Forgive me if this is a stupid question.
I stream to my Qute 2 from a NAS drive. I use Minim which has been installed on a good Vaio laptop until last weekend when its HD drive died. I've also used a External HD hanging off the Vaio as a source.
I've replaced the Vaio, temporarily at least, with an old Dell, wired to my BT Homehub5 router which is collected by a Netgear extender and wired into the Qute, as was the Vaio. It is streaming OK with Minim with exactly the same settings as before but to my ears doesn't sound quite as good, rougher at the top for example.
Am I just imaging it or can the computer collecting the data for Minim really change things?
If I'm not, should I look for another laptop for the music, but if I do what should I look for?
Or is there a more elegant solution without paying the earth?
As I say, If these are idiot questions, please say and I'll go back in my box!
Many thanks
JSH
Posted on: 17 February 2016 by ChrisSU
Maybe the computer is electrically noisier than your other one. You could try installing a UPnP server on your NAS instead, and eliminating it completely, although some seem to believe that it's better to run the server on a separate device, for reasons I won't pretend to understand.
Posted on: 17 February 2016 by Simon-in-Suffolk
Hi JSH, I have written about this over the years.. The SQ of the streamer can be affected by the TCP parameters used by the media streamer OS, as well the performance of the media server platform.
therefore just like you I have found different media server platforms whether they be NASs, micro servers, PCs etc can sound different despite using the same UPnP software.
So I am afraid it's another variable.
I personally prefer a RPi v 1 running Asset, above other options on PCs, RPi v2 or NASes. The SQ difference is subtle but noticeable, especially on familiar tracks. It may be on future Naim firmware these differences get diluted however.
Simon
Posted on: 18 February 2016 by Adam Zielinski
Try installing the music server software directly on NAS, and stream from there. This way you bypass the laptop / PC altogether.
Minim has comprehensive instructions on how to do it.
Posted on: 18 February 2016 by Harry
I don't have a direct comparison for you but I can say that when I took the HDX (which is a PC) out of my chain and ran Minimserever from a NAS into the streamer, the improvement was significant. There are a huge number of variables in most systems and many of them seem to make a difference. In the final analysis it's down to your ears. If you think there's a difference there is. If you like it, it's an improvement. If not then not. Changing it again will doubtless take the sound somewhere else, if only by small degrees.
Posted on: 18 February 2016 by JSH
Many thanks to everyone as usual for their helpful replies. It's reassuring to know that it was not quite an idiot question and that I wasn't imagining the difference in SQ.
I'll look into the install Minim on NAS options, though the last time I looked there you needed a Synology or QNAP NAS and mine is a WD. It does have a upnp of its own but it looks pretty basic with no transcoding but perhaps I'll listen to it again and trust my ears as Harry suggests
Once again many thanks
