Unitiserve addition to NDX

As good as the US is,  I would go straight to NAS, no hesitation.  

Outside of the ripper the US is simply a pair of hard disks. An NAS is just the same or better depending on how the RAID is set up. 

If your benchmark SQ is downloading music on line, thats why you hear such a difference compared to what you heard at the audition. The dealer will have loaded FLAC or WAV files no wonder you heard a difference, especially so if they were Hi-Res 24/96 or 24/192,

I have just taken delivery of my NDX & have it hooked up with a Synology DS214 (NAS) 

The connections are ethernet cables from NAS to a switch(router) & on to the NDX

I was advised to go for a good grade HD & was recommended WD Red, I have 2x 2TB & with 400+ albums loaded WAV files,  its only 12% full !!!!.  

I rip using both an external drive & my laptop's drive via dBpoweramp, an excellent & easy to use system & with so many included features.

By hooking into your internet router you will also be able to get internet radio with its 100,000 & more stations.  Some are pushing out 320kbps & really sound so good, especially if you can find a live broadcast.

Good luck with the new toy,  its a compulsive enjoyment machine. 

Just to quickly correct Mike, the U-Serve has only one HD, the HDX has two.

I would also disagree with Mike on his flippant comments on the simplicity of it being a HD. I have seen a U-Serve's guts at my dealers and there certainly is quite a difference in architecture to a "simple" NAS. The U-Serve is a dedicated audio server, a NAS is not.

And in addition, from my experience comparing the U-Serve to my WD Nas there is a slight difference in sound quality, in that the music is tighter and freer, others have also commented that they have heard a difference for the better.

The question is are you willing to spend that money on it, also remember you will need to purchase a NAS anyway for your backups. The other major benefit of the U-Serve is its ability to rip to WAV, this combination is the optimised method for streaming in the Naim streaming range, and some people have also said they have heard a difference here. But as you are not ripping either and the NDX can provide you with I Radio, the U-Serve is looking quite expensive.

You just need to test the difference yourself.

Jason.

I'd definitely not characterize the uServe this way; it's a very sophisticated music server, and pairs phenomenally well with Naim players.  That said, its basic server functionality can be had with a good nas.  Meaning, a good nas can serve music too.  In either event, backup is needed.

I am happy with my uServe (it serves both a Qute2 and an NDS), but would not criticize anyone for concluding that they'd rather spend the money somewhere else and get just a good nas.

OK Jason & Bart,  I need to back off & appologise. Re-reading my post it does not sound very complimentary & I was not in any way inferring as such.    

What I was trying to say was outside of the ripping function it is a music storage system similar to a NAS.  

The OP was looking for a lower cost alternative & a NAS will do this.   

My system finally came together after a few years of faffing around when I got the UnitiServ SSD. To me, it's essential. I suspect Naim has some optimizations on both ends to make it what it is.

These threads always separate out the US owners from the non US owners. 

Without the US I probably wouldn't have jumped into streaming so quickly.

At the time when I got my US, I had a Uniti, and how best to rip a CD for best SQ was really confusing to me.

Im not bad with computers, but in our house the computer is usually off and we don't have a laptop in the living room.

So now when I buy a CD, within minutes it is ripped and available to my SuperUniti ( i upgraded from Uniti to SU once I realised that the US was rock solid - for me at least - and i didnt need a CD player any more) to stream without me even switching my PC on.

For me the convenience and hassle free experience is why I'm very happy with my US.

I have a NAS for back up, which is scheduledautomatically from the US each week, so again, I dont even have to think about securing all of my data.

And when I do download a hi res album, then the PC will be on, before I transfer the file to the NAS, and the US picks it up again making it available through nStream.

You will need a back up solution whichever way you go.

Yes, it's expensive, and there are alternative ways to do it, but for me, I wouldn't change the US to start ripping via my PC.

I think it just depends how your 'workflow' is when ripping / downloading CD's.

If your PC / laptop are always on and handily available, and one is comfortable with PC's, sure, NAS solution will probably be for you.

But I think you asked about sound quality, right?

Divisive question! 

Maybe the US does sound slightly better, but there are just as many folks that will say they hear no difference.

I think it all comes down to budget, convenience, and how PC's/ laptops feature in people's lives!

(and you won't be ripping CD's....)

I'd say that if you can afford the serve, then get it. You'll still need a NAS for backup though.

Thanks guys for all the chat about the UServe,  I put in my order 4 days ago for the SSD version to use my Synology 411+.  I'm having such problems trying to use iTunes to the 411 and am missing CDs.  I'm really looking for convenience and I have a bare spot on one shelf just right for a shoebox.

So my question is I ripped most everything to AIFF, (I was pretty confused at all the debate over file formats back then), will the US  turn those into WAV?  2 years ago I just wanted best sound but now  I want a seamless transfer.

The uServe won't convert previously-ripped files, but it will transcode in real time (during playback) to wav.  If that's what you're interested in.  For general conversion, you can use XLD on your Mac. 

No need for an apology, Mike!  I do not have MUCH emotional attachment to my UnitiServe   Some financial attachment for sure, and it does make simple work of all the essential functions!