NDac HD Settings

Hello Tim,

That is strange. I remember the first time I played a 24/44.1 file thinking it was high res - it is not. 

Other than that, everything that is claimed to be high res makes both lights come on so I'm not sure what's going on there if HD Tracks says they are 24/176. They have made erroneous claims before...

How are you streaming these files to the DAC? Do you have the latest firmware?

Arun

Try to play something that did show up as HighRes on the DAC and see if it still does, to confirm your computer settings haven't changed Then play the new purchase and if it doesn't show up as HighRes you can be sure it isn't.

you can also use the free program MediaInfo to check what resolution your music file is.

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aleg

Looking at your profile you have a Squeezebox Touch.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought the highest sample rate a SB can handle is 96k?

Based on that assumption, and given the HD light isn't on, the Stones' files are being down sampled to 16/44.1(?).

Thanks for your answers. I need to update my profile as I have a Unitiserve SSD. All my other HD Tracks downloads in HiRes make both lights shine on the NDac. It is only this particular album and the only one I have at 24/176.

I have the latest firmware and they are in FLAC format.

I will try the mediainfo to check.

Tim

"The hd indicator illuminates to indicate that the input data stream is “high definition”. High definition is defined as any data stream with a sampling rate above 48kHz."

OK I've done some tests.

When using NServe on the ipad the data file is reported correctly, i.e. 176.4/24. Also used media info and that reports same info.

I coped the album to a USB memory stick and via the usb socket at the front on the NDac it plays and both lights illuminate. However when I pay it via the Unitiserve SSD only one light illuminates. As I say all other HiRes files are OK it's just this album. Tried re-copying to my network share after deleting the original, still the same.

I've got the latest software on the NDac and 1.6D on the unitiserve.

So I'm at a bit of a loss at the moment.

Tim

Timbo - I thought I has this "problem" too but after querying the guys at Naim Store I learned that, just as jasons says above, the HD light on the nDAC only lights up when above 48kHz.  My HD downloads were 24 bit/48kHz so didn't trigger the light.

MDS  

Thanks MDS, however these are 176.1/24 bit and work OK via USB stick.

Tim

The problem might be in the Uniti Serve, you could try with another track with identical resolution...

It might be that US doesn't support the 176.4 kHz resolution.

I know that not all motherboard chipsets do.

Some are limited to the 96 & 192 range of sampling rates and don't do the 88.2 & 176.4.

edit:

your answer is here https://forums.naimaudio.com/di...ent/4663909018615069

176.4 is not supported

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Aleg

Well spotted Aleg.

...and it's written in the product spec sheet!

If you put the track in iTunes then it will tell you the resolution. ITunes is not always the most informative, but it will do that. 

Will I have the same problem with a HDX?  i have seen some tracks on HD Tracks, but if this is the case, i might aswell go for the lower res.

Thanks for spotting this Aleg, I'm OK with it now as I know there is nothing "wrong" with the system. I will just note to stick to resolutions that are supported.

Tim

Timbo,

Just out of curiosity, did you notice any sound differences when playing the file through USB or through the UnitiServe ?

Jan

Hi Jan:

Haven't tried any listening tests as yet, but as soon as I do I will report. I also used Audacity to resample down to 96kHz and seems to work ok illuminating both lights on the NDac.

Tim

Timbo

best to downsample in line of the sequence, so 176.4 should best go down to 88.2 instead of 96.

that way it's exactly half and it won't need to recalculate intermediary bits.

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aleg

The issue appears to be 176 on the digital output of the servers. They will stream 176 fine just playback from the digital output. You can get around this by upsampling the file using DBPoweramp to 192. Then it till play into the DAC in HD.

You need to set the DSP effects to 192. See attached.

Well

having spent all morning I have tried the following:

hdx > ndac

v's

hdx > uq (24-192 version) > ndac

i have a all different types of music at different sample rates, so i bought 1812 from hd tracks to give me the answer i was looking for.

hdx does not send it out at 176, but it sends it out at a lower than hd res, not sure what. any ideas?

well all versions via the qute+dac were not far off the straight hdx+dac, with the exception of the 176........the qute outputted the 176 hd version as my dac had 2 light on! which i could not tell?

the test was on like for like, only one track playing at a time, ie hdx then upnp, not simultaneous.  both plugged into 1 and 2 on the ndac with naim dc1 cables. just needed to press a button and que the track to change.

this has raised some interesting upgrade thoughts.

in adding a ndx to the mix will i get a better sound?  would it be worth keeping my dac with a ndx in place?

i do love my hdx and prefer the nserve app to nstream, but want volume control of my 252.

i could also trade the hdx for a uniti serve and ndac too to make way for a nds?

all great ideas, but i am not planning on upgrading yet.

if naim could make a box that the userve could control and change my volume for me that would be great (and i know the hdx comes with a remote)   also, can they fix the 176 bug?

finally when will a ndac 2 be hinted at, maybe based on nds tech?   maybe at bristol?

think its time for fink live!  great album, and can buy on-line for download too.

Not sure it helps, but I reported a similar problem, also with a couple of Stones albums, on this forum. I run a U.S. (hard disk) into Naim DAC.  My high res albums are on A USBconnect luggeddirectly into US.Everything plays fine, both lights on the NDAC.  But then I copied all high res files from the USB stick to my NAS. NAS and US are hard wired to the router.  All high res files play fine from the NAS ( approx 35 albums) with both green lights illuminated...........except for two Stones  albums which only play in standard res. 

Completely baffling.... It doesn't really bother me and I have given up trying to make sense of it.

So Mick will have to stay on the stick.

Paul

Thanks for the info Chris. I have never used DBPoweramp as I have a Mac. Do you know any similar apps that might work on a Mac. With Audacity I was able to downsample to 96kHz, but as Aleg suggested I couldn't halve it to 88.2 as Audacity doesn't have that setting and it doesn't go up to 192 so I can't upsample either.

As soon as i can I am going to do a listening test with the USB version at 176 and the downsampled version at 96.

Tim

The upscaled 192 file doesnt sound as good as the original 176 file. If you own a serve and a DAC I suggest you listen to the 176 files into the DAC from a USB stick. 

what did you use to up sample?  and have you tried dropping to 88?

An even more detailed answer is here:

https://forums.naimaudio.com/di...728#4804681820015728