll figure out how to put a DAC on a network ... some of us live in hope.

That would be an NDX–next?

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regarding usb hard disk it is not so absurd.

The chipsets have a proclivity to fall asleep, and, when the devices are bus-powered, they draw current significant enough to affect sound quality.

NAS is still the big-boy, enterprise-level way to go.

Now they know how to handle spdif properly.
That's progress.

No problem using both COAX and TOSLink. I do it daily.

-
aleg[/QUOTE]

Agree totally - with a Uniti (low rent I know) TosLink plays fine and with a Mac + DAS I retain full control over playback via remote 2 - I could see if a Halide Bridge USB to Coax would improve things as many people seem to hate TosLink. The Dac in the Uniti seems excellent to my cloth ears - or is it the quality of the amplification ? Truth is I just don't know - I'm looking for simplicity.
Just that UPnP hasn't really provided that.

Streaming has advantages - centralization of resources - easy maintenance - the ability to multiroom. I might need to maintain more than one library but I think I can cope.

From the Mac I can still use internet radio - control from Ipad / any other Macs very simply and if necessary stream via Cat or WiFi.

I may not be using all of the Uniti but it really is a very versatile beast.

The UnitiServe/NDX/Naim CrayUnitiBrain Mk2 are wonderful things - that may well rip to 245 decimal places of fabulousness but for me an updated SuperNait type device with the ability to stream would be perfect.

Or more logically keep everthing separate - streamer, dac, amp .....oops I've just escaped from all that - no lets have a SplendidoNait XXP - may need to reinforce the floors though.

Tog


An nDac would be nice though
Can anyone sell me a nDac for £999?

quote:

Originally posted by David Dever:

That would be an NDX–next?

It absolutely would have been David, had my money ready, except that apparently the NDX doesn't sound as good as a Naim DAC despite employing much of the same DAC circuitry, yet costs nearly twice as much.

I would have to be a fool to pay more for less.

But such is progress.

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... s/pdif was the work of the devil .....

I thought it was those awfully nice Sony people and Dutch technologists at Philips, but now I learn it was Microsoft is there nothing those guys won't try to claim

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with a Mac + DAS I retain full control over playback

+1

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many people seem to hate TosLink

+1 (at least on my Mac).

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I'm looking for simplicity.
Just that UPnP hasn't really provided that

+1 again

Guess I'm in an agreeable mood today, but lots of good posts here.

Bring back DAAP

I retain full control over playback [/QUOTE] +1

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many people seem to hate TosLink

+1 (at least on my Mac).

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I'm looking for simplicity.
Just that UPnP hasn't really provided that

+1 again

So how do you connect your Mac USB converter?

Linn would argue that they are trying to get rid of the evil s/pdif by streaming and thus avoiding timing/clocking/watsitsname type stuff. They claim that streaming is what God (whichever one you worship) intended. (OK I made that bit up... insert Linn Akarate where appropriate.. so you get the drift..)

My head hurts ..

I just want to press my ipad and hear music - I don't want to fiddle with a web browser to check my flac folders are in alignment with Neptune so that my Naim UnitservevortxboxstreaminlipsmakinserverNDX2 can transcode the correct number of bits to play Philip Glass on a Tuesday at 5pm

Please

Tog

quote:

Dave Deever: What I would really like to see is a self-tagging UPnP server that verifies content tags or audio fingerprints against a wide variety of databases and presents this as a web-based GUI for dispatch to a UPnP renderer.

Amen. Although you have to admit that Apple's
way of connecting across platforms and over a network aint too shabby. I wish that you could view album art in Remote while looking at a shared library though...

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So how do you connect your Mac USB converter?

M2Tech hiFace

I don't even want to bother with an iPad - I just select the album in iTunes and play it - I've no interest in playlists or any of that stuff.

Thinking of moving to MacBook Air to eliminate the moving parts - it'll store quite a few albums losslessly and the rest I can Airplay from my server or just stick on the old vinyl record.

