Core Values

Agree on having that switch in the Core, having been looking forward to a single box solution v my NAS drive was pretty frustrated to see I still had to deal with an additional switch next to the core just to get it plugged into my streamer. Anyone been able to do a comparison of a core v a melco?

this comparison would be interesting.....

I might be wrong, but I think Core is gig ethernet and the other new Uniti boxes are 100Mb.

I'm sure someone can correct me if I'm wrong -- the naim website is not clear on the matter.

Hi

the UnitiCore does indeed have gigabit lan. The atom, star, nova have 100M Ethernet and 802.11 b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi 2.4GHz and 5GHz

Chris Bell posted:

My goal (and the owner of this Core) is to eliminate all of the ethernet cables, power supplies and witchcraft by going with a direct connection to the NDS.  It has always bothered me that streaming relies on so many unknowns. It is by far the most "tweaky" source in my hi-fi, having no less than 5 power supplies feeding the process.   It makes my LP-12 look simple by comparison.  

Less has got to me more.  

Agree with you there Chris. My Melco N1-Z feeds via USB/iFi supply to my Chord DAC, and I've yet to hear a better digital source into my system. 

jon honeyball posted:

I might be wrong, but I think Core is gig ethernet and the other new Uniti boxes are 100Mb.

I'm sure someone can correct me if I'm wrong -- the naim website is not clear on the matter.

No change from the existing/legacy products, then - Gb servers and 100Mb streamers. I assume the streamers are like this by design rather than for economy? I wonder if the 100Mb Ethernet unit uses less power and generates less electrical noise.

as my understanding the core supposed to be an easy and better sounding solution vs conventional NAS...

butttt..... even reading all the topics including this one makes me stay away from the product as i get lost after 2 minutes of reading..

My UnitiServe went back in last night and did a round of listening, comparing the BNC vs Ethernet.  Like the Core the difference was not subtle with the BNC connection providing much better resolution and emotional impact to the music.   I also much prefer n-serve app experience in this mode.  I think I'll buy a new DC1 cable and continue to experiment.  I must give credit to the folks at ProMusica in Chicago.  This has been their preferred connection for some time and now I understand the benefit.  

Keler Pierre posted:

Chag... posted:

I believe the goal of the OP is not only shared by many of us but also by Salisbury. The Core is primarily meant to offer a more integrated and simpler solution, therefore of a greater SQ in principle, for storing and serving for users who don't need network distribution. Is SQ at the rendez-vous? 

Chag -

i think that if someone doesn't want to have complicated network,  a more simple and integrated system, it is better to add a naim dac or chord dave to the core in spdif.

But buy the nds which has advanced streaming capabilities, for wich we have paid for, and only use the dac inside is a little a waste.

For myself, i would like also to have less boxes and cables.   A solution like the dagostino momentum c stream would be an ideal: integrated high end amp, dac and streamer inside.

I tried the US on loan for a while and sorted out the network a bit without replacing the PSs and Ethernet cables. I loaned a Core but when it messed up the metadata for my library of 800 CDs I gave up. It's a shame they ditched the wireless interface because the spdif interface is really good (there is a white paper on the Naim site about how they synchronise the clock very accurately), and for people like me with a nDAC+XPS DR it would have made a good replacement for a CDX2 when all the bugs were sorted out. I can't see the point of having to experiment with all the PSs and Ethernet cables and having doubts about whether it still messes up the SQ.

Being able to plug the iPad into the front USB port allowed me to get BBC iPlayer radio and my daughter-in-law to use Spotify. Didn't have TIDAL on the iPAD. I think Apple don't remap digital sound to their weird bitrate. For a while I thought about Roon on the PC connected with a fibre optic toslink which works brilliantly for the TV stuff. CDX2 via Chord Clearway BNC to BNC  into the nDAC is great though. DC-1 sounds good though. I still have a great DAC in the CDX2 which does nothing because I don't want the cost of another PS.

Phil

Filipe posted:

Keler Pierre posted:

Chag... posted:

I believe the goal of the OP is not only shared by many of us but also by Salisbury. The Core is primarily meant to offer a more integrated and simpler solution, therefore of a greater SQ in principle, for storing and serving for users who don't need network distribution. Is SQ at the rendez-vous? 

