What is Naim's (New) Streaming Platform?

I don’t know. Adding a bigger buffer may have been doable but maybe there were other restrictions. Adding larger firmware memory and developing Qobuz connectivity just for the Mu-So may not have been worthwhile.

That’s not really the issue perhaps. Since adding new services to any streaming platform would still be a lot of work, including development, testing, debugging etc, it would likely not be economical to do all this work for just one or two boxes, leaving the high end streamers behind.

It would make sense for Naim to then rather put that effort into developing a new streaming platform that could be used on an entire (new) range of products.

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Wow, I didn’t realize my 272 is obsolete. Should I stop using it?

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Yes. And so should I.

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The servers nsXX and hdx runs on and version of good old windows xp, and like others here my ns01 has not lost functionality since I bought it in 2011. Actually I bought it as son as it had the functionality I wanted. First genration of the streamers is another matter. In many ways functionality took a step backwards compared with what the servers could and can do, but of course internet streaming of other than internet radio was the thing to get into the platform.
The only thing missing now is the windows client that the servers have.

Claus

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See this detailed explanation from Steve Harris on the memory limitation in the first gen streamers:

Basically there is just a 6Kb buffer in the first gen streamers for network data and this makes the platform susceptible to dropouts when there is high latency on the network connection, particularly with high resolution content. This generally isn’t a problem when streaming locally (which is the use case the first gen streamers were designed for) but is clearly a problem when streaming from cloud-based services.

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But when you have your network optimized dropouts are seldom to infrequent. I went months without a dropout with my SU and I have yet to have a dropout with my 272.

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Yes, Naim do seem to have this under control now, but before the new streamers were released the forum was plagued by endless posts about Tidal dropouts. This was nothing to do with your own network, the issue was mostly down to latency between your internet connection and the Tidal servers.

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Of course, but it did take them a while, as Steve also acknowledged. And as is also explained there, most of it has nothing to do with what you can optimize in your own network, as it is upstream latency. It never should be a problem in any reasonable local network, with a UPnP server, this is what the old streamers were built for (and audio data is tiny compared to what people expect to normally do on a local network, like Netflix), the problem always was only online streaming with Tidal.

It’s certainly not “obsolete” for the things it was sold for, and even acquired new features like Tidal.

But it is limited and outdated if you consider the usual expectations people have for current streamers. Like I said, this doesn’t mean that it’s set in stone that this will happen to streamers forever

Is this the same Logitech that decided to drop it’s Harmony remotes with no replacement a couple of years ago, leaving me high and dry when my current model goes to meet its maker? And not much more than a decade since acquiring the business. Not long term support in my view.

Roger

I am not convinced. Firstly, I have no reason to believe my Atom will be obsolete in a couple of years. Secondly, if I do move on, I will not use it as a door stop, but trade it in. I assume my old 272 is giving pleasure to someone now, perhaps someone who could not afford a new one. Thirdly, I have one smallish box instead of a streamer/amp/power supply, each needing casework and internals produced with non-trivial environmental impact. Not to mention consuming way more power. (A class D Cambridge Evo might be even more environmentally friendly of course.)

Assessing environmental impact is rarely simple and straightforward.

Roger

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If i was going to buy a one box solution, then i would make sure the dac / streamer in it was modular, as in it simply slides in a slot in the back of the unit, that way it can easily be upgraded as and when the manufacturer brings out new technology.

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I’m not too interested with re-litigating the past. I haven’t had a dropout on my 272 and only had a handful on the SU before it. Yes, the legacy platforms require some workarounds but if you’re willing to put in the effort they perform as good as the modern platform wrt SQ albeit with some inconvenience.

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Does anything like that exist? Curious if any manufacturers are offering that sort of solution

Yes, vitus is one, that i have tried and its very good, but expensive.
But the sia030 is a monster, but does come with its its own problems

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Nice, ta, will check them out!

No budget right now, but virtual shopping is a speciality of mine X)

…Vitus integrated amplifiers, also sold by weight :wink:

Interesting.

So if you could find a solution that provides an additional buffer for the internet based streaming of hi-res/lossless content and serves it, as-if it was a local UPnP stream, you bypass these limitations & problems.

In fact in an overall architecture, it probably makes better to have a separate server receiving this network stream, pre-processing it, as well as managing all locally stored content, and then serve it to the player so it has the least amount of work to do with the network based content. After all it is not a general computer. That way you would get the best SQ from the player.

That is one reason why people are using Roon with their old Naim streamers.

In that scenario you would only need a DAC, not a full network player. The D/A is the part that benefits most from isolation from external interference, so it’s better to separate that from the player.

Naim doesn’t currently have a separate streamer and DAC in their higher end lines, so it would perhaps make more sense to look at other brands when contemplating this approach.

NAD offers it with their MDC Modules almost in all of their lineup of hybrid amplifiers.

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Didn’t know that, ta :slight_smile: