Airplay & Naim - Long Way To Go

I currently stream directly from my Unitiserve to my iOS devices, what functionally are you trying to achieve?

Ian

The other way round. I want to stream from my MacBook Air directly to a Unitiqute. So the Unitiqute needs an Airplay chip to receive the signal. I know there is a way to do that via UpnP but then I'd have to go with third party apps for streaming music instead of itUnes. And as a Mac User I will definitely not do this.

Cheers,

Sascha

Sascha

I streamed some ripped albums from a MacBook to UQ using Playback ... the albums were all in my iTunes area and the only difference was I used nStream to select the track I wanted to play on the iPad rather than iTunes. As the rendering engine is in the UQ next to the DAC I convinced myself it sounded better than plugging in the MacBook through a USB/S-PDIF convertor. I did this wirelessly ... no switches, no routers, just an Airport Extreme to provide the fresh air network (FAN - as opposed to WAN, wide area network, LAN, local area network, and KAN, bookshelf loudspeaker from Linn). 

I usually stream from a Vortexbox, but this worked just as well .... I don't think I'd hold my breath waiting for Airplay support ... Naim still needs to fix the software update mechanism first. 

All the best, Guy 

+ 1, got Playback on my Macbook Pro and streaming directly to my ND5XS wirelessly, using nStream on iPad as my control device. It reads all the iTunes folders just fine. No need to wait for airplay.

If you don't like this approach, just get an Apple TV or Airport Express, another way of achieving the same, albeit without nStream in the mix.

Personally, I think Playback & nStream is the better solution though. Rovi's Internet based metadata repository with interactive album info is a very nice add on and with the new software upgrade coming in August for your Qute you'll have full functionality on nStream too.

Everything else is just getting bogged down in ideological trenches...

The world is your oyster.

Guys,

I already own an Airport Express and stream music wirelessly from my MacBook Air to my hi-fi. But i won't spent 2000 € on a device for plugging in an airport express. You know...?

And the solution with n-stream on an iPad as the control device won't match for me either because of 2 reasons:

1. I don't own an iPad and anyhow want to stream my music from my MacBook Air.

2. I saw n-stream at my hi-fi dealer. It's slow and ugly. And i want to control my music right from iTunes and NOT from Playback, n-stream or whatever.

Solution: I want out-of-the-box comfort. I am definitely willing to pay for that. So I wait for a Unitiqute including Airplay and will then pay the extra 100-300 bucks for that.

Cheers

Elija - I hear what you are saying, however the latest release of nStream is super fast and, to my eyes, a good looking design.  Worth another look if you get the chance.

Why would anyone want anything else than iTunes and a direct connection [USB, Firewire, Co-ax, toslink] between the computer and the DAC. All else seems to be un-necessary over-complication to me.

And the ITunes interface, with a nice big monitor and keyboard beats the hide of "scroling through!"

The ideal of paying for an iPhone [or similar] device to opperate the system, with additon cost and tiny screen seems daft to me, as well.

ATB from George

Not all of us want a computer and monitor in the lounge - seems a bit daft to me. 

This is AirPlay friendly...

That is as it may be. But a computer or a MAC can be smaller even than a Hicap, and a computer monitor can be just as acceptable as a  television screen.

Computers can be silent. I have one!

I like to keep things as simple as can be managed!

ATB from George

Linn goes Bose

For gods sake. Buy an apple tv, hook it up to your qute, hide it behind if you like.

Use itunes to airplay to it.

Listen to how shite airplay sounds.

Enjoy your new lifestyle.

"But i won't spent 2000 € on a device for plugging in an airport express."

With all due respect: get over it. Add $99 to your 2000 € and enjoy! 

I've posted the exact config elsewhere in the forum (and it's all over the net anyway). 

http://tinyurl.com/cg3d9ko

Keep this in mind as well: you will never get the same wireless range, speed, and stability from your built-in Naim wi-fi antenna than from a dedicated airport express (and future, faster and better models).

This alone should console you. 

Enjoy! 

"to me" are the most important words there.

Many people (George obviously excluded) would like to do some of the following:

1) Stream Hi-res

2) Send multiple different streams to different rooms (not the same thing everywhere)

3) Use the same server for music, video, pictures and data.

None of which can you do with Airplay and iTunes.

Then some will want to:

4) Not use a computer as a control point

5) Not have a keyboard and mouse in listening area

6) Use their existing iOS device

It may be "unnecessary" but I enjoy the following:

- Remotely stream ALL music to my iPhone anywhere i go

- Remotely stream ALL video and pics to my iPad anywhere i go

- Stream John Zorn to my iPhone while away from home, while the GF streams The Avett Bros to the backyard and a friend is listening to something completely different on the Naim rig.

- While doing the above I can watch a Vid on my iPad

- Control everything from anywhere without the need of any kind of display, keyboard or mouse

The list goes on and on.

Once again, you cant do any of this with iTunes.  But you can do everything you want with an iOS and a legit upnp server.

That said, an Airport Express is a great and inexpensive way to get multi-room audio WITH upnp.  I have one permanently plugged in an outlet in the backyard with powered speakers attached.  Perfect for a BBQ/Garden system.  J River sees it as a Zone (with AirUPNP or whatever it is called).

With the JRemote app you could simply send audio to any airplay device without the need for JRiver seeing the AE.  Jremote is fully airplay compliant.

Best of all worlds.

Cheers!

Patrick

...bit worried about what your girlfriend and your friend are getting up to while you're away?

Also, is 'John Zorn' Cockney rhyming slang?

Sorry for the thread-crap. John Zorn is one of the more interesting avant-garde musician/composers around. Try Spillane or The Big Gundown for some of his 'homage'  recordings or Naked Eye for some out there stuff or Masada for his 'structured improvisations'.

regards,

Giles

Sorry but I dont get either of your "jokes".

Does it sound like I am worried about anything? 

If you care to explain I am SURE i will be peeing myself with laughter.

Patrick - apologies for my crap sense of humour. 

If it helps, I. too am a JRMC evangalist.

The Linn Kiko is something very similar to the Uniiqute. But with 2 major differences:

1. It has active loudspeakers - what means that you can't use any other - killer!

2. It doesn't speak directly about airplay integration. I read about kinsky and song cast and other 3rd party applications. That sounds like Windows shit. No thank you. Either native Airplay support or nothing.

BTW: I really don't understand why not more high-end hifi-companys offer all-in-one systems with integrated amps but normal inputs for loudspeakers. Times of CD's are definitely over.

Why do you whinge on about airplay? Don't get it. You complain about not wanting to use a €99 box with a €2000 Naim piece but at the same time you are willing to compromise SQ by going Wifi and forego everything hires cause airplay can't handle it. Makes no sense at all. I think you should go see a shrink to get your schizophrenia treated.

It is not called AirPlay but it has it.  Works like a charm with any Apple device.  Also has Linn's Songcast which works with both Apple or Windows and plays whatver you want to play from that computer at the resolution it is stored (or streamed) making surfing for music on your laptop an enjoyable experience.

AirPlay is at it's best when you are surfing with either your iPad or laptop and searching for new music to purchase.  Oh, it's not bad if you want to stream videos to both your television and your hifi at the same time either.

Thanks RH very useful info. 

Gary I tend to agree - good for films, along with the Sky box connected through to the NDX, but want to listen to some Shostakovitch? I don't think so...  can't work out why it sounds so lack lustre and sterile however - I don't know if they do some resampling or something - but its not as good as I am sure it could be if they wanted..

Devices used Airport Express and AppleTV V2, with the former being quite horrid - now assigned to wireless access point supporting multicast which it does VERY well.