Which NAS?

Only your ears can tell you which sounds better.
I use a Naim HDX but also have a QNap NAS running Assett server.
When I stream through a Linn DS, I'm not 100% sure which sounds better, although I tend to prefer the HDX but I'm not sure why....
I bought a fairly basic RAM model and have had no issues streaming anything so far. I guess the same would apply to Synology. Sorry, not sure what the Synology runs as standard.

BPhotographer posted:

The Synology 213j has only 512MB RAM, is it enough? (I will use it only for streaming  audio to the NDS, no other apps).

What's the name of the UPnP server built-in synology's app?

512MB RAM is way more than enough for streaming audio.  I have a Synology DS214 & it has  Marvell Armada XP CPU,  Dual Core 1.066 GHz processor & 512MB.      Playing a 16/44 the CPU is running around 1% to 8% & RAM is 18%.   Playing 24/192 the CPU hovers around the same low level but will go up to 15%,  RAM is pretty constant with 18%.      

The Synology pre-installed UPnP server is called "Media Server"    it does a good job & is easy to use in all respects except gapless transcoding:  It plays gapless linked tracks with WAV faultlessly,  it also has no problems playing gapless with all the other formats when playing natively (FLAC played as FLAC).  

I dont' think NAS would necessarily be better. However... Every piece of equipment introduces some degree of electrical noise into the system (mostly from it's power supply). 

So, with a risk of oversimplyfing things, I would hazard a guess that as long as you have your Mac Mini on a different mains ring you should be OK.  

Adam Zielinski posted:

So, with a risk of oversimplyfing things, I would hazard a guess that as long as you have your Mac Mini on a different mains ring you should be OK.  

YMMV with the "separate mains ring" thing.  Here in the States, I've never had ANY issues with home wiring.  A separate "mains ring" - seems generally much more a "thing" in the UK.  I'm sure some enthusiasts in the States go for it, but . . . absent a detectable problem, I'm not so sure I'd recommend someone hire an electrician and go to this expense.  

Bart posted:

Adam Zielinski posted:

So, with a risk of oversimplyfing things, I would hazard a guess that as long as you have your Mac Mini on a different mains ring you should be OK.  

YMMV with the "separate mains ring" thing.  Here in the States, I've never had ANY issues with home wiring.  A separate "mains ring" - seems generally much more a "thing" in the UK.  I'm sure some enthusiasts in the States go for it, but . . . absent a detectable problem, I'm not so sure I'd recommend someone hire an electrician and go to this expense.  

Popular in Europe too Seems our mains are more poluted overe here....

With something like the NDS up front i'd take a look at the Melco options too

James

PS - You have a Hugo listed in your system profile. Are you using this with the NDS (S/PDIF out) ?

Bart posted:

YMMV with the "separate mains ring" thing.  Here in the States, I've never had ANY issues with home wiring.  A separate "mains ring" - seems generally much more a "thing" in the UK.  I'm sure some enthusiasts in the States go for it, but . . . absent a detectable problem, I'm not so sure I'd recommend someone hire an electrician and go to this expense.  

In the UK (plus one or two other places) the ring main design is the common standard used for most all single phase power circuits.  At the time it was introduced back in the 1940's for the mass house building program required in post war (wrecked) UK it was a good idea as it enabled a lot less cable for more outlets per installation.  In those days an electric fire,  radio, maybe a TV & a few other domestic items was all the power circuit had to contend with.  Now with multiple everything TV's, computers, games, audio & most all SMPS powered & more electric equipment in a kitchen than was in the whole 1940's  neighbourhood,  all the downsides of power distortion, PF, switch/inductive surges, EMI & RFI are all becoming issues when all the equipment is powered from a common ring circuit.     But backing off a bit,  these issues are predominantly an issue with hifi & AV enthusiasts,  not (if at all) with the vast majority of the rest of the population.    

The ideal for a UK hifi'ite is to power hifi from a dedicated hifi radial circuit (a radial is as you have in US & most all other countries) & items like NAS & other hifi periphery equipment & the various SMPS's from another circuit - radial or ring

the ring main was designed when the electrical demand were small.  it needs scrapping .  radial is far better but is more costly to install.  safety is increased with the use of radials.   using excess large csa cables for audio is total nonsense

Mike-B posted:

Bart posted:

YMMV with the "separate mains ring" thing.  Here in the States, I've never had ANY issues with home wiring.  A separate "mains ring" - seems generally much more a "thing" in the UK.  I'm sure some enthusiasts in the States go for it, but . . . absent a detectable problem, I'm not so sure I'd recommend someone hire an electrician and go to this expense.  

