Notes From Setting Up A UnitiServe-SSD On An Apple Network

Over the last couple of years I have replaced my CDX with what amounts to a deconstructed HDX - started with a n-DAC with music stored on my iMac (ripped using Phileaudio played back via Fidelia and out to the n-DAC via a Musical Fidelity 192), then moved the music library to a NAS and now finally added a US-SSD.  I wanted the serve rather than a streamer as fundamentally I have a problem with the idea of buying an integrated streamer only to see the DAC by-passed from day one out to the n-DAC - complete waste.  The US-SSD then, having no DAC or storage of its own is the perfect partner.

The fundamental issue I had was the initial setup of the US.  I'm running OSX 10.11.2 (El Capitan) and Safari 9.0.2.  Although I had downloaded the n-Serve app (OSX) to my iMac and had hard wired it to the network with Cat 6 cable it couldn't see it.  The rudimentary instruction booklet just says open up a browser the in NSSRVxxxx (last 4 characters being the last 4 MAC characters address) and you'll be fine - not so.  After hours of this I finally gave in and loaded the Desktop Client onto my works Windows laptop and clicked search and up pops the US straight away.  So once connection was established, and confirmation that everything was on the same network etc (one issue I had was non knowing whether the US should be connected (as I had assumed) directly to the NAS (WD EX4100) or to a router and from there to the NAS - it turns out to be the latter) I returned to Safari on the iMac.

The best I got was after running an app on my iPhone  (Net Analyzer (American spelling)) I found the IP address for the US and entered that into Safari.  That then brought up the basic framework but not the buttons for running the US.  I then switched to Google Chrome and that worked.  So basically from out of the box the US and Safari are not on speaking terms.  Equally, now the US had been identified so the n-Serve OSX app could also see the US and that also worked.

The problem appears to be the fundamental issue of Windows and OSX not talking - but I'm no expert in this.  You would think however in this day and age there would either be greater work on what is meant to be UPnP kit or at least more detailed instructions for Mac users of which there are a few of us out there now - we are used to a very intuitive environment not one that looks like something from Win 3.1.  Definitely a case of 'could do better Naim'.

So after all that is it worth the switch?  Absolutely delighted with the US-SSD.  CD's ripped by it are better, but perhaps fundamentally as I don't need the Mac running in the background, the room is quieter.  I have even found a new use for my old iPad1 which now runs an old version of the n-serve iOS app as a remote left permanently in the room.  I still find it an odd quirk as to why you need one folder for ripped music and one for downloaded music (as opposed to placing everything in one folder and asking Fidelia to rescan the library) but nevertheless it works well enough.  My life is now spent re-ripping countless CD's and will then need to decide whether to delete the original library.