I have not yet purchased a muso 2 but am considering it ahead of a demo at the nearest Richer Sounds. In the meantime I’m doing such research as I can and that prompts this not-quite-new-user question. In fact, two.
1. BBC streaming.
On my Android phone, all live listening streaming is handled by the BBC Sounds app which allows the user to select the stream, it then gets the stream from the server and delivers it to the bluetooth earbuds. So the phone and app are key. Is this the case for the Naim app or does the app tell the Naim what to get and where to get it then leave it to get on with things? If I were to close the Naim app would the stream then terminate?
2. Playing flac files from a solid state hard drive plugged into Naim’s USB
I don’t have any streaming subscriptions of any description nor any Chromecast devices so would not anticipate streaming my music from the Cloud to anywhere. Nor do I have any NAS devices.
I have my collection as flac (mostly) files on a hard drive and would wish to play them directly from there. Can the Naim access the drive directly if it is plugged into the USB port and will it play them? And – most importantly – can it play them Gapless (whether Pink Floyd or Puccini, gapless is essential)?
I can connect a computer to an input or via BT and use a gapless player to send the files (it is what happens with earbuds) but I’d like to avoid using a laptop solely to drive a playlist. My router does have a USB socket which has two drives plugged in for routine backup from a MacBook so that might be an alternative but the router won’t of itself handle uPNP streaming or similar.
Any Naim streamer is controlled by a control point - phone, to direct operations and the stream source and then the player takes over until the end of the playlist or any streaming stops. Control point can be put to sleep or turned off once stream is started.
A source plugged in to the USB port works similarly, subject to avoiding excess size and sometimes the usb unit requiring power from the streamer. Lots of info and experiences here on the forum.
As far as your preference for a specific style of playback, best to check on demo but in part, it may depend on how you have structured your usb storage.
A small nas may address some of your likely issues, but best to try for yourself.
Rcher sounds sell some Naim products, but you should consider invetigating an experienced Naim dealer, who will likely be much more familar with your needs, based on their own and customer experience.
Thank you for your prompt reply sound-hound. This sounds like what I am looking for. Whether BBC Radio or local SSD, I can select the radio station or album, wait while it starts to play and the phone then becomes redundant.
In so far as my SSD is concerned, it is organised simply in folders:
Level 1 (root): Collection
Level 2 (genre): Classical, Groups, Singers, …
Level 3: Composer (Beethoven) or Group (Pink Floyd) or Singer … etc
Level 4: Album or Work containing all the files for that piece.
Using a simple folder player, double-clicking on Track 1 will play that track and all the remaining valid music tracks in that folder – just as with vinyl or CD. And the folder player does play all tracks gaplessly, whether flac, m4a, mp3 or ogg.
Aside:
On MacBook I use Cog; on an old Windows computer I use 1by1 and on Android phone and DAP I use Folder Music Player and they all handle gapless fine.
Naim: A search on their website does list a Richer Sounds near me though it lists another retailer which is a little closer.
Clive the iRadio (not just beeb) will work as you anticipate.
If you imagine for USB, a memory stick (64gb) with 50 tracks or 10 albums, the Muso2 will play happily - these are the experience here, which are essentially test tracks stored for convenience on USB.
Other peps do report much greater number of albums and tracks on USB attached storage, there are some instances were peps struggle. Difficult to be definitive, but how USB storage is organised will vary.
Your 4 levels are really a shoe-in for a simple NAS drive running a DHCP server like Asset or Minimserver. That’s why I suggested talking to a specialist Naim dealer. Nothing wrong with your requirements, you just need perhaps to consider that a server rather than storage will facilitate many more options. USB is play an album (folder) or a track. It can be made to work as others have done, but with your levels, imho a server should be considered.
The pic below shows USB plugged into Front of my Nova, with a top level folder called ZMusic. It contains 5 albums and maybe fifty tracks (the track number doesn’t matter). Just checked, the album will play start to finish, either in track order or random (and can be shuffled). The individual track first selected will play and then play the next (option of shuffle).
The difference with a server, is that you can ‘queue’ or make a selection, in a way that ime isn’t a direct option with connected storage.
ps You may find that ultimately with the Naim streamer, you may do what a number of us do. That despite having sizeable ripped albums, end up for convenience, subscribing to one or more of Tidal and Qobuz; great way to find new music, ymmv!
