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Naim UnitiServe - is it as good as a good CDP??

Hi all
I am interested in the Naim UnitiServe HDD version. It has 2 TB storage and is networkable, and has a built in CD drive for Ripping CDs to WAV files.

BUT, as always, and I have read quite a few reviews, it is not all plain sailing.
Aside from the dream convienience of all my library in one place at a click of a button, does the black box do what it is suppoed to do, i.e. is it audiophile, and does it realistically equal a good CDP.

I would use the Coax out to my Audio Note DAC, so not the analogue outputs from the Naim, only the 'pure' digital signal.

I am not a Naim fan either, more Audio Note. I use a CEC TL51 transport and an Audio Note 3.1 DAC.

I wonder if this all in one solution is better than the almost as cute MacMini using a USB to SPDiff convertor?
sunandmusic
jafant's avatar
jafant
10,525 posts
 
OP,

at this time, no music server product is better than a dedicated cd player or cd transport/DAC combo.

Naim makes very fine sounding cd players, both new and older models.
sunandmusic OP
27 posts
 
Jafrant
Is this based on your experience. I read a different story, including from hifi magazine reviewers. Why is it that PC audio is overtaking CDP at the hifi shows?

Get some facts before you speak....
jafant's avatar
jafant
10,525 posts
 
You get some facts before you speak...asshole!
Post removed 
larryi
1,972 posts
 
In my system, and in my opinion, the top of the line Naim NDS server/Uniti ripper is NOT comparable to their top of the line CD555 cd player in sound quality (I own both).

There is a slight bit more brittleness (artificial edge to the attack of notes) with the server. That said, I like how easy it is to find and access my collection from a server.

I've heard a number of dedicated computer music servers playing into to pretty good DACs. They certainly do sound good. But, I have not actually heard a direct comparison, with a server and a top of the line transport playing into a really good DAC in my own system.
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