In the UK (plus one or two other places) the ring main design is the common standard used for most all single phase power circuits.  At the time it was introduced back in the 1940's for the mass house building program required in post war (wrecked) UK it was a good idea as it enabled a lot less cable for more outlets per installation.  In those days an electric fire,  radio, maybe a TV & a few other domestic items was all the power circuit had to contend with.  Now with multiple everything TV's, computers, games, audio & most all SMPS powered & more electric equipment in a kitchen than was in the whole 1940's  neighbourhood,  all the downsides of power distortion, PF, switch/inductive surges, EMI & RFI are all becoming issues when all the equipment is powered from a common ring circuit.     But backing off a bit,  these issues are predominantly an issue with hifi & AV enthusiasts,  not (if at all) with the vast majority of the rest of the population.    

The ideal for a UK hifi'ite is to power hifi from a dedicated hifi radial circuit (a radial is as you have in US & most all other countries) & items like NAS & other hifi periphery equipment & the various SMPS's from another circuit - radial or ring

Thanks - interesting!  I had been reading about "ring circuit" here for years and thought it was just other-side-of-the-pond vernacular for home wiring.  I didn't realize that it's actually a totally different circuit layout than we have here in the States.  I found a decent diagram online; what an unusual design vs. what I've known here!

I've had a DS413 and currently  a DS415+ (upgraded to 8gb ram) with a DX213 expansion.  My LAN is hardwired including the muso.  Naim app sees both logitech media server plus the synology media server.  Both NAS's  are more than enough, and synology's  dsaudio  app / Web app actually does a great job controlling the muso for dlna (or airplay if you prefer) playback.

PrazVT posted:

I've had a DS413 and currently  a DS415+ (upgraded to 8gb ram) with a DX213 expansion.  My LAN is hardwired including the muso.  Naim app sees both logitech media server plus the synology media server.  Both NAS's  are more than enough, and synology's  dsaudio  app / Web app actually does a great job controlling the muso for dlna (or airplay if you prefer) playback.

 

 

Do you use the Logitech server? I'd turn it off; you only need one for the Mu-so and other Naim players.

I have no reason to believe there is any difference in SQ of a file from different NASs, however the UPnP server software can make a difference especially to control.

If you do decide to change, for any reason, beware some may have audible fans (NB QNAP do passive silent). one that is proving popular is the Melco, which is optimised for audio. 

The MM of course has the additional capability of running the excellent Audirvana renderer with the significant benefit then of not needing to serve files lacross the network, then just needing a DAC with goog electrical/RF isolation or an isolator and DAC. there are numbers of favourable comparisons against Naim streamers on this forum. I think it's great, and the cost is a fraction of that of a new NAS.

And if you go for MElco, it actually includes a renderer, and some on this forum says it is the best solution for SQ, though I have no personal experience. 

Bart posted:

PrazVT posted:

I've had a DS413 and currently  a DS415+ (upgraded to 8gb ram) with a DX213 expansion.  My LAN is hardwired including the muso.  Naim app sees both logitech media server plus the synology media server.  Both NAS's  are more than enough, and synology's  dsaudio  app / Web app actually does a great job controlling the muso for dlna (or airplay if you prefer) playback.

 

 

Do you use the Logitech server? I'd turn it off; you only need one for the Mu-so and other Naim players.

Well, outside of my bedroom we have several Squeebox Touches hooked up to other systems in the house.  So those devices will use LMS.  I use LMS w/ the Mu-So off and on b/c it's easier to browse music from the NAS on my phone via Squeeze commander than it is w/ the Naim app.  Also b/c I use Tidal via LMS on the Mu-So.  I have yet to perfect the UPNP/DLNA plug-in settings for the Mu-So (sometimes silence when you hit play until you seek and then the music plays).

To your point though, yah it's redundant for the Mu-So otherwise, since Synology Media Server is running.

On the NAS side, the DS415+/DX213 are actually pretty quiet (I run the fans in quiet mode).  You can hear the hard disks, when the NAS comes out of sleep or when its scanning something.  But otherwise, the fans don't spin up much or run at high speed.

audio1946 posted:

the ring main was designed when the electrical demand were small.  it needs scrapping .  radial is far better but is more costly to install.  safety is increased with the use of radials.   using excess large csa cables for audio is total nonsense

Actually I think you may find the ring main was developed (in the UK) to better support multiple high current appliance usage; ie multiple electrical fires in houses and most importantly it allowed easier multiple earthing bonding points in the rooms of the house when this was a requirement. Usage has changed, we tend to use use less current hungry appliances, and the earthing bonding regulations have changed.. so my electrician friend tells me, therefore a mains ring  is rarely required these days, and often in new designs, so he tells me, radials are used instead as they are cheaper and in many scenarios  just as effective... and to the key point here can be beneficial as they can provide a higher impedance bridge between noise sources on different radial circuits.

if ring main circuits were suddenly deemed unsafe compared to radials I am confident they would disappear for new deploys in the regulations. Using earth leakage circuit breakers and correctly fused appliances I cant really see how a radial is safer than a ring. Perhaps you can expand?

Simon