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Not to mention having to use a USB/s/pdif convertor to connect it to your pc?

I dont use any USB converters? Those are popular mostly with the Mac crowd because you cant jam a decent PCI card into a Mini or a laptop.

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SuperNait type device with the ability to stream would be perfect

Qute?

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I wish that you could view album art in Remote while looking at a shared library though...

I wish iTunes would find album art for an album titled "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway {Atlantic - Diament Master}"

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It absolutely would have been David, had my money ready, except that apparently the NDX doesn't sound as good as a Naim DAC despite employing much of the same DAC circuitry, yet costs nearly twice as much.

I would have to be a fool to pay more for less.

How it is not totally obvious that a network connected DAC with a bunch of other bits/functions inside, sounds a little worse than a FULLY dedicated, standalone DAC?

Why is that so hard to understand? NDX will be awesome I am guessing. But obviously if you want to take things to the nth level, you need to go with separates.

It is no different than integrated vs pre/power or internal phono boards vs Superline.

You aren't paying more for less. Dont forget you need to shell out something for a source to front the DAC. If that is a cheap computer and you like that method and SQ, then yes the NDX is not for you. And there is no reason it has to be.

-Patrick

Mine found the album art for "Lamb Lies Down" with no problem at all.


Wouldn't want to jam anything as obvious as a pci card into any of my Macs!

Tog

quote:

Originally posted by Tog:
Mine found the album art for "Lamb Lies Down" with no problem at all.


Wouldn't want to jam anything as obvious as a pci card into any of my Macs!

Tog

Change the album title to EXACTLY what i have above and see if it finds the art.

My album tags often have information about the exact version of the album so I can differentiate between different pressings, masterings, record labels, resolutions etc...

For example:
I have 3 different versions Steely Dan's Aja.
Aja {MCA - Hoffman}
Aja {VINYL - 180g 30th Anniversary - 24-96}
Aja {MFSL UDCD 515}

Anything but the album name all by itself keep iTunes from finding art in my limited experience.

RE PCI cards. iMacs use them right?

-Patrick

Patrick - surely an NDX on a network should sound better than a Naim DAC driven by a pc connected through a third party USB/SPDIF interface and cabling? I thought it was the case that only sources like the HDX give the best performance from the Naim DAC, not 3rd party solutions. Perhaps you should try an NDX on your network... foobar should see it no problem.

likes,

I am not so sure, and re: GUI it is a no-brainer. But since I have a nDAC, the NDX really isn't needed. I dont so internet radio or anything, so a Serve would be sufficient.

At some point next year I will demo a Qute and a Serve as a source for my DAC. We shall see. In the meatime Juli@>Bare DAC is better than I deserve.

quote:

Originally posted by likesmusic:
Patrick - surely an NDX on a network should sound better than a Naim DAC driven by a pc connected through a third party USB/SPDIF interface and cabling?...

Likes

You are only throwing in all kinds of assumptions. They don't bring anything to the discussion or sharing of experiences.

Why don't you go and have a listen for yourself and know for sure how different solutions sound differently and make up your own mind on what sounds better in your opinion, but based on actual experience and not on groundless assumptions.

-
aleg

None of the 'solutions' are satisfying enough to listen to again. My local Naim dealer demonstrates the Naim DAC sourced from a Linn Sneaky DS. That's not a solution to me, it is another problem. Which of my 'assumptions' are groundless? If I'm asking akward questions, or posing akward choices, then that is for you to deal with.

Hi likesmusic,
what was wrong with the sneaky&ndac sound?
Tx, ralf

quote:

Originally posted by T38.45:
Hi likesmusic,
what was wrong with the sneaky&ndac sound?
Tx, ralf

It was good ralf, but there seem to be Naim dealers on here who sneer at such solutions and instead propose driving the DAC with an NDX implying that it will sound better, which opens a whole can of worms.

I think asking whether an NDX sounds better than an Naim DAC/pc/Hi-face, or a Naim DAC/Sneaky-DS is a valid question. Any opinions?