Naim Core

Yes you will need a DAC to get sound from the core

 You will get best results with a solid state hard drive...2tb should be plenty as long as you have not got thousands and thousands of CDs

You could use android and iso apps ...but not at the same time ! 

I recommend the iso app rather than the farely poor android effort ..

Charles - it may be worth starting the thread with what you want to achieve - Eg Play ripped CD's, stream music from online services, stream music to other rooms etc and then go from there as the Core, good as it is may not be what you need. 

James

Good point, I want to rip cds and play music from the Core, after all it is essentially  a digital storage device.

Japtimscarlet posted:

Yes you will need a DAC to get sound from the core

 You will get best results with a solid state hard drive...2tb should be plenty as long as you have not got thousands and thousands of CDs

You could use android and iso apps ...but not at the same time ! 

I recommend the iso app rather than the farely poor android effort ..

So would a DAC V1 do the job?

The DAC V1 could be used. You also have the option here of using a different device to the Core such as the Innous Zen and feed the V1 via USB.

If you're set on the Core, then i'd look for a S/H Naim DAC to partner it with which will give you a fine digital front end. 

As you have the xs already a used Naim DAC as opposed to a V1 might be a better bet unless you need a half width box.

A Core into the Naim DAC is a very fine source indeed...

Charles, read all the threads about the limitations of the Core and its present (hopefully-to-be-fixed-with-firmware-updates) limitations.  Naim are very accommodating and allow us customers to point out the flaws as well as joys of its product here on its forum.

Let's talk functionality. For the ability to rip and store and play back cd's over a home network, the Core is priced as a luxury item. Many of us who rip and store and serve (play back over our home network) have moved on from or bypassed the Naim brand box in favor of a nas from Synology or QNAP to serve and store, and ripping the cd's on a pre-existing laptop/home computer.  This is much less expensive and provides MUCH more control over way you see your music collection and organize it within the Naim App. (Yes you can use the Naim App without a Core.) 

(Do you intend to serve your music over the home network, or are you intending to hard-wire the Core to a Naim dac or player via a digital cable? This requires some thought as well.)

My personal journey started with the Core's predecessor (Naim UnitiServe) and as you can tell I've moved on to a nas instead.

If you believe that the Core sounds better as a music server than a $300 nas, such is your prerogative.  If you do a/b listening and conclude that, then that's what you hear.  I did the a/b before I sold off my UnitiServe and could not detect a difference. Plenty here agree with my conclusion, some think a nas can sound better, and some conclude the opposite.

The best reason to get a Core is if you are 'afraid' of the technology and don't want to learn how to rip cd's yourself or edit the "metadata" (album title, etc). If you really want and need an all-in-one it just does it solution, then the Core may be the right choice, sacrificing money and a LOT of control over your music for that convenience. (And I can guarantee that even if you are afraid today, over the first year of Core ownership you'll learn the rest anyway!)

The primary appeal of Core for many users is that you don't need to fool around with network issues, NAS server software, Cisco switches, exotic ethernet cables and so on.  Just use a direct coaxial spdif cable. You do need an internet connection for metadata when ripping, but quality or speed is not a concern.

Charles, it depends on what you require of a server/ripper I've had a Core since they were released and it a very simple device to use and it is silent plus it sounds good.

The Core has gone quite a few software/firmware updates and is a different animal than when first released. 

I've not used my NAS sInce it arrived back up is done to a 2TB hard drive connected to the rear USB on the Core.

The IOS app is much better. I just use the ethernet connection and as others have said you will need a DAC but that's another story altogether 

It depends on what floats your boat it is expensive but Just check out the alternatives and make sure the Core is suitable for your needs?

someone wrote recently that the rips of cds by dpoweramp were sounding better than core rips.   Anyone could have compared?

For now i am satisfied with my unitserve/ linear ps combo.  But i don’t know what i will take in the future.   Uniticore, innuos, melco, antipodes?      If the ripping software of the core is not as good, it won’t be my cup of tea.

Bart posted:

Charles, read all the threads about the limitations of the Core and its present (hopefully-to-be-fixed-with-firmware-updates) limitations.  Naim are very accommodating and allow us customers to point out the flaws as well as joys of its product here on its forum.

