Hi
I am a 67 year old pensioner and i want to get into streaming as my health isn’t great and I can no longer keep getting up to put records / Cd’s on.
However i have hardly any knowledge of how to go about this.
I have looked at videos online till i am blue in the face but still don’t understand how to set up a Nas box.
I have a lot of Linn Equipment and thought if it sounded ok i would Buy a Majik ds box as i would not have to dispose of too much of my old equipment but having read a review it may be i would need an it degree to set it up.
I thought i would buy a NAS box first and from the small amount of knowledge i have the Synology brand looks ok to me.
It may take me quite a time to transfer all my vinyl and cd to this so i can use the time to look for a player.
I used to be quite practical and in the past wired up a network in my house but even though i tested all the connections out i still cant get it to work. i have Virgin as ISP and took a feed to a switch somewhere else where the NAS is intended to go.
The only criterion i have is that I don’t want to use Apple or ios type products.
How do I find the right UPNP server? if the one i pick isnt right will i lose all my Data?
Can my NAS box be set up on a wireless network? I cant afford a Network engineer to come out.
Please Help.
Sorry to go on a bit
Sorry to sound so dim. Must be my age
If you don’t want to faff about with NAS and all the ripping involved, a dedicated streamer is the way to go – but you will need a tablet or phone to control the thing. If you have/like Linn gear, then a Majik does seem a good choice. I have a Naim ND5XS2, which was child’s play to set up, and works beautifully. I can’t imagine that a new Linn streamer would be any more difficult. Really, this is close to being plug and play.
Hi, what system do you have? A NAS will hold a digital music collection if you have one, but you need a streamer to play it. There are plenty of products around that are a great deal easier to set up than a NAS, and minimise the amount of time you have to spend staring at a computer.
The OP knows he needs a streamer - the idea is to get a nas first and get the music onto it.
My advice would be a get a decent Qnap or Synology nas and load Asset. I’d also decide on a streamer at the same time, then you can see if it’s al working and that the chosen metadata works as required. It’s better to rip ten albums and know you are happy and then rip the rest. One thing I like with my Qnap is that I can back up to a USB drive at the touch of a button.
If a streamer is bought now a good dealer should be able to help with nas and system setup. I’d strongly recommend using a fully wired setup.
A Linn DSM would provide a streamer and preamp which would allow the Genki and Kolector to be retired, and would feed the M2s happily.
Welcome Heyman, Ive been in similar circumstances and no, you’re not being dim! How much vinyl do you have that would need digitising? Also, if I may, what part of the world are you in? Near Gloucestershire?
Thanks. I live in Northants.
Ripping Vinyl / cds not the problem.
I have bought a usb drive to save it all to on a temp basis.
The probs i have are:
1 setting up Nas
2 where to put music on nas
3 choosing streamer.
4 if i use a linn product is control app android, am not spending £400 on a ipad
Heyman - you will get lots of help on here. I’m also new to the world of streaming, I took the following approach.
In terms of choosing a NAS - I went for QNAP, it seemed easy to setup and I like the windows style apps that you could add to it (Synology may be the same to be fair).
First step - connect the Nas to your network. Assuming you have a wireless router, the NAS connects to the router via an RJ45 cable. You will then be able to access it wirelessly from any device connected to you wireless network. You should be able to access the QNAP from your PC/Mac. I setup a multimedia directory and have a folder each for Music & Movies.
Second Step - Get some tunes onto the NAS. I use a piece of software called dbpoweramp. You can download it from the internet. It can seem complicated at first, but dbpoweramp is fairly intuitive. You need to set the file location to the folder on your NAS, it will then stay set as that. You also need to choose a file format - either WAV or FLAC are deemed ‘lossless’. I use FLAC, because it can also store Metadata, album covers etc. Also make sure that you select no compression to get the best quality. Pop a CD into the drive and wait for dppoweramp to read the tracks and find the album and metadata, then hit “Rip” in the top left and let the software do its thing.
Third Step - download a UPNP server. I have tried Asset and MinimServer, personally I prefer the second for intuitiveness to select music, but I think this is a matter of personal preference.
In terms of selecting a streamer, others will be better placed to offer guidance but hopefully this will give you confidence that what you are looking to achieve is very do-able.
Once you’ve settled on a NAS either QNAP or Synology. There are some really great clips on Youtube for setting up a NAS straight from opening the packaging.
Don’t forget you will need to consider a back-up plan for your data.
It is a challenge setting up a NAS but with Youtube and the kind help of people on this forum it is achievable and rewarding.
