daviddever

...especially as both companies are doing exceptionally well from a growth and profitability perspective. Both companies gain something from the merger in terms of unique expertise, while continuing to support their unique but European identities in terms of manufacturing & marketing.

Streamer: converts asynchronous network packets to digital audio File Player: permits browsing and playback of locally-attached audio files independent of network support Music Manager: provides CD ripping, tagging and playlist creation Server: provides content aggregation for multiple clients (may include self) DAC: converts external synchronous digital bitstreams to analog For sake of qualification, one can tack on the following: (asynchronous) USB + DAC adds (asynchronous or) adaptive bitstreams for conversion to analog UPnP + server adds Digital Media Server content cataloguing services to the network [need not bother with DLNA as this is a narrow subset of compatibility] multi-zone + server infers network-free audio playback to multiple rooms from within one device, with independent simultaneous control of each zone Using this basic agglutinate vocabulary, one can describe devices with a fairly orthogonal set of features: Bryston BDP-1 is file player (as is the Auraliti range) Linn DS players are UPnP streamers C.A.P.S. (with foobar2000 & UPnP component) is music manager / UPnP server / player Vortexbox is UPnP server (and, I suppose, music manager, too) Linn Majik DS-I, NaimUniti and T+A Music Receiver are UPnP streaming integrateds with built-in DAC PS Audio PWD + Network Bridge is UPnP streaming DAC Naim NDX is UPnP streaming DAC & file player MediaMonkey is music manager / file player (software) Meridian Sooloos device is music manager / multi-zone server (most modern standalone server products, e.g., Qsonix Q-series, NaimNet NS0x servers fall into this category; music management is inferred by application, though older servers such as Imerge units often lacked this capability) Synology DS110j is UPnP NAS server iTunes is music manager / file player (software) plus, technically, an AirPlay server (as multiple devices may access the iTunes Music Library for remote playback) Apple AirPort Express and Micromega AirDream products are AirPlay streamers You could add "Linux" as an adjective, though in practice, it's pretty commonplace within both embedded and general-purpose computing devices...better to specify the underlying player and control protocols (e.g., MPD/MPoD). Keeping within an standard, orthogonal set of descriptors helps to keep everyone on the same page in terms of a product's capabilities.

Yes, the UnitiServe can – in addition, if desired, one may transcode from FLAC or other lossless format (e.g., Apple Lossless) to WAV, maintaining sample rate and bit depth of the source files.

As a correction to your list above–the Naim HDX and UnitiServe are servers. The NDX and Uniti family of products are Naim Audio's streaming player products–this is a wholly separate category that would also include products such as Linn's DS range of players, Squeezebox, etc.

The server reads the embedded tags and stores them in its database–if there is embedded cover art, this over-rides anything within the folder structure. The built-in UPnP server accesses the database directly, which speeds things along. You may store your files in a variety of places–the server will aggregate all network storage locations into one cohesive whole. Naim Audio provides a NAS Simulation Utility to assess throughput, and you can adjust the tool's settings based on typical sample rate / bit depth, number of active streams, etc. To that end, there is a UnitiServe-SSD model offered with NO internal storage which can be used in conjunction with a file-sharing NAS. This device has no moving parts other than the ripping drive, which you may use to rip subsequent discs to reserved storage on the NAS.

Not all MFi devices support Extended Interface, which is required for iPod video 5th generation and iPod nano 1st generation. This provides serial control data to be transmitted over the Dock Connector for list browsing, and is required for support of analogue-only iPods (i.e., those which lack digital streaming capabilities). If one supports Extended Interface in a product, it is likely that streaming from non-iPod apps on iPod touch / iPhone / iPad will not be possible, with the exception of multi-tasking models (where it is possible to terminate the iPod app in favor of a streaming-capable app: not necessary elegant, but possible). The existence of two models for Wadia's digital iPod dock solutions is exemplary of this issue. Hope this makes sense–in short, if a product supports Extended Interface, though it extends compatibility back to iPod video 5th generation, it limits the ability to stream from iOS apps on current models.

iPod 5G Video and iPod Classic are functionally equivalent as regards MfI certification–both are Pixo-based devices with iPod streaming capability

Full disclosure is always good–though I think we often, as you pointed out, lose sight that our intention should be to assist. As for USB versus Ethernet solutions–let's leave the technical discussion separate from the performance aspects–they are different approaches to similar problems with their own merits or disadvantages. They are also very similar. Having spent a few years running my own post-production facility in a major advertising center, many of the performance issues dealt with within the professional audio and video production space are now very matter-of-fact facets of consumer audio, video and content management (read: storage). Vested interests or otherwise, our industry is going through an interesting change in which the expectations of six, maybe twelve months ago are subject to pretty radical shifts in technology. Let's let the listeners decide, but be honest about the functional limitations of any particular choice.