Let's talk functionality. For the ability to rip and store and play back cd's over a home network, the Core is priced as a luxury item. Many of us who rip and store and serve (play back over our home network) have moved on from or bypassed the Naim brand box in favor of a nas from Synology or QNAP to serve and store, and ripping the cd's on a pre-existing laptop/home computer.  This is much less expensive and provides MUCH more control over way you see your music collection and organize it within the Naim App. (Yes you can use the Naim App without a Core.) 

(Do you intend to serve your music over the home network, or are you intending to hard-wire the Core to a Naim dac or player via a digital cable? This requires some thought as well.)

My personal journey started with the Core's predecessor (Naim UnitiServe) and as you can tell I've moved on to a nas instead.

If you believe that the Core sounds better as a music server than a $300 nas, such is your prerogative.  If you do a/b listening and conclude that, then that's what you hear.  I did the a/b before I sold off my UnitiServe and could not detect a difference. Plenty here agree with my conclusion, some think a nas can sound better, and some conclude the opposite.

The best reason to get a Core is if you are 'afraid' of the technology and don't want to learn how to rip cd's yourself or edit the "metadata" (album title, etc). If you really want and need an all-in-one it just does it solution, then the Core may be the right choice, sacrificing money and a LOT of control over your music for that convenience. (And I can guarantee that even if you are afraid today, over the first year of Core ownership you'll learn the rest anyway!)

Bart,

Excuse my ignorance but I think what you are saying is that I can use any device to store music files that I can rip and play them back through my system as long as I have the means. I just want to play ripped files from whatever I rip them to for example an ipad or mp3 player or some other sort of drive. The Core sounds a good idea but if the Naim route is followed and if I can get a used Naim Dac I am still looking at circa £3200.

Anything cheaper would be of interest.

French Rooster posted:

someone wrote recently that the rips of cds by dpoweramp were sounding better than core rips.   Anyone could have compared?

For now i am satisfied with my unitserve/ linear ps combo.  But i don’t know what i will take in the future.   Uniticore, innuos, melco, antipodes?      If the ripping software of the core is not as good, it won’t be my cup of tea.

The Core just pipped my NAS on sound quality in my system and with my ears not night and day but preferred the Core.

Charles44 posted:

Bart posted:

Charles, read all the threads about the limitations of the Core and its present (hopefully-to-be-fixed-with-firmware-updates) limitations.  Naim are very accommodating and allow us customers to point out the flaws as well as joys of its product here on its forum.

Let's talk functionality. For the ability to rip and store and play back cd's over a home network, the Core is priced as a luxury item. Many of us who rip and store and serve (play back over our home network) have moved on from or bypassed the Naim brand box in favor of a nas from Synology or QNAP to serve and store, and ripping the cd's on a pre-existing laptop/home computer.  This is much less expensive and provides MUCH more control over way you see your music collection and organize it within the Naim App. (Yes you can use the Naim App without a Core.) 

(Do you intend to serve your music over the home network, or are you intending to hard-wire the Core to a Naim dac or player via a digital cable? This requires some thought as well.)

My personal journey started with the Core's predecessor (Naim UnitiServe) and as you can tell I've moved on to a nas instead.

If you believe that the Core sounds better as a music server than a $300 nas, such is your prerogative.  If you do a/b listening and conclude that, then that's what you hear.  I did the a/b before I sold off my UnitiServe and could not detect a difference. Plenty here agree with my conclusion, some think a nas can sound better, and some conclude the opposite.

The best reason to get a Core is if you are 'afraid' of the technology and don't want to learn how to rip cd's yourself or edit the "metadata" (album title, etc). If you really want and need an all-in-one it just does it solution, then the Core may be the right choice, sacrificing money and a LOT of control over your music for that convenience. (And I can guarantee that even if you are afraid today, over the first year of Core ownership you'll learn the rest anyway!)

Bart,

Excuse my ignorance but I think what you are saying is that I can use any device to store music files that I can rip and play them back through my system as long as I have the means. I just want to play ripped files from whatever I rip them to for example an ipad or mp3 player or some other sort of drive. The Core sounds a good idea but if the Naim route is followed and if I can get a used Naim Dac I am still looking at circa £3200.

Anything cheaper would be of interest.

