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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
celtic66
1,658 posts
 
I'm in agreement with Krellman7. I own the UnitiServe and while I cannot
claim it to be the ultimate server, it is my first one, it is very good to my ears
and far fewer pieces than the Mini-Mac requires.

I delved into the Mojo from Albuquerque, but when it arrived I realized just
how many pieces it would take to make it all work properly and never
assembled it. Just returned, they were very good about refund.

I've owned a heavily modified CEC transport which sounded marvelous, but
never as good as the UnitiServe. The Naim does provide all which we seek;
imaging, detail and commanding dynamics. As a side note, I am really not a
fan of the Naim sound and therefore have never owned a piece until now.

My system is UnitiServe, Naim V-1 DAC, Manley Jumbo Shrimp, Manley Mahi
Mahi monoblocks, Merlin TSM MME monitors, MAC and Decware cabling.

Good luck with your search.
tomic601's avatar
tomic601
12,911 posts
 
The Uniti is quite good and gets better with HRS nimbus couplers and a damping plate, Pardo LPS and AQ eagle eye cable...at least to my ears....
sunandmusic OP
27 posts
 
Not sure about some of the above. I heavily modded my Mac Mini with 12V board, linear power supply and SSD, and using Audrvana+ and a full M2 Tech EVO stack inc clock and it's own linear supply it sounds fantastic. No treble edge, lots of full midrange and solid bass, wide soundstage. It is way better than my original CEC CDP I had.

Key is kill all the operations not needed on the Mac Mini, use ethernet for the screen sharing, use a firewire drive and have the USB 2 audio in the right port (not shared). I use the TotalDAC USB cable/filter and no USB power. The clock in the M2Tech sets the data speed and feeds my DAC via SPDIF, not USB or Toslink. Seems to work the best to me. I have tried many other options and they were not is good.

Also ripp your RedBook files with XLD. Don't upsample on the Mac, better to not upsample at all if possible and use an NOS DAC.

It is work to set these things up, up worth it IMO.
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