That’s for sure a much better idea than putting that money on a Core!
Also, you can easily test what is the effect of upgrading the CX N vs upgrading the NAS in your system: just borrow a ND5 XS 2 or a NDX2.
A “nicer” NAS will not bring you anything in terms of sound quality, I believe. Run MinimServer on a 35$ RPi and you’ll have the best UPnP server in terms of functionalities and customizability. You can leave your data on the WD and have them served by Minim.
Second this.
+1 on NDX 2, that’s a streaming source that will sing sweetly in a wide variety of systems.
Did you get the linear power supply to go with your Zen Mini?
Mwomwell, I have been waiting for my dealer to let me know when he’s got a demo unit in. But it’s been over a month and I’ve not heard from them. I wanted to try the LPSU and also compare it agains the Zen. But at this point I don’t think I’ll be able to trade up to the Zen and give the Mini back, without incurring a loss.
I’ve just this morning bought one to see if it makes a good improvement to the Zen mini. I will be having a demo of the Zenith soon so if that is a significant improvement over the mini then I will be taking it back. I’ll let you know how I get on.
I’ll be interested in hearing how it goes as I’m waiting for a LPS for my music server (3 - 4 week wait).
Yes please do let us know how you get on with the LPS unit.
I’m sure the Zennith is very capable, but out of my price range at the moment.
I have a UServe, it’s been excellent for me. The process from having the cd in ones hand and it getting into the right folder with the right artwork in your music library is a doddle, takes just minutes. But you pay for the convenience.
If there is another product that can do the same but is cheaper, then go for it. But it has to be a one button process, not 15 minutes staring into a computer screen fiddling with files and metadata. If you don’t like the thought of that get the ready made one box solution. You will soon forget about the cost.
I think the reality is that it’s perceived as too expensive for what it is, and that’s why many of us have not got them.
There is an appeal for me in the sense of it being a matching Naim product with little fuss, as the reality is I find ripping CDs/transferring to NAS or USB device an utter chore.
I also wonder how much of the cost comes from its ability to act as a digital transport for the stored files (I don’t think it can be a Roon endpoint or serve streaming services):
The digital out may cost little to implement but if it’s there I’d imagine it would have been designed to Naim’s high standards.
I suspect it’s one of those things that maybe needs to be in the lineup for completeness, especially for those who just can’t be bothered using computers to rip/dedicated general purpose NAS.
I really do fancy getting one, but sometimes you feel you’d rather put money in other directions first - a bit like Fraim for me I suppose or changing old olive HICAPs for DR ones (which might be worse in an olive centric setup).
The plus point is it is a neat design but unfortunately it’s expensive for what it does/doesn’t do. At the time Naim was developing streamers that were Roon end points the opportunity existed to develop a server that could perform as a Roon core. For those that can’t be bothered using computers, there are better, more cost effective solution, something like the Innuos Zen/Zen Mini.
Unfortunately I think the Core has been a missed opportunity, previously I owned a Unitiserve and I don’t view the Core as an improvement.
As a Unitiserve user, I agree with you on the whole. I can understand why some find the functionality of the US as a server a little limited, but for me, it’s fine. There are, though, some features that the US has, which the Core does not. Just enough shortcomings that, if my Unitiserve dies, will mean that I will be looking for a non-Naim alternative when the time comes.
If memory serves correctly, around the time of the excitement of the new Uniti range, followed by the endless wait for the hardware to actually be launched whilst Naim got Airplay working properly, they made the Core a generally available product (a taster if you will), built with the mechanics and design language of the new Uniti range and given the delays in the integrated amp hardware, with a shift in marketing positioning as being a general purpose music server, as opposed to a complimentary product within the Uniti range. It was the first product in the new Uniti range and launched in 2016 whilst the Atom, Star and Nova followed some time later in 2017.
Given an average product development cycle of 18-24 months, and a high level of software complexity and integration across the new Uniti range, it’s fair to say that the Core was a product designed around the expected needs of the market at that time.
If they began the initial feasibility study for evolving the Uniti range to monopolise on the perceived success of the Mu-so project around 2014 (the year the Gen 1 Mu-so appeared) with an aim to go to mass production in 2016, that’s a long time passed in the fast moving world of the Internet and in particular streaming services from a 2020 perspective.
Roon was just getting off the ground in 2015 having spun out of Sooloos (once acquired by Meridian) which was a high end product costing as much as an ND555 back in 2007 with a massive iPad like touch screen and proprietary hardware. At that time the thought of streaming at high resolution or doing that with a new compression format (MQA) was yet to reach maturity or reach a critical mass.
These points of reference laid out, it’s fair to say that the Core was built as the answer to the natural defocus at that time away from CD players and a move towards a streaming centric experience but without knowing what would evolve in the coming years.
Other distractions got in the way like the Statement project and the Core was left to freewheel along as a product over time positioned as the “go to” server product even though it looks out of place on a rack full of classic/500 products given its Uniti design language.
What Naim should do is identify its shortcomings, understand that customers in the classic/500 camp expect more from this product category and develop a music server in the Classic mechanical ID, with better features and a higher spec, like it’s own half width PSU, ability to act as a Roon Core and perhaps an embedded optimised Ethernet Switch. They could sell a Super Lumina Ethernet cable for £2000 as well. We’d all buy one.
I do not agree. The Core is very well priced, in my view. It’s problem is that it implements a software system that is completely outdated and that the software support is practically inexistent.
Presumably though it does what it needs to in the context of the latest streamers which will be Roon endpoints and incorporate streaming services etc
There are some areas I quite like simplicity of operation, others that I don’t - something like the core might tick the boxes for me.
Not sure exactly what you want software wise - presumably transcoding and more metadata options? Anything else?
Just interested to know.
Why would ripping a CD straight to a NAS be any different than ripping a CD to the Core? Admittedly, they’re both equally unenjoyable, but someone’s gotta do it…
You clearly don’t have a Core!
Best
David
Very true
If it’s a simple life you’re after at least try the Innuos products and compare them for usability against the Core.
I did just that and found Innuos OS to be super easy to use and it came with features the Core didn’t have, my main gripe with Innuos and it’s the same with Melco, is that they have proprietary hard drive formatting which means you can’t just swap a new drive in either to replace a failed one or upgrade it from a spinning disk to an SSD or larger capacity drive as examples.
The Naim Core is a BYOD (Bring Your Own Disk) product which means you do at least control what your audio is stored on and have a level of control over drive mirroring and backup schedules.
I saw mention of the S/PDIF interface as an output from the Core to the DAC/Streamer (using a BNC coaxial interface). I did some setup evaluation when I loaned one and had it going over a DC-1 IC to my ND5.
What I would have liked to be able to do was connect the digital interface and Ethernet between the two and let the ND5 do everything else over Wi-Fi, from memory I think my experiments failed but it may have move on since then, probably 6-9 months ago!
It’s perhaps worth pointing out that any UPnP server (Naim, Asset, Minimserver, etc.) will scan the network for drives, and will happily serve music files from any drive located on your network. So you are not limited to using internal storage on the device that runs the server, although that is what most people do.