A pre-loved nDAC is considerably cheaper than £3K. I sold mine on as I now use my Core in uPnP mode and stream it on my NDX2 and Muso. If you are looking at getting a streamer longer term, you could get a streamer instead and use the naim app to play ripped files and bypass the nDAC altogether. 

bongoman posted:

Charles44 posted:

Bart posted:

Charles, read all the threads about the limitations of the Core and its present (hopefully-to-be-fixed-with-firmware-updates) limitations.  Naim are very accommodating and allow us customers to point out the flaws as well as joys of its product here on its forum.

Let's talk functionality. For the ability to rip and store and play back cd's over a home network, the Core is priced as a luxury item. Many of us who rip and store and serve (play back over our home network) have moved on from or bypassed the Naim brand box in favor of a nas from Synology or QNAP to serve and store, and ripping the cd's on a pre-existing laptop/home computer.  This is much less expensive and provides MUCH more control over way you see your music collection and organize it within the Naim App. (Yes you can use the Naim App without a Core.) 

(Do you intend to serve your music over the home network, or are you intending to hard-wire the Core to a Naim dac or player via a digital cable? This requires some thought as well.)

My personal journey started with the Core's predecessor (Naim UnitiServe) and as you can tell I've moved on to a nas instead.

If you believe that the Core sounds better as a music server than a $300 nas, such is your prerogative.  If you do a/b listening and conclude that, then that's what you hear.  I did the a/b before I sold off my UnitiServe and could not detect a difference. Plenty here agree with my conclusion, some think a nas can sound better, and some conclude the opposite.

The best reason to get a Core is if you are 'afraid' of the technology and don't want to learn how to rip cd's yourself or edit the "metadata" (album title, etc). If you really want and need an all-in-one it just does it solution, then the Core may be the right choice, sacrificing money and a LOT of control over your music for that convenience. (And I can guarantee that even if you are afraid today, over the first year of Core ownership you'll learn the rest anyway!)

Bart,

Excuse my ignorance but I think what you are saying is that I can use any device to store music files that I can rip and play them back through my system as long as I have the means. I just want to play ripped files from whatever I rip them to for example an ipad or mp3 player or some other sort of drive. The Core sounds a good idea but if the Naim route is followed and if I can get a used Naim Dac I am still looking at circa £3200.

Anything cheaper would be of interest.

A pre-loved nDAC is considerably cheaper than £3K. I sold mine on as I now use my Core in uPnP mode and stream it on my NDX2 and Muso. If you are looking at getting a streamer longer term, you could get a streamer instead and use the naim app to play ripped files and bypass the nDAC altogether. 

£3200 approx. is Core plus DAC.

What's your budget Charles. Do you want plug and play or are happy to get your hands a bit dirty and if so have you got basic network / computer experience ??

james n posted:

What's your budget Charles. Do you want plug and play or are happy to get your hands a bit dirty and if so have you got basic network / computer experience ??

I don't have a budget as such just an aim to do this, if I choose to, in the most cash efficient way. The Naim path, new Core, used DAC I can do for circa £3200 as mentioned - I presume this is what you mean by "plug and play". Other means I am sure would be cheaper. Yes I have some basic computer/network experience and also have a very able son in law.

The combination of the nDac and Core was utterly amazing for sound quality.  However when i bought my Core this year i wanted to spend less money right now so i went with a Chord Mojo instead of the nDac.  Not quite an nDac but the sound quality is just amazing nonetheless.  The Core seems to have been engineered for sound quality first.  The advantage of this non streaming setup is you listen to music without worrying about any network issues like dropouts.  Use the Naim DC1 cable between the Core and the Mojo.  I have many terrabytes of music...from cd to 24/192...and just love it on the Core/Mojo.  At some point i do hope Naim do an NDac2 now that the nDac is discontinued...i would certainly look at buying that in a  few years.  The Core does need more work on the metadata and a few other issues...but really once you start working with it you find ways around these issues and just listen to the music.  

Charles first decide if you want a dac (like the Naim Dac) where you need to hard-wire the player (eg Core) to it, with a 1-2 meter cable, or whether you want a networked player (such as a Naim ND-series player) that is connected to a music server via your home network (preferably ethernet cable but possible to do via wi fi - maybe more robustly with wifi with the just-released Naim players ND5XS2, NDX2 and ND 555).

Because if you want to go with a networked player, given your posts above (you're comfortable with technology) I'd strongly recommend skipping the Core and getting a nas from QNAP or Synology to store your files and serve them, and just rip via your computer.

