I recently picked up a starter hard drive of high res music.
In addition to a Naim 500 system, I have a Halide USB DAC 24/96 into an RCA input on the 552.
Finally I have an Eero Mesh Wireless setup that is pretty fast. 124mbps down and up.
I am advised that I could plug the hard drive into the wall, and then into the Eero network via Ethernet. Fix the DHCP address of the hard drive. Find the drive on the network. Mount it on my desktop of the MacBook Pro. Stream it via the Halide. May require the use of Audirvana.
I am also advised that it would play through the first generation MuSo.
I would like to get this going this weekend. Does this sound like a possible task?
Sounds simple on the surface. By hard drive it sounds like you actually have a NAS. A hard drive itself wouldnât be able to attach to the mains or network.
I think the simplest solution is to get the NAS up with an IP address visible on your home network and then use something like your Mac or a second hand MacMini to mount the network storage. Load the Mac up with Audirvana and run a USB cable from the Mac to your DAC. Once Audirvana is setup, you just control what it plays via an app on your phone.
Depending on how comfortable you are with this, itâs anywhere from 30 mins of lazy clicking and 7 days if swearing and asking for help on the forum
I think the first thing you should do is check to see what the âhard driveâ actually is (make and model - if those are immediately available, or a photo if not) and post these details.
As feeling_zen has implied, the question of whether the drive is a NAS (and what software is installed on the NAS) or alternatively a simple USB hard drive will make a big difference to the recommendations made on this thread.
I was intrigued by this statement, and now it makes sense to me from what @feeling_zen said. It must be a NAS, so I would get a MM+Audirvana (or Roon), mount a network drive on your MM, run a USB cable to your DAC.
There will be some people here or on the Roon community will help you with some minor technical details such as how to mount a NAS folder on your MM (or PC) if you are not sure how to do it.
It is an inexpensive NAS. We plugged it into an Eero base station via Ethernet. Then we found it on the network on the MacBook Pro. Plugged in the Halide USB DAC and we are off to the races. Trouble free and sounds good. It needs a few thousand dollars spent on it to bring it up to the level of the CD555 or Verdier, but it works well so far.
As long as the NAS has a UPnP server running on it, any UPnP streamer should be able to find it. You donât need to configure anything on the Muso - it will scan your network for servers, and they will appear in the UPnP input.
All sounds good here. My DAC has a short in the integrated cable. I can fix it or upgrade. I am not ready for a dedicated streamer with my CD555 and Verdier turntable. What is a good interim step that does not sound inferior? Chord DAC and laptop? Chord DAC and Roon device? I have a great NAS and need something worthy but donât want to overachieve. How do I tiptoe up to streaming with good performance and no regrets?
My Halide DAC died, and it was due for an upgrade.
Now What?
Looking at a Chord Qutest. Ragged North edge of my budget. Small footprint. Well reviewed. Upgradeable with a Scaler. Is this a mistake? I have a single Fraim shelf to spare.
Based on my own experience, get the best one that you can afford. There are so many choices, for me, it is just the Linn Klimax DSM/3 due to its simplicity - you just need to hook it to your home network, and thatâs it, you are done. Sound quality wise, it is one of the best ones out there, but of course Chord DACs, Naim NDS. ND555 are also good options.
Pre-loved Naim DAC would be/is my choice â but it wants two Fraim levels, if you add a PS. With the NAC, it is hard for me to consider less-integrated alternatives, as good as the Naim DAC is.
Not sure what the price difference vs Qutest is these days.
NDACs are a good deal now, but if Skip wants to use it with a computer as source, the USB input wonât work unless you add a USB to SPDIF converter. The V1 was pretty much designed for the job, although there is a huge range of other USB DACs available.
To my mind, with a Muso in the house too, a Naim streamer makes sense, as the two devices are controllable from the same app, will work together in multiroom mode, and will both find the same music store if you run a UPnP server.
I run a Mac Mini with Audirvana+ through a Meridian Explorer ver 1 to the Naim DAC, via a WireWorld optical cable. This is noticeably better than optical out of the Mac with the same cable.
This sounds as good â maybe betterâ to me, as the NDX-FM; but I use the NDX-FM the most because of the Naim app.
So that is MacMini via USB to Meridian and Optical out of Meridian to Naim DAC? Is this a bare Naim DAC or does it have a power supply? I tried a Naim DAC years ago using the 555PS before DR. It sounded great. It sounded thin without.
What is the rest of your system?
I have thought about the Chord Qutest from my MacBook Pro. Adding a Roon Nucleus later. Maybe an MScaler someday. A Naim DAC would be a nice solution. How does a DAC-V1 compare to the older Naim DAC?
Hi @Skip. My profile is essentially up to date. I use the PS555DR with my Naim DAC. These two are the rare items I bought new, as DR was only just arriving. All the more attractive now that they can be had used without too much trouble.
I never compared the DAC V-1. No âsystem automationâ synergy with NAC, I think. That is a big factor, to me.
In my view the old Naim DAC is a great value for money if you can use it bare. If you think that you need a 555PS to make it work in your system, I would perhaps look elsewhere. The other way round: I would not mind investing in a 555PS with the old nDAC if I knew that Naim will come up with an nDAC successor that can also be powered with the 555PS. But it seems unlikely that Naim will come out with an nDAC successor.
Iâve made a number of mistakes and it cost me some money, so I were to do it again, I would just go straight to the best one (whichever DAC/streamer depending on your taste).
