Is a Ripnas any good?

What I really like about the Naim servers is the software, unless you have certain features you miss, the server software is extremely stable, the only thing that can take a server down are network issues, and still you have the music on the server independent of the network. The Iradio is a simple way to get internet radio. With the Ripnas or a Drobo nas, I would go for the drobo, you still need a streamer, and if you go for a Naim streamer the price is the same. I really like my ns01 but it costs more money, but either they do not sell as well as the Userve or there seems to be more hardware issues for Userve owners.

Thanks. I'd use it with a Naim streamer of some sort. I can't find a drobo with the ripper as part of the box. The appeal of the ripnas is that you can get a 4TB version for £1,000 less than the UServe. In life you do get what you pay for of course, but I'm wondering if anyone actually has a ripnas, and compared it to the uServe? Do they sound the same? I'm a bit of a numpty with computers, so it would need to be simple!!

Sorry Nigel, but I don't have any first hand knowledge of Ripnas.  It does seem to get pretty good reviews and owner comments though.

I hear what you say about computers, but I still think (with a bit of help on initial setup) that you could easily learn enough about Media Monkey or dbpoweramp or JRMC to be able to rip and tag your CD collection.  These packages are only intimidating on first glance, and I think you will find that once a friend gets you properly set up, that these software products can be almost as easy to use as an appliance.

This would also let you shift most of your rip&tag budget to playback, where it can have a much greater impact on sound quality.

Congrats on your decision to move to streaming.  Expect some bumps in the road, but in the end, you will experience a big change in how you listen. All of a sudden, your entire collection will be "in current rotation". iRadio and Spotify are also great fun.  Please keep us updated on how you progress!

Best of luck!

Hook

I have used Ripnas for quite some time and except for a hard disk failure, they worked very well. Ripnas uses dbPoweramp for accurate ripping, which is seen as a very reliable ripper.

As far as I am informed, the new version of Ripnas can now even act as a streamer. 

RipNas is a comercial version of building your own server using Asset UPnP / dbpoweramp on HFX hardware. It is well regarded, works well and although a little pricey is worth considering. You can buy the cheaper AssetNAS versions on the continent far more cheaply or build your own PC and install the software. RipNAS products have always worked as UPnP servers and IMHO together with Vortexbox offer more functionality than the UnitiServe or HDX at a considerable saving in terms of cost.

Tog

Hello Nigel,

I would add sound quality to your key criteria, as IME all computer sources do not sound the same... unfortunately. In computer playback, as in CD and LP playback, everything matters, even the computer's power supply...

I am obviously going to recommend the UnitiServe. I have tried other computer sources into the Naim DAC and the Audiolab M-DAC (both via S/PDIF co-ax) and the UnitiServe comes out well ahead. Music is simply more solid, more real, with a stronger sense of what the musician is doing. It gets even better when you use the UnitiServe as a UPnP source.

I moved from the CDS2/XPS to the UnitiServe and Naim DAC ; the difference is huge. If I were starting out today, I would go straight to UPnP streaming using the UnitiServe and one of the DACs equipped with a streaming client (ND5x and up).

Jan

If I do go this route, it will be with a SuperUniti. Does the Serve really sound better? It would certainly be the neatest option, but at a price!! 

had ripnas for nearly 4 yrs still works perfectly ripped 3000 plus cds

In my experience, the Serve really does sound better. FWIW, over at HiFi Critic, Jason Kennedy has compared the Mac 'n DAC approach to the Serve and DAC and he seems convinced that the Serve brings a lot more solidity and reality to the presentation.

I really would like to find a less expensive ripper-server that does everything that the UnitiServe does and that sounds as good, but no luck so far.

As always, only your ears can tell for sure. Perhaps your Naim dealer can set up a demo comparing the SuperUniti fed from the UnitiServe vs fed from a NAS.

Jan

I've used a Ripnas for over 2 years now.  Ripped close to 3000 CDs without any problem.

Have not compared it to a Unitiserve.  Works very well as the UPnP server to my NDS.

Hmm, interesting. If you use a ripnas with a Uniti, can you still control it with the iPod/Pad app?

I use NStream on the IPad to select music to play.

Looking at the RipNas website, I note that it uses the Sonata database, which seems to be very well set up for classical music, notably the ability to search by composer surname. Although nStream classifies (because of the AMG database) by first name, the search function will look at the full text string. So composers can be found by surname, but it's slower. The RipNas is definitely cheaper, but the maintenance contract is 120 pounds for one year. Can this be extended? The UnitiServe warranty is 5 years. My UnitiServe has been in to the shop twice in three years, no charge. During the first visit to fix a stuck-in-boot-mode problem, the distributor also changed the front panel (no charge) for the newer version with a small hole for manually ejecting a stuck disk (has happened twice in three years). 

Jan

The five year warranty is definitely an appeal, and the fact that if it's all Naim it should be easier to get help if (when?) I get confused! It's just shame that the serve is so pricey. It does look nice though - I think a setup with just a suniti and a serve would look very discreet, and should sound good too. Baa (that's me being a Naim sheep).

You'll also get get Phil Harris' ability to remotely log into your Serve, should the need arise.

Jan

Fellow even-toed ungulate.

Wow. Will he pop round to make the dinner - Salisbury is only an hour's drive from my house?

Hi Nigel

Neil from up the road here. I have had a SU from the end of 2011 and it is a very capable machine indeed. Internet radio has so many options. As regards the device for ripping and storing your music, I have been using an old Mac Mini that has a DVD drive so it is able to rip the CDs and  store the  music on an external drive. I have had Macs for years but it is a learning curve and the nightmare of losing data from poor back up is constant nightmare. All digital data will infuriate you at points Nigel. All have there pros and cons, their swings and roundabouts. But I would never go back, the rewards are great.

Hoping your journey is a smooth one. 

Regards

Neil

I'll bow out now, before someone accuses me of being a sheep...dog.

The journey is well worth it and we're here to help,

ATB

Jan

Thanks everyone. I just need to work out how to run wires, and where to keep all those pesky CDs! Once my CD player goes, I'll have a few weeks to sort it all out before the server arrives. 

Nigel you do move fast! Going with the SuperUniti then? Super choice. 

Hoping there are only little bumps along the way (be patient).

Neil

Luckily I have a son who built his own computer, and a geeky friend who use to work in IT. But hopefully it will all be quite simple! The SuperUniti is a great machine. The only shortcoming I have found is that when the display goes off, it's either blank or shows the time. The pointyheads at Naim need to tweak it so you can have a random choice of inspirational Morrissey lyrics appearing at intervals. 

... and if you don't get the UnitiServe, the SU will display : "The more you ignore me the closer you get" then "Someday it's gonna happen"...

Where to keep the cd's after they have been ripped is a problem for me.  My wife REALLY wants to toss them out in the rubbish.  I think that if I cleared out some other stuff, she'd not be focused on the cd's.  But she'd be happy if I got rid of them, that's for sure.  They are in boxes that seemingly always get in the way.

Believe me, I hope that I NEVER need them (that is, never have to re-rip them).  But I don't know . . . I just cannot be sure that will be the case.  But at this point only 1/2 of my total music is represented by ripped cd's; the rest is hard drive files only.  I think that I will get to the point where the plastic discs truly are redundant based on multiple backups of .wav rips.

Nigel

Do you have an iPhone/iPad? If you don't then an iPad Mini/iPad will really open up the US & SU.

Regards

Neil

As it happens, we visited John Lewis today and I'm now the proud owner of an iPad. It's great, and controls the Suniti really well. But if I put the Suniti on a wired connection and turn off the wireless, it won't control it, which is odd. Should it work?