iPad USB-C to Naim

Streaming Audio
1

I’m hoping someone can explain something that has bewildered me for ages…

I stream Tidal from my cellular iPad to my amplifier, using the USB -C output (the only output) and a little £100 FiiO headphone DAC, from this I run a 3.5mm that splits to RCA.

Obviously the cheap little DAC isn’t a suitably good source for £3k of Hi-Fi and so I want to ditch it and have the conversion done in a good DAC or in amplifier with a good DAC onboard.

However, there seems to be no Naim products that do this which is baffling!

Surely I can’t be the only person who uses an iPad as a single source?

Looking around it seems that some Chinese manufacturers are starting to include USB-C inputs on DACS but why isn’t this something Naim does? Or hardly any other manufacturer?

When I saw the release of the Atom and Nova I thought I’d be in luck but nope, USB-A which apparently doesn’t accept a USB-C to USB-A cable from an iPad.

I understand that most people have a home network and use Ethernet to a streamer or all in one system but not everyone does…or do they?

2

Don’t know about the Nova but for the Atom has Tidal Connect. You just use your phone or iPad and then send to the steamer with Tidal Connect wirelessly. Couldn’t be easier. The music plays directly on Naim and the iPad works as a controller only.

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3

I’ve been using my iPad hooked up to the little USB A front input to my Ndac for years now.
I did use the older style charging cable from Apple but have upgraded it to an after market one.
It has a limited data transfer compared to USB C.

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4

Hi
I used to do exactly as you. Couple of months ago I bought a WiiM pro plus streamer.
Really easy to set up and use. I now use the WiiM app on my iPad to stream tidal into my SN3. I have to say it works rather well, definitely sounds a lot better than previous arrangement

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5

A quick google search for
usb-c to optical audio adapter
brought up a load of options.

usb-c to s/pdif audio adapter
added some coax S/PDif options as well

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6

Thanks for the replies, I looked into Tidal Connect and Wiim Pro among many other things but don’t they rely on Bluetooth to stream wirelessly from iPad?

7

No, Tidal Connect just controls your streamer over WiFi.

The streamer connects to Tidal to get the music.

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8

Would a USB-C to optical converter work with an Atom?

This could be the answer🙏🏾

9

You could get something like an SMSL PO100Pro which converts USB to SPDIF and optical.

We used one with our nDAC (trying Tidal Max) and now use it between PS5 and nDAC.

Those sort of devices let you connect a USB to pretty much any streaming device or DAC.

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10

How does Tidal get to the streamer? I don’t understand,

11

You select the tune on Tidal app.

The app sends the streamer the Tidal media URL.

The streamer connects to the media URL (OAUTH2 authenticated connection) and plays the FLAC content.

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12

The app (on the iPad) sends the streamer the URL how? Like a hotspot between two phones?

13

No, your iPad and streamer are on the same home network and talk that way (whether wired or WiFi).

No hotspot, Bluetooth etc. needed.

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14

I don’t have a home network bud!

15

Yes sorry I see you are cellular.

So a bridge device like the SMSL will be your solution unless you get a USB DAC.

You won’t use Tidal Connect, just the Tidal app on iPad.

We had this as I said above, only inconvenience is iPad is cabled to hifi, not on your lap.

You could always setup a wireless access point, connecting iPad and streamer to it.

16

Sorry bud, I should’ve made it clearer in my initial post, I don’t have (or want) home broadband, my cellular iPad is my only source.

So it looks like I have two choices, rely on a crappy Bluetooth connection to an Atom or Wiim Pro/amplifier or get a USB-C to optical converter into an Atom or other Naim product with optical input.

Which brings me back to my original question…why doesn’t Naim put USB-C connections on their products that have DACs onboard?!

The Atom and every DAC equipped product in the world seems to have Toslink/optical, coax, USB-A, USB-B, Ethernet and basically every bloody connection available except the one connection that every current smartphone and tablet has! What am I missing? And why on earth am I shopping for a Chinese box when I love Naim?:exploding_head:

17

The naim devices 333/222 have a streamer built in, so naim with SPDIF and optical connections are catering for the vast majority of additional consumer devices people will want to connect up (like TVs, Sky Q etc.). That’s my theory.

You’re in a niche situation, most people will be using a home network.

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18

It would appear that I am, this has begun a political debate with Mrs Rocketboy!

19

Without a network connection, an Atom is 90% doorstop…

Good luck with the debate!

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20

Haha! That’s what I was thinking but wasn’t brave enough to say it here!:joy:

I see that the Atom has good old RCA inputs, I think I know the answer but would it come close to a Naim integrated using it as purely as an amplifier? It’s £2k after all, it must have some decent amplification onboard?