Naim Multiroom options

This is my first post on the Naim community so I appreciate your assistance.
I have a ND5XS2 that I use for streaming Qobuz which I think is brilliant with the Naim App. I use it in my lounge for General listening. I also Have a Bluesound Vault that I used for ripping my CDs which is also very good. In my home office (which is being used more now post COVID) I use a Chromecast module or my PC to Stream there.
I have been using Roon as it seems to be the only way I can combine all tree formats together in two rooms which I think is fantastic.
However, I would like to go away from Roon as I dont think it is sustainable financially and I would like to move towards a Naim device in my office. I have been looking at some first generation streamers lsuch as the NAC-172XS.
My question is:

  • Will I be able to stream Qobuz through my ND5XS and use the NAC-172XS as an end point in a multi room set up in the Naim app? What limitations would there be ?
  • Is there anyway within the Naim environment to play FLAC files from the Bluesound Vault?
  • Are there other cost effective options I could use as an endpoint in my office?

Any suggestions or experiences would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
Dave.

Hi Dave and welcome to the forum. In response to your first query, I don’t have a ND5XS2 or NAC 127XS, but I do have an Atom (new streaming platform) and Muso QB1 (old platform) and can confirm that I can start Qobuz streaming on the Atom and then use multi-room to play the stream on the Muso. So it is certainly possible to stream Qobuz from old to new platforms. This works with all but very high resolution files (192/24) but my Muso is not wired, so that may be a limitation.

Roger

Thanks Roger. That is encouraging to know.

Hi Rodger or anyone else.
I have just added a Naim Uniti 1st gen streamer to my network.
I have read all the threads on adding multiroom and I still don’t see where I can set multiroom as an input? Do I set it on the master, the endpoint or both? The ND5XS2 shows the multi room icon when playing something, but only displays itself. Not the Uniti. Is there another setting in the Uniti that I have to set to enable multiroom?
It appears in the app in the list of rooms and works well over a wired network.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Dave.

Does the Uniti run a very old firmware version? If so it may need to be updated to work with multiroom.

It has v4.8 which I think is the latest version.

@Dlogan
Regular user of m-room, my UQ2, similar to Uniti in age, happily works both as master and remote (slave) to my newer and same age streamers. Using the app on your control point, select your existing streamer in rooms. Ensure your Uniti is on your network - best advice, even temporarily, is to hard wire your Uniti, preferably both streamers. If you don’t, your wifi network will need to be very robust for the first gen to link via m-room.
The app controlling your ND5XS2 will show m-room icon bottom right (i’m basing this on iOS control point), provided your Uniti is seen on the network. No need to do anything at the remote streamer (Uniti) or indeed on your ND5XS2. M-room is from the app. It is not an input selected on remote streamer (except see below).

As your Uniti is new to you, suggest you perform a full factory reset at an early stage. Once done, switch off streamers and then router for 30 mins, switch on router and then streamers after a similar time.
One major point on m-room, only use one control point, close app on any other control points and a minor point, when you switch off the master streamer, the remote streamer will remain in m-room unless or until you change its input.
In essence the only interact with the remote streamer is to change the volume, which can be done on the uniti or on the m-room icon in the app. Suggest you consider setting max volume to a lower setting when you first use m-room to avoid excess volume and what that might entail.

Yes, that’s the latest firmware.

Does it have the later 24/192 capable streaming board, or an earlier version?

Is the multiroom input enabled? It should be enabled by default but worth checking anyway in the app settings menu.

I am not sure how I can tell if it has the 25/192 board installed?
Where in the app settings menu does it get enabled? I cannot see it .
I now have my doubts about the firmware version. The web portal gives me different information. It says 2.0.23.12413. date 14-8-2012


It also has this strange info in the system menu on the screen.

As you can see here it says version 4.8.00.
I appreciate your input.
Regards.
Dave

Hi, go to Setup > Factory Settings >
System Status. You should see a line that says BC SW. What’s the rest of the line?

(I no longer have a 1st gen streamer and that’s from memory, so possibly not perfectly accurate but hopefully you get the idea!)

Your memory seems great.


That number coincides with what is on the web portal.

Incidentally, does the MPCB line at the bottom have anything to do with the streamer card?
Thanks.

Good to know I’m not going competely senile!

Unfortunately the 2A… version is a very early version of the streaming board which is not able to support multiroom.

Oh Thats a shame. But it might explain a few things.
You seem to know your Naim Stuff. Is there an upgrade available for this Uniti that might support multiroom? Not that it is essential. But would be nice to know?
Thanks.
Dave.

There was a hardware upgrade to install the later 24/192 streaming board, but unfortunately I believe Naim are no longer able to source the components required.
You could contact Naim support, or an authorised dealer, just in case this has changed. The streamer would then have to be returned to Naim for the upgrade so there would be a cost.

If you want a cheap way to add multiroom you could get a used Airport Express or Chromecast Audio from ebay and connect it to an optical input. This would allow you to use their multiroom function for the inputs which support it.

Ok. Thanks for your help.
I will contact Naim just to see what they say.
I have a Chromecast Audio as well as a Bluesound Vault that I can use as sources. They work well.
Regards.
Dave.

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