iTunes library and Naim Network players ?

Posted by: james n on 19 August 2011

Having happily gone the Linn DS route, i still keep one eye open on Naim developments and things are starting to look good.

My present UPnP server (a Mac Mini running Chorus DS) happily integrates with my iTunes library (AIFF ripped with XLD), delivering music, metadata and album art to my iPad without any issues and still allows me to use iTunes to manage my library and other apple phones and pads we have in the house.

If i were to look to the Naim network player route, what UPnP solutions work well with the Naim control apps and can use the exisiting iTunes library ??

James

Posted on: 19 August 2011 by Tog

Er ... UPnP on a Mac - other then Chorus DS is a mess.

EyeConnect will stream / transcode aiff to wav from itunes libraries and happily ignore the artwork. Its special feature is its ability to run like treacle with almost everything from nStream to the Naim remote. However, EyeConnect is a work of genius next to Songbook - enough said!

I still manage my libraries with Macs but sadly not iTunes and not on a Mac. I have a separate i3 based 2TB server running Vortexbox which gets on well with all my Macs and will happily serve up flacs to iTunes. It is quick, works well with nStream and can be managed by almost any Apple device.

However, what you have already sounds fine - Why change?

Tog

Posted on: 19 August 2011 by james n

Thanks Tog - reason to change ? Possibility of 3 boxes down to 1 (SuperUniti), A stack of digital inputs so i could lose the n-Vi. No need for a Hi-Line etc. I need to pop to my dealer really and have a look at the Naim control apps as they have both Linn and Naim solutions for comparison.

James

Posted on: 19 August 2011 by CSAS bite

I use Playback to play my AIFF files from an iMac to the NDX. It works a treat and is way better than the other Mac solutions. Not bad for about a tenner. Al.

Posted on: 19 August 2011 by james n

Al - good find. I'll give that a go this evening.

Cheers

James

Posted on: 19 August 2011 by likesmusic

Rumour has it that Linn are shortly to release a DS pre - ie a DS with digital inputs and analogue inputs and a volume control, which could also help with the box count ...

Posted on: 19 August 2011 by Iver van de Zand

Dear Tog,

Thanks for your clarification; One question though: what do you exactly mean with "will happily serve up flacs to iTunes" ? Are you playing Flac files with iTunes ?

Kindest regards,

Iver

Posted on: 20 August 2011 by Tog

No - Vortexbox will serve up flac files to iTunes but they are received as wav.

Tog

Posted on: 20 August 2011 by totemphile

How is that Tog?

Does iTunes convert FLAC to WAV?

VB does not convert on the fly, or does it now?

Thanks

Posted on: 21 August 2011 by Tog

Well unless it is magic

Here is what happens....

iTunes can see TogServe (VB server mk3) and its flac library via VB's DAAP server "forked-daapd" - if I select a flac file it plays on my Mac and reports the file as a wav.

Update: double checked - DAAP server does indeed transcode flac.

Job done.

Tog

Posted on: 22 August 2011 by james n

Tried Play - works pretty well and served up all my files and artwork to the DS using the Chorus app. Folder organisation didnt seem as intelligent as with the Chorus Server but for test purposes this is fine, Thanks again for the help folks.

James

Posted on: 22 August 2011 by NickSeattle

Tog,

I am eager to know your impression of Playback vs VB. Not that it is your job, but you are experienced in this arena, and I am sitting here with all of these Mac's! I will give it a try and report. But until I get a steamer better than the AE, nobody should care much about my findings.

BTW: Happy birthday!

Regards,

Nick

Posted on: 23 August 2011 by Tog

Many thanks Nick - they keep on coming exactly a year apart :-)

Didn't really get on with Playback - found it clumsy and superficial - most definitely a work in progress.

Vortexbox works and thus far it hasn't let me down. Use intel hardware (atom works fine - i3 very well and fast HDDs) It has a higly efficient UPnP server, solid iTunes server with Sonosnet and Squeezeserver for good measure. For me there is no contest and only Asset comes close as a package.

Control via web interface - iPad/iPhone works well -use Bliss (£30) to speed up general housekeeping and relax.

Tog

Posted on: 24 August 2011 by totemphile

Originally Posted by Tog:

iTunes can see TogServe (VB server mk3) and its flac library via VB's DAAP server "forked-daapd" - if I select a flac file it plays on my Mac and reports the file as a wav.

Update: double checked - DAAP server does indeed transcode flac.

Tog,

Does the DAAP server transcode FLAC to WAV?

Does this mean there is also a way for VB to serve WAV files to a Naim renderer?

Or does this not follow and things a lot more complicated?

Thanks

Posted on: 24 August 2011 by Tog

Not really complicated - the iTunes server just a DAAP only program.

It is the DAAP server that transcodes flac to wav (forked-Daapd) and works well - MiniDLNA is the module responsible for UPnP services in Vortexbox and currently this will stream flac and MP3.

The latest version of Squeezebox Server 7.6.1 has been part of the most recent updates and this has a UPnP service built in but I haven't had time to mess with it yet. This latest version of Squeezebox has acquired a legendary reputation for being a real PITA and in the limited time I have had it did seem to scan my library quite quickly and repeatedly. At the back of my mind I seem to remember that Squeezebox Server or (Logitech Media Server as almost nobody is calling it) does have transcoding abilities. The Linux gurus at VB don't see the point of transcoding to wav when flac INHO is a perfectly good lossless filetype - so there is little pressure for developing wasteful CPU time transcoding - I tend to agree.

Of course what happens when Airplay is adopted by Naim is anyones guess. It doesn't appear to be in the SuperUniti specs.

Tog