Naimnet Now Audible

Posted by: u5227470736789439 on 16 February 2008

Naimnet Now Audible

According to this thread, http://forums.naim-audio.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/48019385/m/2372901317, the first reported example is available to listen to!

This is brilliant news in my view, and the begining of something very important!

George
Posted on: 18 February 2008 by themrock
Should that mean that the NS01 have a better DAC than the SN?
Posted on: 18 February 2008 by Signals UK
I have been hoping someone with far deeper technical knowledge than me would contribute to this but . . here goes.

As I understand it, spewing the digital signal through a coax or optical lead has never been ideal. Naim have always avoided dac and transport set-ups for this reason. There are a number of better ways of doing this link, such as I2 S bus, but these involve several channels of data.

An internally positioned dac, properly integrated with the digital components will sound better that a similar dac on the end of a SP-Dif coaxial link.

Accessing data files over an ethernet network is a completely different technology, so these constraints do not apply.

Alastair
Posted on: 18 February 2008 by Alan A
I am pleased to confirm that both AAC and FLAC will be playable on the NaimNet servers for LOCAL playback: that is using the Analogue Audio Outputs provided on the Server rear panel.

Servers issued to date will be upgradeable via either NetStreams / NaimNet Dealer Setup, or by CD-in-the-drawer. This applies to all software updates as the functionality expands.

Multiroom Distributed Music via IP (NaimNet / StreamNet) has a technical consideration on the Netstreams side that restricts the file types to WAV 44.1/16 and mp3. This may change in the future but the main point of the multiroom distribution is to route .wav files bit-perfect without compression: for this reason the Servers rip in .wav only. In fact there is a 192k mp3 generated in the background as well for quick syncing of Servers and poratble devices.

Alan
Posted on: 18 February 2008 by JonR
A senior member with 1 post - hmmmmmm.....nice trick!

Welcome.....Mr Ainslie???
Posted on: 18 February 2008 by themrock
quote:
am pleased to confirm that both AAC and FLAC will be playable on the NaimNet servers for LOCAL playback: that is using the Analogue Audio Outputs provided on the Server rear panel.

Okay do i understand it correctly.The server maybe the NS01 pluged direct to an Amp will be able to play AAC, FLAc, WAV and what is with MP3?
Posted on: 18 February 2008 by Signals UK
quote:
Welcome.....Mr Ainslie???


Sure looks that way.
Posted on: 18 February 2008 by gordon cavanaugh
quote:
Originally posted by GFFJ:

My PC does some things very well, and some so badly as to be intolerable, like playing DVD films! I accept the compromise with a PC because I don't expect better, but for music, all the more do I insist on a minimum acceptable standard, and also simplicity of use in a system. Because music is for me so much more important than anything I could do with a computer!



i was thinking more along the lines of using your computer to read and post to this forum than using it to listen to music. 15 years ago that would not even be imaginable. my post was mostly in jest, i was trying to humorously point out that your using your computer to do something it was never intended to do (post to forums), and yet you're adverse to using it to something else it was never intended to do, play music.

i'm still a bit skeptical that music servers can match a dedicated cd player. i'm having a hard time grasping why streaming digital music from a hard drive is inherently superior to reading it from an optical disk, assuming the same bit rate, but many people seem to think it is.
Posted on: 18 February 2008 by michael1702
quote:
Originally posted by Alan A:
for this reason the Servers rip in .wav only.

is it possible to access those .wav files and ftp/scp/rsync/nfs/... it to a pc?

and the other way to the ns01? can it import transfered files?

thanks,
michael
Posted on: 18 February 2008 by Adam Meredith
quote:
Originally posted by JonR:
A senior member with 1 post - hmmmmmm.....nice trick!


It's who you know.
Posted on: 18 February 2008 by Signals UK
Well ask the one who you know to answer Micheal1702's question.

I'm kind of interested too. Winker
Posted on: 18 February 2008 by themrock
"for this reason the Servers rip in .wav only."
Okay the server rips only in wav, but would the server be able to play mp3-files, which i put on the servers-harddisk via ?????
Posted on: 18 February 2008 by 555
quote:
Originally posted by Adam Meredith:

It's who you know.



Which is how you became a Naim forum moderator?


Winker
Posted on: 18 February 2008 by Mark R
quote:
Originally posted by Signals UK:
Nope, the Mac can do it. There is the disk utility.
A


A - I think this will get you an iPod as external hard disk, but no software. There's some discussion on this - some suggest an iTunes/iPod restore on a formatted FAT32 iPod does work on a Mac, others suggest not. However, once formatted for FAT32 you can only obtain firmware updates for the iPod on a Windows machine.
Posted on: 18 February 2008 by Signals UK
Interesting. Glad I had not yet wiped it. I was a little worried that I could end up with a portable 30gig hard drive-with-a-screen.

Oddly, the Naim server reads the Mac hard drive over the network without issues. Maybe there will be an update. Alan? Alan?

Thanks for the pointer Mark.

A
Posted on: 18 February 2008 by u5227470736789439
quote:
Originally posted by Signals UK:
George,

If you can bring yourself to consider the computer interface, it does give a lot of control. These screen-dumps give you an idea of the options.