Chag -

i think that if someone doesn't want to have complicated network,  a more simple and integrated system, it is better to add a naim dac or chord dave to the core in spdif.

But buy the nds which has advanced streaming capabilities, for wich we have paid for, and only use the dac inside is a little a waste.

For myself, i would like also to have less boxes and cables.   A solution like the dagostino momentum c stream would be an ideal: integrated high end amp, dac and streamer inside.

I tried the US on loan for a while and sorted out the network a bit without replacing the PSs and Ethernet cables. I loaned a Core but when it messed up the metadata for my library of 800 CDs I gave up. It's a shame they ditched the wireless interface because the spdif interface is really good (there is a white paper on the Naim site about how they synchronise the clock very accurately), and for people like me with a nDAC+XPS DR it would have made a good replacement for a CDX2 when all the bugs were sorted out. I can't see the point of having to experiment with all the PSs and Ethernet cables and having doubts about whether it still messes up the SQ.

Being able to plug the iPad into the front USB port allowed me to get BBC iPlayer radio and my daughter-in-law to use Spotify. Didn't have TIDAL on the iPAD. I think Apple don't remap digital sound to their weird bitrate. For a while I thought about Roon on the PC connected with a fibre optic toslink which works brilliantly for the TV stuff. CDX2 via Chord Clearway BNC to BNC  into the nDAC is great though. DC-1 sounds good though. I still have a great DAC in the CDX2 which does nothing because I don't want the cost of another PS.

Phil

i understand you, i took me a lot of time to experiment and upgrade my network.  4 ethernet cables, acoustic revive lan isolator, 2 optical fmc switches, 2 big linear ps: it is not plug and play.  I would wish a lot more simple system.  But i am also proud to have realized this and have superb sound quality, natural, free flowing and with great dynamic.

The bnc serve/ nds is less dynamic by a good margin and the soundstage quite a lot more recessed, the sound has more true tone colors now.  For me it is night and day, but perhaps it is not true for everyone.

Keler Pierre posted:

Filipe posted:

Keler Pierre posted:

Chag... posted:

I believe the goal of the OP is not only shared by many of us but also by Salisbury. The Core is primarily meant to offer a more integrated and simpler solution, therefore of a greater SQ in principle, for storing and serving for users who don't need network distribution. Is SQ at the rendez-vous? 

Chag -

i think that if someone doesn't want to have complicated network,  a more simple and integrated system, it is better to add a naim dac or chord dave to the core in spdif.

But buy the nds which has advanced streaming capabilities, for wich we have paid for, and only use the dac inside is a little a waste.

For myself, i would like also to have less boxes and cables.   A solution like the dagostino momentum c stream would be an ideal: integrated high end amp, dac and streamer inside.

I tried the US on loan for a while and sorted out the network a bit without replacing the PSs and Ethernet cables. I loaned a Core but when it messed up the metadata for my library of 800 CDs I gave up. It's a shame they ditched the wireless interface because the spdif interface is really good (there is a white paper on the Naim site about how they synchronise the clock very accurately), and for people like me with a nDAC+XPS DR it would have made a good replacement for a CDX2 when all the bugs were sorted out. I can't see the point of having to experiment with all the PSs and Ethernet cables and having doubts about whether it still messes up the SQ.

Being able to plug the iPad into the front USB port allowed me to get BBC iPlayer radio and my daughter-in-law to use Spotify. Didn't have TIDAL on the iPAD. I think Apple don't remap digital sound to their weird bitrate. For a while I thought about Roon on the PC connected with a fibre optic toslink which works brilliantly for the TV stuff. CDX2 via Chord Clearway BNC to BNC  into the nDAC is great though. DC-1 sounds good though. I still have a great DAC in the CDX2 which does nothing because I don't want the cost of another PS.

Phil

i understand you, i took me a lot of time to experiment and upgrade my network.  4 ethernet cables, acoustic revive lan isolator, 2 optical fmc switches, 2 big linear ps: it is not plug and play.  I would wish a lot more simple system.  But i am also proud to have realized this and have superb sound quality, natural, free flowing and with great dynamic.

The bnc serve/ nds is less dynamic by a good margin and the soundstage quite a lot more recessed, the sound has more true tone colors now.  For me it is night and day, but perhaps it is not true for everyone.

