Star update 3.8.5

Anyone tried yet?

Itā€™s been in beta for ages. Give it a go!

Is this only the fix for the ripping errors?
And it is not beta anymore I imagine?

Itā€™s not in beta anymore, no.

Updated my Star this morning after receiving notification of this available firmware update 3.8.5 on IOS app on iPad. ā€œWarning - Error Code: 315ā€ appeared on screen during update. Powered off (at plug/wall) and powered back on, update completed showing Current Version 6.8.5.5468 now and all working well so far. Havenā€™t tried to rip a CD yet to see if the dropout faults and issues are fixed, as I rip using DBPoweramp on an iMac which has always worked well, but Iā€™ll give it a go when I get a chance. Look forward to seeing other member reports, as the ripping dropout issues on the Uniti Star have been reported since Jan 2022 if memory serves meā€¦though I tried looking for those previous discussion threads which seem to have been removedā€¦?

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Updated this morning without an issue, went smoothly, but also I donā€™t use the ripping function so I hope for those that do and have this problem that itā€™s fixed.

At last!! Updated my Star firmware yesterday and have begun to test. Only a few cdā€™s ripped but so far so good.

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Updated yesterday (Nov 5) and have ripped two CDs today. Iā€™ve not noticed any problem with these rips. While ripping the Starā€™s display now shows a message to check the app for rip monitoring. Also, I noticed previous tracks that were ripped and always showed an audio drop out on replay, now play ok. This was unexpected. With the fix in place I thought I would have to re-rip the CDs that showed the problem, but that does not appear to be the case, for me anyway. All good so far. The problem seems to be fixed and no regression observed elsewhere.

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The update was promised to me by Naim, some months ago, after I sent a query about the dropouts. I primarily bought the Star for this purpose and was disappointed that it seemed to have a major flaw in this regard. True to their promise that a fix was ā€œinevitableā€ here it is and it does seem to have fixed the dropout issue, at least so far, in regards to the 90 or so CDs I have ripped since I have installed it late last week. I have experienced several failed rips on certain tracks, however, this might have been due to extended ripping sessions and heat build up? After letting the Star cool down and re ripping the same cd no failed tracks were experienced. I am extremely pleased that I purchased this Uniti Star and as an early adopter of Naim products back in 1975 with a NC12 pre amp and NAP250, which are still used to this day, I commend Naim for exceptional after sales service.

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Well, I have ripped a CD in FLAC format to a local USB stick and all went smooth with no dropouts or issues at all in playback. Itā€™s also interesting to hear other membersā€™ experience regarding previous rips which had audio dropouts and glitches, which now playback without issue after this firmware update. Well done Naim for addressing this longstanding issue, it sounds like a lot of effort, work and testing has gone into fixing it.

Experiencing issues with Star using Roon since upgrading. Am I alone?

Symptoms are:

  • No longer appears as Roon end point in Roon app
  • No longer appears of Chromecast endpoint in Roon app
  • Unable to stream using AirPlay from Roon app. Other Naim devices seem unafected unless grouped with upgraded Star in Roon app.

Is the Star not still visible in Roon Audio Settings? After an update you may need to re-enable them there.

Itā€™s a good suggestion, so thank you, but I just checked, and the Star is not shown as either a Roon endpoint or a Chromecast endpoint within Roon audio settings.

It is only available as an AirPlay device, and attempts to stream using AP fail.

Thanks anyway.