There is no reason why ripped music should not be as good, if not actually better, than standard CD replay.

Alastair


I am more than happy to navigate with a computer screen. I tend to prefer it, unless the basic controls have the natural sense of a CD player - as opposed to the nightmare of a video recorder with timer: Aaaaaaaaagh!

I am sure that it is only a question of time before the quality of CD is exceeded and then by some distance. It might even shift a few vinylistas in time. I cannot see CD surviving chez moi, with this on the the table, once I can afford it.

George
Posted on: 19 February 2008 by e-h
quote:
Originally posted by Alan A:
I am pleased to confirm that both AAC and FLAC will be playable on the NaimNet servers for LOCAL playback: that is using the Analogue Audio Outputs provided on the Server rear panel.


This is very good news indeed! Just put Apple Lossless in there as well and I'll be a buyer after summer Winker
Posted on: 19 February 2008 by themrock
quote:
Originally posted by e-h:
quote:
Originally posted by Alan A:
I am pleased to confirm that both AAC and FLAC will be playable on the NaimNet servers for LOCAL playback: that is using the Analogue Audio Outputs provided on the Server rear panel.


This is very good news indeed! Just put Apple Lossless in there as well and I'll be a buyer after summer Winker


And a perfect fit would be, that also MP3 will be playable,would it happen?
Because, then i dont have to plug my MP3-player to the Server.
Posted on: 19 February 2008 by Signals UK
quote:
And a perfect fit would be, that also MP3 will be playable


It already plays Mp3 directly from external drives.
Posted on: 19 February 2008 by themrock
quote:
Originally posted by Signals UK:
quote:
And a perfect fit would be, that also MP3 will be playable


It already plays Mp3 directly from external drives.


Thank you, for your quick reply.
Because of the optik and the noise, i wouldnt like to have an ext. Harddisk in my rack, by the way how would the harddisk be connected to the server.
And i think for the wireless solution i am not ready yet.
So i would preffer to play some MP3 with the int. HD of the Server.
Posted on: 19 February 2008 by daddycool
Also, how about the NaimNet NNP 02?
It looks to me like it has an built-in DAC.

• IP Connected stereo amplifier and room controller.
• 90WPC (4ohm) rms output – true High-End Hi-Fi performance.
• AC Mains and DC power options – for local safety regs.
• Compact – fi ts 195mm cutout. Locates in ceiling voids
– maintenance free.
• 16 bit uncompressed digital audio player.
• 4 local inputs
2 analogue
2 digital (one Co-ax, one optical Toslink).
• Streams the local input to all other rooms.
• Line output fi xed and variable.
• Integrated web server – control by any browser running Flash.

If one can control it over IP this could be the 21st century Nait 2...
Posted on: 19 February 2008 by daddycool
quote:
Originally posted by e-h:

This is very good news indeed! Just put Apple Lossless in there as well and I'll be a buyer after summer Winker


I think support for ALC (Apple Lossless) and AIFF is pretty much essential with all the Mac users out there.

That said the NS01 package looks very promising!
What is the price in euros again, I only remember seeing dollar values which is a bit misleading given the conversion rates...

A still feel a Naim DAC would be a good entry-level to Naim hard-disc based audio for all those SB3 and iTunes users, providing an upgrade path to the NS01 and NS03.
Posted on: 19 February 2008 by Richard Dane
quote:
Originally posted by themrock:
quote:
Originally posted by Signals UK:
quote:
And a perfect fit would be, that also MP3 will be playable


It already plays Mp3 directly from external drives.


Thank you, for your quick reply.
Because of the optik and the noise, i wouldnt like to have an ext. Harddisk in my rack, by the way how would the harddisk be connected to the server.
And i think for the wireless solution i am not ready yet.
So i would preffer to play some MP3 with the int. HD of the Server.


Best to keep the server internal drive for the stuff that's been ripped to WAV. The Server should do a better job at ripping than a regular computer. Anything else you can keep on any computer or network drive on the network. The server will automatically locate compatible music files on your network or on any other drive (even an iPod - taking files digitally, which is cool) connected to it via USB.
Posted on: 19 February 2008 by themrock
quote:
Best to keep the server internal drive for the stuff that's been ripped to WAV.

Thank you, but this didnt answer my question, if it is possible to store MP3 on the HD and play them .
Thank you
Posted on: 19 February 2008 by daddycool
quote:
Originally posted by Richard Dane:
Best to keep the server internal drive for the stuff that's been ripped to WAV. The Server should do a better job at ripping than a regular computer. Anything else you can keep on any computer or network drive on the network. The server will automatically locate compatible music files on your network or on any other drive (even an iPod - taking files digitally, which is cool) connected to it via USB.


Thank you for the explanation, Richard.

But:
- any news on the projected price of the NS 01 for mainland Europe?
- any plans for Apple Lossless support?
- can you tell us more about the NNP 02?
Posted on: 19 February 2008 by Richard Dane
AAC/Apple lossless support is coming.

As for the rest, I think it's best to have somebody on the Naimnet team answer specific questions... Alan?