Issues with Flac files downloaded from Linn

Hi

I have an nd5xs and using latest nstream app. I have 8 albums from Linn in studio flac and have no issues at all.

I know you have a Differnt streamer to me but thought this might help.

You can download your files again from Linn just to make sure. Also, where do you store these? Do they showup on your storage device as .flac?

Can you're streamer take USB stick? Maybe you can copy a few tracks onto it and see if youhet the same problem.

Hope this helps

Anton

What UPnP server are you using? This sounds like a setting on the server to convert from FLAC to WAV and limit to 44Khz. You can certainly do this with Asset and I do have it set to convert FLAC to WAV but I don't have any sampling rate limit set. I can't remember what it does by default.

I have this on hi res from HD Tracks (I got it before the record companies clamped down on Europeans paying for their products) and it's fine (24 bit FLAC).

Keith

Firstly a big thank-you to those who took the trouble to reply.

Since asking my question I have made some progress! The files are stores on a Synology NAS and I found that the NAS was set to "Transcode" FLAC files. It's a 'blunt' setting because it converts them to WAV and limits them to 44khz. So I turned that off the the nStream now reports 96khz and there is no ".FLAC" on the track descriptions. All good.

The files/music play just fine but, the nStream app seems to get confused if you try to change tracks when a FLAC file is playing., There are long pauses before it responds and eventually the it loses connection and says that the Streamer is not responding. If you press reconnect it loops and eventually says "Another Client has Connected!". The only way out of this is to reboot the UniQute and the iPad whereupon it's all fine again until you play the big FLACs and try to get nStream to do something else at the same time.

Chris: may I ask why you get Asset to convert from Flac to WAV? Is there some advantage to that? If so, why not just have all your files as WAVs in the first place?

As AntonD says, I could put the files on a USB stick and try that also (to eliminate netwoking issues I guess).

Sorry if my questions are a bit basic, I am a bit new to this!

Finally I would just say that the sound quality from this hi-res music is really captivating, rich and detailed, making ordinary files (which I had thought were absolutely fine!) seem dull and lifeless. I just wish there was more hi-res material available.

Captain

Hi Captain

The quality of hi res files can vary, but Gaucho is very good. 

I keep all my hi res stuff on a 1tb USB driive, plugged into the back of the UServe and streamed to the NDX. it works a treat.

The only problems I have with FLACs is that, occasionaly I can't tag metadata properly.

Keith 

One problem i did have with some Linn downloads was the size of the artwork which caused my NDX to behave strangely with some tracks. You may want to try deleting the artwork and if this is the case, re-sizing.

James

Hi Captain, can you confirm you get these performance issues if you hate streaming a hidef WAV file as well? Certainly don't see these issues with Linn FLACs on my NDX.

The description you provide of losing sync between NStream and network player also sound familiar to network issues  (dropping multicast UDP packets) that is used by upnp (and Airplay) for sync and discovery... Hence the question on whether it happens with WAV.

Simon

Two reasons:

Firstly, I store as FLAC because it occupies less space than WAV and can be tagged properly. WAV cannot be tagged in the file itself, although some servers get around this by having some sort of tagging database that holds the details.

Secondly, there is a slight potential performance improvement by removing the work of unpacking the FLAC file from the player and having it done on the server where it is a trivial task. The disadvantage is that it loads the network more as the WAV is bigger than FLAC but this shouldn't be a problem on a correctly functioning wired-network.

Chris

Chris

Just a little note - it seems there is a misonception by some that WAV can't support meta data within the file itself,  but I can assure you , and so can the WAV definition standards that  WAV files can and do store meta data within the file. This is the format often used by industry - it uses the Info List chunk - which uses EXIF data contructs.

There is also an unofficial extension to WAV that is used by some consumer software that uses ID3 tags - but this shouldn't be confused with the standardised EXIF data which is part of the WAV standard. Some software such as dBPoweramp writes meta data into both the official and unoffical constructs. The unofficial  ID3 tags allows for a larger range of  custom tags and album art hence why some prefer to use it over the standard WAV metadata.

