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Post by MartinT on Jun 2, 2015 13:28:17 GMT
To me it seems obvious that a sizeable number of people don't want to have the hassle of using separate things to rip, store, stream/play their music. I feel the first big name to do this right will make a killing. It's a matter of bolting a Raspberry Pi to the back of a Tesco Hudl with an IQaudIO DAC add-on and a large plug-in USB stick for storage, running Volumio or Rune or whatever your preferred streaming interface. Powered by a phone extender battery. Stick it in a small box and there's your elegant one-box solution.
If you did away with the box you have a VERY inexpensive solution capable of sounding VERY good indeed.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 2, 2015 13:42:35 GMT
To me it's madness that the big names aren't cashing in. That doesn't add up to a great deal cost-wise, so it sure they could put together something well built and designed at an attractive price point. The market for bringing this stuff into the mainstream is surely huge. So far we only have names like Brennan, Olive and Cocktail,Audio. I'm sure sales would rocket if products with the same ease of use were offered by Linn, Naim, Rega, Arcam, Creek, Quad etc. Whilst many people will be okay with assembling and messing about with the bits and pieces mentioned, there is absolutely nothing attractive to me about that sort of solution. I would seriously rather live without music altogether than attempt to work with something of that nature. I won't even be bothered with a laptop. Until it's as easy as buying, unpacking and enjoying a CD player from a decent manufacturer I'm going to sit it out  |
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Post by MartinT on Jun 2, 2015 14:23:47 GMT
Isn't the Naim HDX what you want, then? It's a Naim, though, so it won't be cheap.
Naim HDX |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 2, 2015 14:48:12 GMT
Unbelievably it won't rip CDs to the hard drives. I cannot fathom that one at all. Edit: I actually revisited a review I read and reading further down I'm now unsure what it does and doesn't do. The bit that confused me is: "Similarly, the HDX does not automatically rip CDs to its hard drive(s). Instead, it gives the option of playing the CD as a CD, meaning those bringing CDs to a party do not end up making an illegal copy on the HDX. You still get all the advantages of the HDX’s metadata control and database lookup facilities when playing that CD, but it’s just that the moment the disc is removed, the menu system removes all record (‘depopulating the menus’ in Naim-speak) of that disc. Yes, we’d all rather have the facility to burn discs and rip our friends music, but it’s crossing a copyright line that Naim is keen to preserve." www.goodwinshighend.com/music_servers/naim_hdx/hifi_plus_review.htmI think they are saying that it won't rip and play at the same time, but it's still ambiguous. It does say it rips into WAV files only. As I don't understand such things it's not much help. Most of my music is on iTunes in Apple Lossless format in order to use on iPads. I'd prefer not to have to do it all again but I wouldnt rule it out if I was likely to get ten years minimum listening without any other updates or faffing. |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 2, 2015 15:09:43 GMT
Bringing this back to EBay listings, here is a HDX for sale at £1860 or best offer. Still too much for me but prices will fall for used ones. If it's any use as a CD player. It will allow me to sell on my CDX, effectively knocking £650 off the price. www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NAIM-AUDIO-HDX-HARD-DISK-PLAYER-2008-LATEST-SOFTWARE-TWIN-500GB-HARD-DRIVES-/321763403126?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item4aea97e576Two things that concern me are that this one has already been back to Naim for a new power supply. It's also needed a return to the factory for a software update. The former suggests reliability issues possibly from third party computer bits. This worries me, and it's a reason why I shy away from non-branded kit. I want something that will last like a Naim amp. The software update is also the very thing I want to avoid. I want anything I buy to work out of the box and keep working without any such tinkering. |
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Post by MartinT on Jun 2, 2015 18:03:24 GMT
The PSU is likely a rare failure.
As for firmware updates, it's a fact of life with anything designed to access the internet. There are going to be revisions to lookup libraries, and security, that simply demand that you keep it up to date. My Blu-ray player gets the odd update, Sky Box too. You really can't avoid it if you want future-proofing.
I doubt there's a media player/streamer solution on Earth that won't need updates on occasion.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 2, 2015 18:28:25 GMT
It just reads like such updates require a return to Salisbury, but maybe that's not actually the case. It seems unusually limiting if it is correct. I'll do some homework and see if I can find out more. Thanks for pointing it out, as I'd previously written it off.
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Post by aurender on Jun 2, 2015 18:38:01 GMT
Look at the other items the seller is offering. Obviously a man of varied tastes |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 2, 2015 18:41:28 GMT
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Post by MartinT on Jun 2, 2015 20:24:44 GMT
Ooh yeah, I still miss my Syncro. Lovely deck, marred in my case by the piece of shit Helius arm I bought for it.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 3, 2015 16:21:44 GMT
Just sold a 'Syncro' Mk.1. loverly TT they are but much prefer my 'Focus One'..
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Post by Deleted on Jun 3, 2015 17:37:37 GMT
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Post by ChrisB on Jun 3, 2015 18:15:44 GMT
Excellent - it's another one of those things that are simultaneously very cool and yet extremely sad!
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Post by Deleted on Jun 3, 2015 18:35:46 GMT
I love some of the narrative. They think it's been looked at but not put together. Also they have heard it's very hard., It makes no odds to me on either score. If it's cool, it's cool. I say it will go north of £35. Anyone else care to estimate? |
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Post by MikeMusic on Jun 3, 2015 18:44:09 GMT
I love some of the narrative. They think it's been looked at but not put together. Also they have heard it's very hard., It makes no odds to me on either score. If it's cool, it's cool. I say it will go north of £35. Anyone else care to estimate? With the Ebay effect in play...... Somwhere between 99p and £5000 |
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Post by ChrisB on Jun 3, 2015 18:59:59 GMT
I reckon it'll go for an undisclosed amount after being removed from sale.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 3, 2015 21:54:21 GMT
Look at the other items the seller is offering. Obviously a man of varied tastes Think I'd stick with the hydraulic reference (which I lusted after big time back in my teenage days); I'd never fit in his other offerings  |
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Post by aurender on Jun 3, 2015 23:33:35 GMT
That's an image I'll struggle to get out of my head!
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Post by MikeMusic on Jun 4, 2015 11:36:40 GMT
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Post by MartinT on Jun 4, 2015 15:55:00 GMT
They'll take some housing!
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