I planned on using Roon because Ive heard that the naim app is terrible. (App Store reviews) but I’ve been reading thru the 40 or so pages of this thread and it seems like it’s gotten better over time? So maybe it’ll be ok. I tested the headphones and amp out on a tablet with Roon on it and loved the interface and features. I’d pay for it depending on how bad the other apps are. I’ll have to wait to get everything to try it out. Hopefully the Empy2 are in later this week.
I planned on using Roon because Ive heard that the naim app is terrible. (App Store reviews) but I’ve been reading thru the 40 or so pages of this thread and it seems like it’s gotten better over time? So maybe it’ll be ok. I tested the headphones and amp out on a tablet with Roon on it and loved the interface and features. I’d pay for it depending on how bad the other apps are. I’ll have to wait to get everything to try it out. Hopefully the Empy2 are in later this week.
The Naim app used to be sluggish. The interface isn’t great but it works. I have a lifetime roon subscription and that works best. Just waiting for them to add Tidal max support to give Tidal another try. Qobuz still has a few missing albums here and there.
As far as Spotify adding lossless, the Naim app shows bitrate settings of normal, high, and extreme. So unless extreme would automatically send lossless, we have to wait for Naim to update. I believe it was Linn that said they already have an update in place to play Spotify lossless, just have been waiting for two years for Spotify to make the switch on their end.
I planned on using Roon because Ive heard that the naim app is terrible. (App Store reviews) but I’ve been reading thru the 40 or so pages of this thread and it seems like it’s gotten better over time? So maybe it’ll be ok. I tested the headphones and amp out on a tablet with Roon on it and loved the interface and features. I’d pay for it depending on how bad the other apps are. I’ll have to wait to get everything to try it out. Hopefully the Empy2 are in later this week.
For another data point and view I have no issue with the Naim app, it’s a pleasure to use whether it be for my own files, Qobuz or internet radio. I prefer it to BlueOS and I have no need for Roon and the extra cost and serving device that brings.
For another data point and view I have no issue with the Naim app, it’s a pleasure to use whether it be for my own files, Qobuz or internet radio. I prefer it to BlueOS and I have no need for Roon and the extra cost and serving device that brings.
I’ve been trying to read and understand all the streaming options, but I’m new to the whole thing. I just use Apple Music and it sounds pretty decent thru my AirPods Max. If I’m understanding correctly, currently, Tidal has Tidal connect to use their app on the HE, but it down converts their highest tier to CD quality while Qobuz does not. It seems like people are speculating that there will be an update for higher resolution files from tidal at some point, because of the MQA thing, but we aren’t there yet. (Same with Spotify?)
So for the highest quality stream I’m going to be using Qobuz correct?
One of my issues with Roon is that I don’t really have any local files to speak of so it would mainly function as a remote and aggregator for whatever music services I get. I’d have to run it on my MacBook. I don’t really want to build a NUC to rock. I do like the remote features tho..
That’s how I was when I started out with Roon too. I got the 14 or 30 day trial of Roon plus Tidal and played around between them (on a MacBook). By the end of the trial I was hooked and kept both. I even ripped some of my own CDs and bought a few hi-res files and it slowly snowballed. I now have ROCK on a NUC-like device. I added Qobuz a year into it and the seamless integration was awesome. Most other software I tried treated each source as a separate entity and it kinda sucks after using Roon. That’s not to say the Naim app is bad, it works well, I just prefer Roon by a lot — enough to splurge on the lifetime license.
My mother has a Naim Uniti Star and she just uses the Naim app. She did Tidal for a year with it and was happy enough (although she decided to drop Tidal after that year). If Apple Music would integrate, she’d be very happy.
I’ve been trying to read and understand all the streaming options, but I’m new to the whole thing. I just use Apple Music and it sounds pretty decent thru my AirPods Max. If I’m understanding correctly, currently, Tidal has Tidal connect to use their app on the HE, but it down converts their highest tier to CD quality while Qobuz does not. It seems like people are speculating that there will be an update for higher resolution files from tidal at some point, because of the MQA thing, but we aren’t there yet. (Same with Spotify?)
So for the highest quality stream I’m going to be using Qobuz correct?
For now this is indeed the case. Naïm have mentioned that they expect to issue an updated firmware but also that they are required to wait until Tidal delivers a number of required changes on their end. Therefore no ETA could be given by Naim yet. For now Qobuz is your only true hires option.