Agree with this

The core sounds superior to my Nas into the NDS

So I moved from Nas to core and have not regretted it...the core has nice features...but whether you think it is overpriced for what it does is up to the buyer

Bart posted:

Charles first decide if you want a dac (like the Naim Dac) where you need to hard-wire the player (eg Core) to it, with a 1-2 meter cable, or whether you want a networked player (such as a Naim ND-series player) that is connected to a music server via your home network (preferably ethernet cable but possible to do via wi fi - maybe more robustly with wifi with the just-released Naim players ND5XS2, NDX2 and ND 555).

Because if you want to go with a networked player, given your posts above (you're comfortable with technology) I'd strongly recommend skipping the Core and getting a nas from QNAP or Synology to store your files and serve them, and just rip via your computer.

Bart sums it up well. Might be worth a trip to your dealer to explore a few options and see what works best for you from a SQ and usability point of view. 

I ordered my Core when they were anounced in the anticipation of a NDS (streamer) replacement which it was obvious was coming. I wanted to make space for more vinyl by dispencing with CDs in the living room. So when my Core arrived I was looking for a DAC to tideme over until the second generation streamers arrived. My system is 500 series so I needed something that was enjoyable in that context but didn’t want to spend too much on it, it also had to share a shelf with the Core which eliminated the nDAC but a V1 was possible though the power cable on the right of both was an inconvenience on Fraim. I started with a Rega DAC-r for £550 or so but with a Chord Fairway cable it lacked some excitement. My next trial was a Chord 2qute which was supplied with a Chord Shawline, I found this did did rhythm and resolution very well but the music ,seemed devoid of any emotion. Meanwhile there had beed discussion on the forum comparing the Naim DC1 cable with an SDI 12g cable from Blue Jeans cables the Belden 4794R which cost a 20th of the price plus shipment from the states but could still arrive through my letterbox for ~£40 so I took a punt on one which arrived while I had the 2qute, this let a bit of emotion through but I wasn’t satisfied so the next option was between the V1 or a Hugo. At this point I took stock, I would only use the DAC for a couple of years, most likely, before a streamer came out when the DAC would be relegated along with the Core to the spare room where my old Rega system resides, I decided a Rega DAC would be enough and ordered one. Happily the Belden cable transformed the Rega DAC into a much more enjoyable machine that didn’t sound too much of a compromise with my 552/500NBLs, except when I tried a Naim Powerline on it when it sounded horrible. 

The Core does have some limitations in terms of functionality and metadata handling, and it’s an expensive box compared to a NAS. What it does have, though, is a very good SPDIF output which makes it an ideal partner for a DAC. Combined with a used NDAC or Chord Hugo, it would make a great source for the money. 

The alternative approach would be a streamer: all Naim streamers have a DAC built in, and you have the advantage of internet radio and web streaming too. To my mind, this makes the Core harder to justify, as you can get great sound quality streaming from a NAS that would cost you less than £300.

I'm happy using HDD rather than SSD, Seagate video servalance 24/7 type in my Core. This is silent. As others have said, you need a DAC. I'm very satisfied with the Core as my main source. Some people can hear a difference between a Core and a NAS, (I can and so can my wife) other's can't so I would suggest if you already have a NAS that you audition it against a Core to see if you have a preference. You could then use a computer to rip the CDs to a NAS. You would of course still need a DAC but your monitory outlay would be considerably less. As to which app, ios in preference if you have an iPad or iPhone otherwise the Android is still a viable alternative, we use both but not at the same time although you can start a session with for example the Android, close down the app and continue with the ios. Rich 

ChrisSU posted:

The Core does have some limitations in terms of functionality and metadata handling, and it’s an expensive box compared to a NAS. What it does have, though, is a very good SPDIF output which makes it an ideal partner for a DAC. Combined with a used NDAC or Chord Hugo, it would make a great source for the money. 

The alternative approach would be a streamer: all Naim streamers have a DAC built in, and you have the advantage of internet radio and web streaming too. To my mind, this makes the Core harder to justify, as you can get great sound quality streaming from a NAS that would cost you less than £300.

Totally agree. This exactly is why I asked the OP if he has thought about the network approach and a streamer player, vs. a dac that is not 'networkable.'  A $300 nas isn't the right alternative to the Core is he wants a stand-alone dac that's directly connected via digital cable. There are plenty of Core alternatives for that later use case but it's a longer discussion . . .