CD or Unitiserve for Superuniti?

I used to have a UnitiServe, but to my surprise found that playing music from a Synology nas, using Minimserver as the upnp server, actually sounded better. If you rip to FLAC using dbpoweramp you won't go far wrong. I'd do that, and just use an old CD player for the occasional playback until everything is tipped. 

You should be able to stream from your Synology NAS to your SuperUniti without using an Arcam AirDAC and that's what I would suggest you get working first before deciding what to do next.  The US is a very convenient solution, which I use and am happy with myself, but objectively it's quite expensive and if you are happy ripping CDs to your NAS with your MacBook, then you might want to stick with that and add a pre-loved Naim CD player for those occasional CD plays. I reckon that could save you a thousand pounds or so.....

best

David

Thanks both.

David, the AirDAC was part of the old system, I'm streaming direct from the Synology to the SU :-)

Regards,

John

Ok well I didn't get that from your posting, but anyway I think my answer is still exactly the same. The Unitiserve isn't going to sound better your Synology; its all about the convenience, which is a perfectly sound reason for buying one. And if you want to play occasional CDs, a used CD player is going to be fine I would have thought.

best

David

I don't see the pointing buying a CD player for convenience. Putting a CD into a Unitiserve and waiting 3 minutes before you can listen to it is no great hardship. Doing the same on a PC with DBPoweramp might take a bit longer, but then you have an incentive to get them all ripped. As for sound quality, best listen and compare for yourself. I know one US user who felt it was a small improvement in SQ compared to his QNAP NAS, whereas HH, as he says above, found a NAS sounded better. 

How do I put it.... SuperUniti is good, but...

I've started with SuperUniti about 2 years ago. At that time I was blown away by the sound quality (this was my first NAIM).
Currently testing 282 + SuperCap DR + 250.2 DR, being fed by NDX.

I'm not sure how telling the OP that there are things a lot better than what he has just bought, and is evidently very pleased with, is entirely helpful. There is always something better, but that's not the point. 

True - apologies. Came out a bit clumsy.

What I meant is that I still use my SuperUniti in one of the main living areas.

Initially I thought that I should run it with an external CD player (bought CD5XS). I have since sold that CD5XS as I found it a bit superfluous in that setup.
SuperUniti is a perfect one-box solutoin - just rip your CDs to a NAS drive and off you go.

The "start simple" advice is the way I'd go!

if I understand correctly, you have iTunes rips (MP3?) streaming from your Mac already. You also have a Synology NAS in the network.

First hurdle is to just copy an album from your iTunes library to the Synology music folder, install and launch the native  "media server" application on the Synology then see if you can stream to your SuperUniti from this new location. 

Once that's done, get a Mac program to start CD ripping to FLAC (many use XLD, which is great  as soon as you get going, but notice it launches with just a menu bar not a window...a bit unusual). Pick a CD, convert it to on your Mac to FLAC using all the default settings, then move the album folder over to your music folder on Synology -- and now when you stream from there, you will see two albums (the MP3 from iTunes that you copied first, and the new FLAC you just ripped and moved over).

Once you can do that, everything else is about mastering settings, checking the album tags before you hit "go", and working your way through your cd collection.

You are in great shape already. There is nothing else to do but start slowly and learn as you go. The lossless files will already sound way ahead of your iTunes MP3s and you can begin with free tools and default settings using the exact equipment and setup you have in place. A week from now you'll be an expert...really!

Congratulations and best wishes  I'm like you: the first month with a new Naim system re-invented my listening life. Enjoy!

Regards alan

Thanks Alan,

Good advice and correct in all but that I have never ripped to MP3, even from iTunes, always Apple Lossless and my library is already on the Synology(s).

Evaluating dbPoweramp and will add XLD to the programme. Agree developing a consistent, long-term workflow will make a big difference when it comes to ripping the remainder of my CD's.

A CD player is beginning to look like poor RoI/TCO, although a US in the listening room might offer ease of us advantages - no computer in that location - but as previous posters point out, only at a not insignificant cost!

And again, thanks to all for your helpful and illuminating posts.

Regards,

John

ChrisSU posted:

I don't see the pointing buying a CD player for convenience. Putting a CD into a Unitiserve and waiting 3 minutes before you can listen to it is no great hardship. Doing the same on a PC with DBPoweramp might take a bit longer, but then you have an incentive to get them all ripped. As for sound quality, best listen and compare for yourself. I know one US user who felt it was a small improvement in SQ compared to his QNAP NAS, whereas HH, as he says above, found a NAS sounded better. 

It depends what your attitude is to ripping CDs that you don't own.  Personally I think that I should only keep music I have paid for, so ripping something if I want to play a borrowed CD or a CD a friend has come round with would also mean remembering to delete it later, which is all too much faff for me, hence I bought an ex-demo CD player for that purpose.

But it's a personal choice of course.

best

David

I feed my Superuniti with UnitiServe and an SACD player. The latter comes in handy when the U-Serve is feeling hormonal and won't speak to the SU. Get both! :-). 

In my second system, which is a Superuniti into Neat Elite SX speakers, I don't have a CD player but, for those occasions I do wish to listen to a CD, I simply use my DVD player which is connected via Toslink optical cable into the Superuniti, thus using the Superuniti's DAC.
It's sounds quite OK.

I would go for an Auralic Aries Mini after ripping job is done....it gives you analog and digital out, internal disk or NAS support.

+1 to Alans post but as a rule I'd stick to AIFF or ALAC files on a Mac based system (as you currently do) rather than FLAC. There is no quality difference between them and Macs just play better with their native formats. Why complicate things?

Have used Apple lossless to date. Will try FLAC before starting the 'big rip'.

Thanks for suggestions.

KR, J

Ive been using iTunes for ripping to WAV files for a while now. They seem on par with files generated by other apps using bit perfect methods. But then again, my ears are not as good as they used to be.. I suppose.

Thanks Dan, me too with the ears.

I've been ripping using iTunes, Apple Lossless, to a remote iTunes library on my Synology NAS.

Based on comments elsewhere on the forum, I've installed the Synology native version on minimserver on the NAS - bit of a pfaff; install MS - fail, install Java Manager, install Java and install MS, then find where Synology hides the library folder.

Might be the King's new clothes, but it does seem to sound better than Synology Media Server. Like others, album art is a bit hit and miss, but then, in my case, that's also true for SMS and iTunes.....

Apologies is this has wandered a bit off topic, but the experience only serves to reinforce my thoughts that a CD player isn't really necessary any more.

Thanks again to everyone who's taken the time to support a Naim newbie!

Cheers, John

Dan.S posted:

Ive been using iTunes for ripping to WAV files for a while now. They seem on par with files generated by other apps using bit perfect methods. But then again, my ears are not as good as they used to be.. I suppose.

Dan ... just a small warning ... ripping to WAV via iTunes can be a bag of trouble as there is no meta-data stored.  Converting to Apple Lossless or AIFF from within iTunes should see the metadata written to the files (similar to the HDX converting files to FLAC).

All, so sorted now. 

Bought an ex dem CD5si and will save up for a Unitiserve. Might take long enough for the US platform to be upgraded away from the DigiFi architecture :-)

Thanks all for taking the time to help, advise and guide.

KR, J

Good choices!