 

Keler, Just recently there has been good stuff about the network kit that delivers SQ. Out of interest, how much does your network kit cost?

The CDX2 into the nDAC + XPS DR sounds sublime now I have added loan 5m SL speaker cables. I have SL IC from nDAC to 282 + SC DR with two PL Lites which made a big improvement. The SL speaker cable has made a big improvement which I would say has added tone colour to all the notes. The bass for instance has more texture. I just been listening to Madonna's Ray of Light, and much as it was great to listen to before, it is now even better. I listen to Beethoven's 9th at lunch time and it was immense - the choral stuff sounded as if it was in the room.

Much as I can believe NDS is great, I am happy to put a CD in or an LP on the TT. My original goal, however, was to stream though but not TIDAL because I want to choose the recordings I listen to. Oxfam has served me well.

Phil

Filipe posted:

Keler Pierre posted:

Filipe posted:

Keler Pierre posted:

Chag... posted:

I believe the goal of the OP is not only shared by many of us but also by Salisbury. The Core is primarily meant to offer a more integrated and simpler solution, therefore of a greater SQ in principle, for storing and serving for users who don't need network distribution. Is SQ at the rendez-vous? 

Chag -

i think that if someone doesn't want to have complicated network,  a more simple and integrated system, it is better to add a naim dac or chord dave to the core in spdif.

But buy the nds which has advanced streaming capabilities, for wich we have paid for, and only use the dac inside is a little a waste.

For myself, i would like also to have less boxes and cables.   A solution like the dagostino momentum c stream would be an ideal: integrated high end amp, dac and streamer inside.

I tried the US on loan for a while and sorted out the network a bit without replacing the PSs and Ethernet cables. I loaned a Core but when it messed up the metadata for my library of 800 CDs I gave up. It's a shame they ditched the wireless interface because the spdif interface is really good (there is a white paper on the Naim site about how they synchronise the clock very accurately), and for people like me with a nDAC+XPS DR it would have made a good replacement for a CDX2 when all the bugs were sorted out. I can't see the point of having to experiment with all the PSs and Ethernet cables and having doubts about whether it still messes up the SQ.

Being able to plug the iPad into the front USB port allowed me to get BBC iPlayer radio and my daughter-in-law to use Spotify. Didn't have TIDAL on the iPAD. I think Apple don't remap digital sound to their weird bitrate. For a while I thought about Roon on the PC connected with a fibre optic toslink which works brilliantly for the TV stuff. CDX2 via Chord Clearway BNC to BNC  into the nDAC is great though. DC-1 sounds good though. I still have a great DAC in the CDX2 which does nothing because I don't want the cost of another PS.

Phil

i understand you, i took me a lot of time to experiment and upgrade my network.  4 ethernet cables, acoustic revive lan isolator, 2 optical fmc switches, 2 big linear ps: it is not plug and play.  I would wish a lot more simple system.  But i am also proud to have realized this and have superb sound quality, natural, free flowing and with great dynamic.

The bnc serve/ nds is less dynamic by a good margin and the soundstage quite a lot more recessed, the sound has more true tone colors now.  For me it is night and day, but perhaps it is not true for everyone.

 

Keler, Just recently there has been good stuff about the network kit that delivers SQ. Out of interest, how much does your network kit cost?

The CDX2 into the nDAC + XPS DR sounds sublime now I have added loan 5m SL speaker cables. I have SL IC from nDAC to 282 + SC DR with two PL Lites which made a big improvement. The SL speaker cable has made a big improvement which I would say has added tone colour to all the notes. The bass for instance has more texture. I just been listening to Madonna's Ray of Light, and much as it was great to listen to before, it is now even better. I listen to Beethoven's 9th at lunch time and it was immense - the choral stuff sounded as if it was in the room.

Much as I can believe NDS is great, I am happy to put a CD in or an LP on the TT. My original goal, however, was to stream though but not TIDAL because I want to choose the recordings I listen to. Oxfam has served me well.

Phil

i was not comparing nds vs ndac/ cdx2 and trying to say my solution is better. No.  Just wanting to share my experience and say that sound quality on ethernet mode can be quite fantastic.  But it is not plug and play on the beginning. When all is done,  i have just to plug on my ipad and listen.

I had before cdx2/xps2 and could have lived happily with it: very musical and engaging, nervous and alive. With your ndac it must even be better.

