Core - Why would you do that ?

docmark posted:

I use the digital out from my Core into digital in on my 272.  I’m using a Siltech Golden Eagle digital cable.  Sounds wonderful.  I hope to improve the sound with the SL DIN to XLR interconnect into my 250 DR.

With regard to the Core, I really haven’t noticed any problems.  Guess I’ve been lucky.

I’m glad there are at least two satisfied customers - I was starting to feel like the odd one out!

Sorry [@mention:43803620640512181] it may be you don’t see what the problem is, as you have a Uniti Core.

Before the launch of the revised Uniti range & going back to n-Stream, the album artwork when viewing an album in your UPnP served library was centered and look fine.

Then in a release to support Uniti Core this artwork was suddenly presented left justified, as the screenshot below. This leaves 3/4 of the top part of the screen blank. I presume with a Uniti Core serving the file, this is used for text about the album or artist, which is obtained dynamically as it not part of the metadata embedded with the files being served. But without a Core this section is just blank & empty, devoid of anything, valuable screen real estate going to waste.

This is the metadata enrichment I referred to.

I have repeatly requested that when the files are being served from a non-Naim server, such as Asset, Minim Server or a native NAS UPnP server, this is detected as the artwork centred again. This is easy to do, in a single line of code to dynamically adjust the presentation. It does not take away from the value-add of have a Naim server playing through a Naim streamer using the Naim app. This is then detected, the image justified and the text inserted - simple code.

At present this is presentation with the artwork left justified looks terrible, as if something is missing/left out, which effectively it is for those not using a Uniti Core.

There are many Naim streamer users that use non-Naim servers and this was one reason I started with a ND5XS, upgrading from a Squeezebox, as there was no ‘locked in’ eco-system. I wanted to manage my music files on off-the-shelf computer equipment and had already ripped all my CDs using existing IT equipment and a software ripping solution. I also tagged my files extensively for Artist, Album Artist, Composer, Performer, Orchestra, Conductor, Date, Genre, Artwork, Soloist, etc.

Yes there is still the route for those who wanted/needed a plug&play approach to music files served by a computer under the UPnP standard. But what is presented in the UI to browse & select the served files should be the same for all.

A Unitiserve is just an embedded Windows based computer with a fixed storage disk running software developed by Naim. The Uniti Core is a Linux based approach with a Linear Power Supply & rewritten software, that uses a off-the-shelf disk, which I believe is optional, so make the CD drive optional too.

What I thought was funny, was the last time I saw Naim equipment being demonstrated, which was before the launch of the new Uniti range, it wasn’t a Unitiserve being used, it was ReadyNAS unit.

However the provision of some text during browsing is still not justification for the £1,750 for a Uniti Core, when all I require is a software based solution.

What I really want is this interface, instead.

From the same files, on the same NAS. Indexed and enriched view with Artist information/Bios, Album reviews, Genre suggestions, lyrics, smart Tidal integration that completes the discography by finding which content you don’t have locally, instead of a dumb lookup of content by this artist, superb handling of Classical by movement, Orchestra, etc. Oh yeah, this gives a consistent UI for multiple hardware solutions across multi zones, which can also be linked so playing the same content across heterogeneous equipment from many manufactures. It was developed by the guys who were Sooloos before Meridian bought them & made a closed eco-system. They are solely focused on the software and the UX/UI of the experience. Their software runs on standard hardware from Windows machines, MiniMacs, to Intel NUCs and is very easy to set up and install.

These were the points I was making & have been trying communicate to Naim throughout Beta testing of each Naim app release, for the last 3 years now & given lots of suggestions on how the UX/UI could be improved. I have suggested customer based focus groups to explain what we would like from their products and how we want to use them.

I have also requested how can existing Naim equipment be made to act as a native Roon Endpoint preserving the SQ.

Does that help? Simon

I think your both your 2 views sums up the dilemma for Naim, what you want takes them time and money....others could not care less. And has been said by I think Phil , yes complaints about Core-on the forum, remarkably few overall. I tried the Free Roon offer with my Nova, total waste of time for me, I just listen to music, if I wanted to read about it I could save thousands and buy rolling stone mag etc. We are all different and a Naim have to juggle resources. We think of a Naim as a large company, but take a look on line at their filed accounts........not that many working in R and D for all the wants I read by us forumites.

Gazza posted:

I think your both your 2 views sums up the dilemma for Naim, what you want takes them time and money....others could not care less. And has been said by I think Phil , yes complaints about Core-on the forum, remarkably few overall. I tried the Free Roon offer with my Nova, total waste of time for me, I just listen to music, if I wanted to read about it I could save thousands and buy rolling stone mag etc. We are all different and a Naim have to juggle resources. We think of a Naim as a large company, but take a look on line at their filed accounts........not that many working in R and D for all the wants I read by us forumites.

Look at the features offered by the Sonore ultraRendu, then look at the features offered by the Naim Core. Then compare the number of people working on the OS of the ultraRendu to the number of people working on the OS of the Core ... I frankly do not believe that Naim stays in front of any dilemma. With the Core, they have decided to merely port the functionalities of the old US to a new platform. If people are happy to buy a port of a 10 years old software design, it is fine. But things have moved on during the last 10 years and so have users' expectations.

Trouble is, this was a better UX/UI designed interface. Does almost exactly the same as the current one, but the layout has greater usability and makes better use of the screen real estate to present the data & information. This was 4 to 5 years ago.

I understand R&D resources are limited, however the change re the centralization of the album artwork when using a non-Naim server is one line of code.

However this does need a detailed understanding of the use cases, how people are actually using their products, what they want from them and not the way they want people to use them.

simes_pep posted:

Trouble is, this was a better UX/UI designed interface. Does almost exactly the same as the current one, but the layout has greater usability and makes better use of the screen real estate to present the data & information. This was 4 to 5 years ago.

Agreed.  The old UI was elegant and functional.

Nick

I don't see the problem on an iPhone because there isn't the screen space for the extra info. So it's just iPad users who will notice the issue. And the Core doesn't show extra information for every album. For example I'm not getting anything extra for Graceland on my iPad.

Regarding options, the Core is always supplied without an internal hard disc and you can fit one or not as you like.

The cost of a CD drive component must be totally trivial but making it possible to user-install it using a caddy like the HD does would not be trivial and would not work in the physical space available in the Core.  

So making it possible to buy a Core without a CD drive would mean two Core variants with probably relatively small sales of the one without a CD drive, implying a significant price premium for the one without the CD drive. I can't see that Naim would find this would make a persuasive business-case?

best

David

simes_pep posted:

....

However this does need a detailed understanding of the use cases, how people are actually using their products, what they want from them and not the way they want people to use them.

The way Naim has dealt with the Core's metadata management problems so far suggest that they care very little about the way people are using their product, in my view.