If you really can’t be bothered with a NAS, the current Naim streamers will work fine with USB storage directly attached. They have a UPnP server built in. You would need to connect the USB drive to a computer to add music to it, but a NAS would not be required.
Welcome to the forum Heyman! I think you will find a lot of folks on the forum are up there in 60’s, so you not alone. I just turned 68 a couple of months ago myself.
You may want to talk with a dealer and see what recommendations they have for a streamer and perhaps guidance on the selection of a NAS and help setting it up. I am sure you are not first customer who will be asking for assistance.
Welcome, I would suggest you visit your dealer and explore the options to suit.
Regarding the NAS I did not have a clue but when I purchased some new kit the dealer deleted the mess I had in my NAS installed dbpoweramp and showed me how to rip my CDs just keep it simple.
Probably not the best advice given our friend’s opening post…
Heyman. Streaming is quite complex and relies on being set up and configured by someone with a reasonable idea of what the Intended end result is. What realistically is your level of ability in playing with computers? Because that’s what you’re trying to achieve - you’re aiming to get a server running the appropriate s/w to read a disc drive and then get an audio device to consume the data from it.
Tbh we’ve had someone with no clue whatsoever actually achieve what you’re aiming for. It’s a long read and contains the most amazing detours and journeys down various cul de sacs but in there you might find pointers that get you to where you want to be. Have a look at Getting Going With An ND5XS2 in Streaming. Good luck…
That said, I use a Raspberry Pi with Minimserver running on it, pointing to a mundane hard disc connected to my router and therefore visible to the Pi, and the Naim app and streamer reference that disc via Minimserver to play out the music. None of it is rocket science but each component needs to fit the process.
That person with ‘no clue’ wasn’t actually clueless. He started with an evening with me and his nas was set up by another forum member who dialled in to do it. So there was some decent help and guidance along the way.
I have a streaming system. I started with a Naim Audio nDAC and then added a Naim Audio XPS power supply. Then the fun started! As my budget was limited, I decided to go the computer audio route. I run two laptops, one for control and one for audio. The operating system on both computers is Windows Server 2019. Software is JPLAY Femto/Audiophile Optimizer 3/Fidelizer Pro 8.5/Process Lasso. Music is stored on external USB drives. I control the system using a Samsung Galaxy (Android) tablet. The system now sounds really good. It took me ten years to figure out how to set it up optimally and get it to sound good … and an awful lot of grief along the way!
From your original post, I would conclude that you want something that is relatively maintenance free so the advice to go with a dedicated streamer would appear to be the right one for you. I would suggest that your first action should be to visit your local Linn and/or Naim Audio dealer who will discuss and hopefully, demonstrate available options at differing price points.
Whatever you decide, I hope you will be happy with your new source component and that it will bring many hours of listening pleasure.
There are some very helpful members here on this forum that will help provide you with some sincere advice and guidance. I, like yourself, started out with very little knowledge on anything streaming, but i managed to get there in the end with some amazing help here. In hindsight, it would of been easier for me to involve my dealer throughout but I was a little stubborn and determined to at least try and get here myself, it wasn’t easy but I never gave up. If you have the time, it maybe worth looking through ‘trying to get going with a ND5 XS 2’ thread.
Yes there is a lot of chaff in there but there is also some answers that you maybe just what you’re looking for. One thing I will say and this is from my experience is don’t be afraid to ask silly questions, none of us are perfect and we all have our own ways of doing and understanding things.
I have found that - “A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer.”* – Bruce Lee.
I have no regrets at all and I think once you’re up and running you will be very pleased with the results.
From the great advice I received from HH and others here, I started off with a QNAP and 2x 3TB WD Red drives. Purchased and downloaded dBpoweramp onto my laptop and ripped all of my CDs. I also loaded Asset UPnP. I very was lucky in that a very helpful forum member from here help set up my NAS for me. I then purchased my streamer and have never looked back. Everything just works with very little to go wrong, just a few teething problems along the way when I was finding my way around. Anyway, the key is to not give up and there those here always willing to help. You’re in a good place.
If I had little clue, I would look at Innuos streamers — easy peasy lemon squeezy… Yes, one can learn all the computer “stuff” (and some.might even enjoy the painful journey), but life is too short, especially at certain ages.
And if you explore the Innuos route, just make sure that you get a dealer who knows the product well — and who knows about good service, of course. When I had a look at Innuos, the dealer spent quite some time on the phone with Innuos technical support… Innuos support has a good reputation apparently. In the end, I went down the NAS route for more flexibility, but Innuos is appealing, I think…