As for the cost of my network upgrade, it is the cost of an xps.  The linear ps are the most expensive.

But in absolute sound quality, i still prefer my turntable.

Enjoy your stuff, don't change, you have a high end digital source.

Keler Pierre posted:

Filipe posted:

Keler Pierre posted:

Filipe posted:

Keler Pierre posted

 

i think that if someone doesn't want to have complicated network,  a more simple and integrated system, it is better to add a naim dac or chord dave to the core in spdif.

But buy the nds which has advanced streaming capabilities, for wich we have paid for, and only use the dac inside is a little a waste.

For myself, i would like also to have less boxes and cables.   A solution like the dagostino momentum c stream would be an ideal: integrated high end amp, dac and streamer inside.

I tried the US on loan for a while and sorted out the network a bit without replacing the PSs and Ethernet cables. I loaned a Core but when it messed up the metadata for my library of 800 CDs I gave up. It's a shame they ditched the wireless interface because the spdif interface is really good (there is a white paper on the Naim site about how they synchronise the clock very accurately), and for people like me with a nDAC+XPS DR it would have made a good replacement for a CDX2 when all the bugs were sorted out. I can't see the point of having to experiment with all the PSs and Ethernet cables and having doubts about whether it still messes up the SQ.

Being able to plug the iPad into the front USB port allowed me to get BBC iPlayer radio and my daughter-in-law to use Spotify. Didn't have TIDAL on the iPAD. I think Apple don't remap digital sound to their weird bitrate. For a while I thought about Roon on the PC connected with a fibre optic toslink which works brilliantly for the TV stuff. CDX2 via Chord Clearway BNC to BNC  into the nDAC is great though. DC-1 sounds good though. I still have a great DAC in the CDX2 which does nothing because I don't want the cost of another PS.

Phil

i understand you, i took me a lot of time to experiment and upgrade my network.  4 ethernet cables, acoustic revive lan isolator, 2 optical fmc switches, 2 big linear ps: it is not plug and play.  I would wish a lot more simple system.  But i am also proud to have realized this and have superb sound quality, natural, free flowing and with great dynamic.

The bnc serve/ nds is less dynamic by a good margin and the soundstage quite a lot more recessed, the sound has more true tone colors now.  For me it is night and day, but perhaps it is not true for everyone.

 

Keler, Just recently there has been good stuff about the network kit that delivers SQ. Out of interest, how much does your network kit cost?

The CDX2 into the nDAC + XPS DR sounds sublime now I have added loan 5m SL speaker cables. I have SL IC from nDAC to 282 + SC DR with two PL Lites which made a big improvement. The SL speaker cable has made a big improvement which I would say has added tone colour to all the notes. The bass for instance has more texture. I just been listening to Madonna's Ray of Light, and much as it was great to listen to before, it is now even better. I listen to Beethoven's 9th at lunch time and it was immense - the choral stuff sounded as if it was in the room.

Much as I can believe NDS is great, I am happy to put a CD in or an LP on the TT. My original goal, however, was to stream though but not TIDAL because I want to choose the recordings I listen to. Oxfam has served me well.

Phil

i was not comparing nds vs ndac/ cdx2 and trying to say my solution is better. No.  Just wanting to share my experience and say that sound quality on ethernet mode can be quite fantastic.  But it is not plug and play on the beginning. When all is done,  i have just to plug on my ipad and listen.

I had before cdx2/xps2 and could have lived happily with it: very musical and engaging, nervous and alive. With your ndac it must even be better.

As for the cost of my network upgrade, it is the cost of an xps.  The linear ps are the most expensive.

But in absolute sound quality, i still prefer my turntable.

Enjoy your stuff, don't change, you have a high end digital source.

Keler, I do understand and would have liked to get where you are., but the Core scuppered the plan. It's been blood, sweat and tears to get this far. I now feel my system delivers what I expect for the money I have spent. It's like a game of poker, you raise and all looks good for a while, but then you have to raise again. It should not be as difficult!

The vinyl used to sound best, but now I think the CD marginally. 

Phil

FWIW - tried upnp vs spdif/ ucore into NDS. 

Prefer the upnp by a margin. The spdif is just a little too much 'in your face' or forward sounding - but don't hear it sounding any better ....

Well sorted network and all that...