Naim Audio is delighted to introduce yet more listening options for its award-winning family of music-streaming players and systems, with a free software update enabling TIDAL Connect.
TIDAL Connect allows you to explore all the rich features of the TIDAL App, and stream your choices in superb quality direct to your Naim player or system. Users can continue to enjoy core TIDAL streaming functionality via the Naim App if they prefer.
The Firmware 3.7 update for Uniti Atom, Uniti Atom Headphone Edition, Uniti Star and Uniti Nova music-streaming systems, plus ND5 XS 2, NDX 2 and ND 555 dedicated streaming players, will be released on 23rd September, with a matching update to follow for the Mu-so 2nd Generation family of wireless speakers. The update is quick and easy to install via the Naim App.
TIDAL Connect is available to all subscribers to the streaming service; a 90-day free trial is available for new users when they buy any of the current Naim streaming family.
The following Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) covers the Firmware update in more detail:
When is Firmware 3.7 being released?
We plan to start roll-out from 23rd September
The free update will automatically appear in the Naim App for easy install.
What Naim products is the Firmware update available for?
Uniti Atom, Uniti Atom Headphone Edition, Uniti Star, Uniti Nova, ND5 XS 2, NDX 2, ND 555.
What about the Mu-so range?
TIDAL Connect functionality will be added to Mu-so 2nd Generation family products (Mu-so 2nd Generation; Mu-so Qb 2nd Generation; Mu-so for Bentley Special Edition; Mu-so Wood Edition) via a free software update due before the end of the year.
What about older-generation Naim streaming products?
It is not technically possible to update legacy products with TIDAL Connect functionality. (TIDAL Connect requires a Linux operating system, which the legacy products are unable to run.) However, users can still enjoy TIDAL as previously, via the Naim App.
What is TIDAL Connect?
Just like Spotify Connect before it, TIDAL Connect allows you to enjoy all the rich features of the TIDAL App, and stream your choices direct from your devices to your Naim player or system. Users can still enjoy core TIDAL streaming functionality via the Naim App if they prefer. Available to all existing or new TIDAL subscribers.
Are there any other significant updates in Firmware 3.7?
No, just some minor improvements bug fixes detailed in the Release Notes below.
Can I use TIDAL Connect in multiroom mode?
Yes – even to Naim products that do not support TIDAL Connect. Simply open your TIDAL App and start playing via TIDAL Connect to a compatible Naim product (Uniti Atom, Uniti Atom Headphone Edition, Uniti Star, Uniti Nova, ND5 XS 2, NDX 2, ND 555). Then add other Naim products on your network via the usual Naim multi-room methods: via the multiroom icon in the Naim App; via the front panel/remote on the master device, or by pressing the multiroom button on the Mu-so 2nd Generation/Mu-so Qb 2nd Generation that you want to join the session.
Firmware 3.7 Release notes
New:
- Tidal Connect support
Improved:
- Updated AirPlay 2 library
- Updated Chromecast library
Fixes:
- Chromecast connection could fail depending on authentication server load
- System would not reliably resume standby state after a mains power cycle
- Stop then resume of Internet Radio in short succession could cause system to block up
- Adding a multiroom client would resume that clients last played input instead of the multiroom stream
- When acting as a multiroom client of a Legacy stream, play position was shown as 0:0
- OGG CBR 48kHz 16-bit displayed as 32-bit
- Small blip present on headphone output when selecting preamp output on Atom HE
- AV fixed volume mode not reliably disabled when connecting headphones - Uniti
- USB playback while in wireless setup mode would fail to show album artwork
- Now playing could report stopped state while Internet Radio was playing
- Spotify would not play if it was selected at the same time as another input
- Chromecast would stop for ~5s when casting from YouTube Music or Spotify
- ALAC 24-bit tracks were sometimes displayed as 32-bit
- Changing client name while in multiroom session would cause audio to stop
- When Spotify and another input was resumed roughly at the same time, Spotify sometimes failed to pause
- Spotify Connect track would start from 2 seconds in when its first played
- Seek node would jump when playing Qobuz Album
- Slow mute not applied when pausing/skipping track in multiroom mode
- Setup wizard countries list was sometimes incomplete
- Small pop could be emitted when switching inputs - Uniti
- Front panel - intermittent visual glitch during startup whilst waiting for home menu after power cycle
- Front panel - intermittent visual glitch during factory reset
- Opus format internet radio streams were not declared correctly
- Noise on headphone output when exiting standby on external input - Uniti
- On wakeup from standby, analogue Input was sometimes not unmuted - Uniti
- Output was sometimes not unmuted on wake from standby on analogue input
- Incorrect font used in the firmware version text in the front panel setup wizard
- Display would sometimes show a dim or black screen after wake from standby
- PCM data could sometimes be interpreted in DSD mode resulting in audio artefacts
- Front panel setup wizard could fail to detect available firmware update