Uniticore - first impressions of sound quality and app interface

Posted by: J Saville on 20 December 2016

Last night I had the pleasure of being able to compare the newly arrived uniticore to a unitiserve SSD on a reference level Naim system.

The reference system consisted of:

NDS, 2x555ps, Statement S1 pre-power, S-800s, full fraim rig, unitiserve and core in rig, netstreams switch also power lined. External HDD with Chord Sarum Super Array USB, Chord Music Ethernet from Server to switch.

So the first thing we did was power up the core, which immediately prompted us with a firmware update. This was fine, and after no more than 5 minutes the core was up to date and ready to database. Then we plugged in the external HDD, which was loaded with around 6000 albums. The core started databasing immediately, with music appearing real time. It should be noted that it takes a wee while with that much music, and it still hadn't finished databasing by the time that we had finished listening at around 10pm...

In terms of the interface, the core showed up immediately in the new app. It is very easy to configure, with local music storage as well as network shares/stores able to be configured from the iPad. We didn't jump too far into this however as we were mainly interested in how it sounded, so we just let it database what we already had available.

I have to say that Naim have absolutely nailed the interface. You now get artist cover art. It grabs a cover from the album folder within, in the case of more than one album per artist it generates a collage from all coverart from every album! Very clever work here, really impressed.

So down to business with the all important listen. We started with the core, queued up a track by Angus and Julia Stone. I have to say it sounded absolutely fantastic. I haven't heard this system offer such a sense of rhythm. Naim have certainly build a Naim box here!

We then switched back to the unitiserve, simply unplugging the Ethernet and USB cables and switching them over to make testing fair. Hit play on the same track, and... It just felt a bit off. The unitiserve has always sounded better to me than other upnp servers running on other hardware, but now it just sounds a bit disorganized. The bassist is checking his watch to see how much of the gig he still has to play, the drummer keeps nodding off. Hmm.

After this the unitiserve was immediately unplugged and removed from the stack, and didn't get a look in for the rest of the evening.

We did further testing on the core, and a big step up in sound actually came from removing the unitiserve PSU from the loop. Clearly the switch mode power supply wasn't helping things!

What I found most interesting about the whole thing was that suddenly I wanted to buy one, where previously I was content with minimserver running on my readynas. The unitiserve was always cost prehibitive to me, but the core is in my eyes an absolute bargain. A core is now most definitely on my list, right after a new unitinova, which I'm hoping are not too far away...

Well done Naim, 5 and a half stars out of 5.

Posted on: 21 December 2016 by Jan-Erik Nordoen

Noogle posted:
... I am a "bits are bits" fundamentalist...

I'm with you on that, in the same way that grooves in a vinyl disc will always be the same. Funny though how different stylii, arms and mechanisms for rotating the disc can produce different interpretations of the same grooves.

Posted on: 21 December 2016 by TOBYJUG

My " bits " aren't really something to shout about. However that hasn't spoilt our relationship.

Posted on: 22 December 2016 by Mr Happy

After the upgrade to an nds and audioquest ethernet cables my bits are the best ive ever heard them.

Posted on: 22 December 2016 by Pcd

Added a XPS dr to my NDX recently changed my dangly bits to Audioquest Vodka so all good here as well.

Posted on: 23 December 2016 by Noogle

Jan-Erik Nordoen posted:
Noogle posted:
... I am a "bits are bits" fundamentalist...
I'm with you on that, in the same way that grooves in a vinyl disc will always be the same. Funny though how different stylii, arms and mechanisms for rotating the disc can produce different interpretations of the same grooves.

I'm not a "grooves are grooves" fundamentalist

Posted on: 23 December 2016 by jerryct

Hi,

i have the opportunity to try the Uniti core at home during christmas. There was the question what is running in this unit: My router shows the Uniti core as "apalis-imx6". Googling [1] exactly this phrase gives you results to a

NXP®/Freescale i.MX 6 Computer on Module - Apalis iMX6

The Freescale i.MX6 is a small ARM based SoC.

jerry

[1] https://www.google.com/?q=apalis-imx6

Posted on: 23 December 2016 by David Hendon

It basically means a computer on a microchip. Soc is system on chip and ARM refers to the company ARM I suppose. But the origin of the name is advanced RISC machines where RISC is reduced instruction set computer.

So I think all this is telling you is that Naim are using a chip-based microcomputer, which I think everyone could guess.

Anyway a lot of people including me will be envious of the chance to play with the Core and please do tell us what you think.

best

David

Posted on: 23 December 2016 by ynwa250505

Jerryct - don't suppose you've got a Uniti Nova as well ?? Would love how that combo performs ....

Posted on: 23 December 2016 by David Hendon

Adding to my earlier post, ARM licence concepts and IP so the chip is presumably made by Freescale. Above all of that, Naim have already said they are using a custom Linux stack.

best

David

Posted on: 23 December 2016 by David Hendon

ynwa250505 posted:
Jerryct - don't suppose you've got a Uniti Nova as well ?? Would love how that combo performs ....

No Novas out there yet I believe....

