NAS units compared for sound quality?

Posted by: dan-r on 26 March 2013

Has there been a comparison of NAS units based on sound quality?

For exsample I am using Netgear Ultra 2 plus dual intel atom cpu with 1 gb memory using 1 GB memory using ReadyDLNA software to use Naim ND5 XS network player.

 

I had to downgrade to 4.2.21 firmware + ReadyDLNA 1.0.25 to get it to work well with Naim.

 

Is there advantage to QNap or Synology NAS based on sound quality if you picking best hardware possible? use best cpu available with most memory for exsample?

 

still new to aspects of streaming

 

btw using Netgear ProSafe Plus 8 -port Gigabit Switch and Apple Extreme base station as router.

also using Belkin Cat 5 network cables...

 

is there a advantage to audiophile Audioquest Cat7 cables?

 

Complete system consists of McIntosh C2300 vacuum tube preamp, McIntosh MC302 solid state power amplifier, Martin Logan Spire electrostatics and of couse the Naim ND5 XS network player as main source

 

advise appreciated

 

Dan

 

 

Posted on: 26 March 2013 by Bart

Dan, I do not believe that on these fora I've ever seen anyone contend that one brand of nas sounds "better" than another.

 

There is at least one long thread on "audiophile ethernet cable," and I refer you to the search function here to find it and read it.  All of the potential issues have been raised in the past.

 

Enjoy your ND5XS!

Posted on: 26 March 2013 by dan-r
Originally Posted by Bart:

Dan, I do not believe that on these fora I've ever seen anyone contend that one brand of nas sounds "better" than another.

 

There is at least one long thread on "audiophile ethernet cable," and I refer you to the search function here to find it and read it.  All of the potential issues have been raised in the past.

 

Enjoy your ND5XS!

 

Thanks Bart LOVE the sound of the ND5XS !!!!!! thinking next upgrade be one of Naims power supplies

 

Posted on: 26 March 2013 by Simon-in-Suffolk

Dan, a couple of years ago I did some blind listening tests with my dealer on different upnp servers (some of which were in built to NASes, if you cansearch the forum I think I posted the details). Now there were subtle sonic differences of identical files when played into an early NDX. It was hard to say that 'a' was better than 'b',  but you could hear differences. 

We concluded it was down to the TCP/IP stack implementation in the respective upnp servers, and also from memory one of the upnp servers had auto configured to half duplex.

 

If you are able to hear differences between WAV and FLAC, or upnp and USB for example it is entirely logical that you can hear TCP/IP processing differences albeit subtle.

 

To be honest I keep my upnp server constant although have mutiple NASes and don't worry about it.

Its the uPNP server rather than the NAS in my expierience that gives the change unless they are combined.

 

Simon

 

 

Posted on: 27 March 2013 by dan-r

When you refer to UPnP server you are talking about software in the Naim ND5 XS or the UPnP software used by the NAS unit?

 

Guess part of my question is who has best UpnP/DLNA software on NAS when it comes to best sound quality.

 

Dan

Posted on: 27 March 2013 by PinkHamster

Dan,

yes, Simon is refering to the server software running on the NAS.

I won't say that Simon and his dealer have become victims of autosuggestion, but from a purely technical point of view, the NAS and also the server software should not be audible.

On streaming your audio device is filling a buffer from which it will feed its DAC. Anything that happens before the buffer is therefore decoupled from the audio processing.

This can be easily illustrated by pulling the network cable plug during plaback. The music will continuoe to play for a good 20 to 30 seconds - from the buffer! No server or NAS involved!

 

The only thing I can think of that could somehow influence this processing are electrical interferences. So if the buffer is fed differently by different NAS/CAT cables/server software, this could induce electrical effects. But this is 100% speculation and I am not a techie.

The server is primarily responsible for the comfort of use. How does it handle different tags and which tags does it recognize at all. How does it handle cover art. etc.

Common sensus seems to be that Asset is very good server, but I couldn't tell you if this is installable on a Linux machine (most NAS run Linux). I am very happy a QNAP NAS, especially as I can run Logitech Media Server, which I mandatorily need for my Squeezeboxes. Here it does an absolutely brilliant job. It will also happily acts as a UPnP server and should perform just as well there.