a while ago I posted the above question and got lots of good advice. In the end I ordered a ND5 XS2 from Hifi Corner who were really helpful and it’s finally turned up. I now have it linked up to my Supernait mk1. The set up went really smoothly in terms of linking to wifi, ethernet and Network. Really surprised how well the internet radio sounds and my quick flick through my NAS and Oubuz all sound really positive. Obviously, I’ll keep it running to get it run in but so far so good. I’ll update after some serious listening over the next few weeks.
I do have a couple of niggles that my initial efforts have failed to resolve. Firstly, I am not seeing the album art in the Naim app using Android. Neither phone or tablet. Or I should say there is no art displaying until I select the actual album then each track does have the art. I have tried switching stuff on and off I have no issues with JRiver Media Centre, DS Audio, Poweramp all display art no issues from NAS and external hard drive so I am confident the meta data is correct. Any thoughts?
Secondly, I have connected the XS2 to the Supernait via a 3.5mm cable from remote out to remote in on the SN. I have enabled the settings on the Naim app and selected the relevant preamp input. The app is showing the volume symbol on the song in play but the minus and plus symbols seem to be greyed out and I can’t manage the volume of the SN via the app. Is there a setting within the SN that needs enabling? It does have a way of accessing the programming via the remote but the manual doesn’t shed any light on it. The cable was working previously as I used it to connect a phone to the car audio. Again any suggestions?
Hi, regarding artwork, what server is running on your NAS? Sometimes if you browse it by folder view instead if tag view you don’t see artwork when browsing, only when a track plays.
As a test, what happens if you copy an album to a USB drive and connect this directly to the ND5XS2? If you then search for it in the Server input under Local Music do you see artwork?
With a USB drive connected to the rest connection I see no art work under USB. If I go to server, local music and select artist it does have some of the artwork. But it’s patchy and slow to load albums. The server is using the native Synology software. I’ve read I should try Asset? But I don’t understand why the USB drive isn’t displaying. Do I need to do something to allow the xs2 to index first? I have about 1000 albums.
The USB input only gives you a basic folder view which doesn’t display album artwork when browsing. The server input allows you to see the same music files, but browsing the metadata instead of just viewing files. So if the metadata is there, you should see artwork as well as categories such as artist, genre etc.
It’s possible that the artwork is in a format the Naim streamer doesn’t like, or that the images are too large. Try some .jpg album art that is no more than 1250 x 1250 pixels and is named folder.jpg and see if it shows up consistently.
On thanks for that regarding the USB side of things. The files are all jpeg and always smaller than that re pixles. I wonder if it’s the Synology side of things. Files area all flac.
You could try a different server but it shouldn’t be necessary. The bundled Synology server is basic but it should be able to show artwork.
You could try clearing the image cache in the Naim app settings. If that doesn’t work try the ‘rebuild music database’ option. This might help if the streamer didn’t read the files properly first time round.
On the Synology server with a Nova and the iOS app, I can see the album cover artwork when I get to Album view (including when drilling down to album level from, eg Artist/Album view). Sometimes it takes a second or two to appear when scrolling down the list, but that’s likely because I haven’t used this for a few months / upgrade cycles.
In the older version of the Synology server, you would see tag embedded art at Track level, but needed a file named folder.jpg (or cover.jpg) in the actual folder where the .flac track files were saved to get an album-level thumbnail. If you don’t have such folder.jpg images already, it might be worth giving that a try… for sure the native UPnP server has this capability.
Thanks for responses. I think what’s confusing is that if I go into the music via local music the art work is largely there. But under server it isn’t… Any come across that before?
Btw I got to the bottom of the remote connection not allowing volume change via the app. The original SN users a different communication protocol that doesn’t talk to the new generation Naim kit. Oh oh . Cheers that mean I need a newer amp
I’m pretty sure this should work. The new remote controls use Zigbee instead of IR if that’s what you mean, but it doesn’t matter as the commands are routed through the wire from the streamer.
If I go to server/local music most of the art work is there but if I go server/Synology NAS e art work isn’t there…
Hifi Corner contacted a NAIM technician who says the original SN won’t work with new version of IR? Are there any users on here who have an original SN working with new streamers?
Are you viewing the Synology files by folder? If so you won’t see artwork, the same as you won’t see it in the Naim app USB input which is also a folder view. Look by album or artist and you should see artwork.
Also have a look in the Synology settings, and check that the Display Cover Image option hasn’t been disabled. You could also try forcing a re-index of the music folder.
HiFi Corner asked the wrong question there. Certainly the remotes are different but you use the new remote to talk to the ND5 XS2 and then the system automation cable between the ND5 XS2 and the SN2 to talk to the SN2. So the question to be asking is how to make system automation work between the ND5 XS2 and the SN2.
If the lead is connected properly and the settings for the ND5 XS2 in the Naim app are correct, it should work ok.
I get there in the Naim app via Servers-> serverName (in my case, MinimServer or DIskStation).
I have just created a USB key with 5 albums copied from my NAS and attached it to my Nova. I have enabled the Nova Server, which I navigated to in the same way: Servers-> Local Music → Albums… after a few seconds, I got the artwork:
Thanks for that. I decided to download Asset to the Synology NAS and that seems to have sorted it . The USB shows most art work via Server/local music and server/Asset now gives me a much better view of the folders with art work at an artist and album level. I think this has been more about me getting used to the new kit than anything. Thanks for all the support. Now I can focus on the music and sound quality. Shame I can’t get the SN and XS2 to talk to allow the app to run the volume. But I couldn’t do that previously using a laptop as source anyway so no loss.
The Remote Control IN / OUT 3.5mm mini jack connectors on the Supernait are for RC5 IR protocol commands to be received from another Naim source device.
Ideally use a mono cable, but a stereo one should work as well, and make sure you have it connected to the IN on your NAIT.
It’s not just IR protocol signals from another Naim device. For example I can control my CDX2 from the Naim app using system automation and the 3.5 mm cable from my 272. No remote control is involved.
Yes I’ve tried to do just that. I think the settings on the app are correct but no joy. Hifi Corner were told it won’t work from ND5 XS2 to an original mk1 SN. Had anyone got that set up and can confirm or challenge that information?
I have no issues with JRiver Media Centre, DS Audio, Poweramp all display art no issues from NAS and external hard drive so I am confident the meta data is correct. Any thoughts?
. Cheers that mean I need a newer amp 
