Ripper - Star vs Core

Hi Lindsay, since the Star isn't available I think it is impossible to get some useful answers. Only best guesses ... Hope that the Star will be out before X-mas 

I am sure I read on here that the Star would be the last of the new Unitis to be launched because the final development would be to optimise the ripping engine on the Star. This implies that the ultimate ripping capability of the Star is yet to be determined.

Having said this, as the Core is primarily dedicated to ripping and serving, and the Star in a one box jack of all trades, I suspect the best we can hope for is that the Star is on par with the Core's ripping capability. Time will tell.

The Star will only rip to locally attached USB or SD card storage, not to an external NAS like the Core, Unitiserve, and computer based rippers can. 

I'm sure it will be able to produce a bit perfect rip, that's hardly the latest cutting edge technology.

As an aside (not strictly relavent to the thread) the Star will also be able to PLAY CDs, unlike the core, which can only rip them.

The Uniti 2 (which the Star essentially replaces) I used to own could also play CDs, but not very well. I do accept that the Star is likely to be superior to the Uniti 2, but there are only so many functions you can stick in one box before something gives. Hence my scepticism about the Star's ripping abilities being up to those of the Core's.

But I am guilty of prejudging. From hearing the Atom and Nova on a couple of occasions, the new Uniti range promises much.

nigelb posted:

The Uniti 2 (which the Star essentially replaces) I used to own could also play CDs, but not very well. I do accept that the Star is likely to be superior to the Uniti 2, but there are only so many functions you can stick in one box before something gives. Hence my scepticism about the Star's ripping abilities being up to those of the Core's.

But I am guilty of prejudging. From hearing the Atom and Nova on a couple of occasions, the new Uniti range promises much.

Of course there are compromises, but I can't see how they could affect the Star's ability to produce a bit perfect rip. 

ChrisSU posted:

nigelb posted:

The Uniti 2 (which the Star essentially replaces) I used to own could also play CDs, but not very well. I do accept that the Star is likely to be superior to the Uniti 2, but there are only so many functions you can stick in one box before something gives. Hence my scepticism about the Star's ripping abilities being up to those of the Core's.

But I am guilty of prejudging. From hearing the Atom and Nova on a couple of occasions, the new Uniti range promises much.

Of course there are compromises, but I can't see how they could affect the Star's ability to produce a bit perfect rip. 

That makes both of us guilty of prejudging! 

nigelb posted:

ChrisSU posted:

nigelb posted:

The Uniti 2 (which the Star essentially replaces) I used to own could also play CDs, but not very well. I do accept that the Star is likely to be superior to the Uniti 2, but there are only so many functions you can stick in one box before something gives. Hence my scepticism about the Star's ripping abilities being up to those of the Core's.

But I am guilty of prejudging. From hearing the Atom and Nova on a couple of occasions, the new Uniti range promises much.

Of course there are compromises, but I can't see how they could affect the Star's ability to produce a bit perfect rip. 

That makes two of us guilty of prejudging! 

Maybe I am, but the ability to extract the correct bits from a CD, verify their accuracy against an online database, and store them on a USB disc is not something that Naim should be getting wrong, it's pretty basic stiff. I think it's reasonable to assume that they can get it right.

ChrisSU posted:

nigelb posted:

ChrisSU posted:

nigelb posted:

The Uniti 2 (which the Star essentially replaces) I used to own could also play CDs, but not very well. I do accept that the Star is likely to be superior to the Uniti 2, but there are only so many functions you can stick in one box before something gives. Hence my scepticism about the Star's ripping abilities being up to those of the Core's.

But I am guilty of prejudging. From hearing the Atom and Nova on a couple of occasions, the new Uniti range promises much.

Of course there are compromises, but I can't see how they could affect the Star's ability to produce a bit perfect rip. 

That makes two of us guilty of prejudging! 

Maybe I am, but the ability to extract the correct bits from a CD, verify their accuracy against an online database, and store them on a USB disc is not something that Naim should be getting wrong, it's pretty basic stiff. I think it's reasonable to assume that they can get it right.

Depends on how you define '…get it right.' I am sure the Star will work well and it will rip effortlessly. But the OP was asking if Core and Star rips will be identical. I interpreted that as ….sound identical. Maybe that is a misinterpretation on my part. But if it is not, then I don't think we can automatically assume the rips of the same CD from the Star and Core will sound identical - that is the rip itself as I accept that subsequent processing, conversion to analogue and amplification will certainly add some variables.

Might I suggest we agree to differ and wait for the Star to launch. I am sure someone will take on the task of comparing Star and Core rips, which I will accept is still unlikely to be definitive. Let's also agree not to get into the never-ending 'bits are bits' argument. That is just too exhausting and a waste of mental energy IMHO! 

I'm not sure what is being suggested. The Star will produce bit perfect rips but somehow the Core will produce better rips?

I suspect that there will be a considerable sharing of hardware and software between the Core and the Star, so I would expect them to sound similar.

But when you get to the really detailed comparison I think some difference is inevitable. For example I still prefer the Unitiserve upnp sound to the Core upnp sound. It's quite close but not the same.  I don't understand why it should be different, but it is a bit.

best

David

Bananahead posted:

I'm not sure what is being suggested. The Star will produce bit perfect rips but somehow the Core will produce better rips?

It seems to me that ripping is the one case where the bits are bits argument actually does apply.

ChrisSU posted:

Bananahead posted:

I'm not sure what is being suggested. The Star will produce bit perfect rips but somehow the Core will produce better rips?

It seems to me that ripping is the one case where the bits are bits argument actually does apply.

I'm assuming that the rips will be based on the same ripping engine, and using the same modified EAC checker, so I'd expect the files to be identical. However, the UPnP servers will presumably be different, as the Core is a dedicated ripper/server and the Star is a multi-purpose box. So the underlying code may well be the same, but I'd not be surprised if the number of streams are different. I'll be honest and say that I can't tell the difference between my NDX streaming from my HDX and my Synology  NASes, so I'm not sure that I'd be able to tell the difference in sound quality between the Star as a server and the Core as a server.