How do Naim users listen to unsupported Subscription Music Services such as Primephonic, Qubuz, Iomega and others??

Posted by: Echolane on 15 November 2018

i would much like to subscribe to one or more of these services.  I am currently stuck because much to my regret the Naim Uniti Core does not support any. I’d like to add another Naim streamer to my system, but the other Naim products support only two subscription services to my knowledge (Tidal and I think Spotify), and they don’t offer me a huge catalog to suit my classical music interests.   So what about those of you with other Naim products.   How do you listen to these other non-Naim supported services?  Maybe I can adapt your methods to my systems.

I am  aware I can listen on my iPad, but I stubbornly refuse to listen to bad sound; I want to listen through my good stereo systems.  I can’t figure out how to do that.

My main stereo is your standard two-channel analog  stereo with Quad ESL-63 speakers, a good tube amp, CD player and the recent addition of digital capability via an Audio Alchemy DDP-1 DAC and the Naim Unity Core.  I have three other stereos in the house with the other most important one being my Audio/Video setup.  I have lots of good two channel stereo here too, but the only streamer capable unit is the OPPO UDP-205, unfortunately not equipped with apps, but it  is a UPnP server.  Can I make use of that somehow?  The other two stereo systems are attached to the two desktop computers, both with better than ordinary stereo attached.

Posted on: 16 November 2018 by Simon-in-Suffolk

Some including me use BubbleUPnP Server running on a micro server like a consumer NAS or RaspberryPi to act as UPnP proxy to play Qobuz and Tidal on our Naim streamers... search the forum you will see instructions and references. Currently gapless via this method is only working on the Naim legacy streamers and not the recent new architecture streamers, but I believe Naim are on the case.

Posted on: 16 November 2018 by ChrisSU

The new generation Naim streamers support Chromecast and Airplay, whch gives the option of streaming from a wide variety of internet sources. This gives options for lossless streaming, although I’m not sure that they’re up to the same standard as local streaming or CD playback. 

Simon’s suggestion of using BubbleUPnP server is good for Tidal and Qobuz, but you still need a UPnP streamer to play it. 

Posted on: 16 November 2018 by likesmusic

Echolane - just plug your laptop into your DAC and get a free trial of Qobuz, it’ll cost you nothing apart from a couple of quid in a USB cable,  and will let you enjoy it’s huge catalogue. The Windows or OS x apps are fine. It’s a wonderful service if, like me, you like classical music.  Then, if you decide it is for you, you can look at more convenient options. But with the stuff you’ve got you could be listening in ten minutes.

Posted on: 16 November 2018 by Echolane
likesmusic posted:

Echolane - just plug your laptop into your DAC and get a free trial of Qobuz, it’ll cost you nothing apart from a couple of quid in a USB cable,  and will let you enjoy it’s huge catalogue. The Windows or OS x apps are fine. It’s a wonderful service if, like me, you like classical music.  Then, if you decide it is for you, you can look at more convenient options. But with the stuff you’ve got you could be listening in ten minutes.

Boo boo, no laptop, just an iPad.

Posted on: 16 November 2018 by Echolane

 

I looked up UPnP streamers and got a long list of possibilities, but it’s not obvious how to go on from there.  

For example, just picking one, Universal Media Server sounds like it would serve  to my OPPO UDP-205 BluRay Player.  Do I install it on my Windows Desktop Computers and it will find any DLNA/UPnP capable players?  The Naim Uniti Core is also  UPnP compliant, yes?  In which case I could stream to it too?  

And then, if I subscribe to Qubuz, for example, Universal Media Server integrates with Qubuz?

Posted on: 16 November 2018 by ChrisSU
Echolane posted:

 

I looked up UPnP streamers and got a long list of possibilities, but it’s not obvious how to go on from there.  

For example, just picking one, Universal Media Server sounds like it would serve  to my OPPO UDP-205 BluRay Player.  Do I install it on my Windows Desktop Computers and it will find any DLNA/UPnP capable players?  The Naim Uniti Core is also  UPnP compliant, yes?  In which case I could stream to it too?  

And then, if I subscribe to Qubuz, for example, Universal Media Server integrates with Qubuz?

The Uniti Core is a UPnP server that can send stored music files to a UPnP streamer. You cannot send a stream to it. 

Popular music servers to run on a computer or NAS, would be Asset or Minimserver as an alternative to the Uniti Core. 

These servers are intended to stream music from your own storage to a streamer. Simon’s BubbleUPnP suggestion is a slightly unusual, but effective workaround that sends a web stream to a streamer as if it were a local stream. 

Posted on: 16 November 2018 by likesmusic
Echolane posted:
likesmusic posted:

Echolane - just plug your laptop into your DAC and get a free trial of Qobuz, it’ll cost you nothing apart from a couple of quid in a USB cable,  and will let you enjoy it’s huge catalogue. The Windows or OS x apps are fine. It’s a wonderful service if, like me, you like classical music.  Then, if you decide it is for you, you can look at more convenient options. But with the stuff you’ve got you could be listening in ten minutes.

Boo boo, no laptop, just an iPad.

You should still be able to do it with a camera connection kit, depending on your iPad. If you have a desktop in another bit of your house, I think a Chromecast Audio would also give you at least cd quality streaming. I was just trying to suggest a minimally expensive way of giving Qobuz a try.

Posted on: 16 November 2018 by Simon-in-Suffolk

Echolane, if you have an iPad, you can use Qobuz’s own replay app.. some of the iPads have great audio.. I feed my iPad into a valve headphone amp and a pair of Sennheisers and it sounds pretty good.

Posted on: 16 November 2018 by AlanJ

I’d second that. Until recently i was using  the Qobuz app on my iPad to stream to my Chord Mojo DAC and from there to one of the Aux inputs on my NAC 282. The sound quality was was very respectable. Admittedly the sound quality was down to the DAC but the point is that an iPad can be employed in the right setup to get decent sound quality.

Posted on: 16 November 2018 by Echolane
Simon-in-Suffolk posted:

Echolane, if you have an iPad, you can use Qobuz’s own replay app.. some of the iPads have great audio.. I feed my iPad into a valve headphone amp and a pair of Sennheisers and it sounds pretty good.

I have a set of headphones to use with my iPad.  I don’t enjoy listening that way, but I can certainly give it a try.  I don’t have a feel for a long term solution though.  Both my desktops are suitable short term listening sites but in neither case is  there comfortable seating for enjoyable listening.

I wish I could understand why Naim wouldn’t be eager to include these subscription services as an added benefit to owning Naim.

Posted on: 16 November 2018 by Mike Sullivan

If you have the right inputs on your system, you could use a 3rd generation Apple TV with the optical output into your amp and stream from the iPad using Airplay. There are probably other AIrplay interfaces too?

Posted on: 17 November 2018 by Bert Schurink

I have Tidal and Qobuz. Qobuz I never use as I find that in the cases I want Tidal has a quite good coverage. I used to play over my Sony Walkman, however my current one doesn’t support WiFi anymore, so in case I play it’s through the computer right iPhone. I also don’t feel the urge as I have over 600gb of music in my pocket.