Mac Mini as uPNP server ...and renderer?

Posted by: Innocent Bystander on 11 July 2015

My original NAS needed replacing - unacceptably noisy, and My ND5XS dropped it periodically, requiring reboot of both.

 

Wanting a silent solution I considered QNAP, but went In end for Mac Mini as near silent but with more potential, in particular the chance to try Audirvana, being intrigued at  some people's conclusion that it sounds better than NDS/NDX, so with secondhand MM at similar cost to QNAP I'd have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

 

I put Servio on the MM, and as a uPNP server the combination is excellent - simply works, no hang ups at all in three weeks of use (unlike previous NAS), ND5XS finds it instantly, as do all other connected devices, and so quiet I can't hear it from my listening position. So, very pleased, a real success as a server, with the benefit of potential for other uses.

 

Then I tried Audirvana, into Hugo's HiRes usb port. And by retaining my old NAS in service so as to allow Audirvana to run dedicated, I could do easy AB comparisons simply switching the Hugo between Audirvana on usb and the ND5 on coax digital input. I have to say I was expecting something so close as to require extended listening to evaluate, but in fact the difference was quite marked!

 

However by a significant margin it was the ND5XS that sounded better, Audirvana sounding as if a veil was drawn over the music. 

 

So whilst Audirvana didn't live up to expectations, I am very happy with the Mac Mini as  a NAS/ uPNP server, and so quite content with my purchase.

 

Maybe others who have found Audirvana to be better could suggest tweaks, in case I've set up wrongly?

 

For ref, the MM is late 2012, i5, 8GB RAM, and I fitted two 1GB SSDs. Audirvana set up using its own library, integer mode, other software disabled, dedicated usb output to Hugo's hi res usb input.

 

Posted on: 06 September 2015 by Zeny
Naim oversamples 16x so to level the playing ground, you need to set audirvana to upsample to at least 2x. If you do this the SQ gap between the two will become a lot less. This is what I have found in my own tests.
Posted on: 06 September 2015 by dayjay
Originally Posted by Hanover33:

you might think about two improvements for the mm that i use:

 

1. USB Regen - from UpTone Audio, is a new, inexpensive item that solve the USB isolation/power issues.

 

2. Linear Power Supply kit for Mac Mini  als from UpTone Audio, is like a PowerLine for the Mac Mini - there is a huge difference in SQ in my experience from using this.

 

I have the same set up except that I have a SuperUniti - so I also use an Audiophilleo 1 with pure power to do USB / SPDIF conversion.

 

There is a very interesting community over at Computeraudiophile.com with lots of discussion on optimizing music servers.  They've even started to discover Naim.

Hanover33, how have you found the regen, has it made much difference?  Been looking at it with a view to ordering later this month

Posted on: 06 September 2015 by Innocent Bystander

The Gustard U12 is a similar price to the Uptone USB Regen, or a tad cheaper in UK, with the difference that it is a converter to SPDIF, so good for  Hugo which is better on SPDIF input. 

 

As for power supplies, I need some convincing as to why they might be worthwhile once using an isolator - and my MM running Audirvana, through  Gustard U12 is better than ND5XS: I haven't tried power supplies because, given my skepticism with no means of trying before buying, I don't feel like risking the cost- however if they were to give a noticeable improvement the MM combination would have SQ way in excess of ND5XS.

Posted on: 12 September 2015 by Jude2012
Originally Posted by Zeny:
Naim oversamples 16x so to level the playing ground, you need to set audirvana to upsample to at least 2x. If you do this the SQ gap between the two will become a lot less. This is what I have found in my own tests.

Interesting idea.

 

However are you certain that the upsampling is done before data enters the DAC in Naim standalone DAC products and Streamers products?  

 

From what you saying the inference is that a stand alone DAC (such as the V1) needs upsampled dats to enter it and a Streamer (such as the NDS) up samples data once received by it.

 

 

 

Jude 

Posted on: 12 September 2015 by Zeny
If i'm not mistaken all naim source oversamples by 16x. Audirvana in bitperfect mode does not sound as good as naim. You can try set upsampling 2x in audirvana and report back your experience.
Posted on: 12 September 2015 by Jude2012

Zeny,

 

I've played with upsampling in Audirvana 1.4, 1.5 and 2.2.

 

In all cases some tracks were better,  others were worse. Even the ones that sounded better were only marginally so.  Therefore, I keep upsampling in Audirvana off.  

 

I also understand that that in the case of the Naim DAC and V1 upsampling is handled by the SHARC DSP code and processor , which are part of the DAC architecture. (I.e.once the data is received).  Unless of course I am getting oversampling and upsampling mixed up.

 

 

Jude

Posted on: 12 September 2015 by Zeny

Yes i believe the naim dac and V1 oversamples through the SHARC. Your experience is interesting. Could you tell what settings for upsampling did you use? When I upsample 2x through A+ it sounds better than bitperfect.