Posted on: 23 December 2016 by Tylercoupe

I picked up my two new Cores today. They will be replacing a HDX in each of my two homes. I have been using the HDX since it came out in its initial form twin 400GB HDD in 2008 and while the were initially source units quickly supplemented when Naim DAC arrived -they have over time been changed over to SSD units and used to rip music to NAS and serve music to Naim NDS, NDX, ND5, 5 qutes, a Vivaldi and Rossini. It made sense to move to Core as the new units can handle DSD (I have 1.2 TB of dff files), is more specific purpose based than HDX and I still find the Naim server to sound better than minim or other upnp server residing on NAS. Just got the first one up and running Will listen over holiday and provide comment but so far very pleased. one early feature I miss is ability to select which folders to browse....absent turning scanning shares on and off that feature no longer exists.

Strongly considered upgrading NAS units to run Roon core but really like the simplicity of Naim ripping process and I still have way too many non-Roon enabled servers to make switch. The Naim server playing through my two dCS units - Rossini plus Clock and Vivaldi DAC/upsampler/clock is really breath taking The NDS aquits itself well in this group on PCM but gives up a little in resolution and depth of presentation Still a great unit

Posted on: 23 December 2016 by Simon-in-Suffolk

Tylercoupe, your findings echo mine on media servers.. they don't all sound the same. Software/OS/NAS combinations can sound different. I have analyzed the media flow from different UPnP media servers and can now reliably measure and determine the relative SQ preference of different media servers. All my tests have been done on beta Naim firmware, but once that gets released I hope to share my findings here.

If you are interested in such things my assessment is made with a switch span port and running some of my own filters on Wireshark analysing the span looking at the inter frame timing consistency on the TCP transfer bursts. I look forward to see how the new Uniti Core measures, and see if it conforms to my model thus far.

Simon

Posted on: 24 December 2016 by HoistTec

I received my Uniti core two days ago. After two days it stil sounds a little bit bright. Is it possible that this have to do with burn in.

Posted on: 24 December 2016 by HoistTec

The core is connected to ND5 sx. 555ps Hugo TT 252 300 on Magico S1

Posted on: 24 December 2016 by Mr Happy

Sounds like a typical burn in trate. Give it a while and it will very possibly settle.

Posted on: 24 December 2016 by Innocent Bystander

HoistTec posted:
The core is connected to ND5 sx. 555ps Hugo TT 252 300 on Magico S1

Have you tried omitting the ND5SS - i.e. Core connected by SPDIF to TT ? If not, it may be worth trying: the ND5XS is not the best renderer, and it has been suggested that the Core is a match for at least NDX, possibly higher.

Posted on: 25 December 2016 by Simon-in-Suffolk

Innocent Bystander, don't know where you got that comparison from.. certainly no one at Naim I have spoken to recognises that... they are completely different products, the only thing I have definitely heard is that there is an expected performance lift compared to the SPDIF out of the earlier Unitiserve.. through better decoupling and powersupply amongst other things.

Posted on: 25 December 2016 by HoistTec

I do not expect the spdif to better the ND5 But i Will try. I Will put my results After Christmas. The core is a little bit beter After three days. It is less bright sounding. Copare to my qnap whit twonkeymedia the separation of instruments is better now.

Simon. Do you think a unit like the core needs burn in.

Posted on: 25 December 2016 by t@rmac

Hoisttec....waiting your results about spdif directly to Hugo

Posted on: 25 December 2016 by CharlieP

J Seville, thanks for posting your experiences. Please do try to compare a few rips from the Core with previous rips from US or others.

Charlie

Posted on: 25 December 2016 by Simon-in-Suffolk

HoistTec posted:
I do not expect the spdif to better the ND5 But i Will try. I Will put my results After Christmas. The core is a little bit beter After three days. It is less bright sounding. Copare to my qnap whit twonkeymedia the separation of instruments is better now.
Simon. Do you think a unit like the core needs burn in.

HoistTec, I don't know.. I guess there might be a settling down of connections and plugs de stressing etc.

Simon

Posted on: 25 December 2016 by J Saville

Charlie, I won't be able to do that comparison until after mid-january, but I will give it a try. I will be amazed if the core rips are better, as the serve was always outstanding at ripping. It's hard to see how they could get it to be more accurate without adding more ripping passes, as the serve already does 2 pass rips.

Posted on: 26 December 2016 by jon h

"as the serve already does 2 pass rips. "

Does it? Pretty sure my HDX doesnt

And I'm pretty certain Core doesnt do multiple passes, if the UI is to be believed.

Posted on: 26 December 2016 by hungryhalibut

My Serve only ever ripped once. To check accuracy it looks at online databases, just like using dbpoweramp on your computer.

Posted on: 26 December 2016 by David Hendon

jon honeyball posted:
"as the serve already does 2 pass rips. "

Does it? Pretty sure my HDX doesnt
And I'm pretty certain Core doesnt do multiple passes, if the UI is to be believed.

I don't know whether it does or not but if I were designing a two pass system I would make it do the two passes for each section of disc sequentially so that it would apparently be doing one pass but would actually be doing two separate reads. If I got a difference then I would do a third read and go for best of three. This would manifest itself as a slower rip than otherwise.

The rip speed does vary between discs in my experience, so maybe this is what Naim does?

best

David