Naim Nova, open-hearted reflections

My CDX2 (19 year old) is to be serviced and fitted with a digital output, effectively becoming a CD transport .

Listening to my Nova fed by a CD transport and with an added Powerline .

Amazing the difference these have made from aa month ago, amazing that a 19 year old bit of kit can be serviced and changed .

When I decided to go with Naim over Linn, longevity was on my agenda.

Even today, I have my olive NAT03 in my system - I have poor and poo broadband , so it acts as a back-up

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Spotify is there because that’s a requirement that Spotify makes.
As for NAS, like ChrisSU said. (Though personally I never understand what this would be good for. I’d switch to NAS input on the remote, and then? How would I choose what to play?)

It is quite odd, especially the server.

Again I wonder if the firmware is quite limited size wise so additional features are limited, the app doing the ‘heavy lifting’.

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Interesting, thought it was because it was there as an early feature perhaps!

Presumably you’d select NAS content in a similar way to the old streamers (though I never had one).

By artist, album, genre…

Provided you have a server software installed in the NAS.

Just as you do in a SuperUniti for example.

Yeah, I’d also presume :slight_smile: But I never had an old one either, and I simply cannot imagine how this would work usefully. Maybe my imagination is lacking

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Scrolling through 2000 albums with the remote on the Uniti display? Or to a Genre and then there are still hundreds of albums in there? I just can’t imagine it.

But if it worked on older ones, and some people used it, it is curious that it was removed. Probably Naim had a reason but it might help the users of the feature if Naim said what it was

I’d assume some kind of alphabetical ‘old-fashioned’ tiered menu search, functional but not ‘modern’.

Suspect thousands might be split into smaller groups, A-E, F-J etc which then might be further subdivided. You’d need some kind of tree structure to search more quickly for something in particular rather than a long list - if a ‘word search’ was employed most on-screen ‘keyboards’ are frustrating at best.

It would be interesting if either the remote volume ring or the volume dial on top, assuming they are just inputs, could be used to scroll through a list of choices quickly.

Not a problem, we can help here.

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That one I could understand more because with such a dial you can scroll through things very quickly

Thanks, but huh? I see the server listed. And then, how do I choose what to play without it being incredibly tedious?

Exactly, it is a beautiful feeling of simplicity.

By pressing a letter in the remote you go to the first artist (or album) and then ok and you have the next list… Fast, simple, crisp and I like the remote in hand, you do not need to master an app, you just develop the feeling of three or four buttons and you go, even in the dark.

Of course Genre is not the best folder to navigate, I always recommend to avoid the worst case.

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OK, this would not work for me at all. Way too large library, it would be like navigating the phone menu of a support hotline. And wouldn’t even be able to see the text from the couch. Oh well, to each their own

Believe me it is beautiful. The only thing I miss in the SuperUniti is the artwork, but you don’t have that problem in the Nova.

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Thanks for the comments.

Yes, it is disappointing and not what I was expecting as my old Qute was able to be controlled by the remote. Also, reading the manual, led me to think that it could be shown and managed by the remote.

At least I know it is not broken

I currently have 2342 albums and it works like a champ.

I agree it is an issue in a large room. I agree it would not work for you.

But for the poor souls that have or had it, it is a legitimate expectation.

Yes, I admitted that already :slight_smile: even though I still can’t imagine why I would use that over the app on a tablet (or, even better, Roon in my case)

I think you can use the remote to scroll through presets and favourites on the streaming services, but not local streaming, which is also odd……

I also use Roon @Suedkiez, but the remote works better with beer and wine.

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Hi Ian,

By disabling them, it is supposed to improve sound quality as well, but it is certainly neater on the Nova screen and the app screens.