Playback uPnP Issues

> I myself tend to pick the appropriate solution that fits the task

Me too ... So I should pick a streamer that works with my Mac - fair enough. 

I'm happy my UQ works with a Vortexbox ... 

I don't understand the Naim software road map, but the sound quality is excellent ...

Wayne .. I'm in total agreement ... I plugged in my Apple TV .. it asked for my network password and my Apple ID and that was it ... it worked. That's set my expectation. Same for Nintendo, same for Sonos. 

TBH .. I'm confused by all the streaming options in the range. 

You mean like with a $250 Squeezebox Touch and LMS?  

Don't forget that Linn opened up their software for the developers who went off and developed some rather nifty control point apps. When I had my Akurate DS, I had a number of UPnP servers and control points available to me which worked very well. Going to the NDX meant most of those didn't work anymore and I was stuck with the rather poor n-stream alternative - its a lot better now but still doesn't quite match the Linn alternative. A great shame. 

Hi folks,

what is the latest news regarding mac-based UPnP server software, please? Neither Asset UPnP nor J-River seem to be fully stable as yet. Should I try Playback, Amarra HiFi, or audirvana?

I intend to rip on a MacBookPro in AIFF, and then use my MacMini as UPnP server (for access by ND5XS). The MacMini is on a different floor than the ND5XS, thus no optical connection planned.

Many thanks,

Stefan

I'm still in the exact same boat as you.

I'm plodding along with Playback, which works if you share a iTunes library. However, I share a directory of ripped AIFF and FLAC files, and Playback doesn't work correctly.

JRiver alpha version for Mac has just been revised to add UpNP server support, so I plan to try that out this weekend.

Many thanks, RaceTripper,

this helps: I guess I'll give Playback a miss then.

And so all around the world us mac-naimies are waiting for the completion of our systems... (mind you, I found it a little sad when I realised that my HiFi setup was complete, but now there is still something to look forward to!).

Happy Easter,

Stefan

Hey Stefan,

Interesting .... did you play around a bit with the Assett for Mac beta release .... ? I wondered how that worked or not. I do not own a Mac, but maybe in the future I will. I am very happy with my current Assett (running on Windows 7 now), and like to keep using Assett when eventually a Mac comes into my house

Cheers,

Iver

I briefly tried Asset for Mac, but the features I need (browsing a directory directly) are disabled unless you buy it, and I am not prepared to pay for it while it's beta and I can't verify the feature I want works.

Hi again,

sorry, no experience with Asset so far. I have just tried Logitech UE MusicLibrary, but the server was not recognised. I then gave Playback a try (before I bought), and this works fine with my iTunesLibrary (AIFF files) and two different streamers. So far, I would recommend it.

Best,

Stefan

Tog, superb summary...

I too think Nstream is great now, and very effective and easy to use. My wish list for advancement is minimal and fringe capability. [lyric lookup, and configurable meta data display]

Simon

Thanks, too, Tog!

I wish Minimserver had been on my radar earlier!

Cheers,

Stefan

Minimserver has the same problem for me as Playback. I still can't get it to show the "Play track from here" option when navigating folders with albums.

I hardly ever use my ND5XS now. The whole streaming affair is just too flakey and I end up more frustrated than entertained. In the end I am playing my digital media mostly in my modest office system with a Squeezebox Touch and Arcam DAC. That works very well.

I'm now back to thinking about dumping my Naim and using the funds to finance a tonearm and phonostage upgrade.

Can you explain to me exactly what you mean by "I still can't get it to show the "Play track from here" option when navigating folders with albums"? What "it" are you referring to? What combination of UPnP (as opposed to dedicated) hardware and software have you seen this functionality on? What exactly would this function do?

I do understand your frustration if you have a function that you have got used to on one system that isn't made available on a different system but you have already said that you are not prepared to look at *ANYTHING* that isn't a Mac based solution which does really cripple you as - as has already been said here - the Mac UPnP servers are generally pretty dire and there's not a lot that we can do about that (other than produce one that we know works and we can keep control of)... 

See the following for what I am experiencing.

You are right, I am not interested in a Windows solution, nor am I interested in a very expensive Naim solution ((UnitiServe). I;'m not going to get in a silly OS argument, but I just do not want another box running Windows, nor do I want to run a Windows VM on my Mac to fix trying to use Naim streaming with a Mac.

Don't worry about it though. I have a solution. As I mentioned I can sell my Naim, use the money to do analog upgrades I want. Then I can connect my Squeezebox Touch and Arcam DAC to the 282, and I know that works without the frustration. Then I will need something else for the office again, but that can be pretty modest (driving an Arcam Alpha amp and Dynaudio 52SE monitors)

I concede that UPnP for the Mac is abysmal and that Naim network streaming is not the right solution for me, so I am now willing to give up on it since I am not enjoying my kit as a result.

*********************************

This is what I get if I run Asset or JRiver from Windows (my eval periods expired for both) when using the folder browse feature.

This is what I get with Playback for Mac or Minimserver for Mac when browsing folders. Notice that the "Play from this track" button is missing. Without that it only plays one track and quits.

OK - that's far more simple than I thought but I was thinking "Nah - can't be that basic..."

