I currently have two switches. A Cisco with all my network devices attached and an EE8 daisy chained off the the Cisco and connected to my NDS only. Presumably the Sonore would be best connected to the Cisco?
And will I be able to see the Sonore bridge via the native Naim app? I’m currently using Tidal via the app.
I’ve used my laptop as a bridge with Audivarna (I couldn’t get Bubble working) and the SQ improvement was very worthwhile but I want to control everything with my phone and preferably via Naim app.
Edit: apologies I meant to put this in the streaming section
I like the sound of the NDS but I find it very glitchy, especially with Tidal. I’m not alone in this. And when I stream from my laptop with UPnP there is a significant improvement in SQ as well as seamless operation.
It’s a pain having to get my laptop out every time I want to listen to the NDS, so the Sonore bridge can be left sat on the network permanently and I can control it via my phone. That’s how I understand it anyway. Plus it enables me to use Qobuz.
I think I’ve explained that all correctly but I do struggle with the technicalities. I will have to leave it to others to explain how it works and why it improves SQ in any depth.
Essentially, as I understand it the NDS was originally developed to stream local files rather than from the internet. The bridges makes it work as intended by feeding the data in as if it were local e.g on a music server.
You can connect your UPnP bridge to your EE8 switch. (Or your Cisco switch).
No you almost certainly can’t use the Naim app, as that is looking for a Naim device and works in a Naim specific way for a Naim UPnP streamer on your home network and because the UPnP bridge is not acting as a network bridge but as a UPnP end point. However you would use Roon to control this particular UPnP bridge.
I believe you still need Audirvāna or Roon if you want to use Qobus with the Sonore.
The bridge I use from Lindemann (Bridge II) goes directly into my NDS digital in and I use their own app which is free (and really good) and Roon and only use the naim app for volume. To be honest the naim app is worst of all apps I’ve used in Hifi. It’s very dated in terms of UI/UX. The lindemann app also scales on MacBook M1 and later. Naim app does not. Just shows the naim efforts since lindemann use same manufacturer for the streaming board and their SDK as Lindemann.
My bridge was a huge uplift in sound quality. I also added Sbooster external supply which took it even further. Zero glitches from there on. I’ve paid around a 900EUR for my used Bridge II including a new Sbooster. And it sound better than NDX2 as a streamer did into my NDS as I remember it. And it’s so small I can hide it anywhere. And it only contains what I need. The streaming board.
I considered all these options with NDS glitches. It turned out the Cisco was main culprit. By that time I removed the Cisco and bought an ND5XS2 which I use as sytreaming transport into NDS which I use as DAC.
It is simple, effective and the cost was around £1850 for lightly used ND5XS2, then there were additional costs of adding 3rd Fraim stack, switches and cable.
It’s now becoming tempting to sell the lot and just get a used ND555.
I will leave the 3 box streaming set up as it is for a while as it works really well.
Stu,
I guess the issue is adding an extra box like the ND5XS2 into the mix. Why don’t you get an ND555 and then use Qobus and leave Roon and bridges alone?
But couldn’t you have used Audirvana with the Android / iOS remote app?
I’ve gone down the Innuos route (Zen 3). For me it’s a clear improvement over Audirvana – which itself was a fair bit better than native streaming on the NDS.
Bridge is fine as I said, it’s Network Bridge that isn’t… and this is quite possibly a good example where the mis use of network bridge elsewhere might have caused confusion for our poster if their original question is anything to go by.
Yes it’s their version of Roon core. If you get a streamer/bridge you are no longer in need of the computer to use Qobuz but you are required using the app the manufacturer make for it since Qobuz do not have “connect” ability yet. If you want to use Roon then you still need the computer as a core which can be controlled with a phone app.
ND555 is the most obvious solution but I’m happy with all aspects of my system now apart from the streaming glitches. Also I know from running Audirvana on my laptop how much better it can sound for an extra few pounds a month subscription, as well eliminating the glitches. I just found using the laptop cumbersome.
I wasn’t planning on using Roon. I perhaps mistakenly thought I could just add the Sonore Bridge into my network and use it to feed my NDS, controlled by an app on my phone streaming from Tidal and/or Qobuz.
Mconnect or the Linn app perhaps? I tried them before running bubble UPnP on my laptop, but I couldn’t get the apps to discover the UPnP.
