Spotify Connect Arrives for Naim Streamers

Spotify is 320k because that is what works for most people. Up until very recently it was mainly a peer-to-peer network and so lossless formats would have had too great an impact on its members bandwidth to be viable.

It has been moving to centralised servers and so I would expect a higher quality offering as domestic bandwidth in general increases.

Meanwhile, the interface and ability to share are second-to-none. More ways to enjoy music - either by yourself or with others.

Soundcloud is fun. Try that too.

You are right on the button!

I don't think Spotify is intended to listen to music seriously. I use it for background music when doing other things and when discovering new music

Often when I listen to radio I find a song interesting. Wait until the moderator says who is playing just to forget it before you had the chance to write it down? No, just lunch Shazam on your iPhone/iPad/Android Phone/PC and it will recognize it within seconds. Save the tag for later or tap "listen on Spotify" and it will stream on your Hifi. A very good way to discover new music. If I like an album/song, I still can buy it on cd/download it. For me a new and great way to discover music...

...Yep, Souncloud is fun, and sometimes at CD quality.

Spotify is awsome if you accept it for what it is. You can have rock solid Spotify with its big catalogue and user friendly app, or flakey Qobuz, which lacks these things but sounds better.

Keith

One thing that is great about SoundCloud is the way artists have their own areas to share what they want to with you.

For example, Radiohead alone have 1.5m followers on SoundCloud. I would be a bit surprised if the whole of Qobuz has one fifth of that many users worldwide.

Internet music has moved on. Who really cares about Qobuz? Naim have done right here. They should add Qobuz too though.

I love the fact that I'm getting spotify on the NDS. Now if they only would add party mode to NDS too.

Right now you need the Naim App and Spotify App. Is it likely Naim will ever support the type of single app aggregated search you have just described?

Unable to Play Spotify

I have SuperUniti and UnitiQute 2, I updated firmware on both units, I can play Spotify on SuperUniti, but the UnitiQute is not showing up in my Spotify App. 

The Input Spotify is visible, enabled, and it all seems to be in place, but when I click on the speaker icon, I can only see my SuperUniti. 

Any Ideas?

Lossy, compressed crap. Which is fair enough since that's exactly what it is.

A waste of any good streamer. But at least the facility now exists for any who want to use it. So that's all right then.

Ok, got it working, had to fecking install Yosemite.  FYI the software will not work with OSX 10.6.8 as I found out.  Now I have to delete Yosemite and revert to OSX in order for my old Photoshop software to work - I hate IT.....

The Spotify function is spot on though, thanks a lot to Naim!

320 radio is pretty much as good as it gets at the moment.  Not ideal perhaps, but we haven't a cure for the common cold or cancer yet either so 320 is not the end of the world

320 is not a waste of a good streamer at all.  For those who want to broaden their pop tastes (don't even bother to look at Spotify for Classical, it's hopeless) then it probably offers sufficiently acceptable quality to do that, or provide background music.  But its not "synthetic" or "crap"; that's just pompous.  Its just lower quality

And for the poster who asked whether a Ford was as good as a BMW, I'd say no and I've had both.

Wouldn't it be a surprise if this was not where they wanted to get to?

Sonos also allows multiple accounts to be logged into each service at once. So different people's playlists, favourites etc are all available in one shared place.

It remains the gold standard to which others aspire but of course there has been a very serious investment to get there.

+1, except I am rooting for Tidal or Deezer.  Or for Qobuz to get well and cross the Atlantic. I would take any or all, but have zero interest in going back to Spotify.

Am happy for those who find Spotify fun to listen to, and I am trying not to sound like an audio snob, but I just can't unhear the improved sound quality that switching to lossless streaming has brought.

ATB.

Hook

320 is not a waste at all in my opinion. I use it all the time to discover new music and artists for $10 a month. If I find something I want to explore further I buy the CD or in my next audio phase a lossless download. i can't think of a better value to allow me to trial an almost unlimited variety of music. 

There is so much more contemporary music and interaction with friends on Spotify than say Qobuz that to dimiss it as synthetic or crap is quite parochial and means spend your streaming time discovering less new music on your own.

These mist covered mountaaaains...[lossless]

OK HH, Sticking with SONOS/Deezer(44./16)/NDAC and UnitiServe SSD/NDAC on the streaming side for now. Cheers.

+1, I've had it since its free days and my family use it a lot. I spent a couple of hours listening to Catfish and the Bottlemen on it this week and realised I like them enough to buy the album. When I do buy it it will sound better than it did on spotify which is fine because spotify through my Naim is more than good enough for me to test it before I spend my money and its decent enough for my son or for background music at parties etc.

Spotify no doubt fills a need for some and a wallet for others

For classical music listeners seeking new stuff Audiophile Classical at 320 is free and excellent, and relief through the day from the interminable "celebrity guests" who witter on all day these days on the once great Radio 3

FWIW as I type, Audiophile is paying a piece by Sir Eugene Goossens I which is new to me and will make me explore his work more.  Er, he's not on Spotify!!

You are basically moaning because you had to update software as old as windows XP. The reality is, if you want to swim with the cool kids, you need to upgrade your software like at least once in a while, and perhaps not moan about it.

When I had Muso, Spotify connect worked in relatively smooth fashion over wifi. Integration was good. On some albums (apparently well recorded and non-congested ones) 320k streaming from Spotify were sounding better than some 320k iRadio stations we all know and listen to. I concur that Naim’s decision to go with Spotify is a sensible and functional one, given its wide outreach currently.

Wouldn’t I prefer Tidal or Qubuz over Spotify sure I would. Who wouldn't? But I do not have their streaming service in Hong Kong. And do not think they will be available here any time soon. Maybe Spotify and Naim have a trick up their sleeve. I wouldn’t be surprised if Spotify start full fat streaming like Tidal or Qubuz in near future for an additional cost of course.

Btw, thanks a bunch to all good Samaritans out there who are willingly running and testing f/w 4.1 on their network players. Before I mess with my UQ2 I say to myself wait, wait, wait annd     

The 320kbs vs. CD quality is interesting, but doesn't apply to Spotify. Until relatively recently, most of its catalogue was not 320kbs. This does explain why Radio Paradiise sounds pretty good and Spotify often sounds dull.

Sadly, the Naim app doesn't tell us the stream quality of the latter.

Also, make sure that the Spotify Connect volume is on full If you want to hear it at the best sound quality.

Keith