So, the functionality that you want you know you can have if you use Asset or JRiver as your UPnP server on a PC? (Or of course via our UPnP server as I know that we obviously support that.)

However because your evaluation versions of Asset and JRiver have expired and you're not prepared to consider a solution that does what you want it to do you're going to sell the UPnP player (which has nothing to do with the "problem")?

It just seems odd that you're saying "I concede that UPnP for the Mac is abysmal and that Naim network streaming is not the right solution for me, so I am now willing to give up on it since I am not enjoying my kit as a result." - isn't it just that at the moment Mac UPnP streaming isn't for you? Maybe I'm being thick here (I have just woken from an after dinner snooze after all) but I just don't follow your logic when you know that you have a solution...

Did you try Asset UPnP on OSX? I know that it's still in Beta and the "paid for" extensions aren't in place yet but it does seem to work reasonably well - I couldn't tell you if that functionality exists in the Mac version as, well, I haven't tried it and I'm up at my parents for Easter so I can't really dig out the kit to set it up here right now.

...I suppose that it's being silly to suggest that you pick the subsequent tracks and "Queue Last"?

... or try a £100 NetGear ReadyNAS Duo - That seems to support the "Play from this track" functionality here at my parents place.

Phil, I appreciate that you are trying to help. 

I tried Asset for Mac beta. The features I want are not enabled. Last time I tried JRiver for Mac, it was very unstable, didn't even have a UPnP server and doesn't even look or work like a proper Mac app. Now it does but I have not tried it. I may not because I'm already leaning towards not keeping the ND5 anyway.

We all agree for the most part that UPnP on the Mac doesn't work worth a damn. Maybe it will in the future, maybe not. But that's irrelevant for me now. You are correct saying Mac UPnP streaming is not for me. Windows is not for me either. That makes the ND5 mostly useless to me, so we can safely conclude that is not for me either.

As I've already said, twice, getting rid of the Naim streamer is an acceptable solution for me. I can get a wanted analog upgrade, and I can use something I have that already works. Problem solved. Not in Naim's favor perhaps, but in mine.

The ND5 is mostly [expensive] dead weight for me, and I have chosen not to go with supported (expensive Naim server) or recommended [PITA] Windows solutions. I am comfortable with that. Besides I look forward now to improving my analog front end further. It's what I use 90% of the time anyway.

Yes, it is silly to think I should use Queue last if I want to -- say -- listen to an Baroque opera. I would have to Play the first track, and then click Queue Last dozens of times. No thanks.

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll look into and consider that if I decide to keep the ND5.

RaceTripper

I not using asset on windows or asset on mac but using UPnP software on my Netgear Ultra 2 NAS ( intel cpu & 2 WD Red 3 tb drives. Play from this track works flawlessly

I did not want any computer running at all just play music using apple ipad mini.

I think Netgear uses ReadyDLNA built in for UPnP.

maybe this helpful?

Dan

Thanks, Dan. I will give it some thought, but for now I am not investing any more money in it.

In any case, it is $300 for a diskless version. Somehow, that doesn't seem very cost effective to me. For about $200 more (i.e. refub 2012 Mac Mini i5 for $508) I could just get another Mac Mini and connect it directly without streaming.

Meanwhile, my dealer is getting me pricing on a Clearaudio Magnify tonearm and a Fosgate Signature tube phono preamp, which will replace the Clarify tonearm on my Ovation turntable and Nova Phonomena phono preamp. If I can swing the extra cost my ND5 XS will be sold to help fund the upgrades. Then I will either use my SBT/rDAC instead or just forego a digital front end altogether until there is something that works better with a Mac household.

It sounds like no matter what we suggest - a NetGear ReadyNAS with a couple of basic drives is about the same cost as two tanks of fuel so hardly going to break the bank - you've got your mind made up and that you're simply wanting to invest your funds in analogue audio...

No problem with that in itself but it does seem a shame to seemingly blame your disappointment in the functionality on the ND5XS when the problem is doggedly sticking only to a Mac platform ... surely it would be better to actually use a product that does the job that you want it to do? It seems odd to dismiss the ReadyNAS - you don't need the Pro version at $300 - as being too expensive but then go "for only $200 more I can get a refurbished Mac Mini".

I am truly sorry that you've not been able to enjoy your foray into streaming audio - the access that it gives you to your music is phenomenal - and we do believe that the apps that we have created do a very good job of creating a user experience that enhances the listening to music but if it's not for you (and it seems that you have had this opinion for quite some time) then maybe it is time to upgrade your turntable...

Phil

As the Naim streaming products don't really work very well with the Mac, they aren't for me. You are right... I have chosen not to use a Windows solution, and that I'm not really interested in spending more money on more hardware to try and get it to work. I might consider a cheaper NAS if I decide to keep the ND5. 

However, I'm OK with just playing my digital music in the office where I have a modest system that works well with it, and using my reference system for analog where that works well. This is supposed to be fun for me and a source for relaxation. The digital part has not been fun and relaxing. I won't blame Naim nor Apple now. I'll just accept the simple fact they don't integrate well, so it isn't suited for me at this time.

I use my reference system for analog over 90% of the time anyway. It sounds far better that way.