Mu-so Qb as a wireless music server

Posted by: Basil Inc. on 05 April 2016

Yes you read that right - server not streamer. I was doing the usual introduction to Naim demos this morning in the Basil store with a customer when I inadvertently left a USB stick in the Mu-so Qb when I switched to the NDS/500/Ovator system with the Qb still as master - at first I was a bit surprised to hear the music on the 'stick from the big system but duh! of course it would - everything in the store is nearly always in multiroom mode anyway. I haven't delved deeply into the sound quality yet but it seems fine and anyway bits are bits at least until they get to the router, right?

The interesting thing is that I had just received this new 256G stick at the weekend and it cost less than $50. It should hold 500 CDs ripped to FLAC. That, together with the fact that the Mu-so Qb being wireless might be in a more convenient place to access than their main system for some people, means this could be an inexpensive alternative solution to a full hard disk based server for some setups, either temporarily or even permanently.

Jeremy

Posted on: 05 April 2016 by Adrian_P

Jeremy, I'm not so sure 'bits are bits': if the Qb is master and the NDS slave then wouldn't the NDS only get 320k MP3 rather than FLAC?

Posted on: 05 April 2016 by Harry

Depends what is on the stick. A downside is the ugly navigation in the streaming app when reading a USB stick, unless they've smartened it up.

Posted on: 05 April 2016 by Basil Inc.

Adrian_P posted:
Jeremy, I'm not so sure 'bits are bits': if the Qb is master and the NDS slave then wouldn't the NDS only get 320k MP3 rather than FLAC?

Hi Adrian,

CDs ripped to 16/44.1 will go through also 24bit/48kHz for example - there is no downconversion but the transfer over wi-fi is limited to 48kHz maximum rate stream.

Jeremy

Posted on: 05 April 2016 by Jan-Erik Nordoen

When in Multiroom mode the master will play at the native rate, but broadcasts at 320kbps MP3 quality.

Not sure that I would want that as a permanent solution...

Posted on: 05 April 2016 by Adrian_P

Yes, that was my understanding, Jan-Erik. And since you would not want the NDS playing MP3 it would be better to put the USB stick in the NDS. MP3 on the QB is probably acceptable.

Posted on: 05 April 2016 by Adam Zielinski

The multiroom mode is currently available for files at 44.1 kHz, even via a wired network.

and by the way 'bits are not just bits'....

Posted on: 05 April 2016 by Jan-Erik Nordoen

Adam Zielinski posted:
The multiroom mode is currently available for files at 44.1 kHz, even via a wired network.

Multiroom via wired network ? I thought that Naim only provides it via wi-fi, hence the limitation to 320 kbps MP3.

Posted on: 05 April 2016 by Andrew Everard

Jan-Erik Nordoen posted:
Adam Zielinski posted:
The multiroom mode is currently available for files at 44.1 kHz, even via a wired network.
Multiroom via wired network ? I thought that Naim only provides it via wi-fi, hence the limitation to 320 kbps MP3.

Nope, it's available via Wi-Fi or cabled Ethernet.

Posted on: 05 April 2016 by Adam Zielinski

Jan-Erik Nordoen posted:
Adam Zielinski posted:
The multiroom mode is currently available for files at 44.1 kHz, even via a wired network.
Multiroom via wired network ? I thought that Naim only provides it via wi-fi, hence the limitation to 320 kbps MP3.

I can confirm from my own experience - multiroom mode is available via LAN, with 4 streamers inmy case. Any of the streamers can become a controller for the rest. Playback is limited to digital sources, available from the network i.e. Internet radio, NAS content (inmy case administered by US SSD).