HiFi Choice has just run a group test on servers, the Core was recommended , the Blue Note was last (but cheapest) and the Melco at about £750 more money was the group winner.
Interestingly the Leema at almost double the cost of the Core was also “recommended”
It did say that the Core was the one to beat
I had understood that the Naim Core was now regarded as rather…old… now?
It was introduced in 2016, according to the Naim history.
Just get a NAS and Asset.
Well, not really…
Can you even buy a NAS these days?
Treat yourself to a Core or a Melco, I had a Core and now a Melco with both you can just enjoy the music.
???
Of course you can.
Roger
I suspect that in general NASes outsell dedicated music servers by a long way (gut feel, no hard numbers). They are used as general home storage by people who don’t have local music stores. Synology and QNAP each appear to turn in vet about $200 million, not all in domestic appliances of course, but suggesting that the market for NASes is not tiny.
I have certainly enjoyed the ease os my Core/Nova/Harbeth set-up. Very easy to rip CD’s and flawless performance afterwards. A friend has a Melco and it too works well.
The first post I posted on this forum was along the lines of " Do I need a Core".
I’d been to my dealer who was keen to pedal the many benefits of a dedicated machine. I also looked at an innuos zen mini 3
But my existing WD Nas was towards the end of its useful life (poor 3rd party or WD app support). Although its 2 off 6TB drives were good. Most pointed me towards Synology or Qnap, and of course their ability to run Asset.
Perhaps the dedicated machines sound better, but for approx £300 i got a Synology 218+ and Asset. Am i happy pulling my ex cds to my ndx2? Absolutely. Do they sound inferior to qobuz ? No, in some cases better. So, the £300 was great value. In the end i sold my cd5xs too.
But, if you fancy spending £2k on a dedicated machine then do so.
Do you need to buy a Core? Doubt it.
Ooo, the should I shouldn’t “Core” conversation continues! Not sure how long I have had mine. I love the convenience it provides . I also have a Qnap which I had before the Core. I was also using DB Poweramp to rip and Assett. All worked well. I found myself having to “delve” into more and more “learning” with this path. Constant updates. Now for ol “Dusty” it all became rather tiresome. I want to just listen not tweak.
I guess both platforms provide to everyone’s needs. There is no right or wrong, you go with whatever you prefer and work within your abilities and budget. Everyone’s a winner!!
I like many aspects of HiFi Choice, notably their round-up of new releases. However, the ratings they give on their equipment reviews are seldom less than 5 or 4.5 stars. Rarely, if ever, does anything score less than 4 stars. So these ratings are rather meaningless in themselves although the actual written reviews do provide an overview of spec, features, performance, etc. In the end prospective buyers have to audition for themselves and buy according to their ears, eyes and bank balance!
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