NaimNet, SlimDevices ?

Posted by: spc on 31 July 2006

Naimnet looks interesting as does the new SlimDevices Transporter.

If these pieces of kit can deliver CD Quality to the Pre-Amp, do we still need a CD Drive (aside from the original & legal CD rip.)

Should I still consider a CDS3 upgrade or just get a good wireless distribution and DAC system?
Posted on: 03 August 2006 by garyi
Rackkit it looks to be that naim are doing what they know best, the sound and some other company presumably experts in their field are doing the wireless control.
Posted on: 03 August 2006 by colscot
I have a Squeezebox 2 into a Benchmark DAC1 and I can assure you that although it is great value for the money it is nowhere near the quality of a CDX or CDS2 or anything else from Naim for that matter.

I enjoy the convenience of it and fast access to music, but it is built to a price point and requires to addition of better power supplies an internal mods to bring it up to a level approaching the best CD players. That said you probably still wouldn't be spending what it would cost for a decent CD player.

When I compare it to my vinyl setup of LP12/ARO/Ortofon Kontrapunkt B the Linn leaves it for dead. As someone who works with IP all day long it was a breeze for me to set up and fix any time it happens to stop working, but I can see how someone with no knowledge of IP would find it a pain to set up.

Colin
Posted on: 03 August 2006 by It'sgottosoundreal
The key to the Squeezebox's performance is who is screwing around with the product not whether or not the Squeezebox can perform at a high level as a transport or complete music delivery system. Remember just like with Naim gear many folks have tried their hand at replicating Naim's power supplies but to no avail. Regarding a stock model's performance it is what it is 30% of the music. The same is to be said of the Benchmark unit but a properly modded Benchmark dac is something again. It is worth saying again Squeezeboxes that are properly modded complete with battery supplies... out of the design gate... in my view offer not just convience but world class performance. The best part of this dialogue is we are having it as fellow audiophiles on a Naim forum. Nuff said.
Posted on: 03 August 2006 by Guido Fawkes
quote:
Originally posted by jcs_smith:
quote:
Originally posted by London Lad:
jcs, I see your point of view but what are you going to do when not just audio but everything is pc based?

Already a lot of people never shut down their home network.



I may be being naieve here but I cannot envisage a situation where everything is pc based.


I cannot envisage a situation where anything in my house is pc based.
Posted on: 03 August 2006 by kuma
quote:
Originally posted by ROTF:
I cannot envisage a situation where anything in my house is pc based.


People call like us 'e-curmudgeons' . Big Grin

At least I gave it a shot but I have NO patience for a fiddly stuff. If it doesn't work like a toaster, I wait till it does.

And added to the injury, it died after less than a year.

Also, later I was told that all the uncompressed music I stored on the HD was ripped *wrong*.

Apparently, there is a *proper* method and setting you use when you rip the original contents.

A little AB compariosn revealed that, indeed, depending on how you rip, the sound quality varies.