...some Made for iPod (MFI) devices simply access the iPod portion of the device for control and browsing purposes, using the iPod as a decoder / renderer and pulling the LPCM stream off the USB connection (Type A). Others function as passive converters for the LPCM stream with no control of the iPod device–which is good for non-iPod applications (Sirius XM, Pandora, etc. or UPnP streaming over Wi-Fi via PlugPlayer).

Pretty quiet–not silent, but it certainly won't shriek at you from across the room. Make sure you are also aware that, out of the box, it is a single-data partition device, and that you should NOT use it for anything else other than music. The most recent incarnation adds 3x speeds for 802.11g Wi-Fi on both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands–especially useful for streaming music over Wi-Fi.

I like Teresa's suggestion, though this assumes a fairly uneventful workflow–what happens when the DXD session gets subbed out to a PCM-based Pro Tools workflow for overdubs or processing? (Yes, it happens....) A conversion footer for digital audio files might be an idea–"where have I been?" "What did I start life as?" Think of it as EXIF for audio files. Many liner notes include little gems of information about the post-recording process that are often overlooked, whether relating to bass post-processing and enhancement, A-D conversion, analogue summing and re-conversion, etc.–all of which have their own effect on the overall sound in a "big-picture" kind of way. Wondering why your re-mastered recording sounds veiled? How about that (Brand X) converter used by the mastering house? Or the warm, tubey make-up gain stage in that compressor strapped across the mix?

I believe you and I chatted at T.H.E. Show just weeks ago, Chris–Naim Audio distribution in the States is now handled by The Sound Organisation, which Jenny Smith, Charlie Krone and I (from NAIM Inc) joined in April. Technically, we handle a variety of products with DAC and/or streaming capabilities (Rega and Primare as well). Every manufacturer approaches this segment of the market differently, and, up until recently, it was still the case that we had industry veterans who, given their limited understanding of the technology, were referring to standalone streaming client devices as "music servers". Any good comments from the perspective of a manufacturer-non centric approach should be welcome, I'd guess. Are you the same Chris Connaker listed in the credits for PS Audio's eLyric application, by the way?

So-back on topic–the advantages that the audiophile streamer vendors offer in their products lie with short signal paths, optimized power supplies, and the ability to receive files streamed from a central source to multiple zones The server vendors, on the other hand, offer the ability to manage the content, convert or transcode as required, and to provide an isolated front end (in some cases, not others) from the DAC stage, design of which (regardless of manufacturer) can be focused upon performance (as opposed to interface compatibility). Streaming server capability is a plus and not limited to a specific vendor, either (J.River provides this functionality). The key with any of these choices lies in your need (at the outset) for content acquisition and storage management, or (at the back end of the process) high-performance conversion–regardless of manufacturer. You can also hybridize these approaches, too–use streaming DAC with PC-based music server, then move to other zone (or, conversely, move computer out of listening room) and stream via the network.

OP was inquiring about options from a specific manufacturer–fair to respond. More importantly (before my edits got zapped in the previous post), said manufacturer offers both UPnP streaming as well as computer-based server solutions (in the abstract)–each has their benefits and disadvantages.

...that, given the option with a wide variety of network-capable DACs out there (PS Audio PWD + Bridge, for example), I'd spend my money on something that has a bit more functionality than a simple USB asynchronous DAC. This keeps the emphasis on short signal paths and low-noise power supply design at the point of conversion, rather than focusing on the electronics of the computer as the "player", so to speak. This will probably ruffle a few feathers, but, ehh, so be it–it's really about performance rather than cost (as it seems that there is small differences in price between equally competent solutions above a certain expertise level).