Has Naim missed a trick with the Uniti Core?

[glasnaim]

OK apologies, my mistake, I read both your responses incorrectly then.

[glasnaim]

It appears I must have got a good deal, my UnitServe is no longer with me, my grandson now has it along with my old UnitiQute. I replaced it with an Innuos Zen, can’t say I miss the UnitiServe. I do like the look of the Core, had it been Roon friendly I would have likely purchased one.

[frenchrooster]

My french english may explain too.
No problem

[Bassfiend]

@ChrisSU

I sometimes find myself speaking up in favour of the Unitiserve for similar reasons. There are, though, just enough things that the Core can’t do, that the US could, that I wouldn’t buy one if I ever had to replace my US. To my mind, both of them fall short of Naim’s original stated intent as ripper/servers, and it surprises me that they have chosen to give a new product less functionality rather than more, in key areas that people often seem to highlight here.

(For anyone else reading this I do own a Core - it was purchased second hand - so I speak here as an owner of a Core - I’m not making reference back to anything from my “inside Naim” days.)

I’m with you on this one - the Core had so much work put into the hardware design and yet in my opinion it falls so short from the software side.

Phil

[ChrisSU]

…and it all seemed to start off so well, at least in aspirational terms, as this doc. from the early Naim server days shows:

naim_extended_music_database.pdf

I wonder where all those ideas went

[Analogmusic]

The focus XD is a superb speaker when I heard the XD 600 with Naim HDX as a source I was blown away… and bought my Dynaudio Focus 260 !

[Bassfiend]

I definitely enjoy my Focus 30XDs … I do sometimes feel that they don’t have the scale of the Titans / 300’s (even at low volumes) but that isn’t a criticism, just that they’re different …

Plus of course they’re a fraction of the price of the Titans / 300’s / 252 / SuperCap!

[Bru]

Yes. Innous much better And they use an App which works in difference to Naim App and you save £1000 plus get a 2Tb hard drive with it

[CAJDM]

I think Naim missed / is missing a trick by not making it easy for the Uniti Core to “talk” to a Roon Nucleus / Roon Core so that stored music can be accessed by Roon. If anyone knows a simple way, it would be great to hear.
My Uniti Core works well except for an annoying hum from the transformer. It served as a very useful CD transport replacement for 12 months - and then I got into streaming and Roon for trying out new music, to avoid the CD storage problem and the cost of Hi Res downloads.
I have now added an NDX2 which is a great streamer on its own and even better when the output goes through a Chord Qutest or better DAC.
I have had a Roon Core built for me as I could tailor it more to my needs … and less than half the price of a Nucleus, for a better spec. The Uniti Core will shortly be switched off and held as a back-up. A high cost of an education in the world of music servers and streaming, but it has made me a lot more cautious in buying anything for my system.
Forums like this are a great development in that education.

[NoNaim]

If you read the thread “Naim Uniti Core not seen” in Roon Labs Community, then you will see a guide how you be able to see your music stored on the Core in Roon. Hope this helps, I know it works because I’m running Roon and have a Uniti Core.

[CAJDM]

Thank you, much appreciated. Will try that.

[davidhendon]

@CAJDM

My Uniti Core works well except for an annoying hum from the transformer.

Are you sure this is a transformer hum? If you have a HDD in there it is likely not silent and it runs 24/7 unless you put the Core into deep sleep.

The other thing to remember is that you can put the Core anywhere as long as it can be connected to your network with an ethernet cable. It doesn’t need to be in your listening room.

Best

David

[Gazza]

Having just moved mine from adjacent to my streamer on the Fraim to elsewhere on the network…yes it sounds just the same.

[Klout10]

@Bassfiend

Focus 30XD

Bassfriend, just out of curiousity: what are you using the Focus 30XD with?

[CAJDM]

Thank you David. The Uniti Core has a 1TB SSD drive which should be silent. The frequency of the hum suggests main. I had something similar on the power amp and read about direct current filtering…but fiddling and changing power blocks to a lower spec Isotek conditioner sorted that (you live and learn). That hasn’t worked with the Core.

Thanks for the reminder on the Core’s location, I will move it, maybe a new location will sort out the hum too.

[Bassfiend]

@Klout10

Bassfriend, just out of curiousity: what are you using the Focus 30XD with?

Various things … I used a dCS Network Bridge initially which I really liked and gave me “small footprint” system that I needed (which was why I bought the Focus’) but I eventually needed additional digital inputs for SkyQ etc. so went back to my old NDX2.

At the moment my NDX2 is out on loan with someone so I’ve actually now got them running off either a RaspberryPi running Ropieee with a USB to S/PDIF interface or A.N.Other product which I can’t mention here to give me my Roon endpoint.

[Bassfiend]

@CAJDM

Thank you David. The Uniti Core has a 1TB SSD drive which should be silent. The frequency of the hum suggests main. I had something similar on the power amp and read about direct current filtering…but fiddling and changing power blocks to a lower spec Isotek conditioner sorted that (you live and learn). That hasn’t worked with the Core.

Thanks for the reminder on the Core’s location, I will move it, maybe a new location will sort out the hum too.

Odd … the transformer in the Core was designed not to be susceptible to humming, I know the big transformer Naim kit has that reputation but the Core shouldn’t.

[davidhendon]

Yes the SSD will be silent for sure! It could be a D.C. offset issue on the mains, especially if you have this on other Naim units. (But see Phil’s comment).

Anyway good luck with finding somewhere to keep it that you can’t hear!

Best

David