Simon

Captn Black, I think you just answered your own query :-)

Simon

I stream 24/96 to my Transporter with no glitches, but it has a dedicated 802.11g access point sitting in the loft about 6 feet above it. When the world moved to n I added a separate access point that my iPad and iPhone use, but the aging TP only supports b & g so the old AP was left dedicated to this. Splitting the load seems to work well. I also spent some time making sure I had non overlapping wifi channels, both between my APs and my nearest neighbours. 

You can get WiFi to work on hi def, but it takes a bit of care and fine tuning.

Can you move your WiFi router nearer to the UnityQute? How many other devices are connected to it?

As a test, convert one of your FLACs to a 96/24 WAV file. There are various programs that do this such as dBpoweramp.

If the problem goes away, then it's related to FLAC somehow, if it remains it is linked to network throughput or performance. It really it is best to use a Ethernet wired full duplex link for trouble free operation if you can manage it. Wifi and Ethernet over mains 'fixes' just are not ideally suited to this kind of task, not least you can only send data one way at a time, and as you found interactive streaming requires both ways, so the flow has to be interrupted to allow two way, and if you are near the performance limit of the link, you will have issues.

I have read this transcoding down sample is a bug on the latest Synology software, and some gone back to the previous version that didn't down sample.

Dave, 802.11g could manage the throughput in many instances, but it depends on who else in your neighbourhood is sharing those frequencies, (and remember they move about) and the quality of the received single from the AP, but you are absolutely right you increase your chances of success by having only two items on the wifi link.

Its because of this variability many recommend a wired setup, but I guess if you have only 6 foot between radios transmitters you should be fine, but I am not sure how typical that is..

Very true Simon - so many variables... A dedicated AP in the roof vs. chanelling out the wall again to drop some cable... I know which option had the greatest Wife Acceptance Factor! Hopefully in the next year I will get a dedicated listening room, then it's wired all the way.

Probably because most who walk into Comet are quite happy with mp3, and such  a meagre bandwidth can mask a multitude of sins. A quality solution exposes short cuts....... 

"I have read this transcoding down sample is a bug on the latest Synology software"

No, according to the Synology support desk, this is a feature not a bug! The change took place with the update from DSM 3 to DSM 4 firmware and can be reversed (with a little effort) by going back to the last version of DSM 3.2.

Why bother? Well, many users, myself included, find WAV files sound subtly better than FLAC on Naim equipment. A view that Naim engineers that I have spoken to appear to support.

If you want to investigate further, details of how to revert to DSM 3.2 were discussed here:

https://forums.naimaudio.com/di...nt/17194513573001202

Best regards,

Ian

I found 96/24 worked fine using Internet over mains (I can hear Simon spitting and cursing all the way from Suffolk to Surrey!) but 192/24 would not. As running Ethernet cable all the way from one floor to another was not currently practicable, I've stuck my limited number of 192/24 files on a USB stick, which works just fine. This on a SU.

Ian - thanks for the update. Well if that's one of their features I'd hate to see one of their bugs

Goon - well as long as it works for you  still spitting and cursing though.......

it happens with cable too, direct flac it is fine it wav coded that is problem

Gentlemen. The wired connection is in place and the problem resolved. The FLACs play just fine now and you can browse around in nStream at the same time. The WAVs (converted from the FLACs) also play fine and the buffer is solid at 100%. Once again you can browse on the nStream at the same time. 

Thanks to all who took the trouble to respond especially since my only bit of Naim kit is the humble Unitiqute! As to that setup now I have to say I am absolutely delighted with the sound quality. The Qute with the Spendor SP1/R3s seems to be a marriage made in heaven. Not perhaps the obvious paring with a Qute but trust me, it works really well. Thanks again to all. Captain

Hi, glad you got it sorted.. With a proprely wired network you can get and enjoy your music now.. Have fun.

Simon