I’ve been trying to read and understand all the streaming options, but I’m new to the whole thing. I just use Apple Music and it sounds pretty decent thru my AirPods Max. If I’m understanding correctly, currently, Tidal has Tidal connect to use their app on the HE, but it down converts their highest tier to CD quality while Qobuz does not. It seems like people are speculating that there will be an update for higher resolution files from tidal at some point, because of the MQA thing, but we aren’t there yet. (Same with Spotify?)
So for the highest quality stream I’m going to be using Qobuz correct?
If you're already happy with Apple music you could just stream via airplay to the HE and I think you would enjoy it. At least worth a try before switching apps or paying more for hi res. It's really going to be tough to discern any difference between apple lossless or hi res qobuz.
If you're already happy with Apple music you could just stream via airplay to the HE and I think you would enjoy it. At least worth a try before switching apps or paying more for hi res. It's really going to be tough to discern any difference between apple lossless or hi res qobuz.
So Apple Music only streams at 256k aac thru Airplay 2. So you don’t even get CD quality. Sure it’s hard to tell the difference but if listening thru good headphones, think you can do better. And same with Spotify, 320k ogg. Spotify only has a rumor they’re getting lossless soon, so really shouldn’t count on that at all.
So with Tidal you get CD quality but is still some sort of downmix of MQA at this point on some albums. Tidal has already converted their app over to play true hires but now waiting for vendors to update on their part. A few have already released theirs. Naim and roon have not. But should be out by end of the year. So with Qobuz, if you play thru Naim app, you can play hires files with no problem. You can also use the Qobuz app and up to 96/24 files thru Chromecast connection.
If I were you, I’d get either Tidal or Qobuz. Even though Tidal is not sorted out yet, it will be very soon. So not sure worth the trouble to switch back and forth between Qobuz and Tidal if you have a preference. And yes, the Naim app has been improved. Has a lot of the Qobuz interface with new releases and shows album reviews too. Don’t think roon is worth it at this point if don’t have any local files you want to mix in or stream to other parts of your house.
I pick up my Naim and Empyrean II tomorrow so I’ll probably do a free trial or at least a month paid and see which I like better. Most of the music I like is on both, so I haven’t found a reason to prefer one over the other currently. The Qobuz UI is basically Apple Music. They’re not too far off from each other in layout and features. I like the Tidal layout too, it feels like you might discover more music thru Tidal. I’ll probably try both for a bit. Especially if Tidal will do HiRes files on the Naim soon.
I picked up a brand new Naim Atom HE at a good price today. I was looking for a simple all in one solution. I love Naim look and features that make this unit so convenient to use.
I tried focal clear og. This was probably the best I have heard on Clear og. I was very impressed!
I then tried LCD-5. They sounded okay, but I felt this pairing was way inferior to BHA-1 (source was BR-20).
Does Naim work the best with focal headphones than other brands?
I picked up a brand new Naim Atom HE at a good price today. I was looking for a simple all in one solution. I love Naim look and features that make this unit so convenient to use.
I tried focal clear og. This was probably the best I have heard on Clear og. I was very impressed!
I then tried LCD-5. They sounded okay, but I felt this pairing was way inferior to BHA-1 (source was BR-20).
Does Naim work the best with focal headphones than other brands?
No, it works with many brands. In my case the DCA Stealth and Aeon2 Noire, Diana V2, and of course the Stellia and Utopia.
Not sure why the LCD 5 sounded just okay to you. The Naim tuning is more musical and less analytic. I'd give the LCD 5 more chances with it to impress you. It's not an "in your face" detail monster AIO. The more you use it, the more you'll appreciate it.
I’m currently using it with the ZMF Caldera and sounds wonderful. I also had great success with the DCA Expanse, which is harder to drive. And of course the original Utopia sounds amazing with it.
So my only current issue with it is, it hasn’t been updated for Tidal Max, either thru their app or Tidal Connect. But I can access hires albums thru roon. So it’s not urgent but does show how slow they are to make software updates.
I forgot to add, if it’s a new unit, let it play continuously for about 50 hours. I didn’t like the sound too much when I first got it. It sound congested but really opens up after continued use and then stays that way. However, I just looked up the BHA-1 amp, it seems like a beast. So might not expect an all in one to be on the same level. The Naim HE also does well with power cord upgrade, if you believed in cable improvements.
No, it works with many brands. In my case the DCA Stealth and Aeon2 Noire, Diana V2, and of course the Stellia and Utopia.
Not sure why the LCD 5 sounded just okay to you. The Naim tuning is more musical and less analytic. I'd give the LCD 5 more chances with it to impress you. It's not an "in your face" detail monster AIO. The more you use it, the more you'll appreciate it.
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