I bought my Uniti Star in May 2023 from one of the largest hi-fi specialists in Germany. What made the decision to buy was what was promised
Rip ā€“ Function in the Star. After the CDs got stuck in the device that was first delivered and could only be freed with the paper clip trick, I was very quickly delivered a new replacement device. I immediately started archiving my silver discs. The playback was disappointing; constant interruptions made it impossible to enjoy the music. I then contacted my specialist salesperson; he had never heard of such problems. My dropout problem was forwarded to Focal Naim Sales Germany. In June 2023 and not on April 1st, I was recommended to use an SSD or HDD with an external power supply to solve the problem in order to avoid the problem of dropouts. I immediately and excitedly ordered a hard drive with an external power supply. The disappointment was great, the dropouts remained. Now I tried with five different storage formats SSD, HDD, +external power supply, FLAC and WAV formats and manufacturers because I had doubts about my operation and hardware. The dropouts persisted. I had resigned myself to the problem and assumed there were gaps in quality management, but kept the star because of his outstanding musicality.
Couldnā€™t Focal Naim Service have informed me immediately after I first reported the problem that they were working on fixing it and that a beta version was in the testing phase?
Why is a not fully functional Uniti Star being sold?
I would have been spared hours at the star and hassle with returning the hard drives. In my opinion, fair play and an open word to customers do not seem to be part of the company philosophy.
My request for a goodwill solution because of the loss of joy was not even answered.
By chance I checked today to see if there was a firmware update. An automatic information on the star ā€œthere is an updateā€ would have been beneficial!
The installation went without any problems. Then I connected an HDD that was ripped with errors. The dropouts could still be heard. Now Iā€™ve recently ripped a few CDs in WAV format and havenā€™t noticed any dropouts in playback so far, it sounds really good now. My fellow engineers were able to solve the problem, my thanks go to the technicians in Salisbury.
P.S. Letā€™s hope that communication problems like this donā€™t happen again and that someone thanks us as customers for our patience with our ā€œstarā€. Kind words for the lost joy would also be appropriate.
Thanks JĆ¼rgen

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Sorry to hear this Jurgen.

I canā€™t really speak for Naim here, but I do know that Naim support have been telling any customers who have been affected that they have been working on a solution - indeed, they have needed them to give feedback re. the problem and also in obtaining the solution. Quite why this wasnā€™t relayed on to you through your distributor I just donā€™t know - a question for Naim or perhaps more for Focal Naim Germany.

Anyway, Iā€™m pleased the update has fixed the issue for you. It was a tough one for the software team to crack, especially as it seemed so specific to certain users. Enjoy!

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Good to see the firmware update has lobbed. The playback issue being ā€œspecific to certain usersā€ would better translate to ā€œspecific to certain batchesā€. Both my brother and I purchased a Uniti Star each, at different times, but at the same dealer. We both had the same ripping issue of dropped data causing gaps in playback. Our units were replaced but the issues persisted so I think the issue was more widespread than Naim let on.
CD playback was also an issue for both of us. Issues like occasional static between tracks, and during tracks. I couldnā€™t stand listening to CDs on my NAIM so I purchased a ProJect DS3 to listen to CDs through the coax input.
My brother updated his unit to the new firmware a few weeks ago; so far so good. I updated mine yesterday and the firmware update seems okay for me too.
I agree with others in the forum that Naimā€™s communication team let itā€™s customers down badly on this occasion and really should acknowledge their awful customer service, particularly in treating this as a ā€˜fringeā€™ issue.

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My Star seems to be bricked after a power cut. The power button light was flashing in 3 flash interval and it was hot to touch. I powered down and restarted but it reverts to the same flashing power button and wonā€™t show in the app any more. Iā€™ll try another power down and cool off and try again. I recently updated the firmware and arenā€™t sure whether this is a factor. The whole discovery of a new device in the app has changed and seems to require use of the remote and settings button on the display, which I havenā€™t encountered before.

The Nova and ND555 seem fine after the power cut.

Sorry to hear Mike. It may well be worthwhile asking Naim support here.

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I found some old threads that indicate that the flashing light sequence indicates a hardware issue. Unfortunately the new NZ dealer is still in the process of sorting out a service agent, so it will be a few weeks until I can hopefully get it looked at. My dealer did say that a ā€œhardware issueā€ is a pretty generic term ranging from a loose ribbon cable, to being fried. Itā€™s a second hand unit, and I guess covered under the house contents insurance. Iā€™ve dropped Naim support an email to for advice.