Dusty "Never Does Streaming".....NDS!

Nice. Thank you for sharing and congratulations. They were saying two weeks for delivery but I don't know if that's two of our Earth weeks.

You've benefited from the best that you could get at the time and the game has now moved on. Isn't it good to know that it can still be moved?

We are hoping to do what you are doing next week and are are very much looking forward to it. A question if I may - since your system is similar to ours? At present the 500 is beautifully taunt and tight but over time the bass becomes *slightly" unfocused around the edges and seems to increase in volume. It takes about a month from a power up. I wonder if the NDS brings more grip to the party in the first place? We would love to lose this slight fuzziness, although powering down the 500 overnight does seem to cure it. You like the bass on the NDS. Do you think it has a potential to iron out our wrinkle? Totally subjectively of course.

We are not unhappy with the presentation of the nDAC fed by the NDX but we are expecting to hear  something different. Perhaps along the lines of a less mechanical performance - which we won't realise until we hear the difference. This from what I've heard in brief demos and feedback from people who have had more ears on time with it.

Any comments gratefully received. And in any case I'd really like to hear how you get on with it over the days you have it. If anything changes. And possibly most important, how the music sounds when you revert, pending delivery of your NDS.

All the best with it.

Hi, Dusty,

Thank you for this post.  I was recently in Bristol, and visited Audio-T and met Alistaire and the other friendly folks there. They were generous with their time and interest, especially considering I was clearly a tourist with little time and unlikely to purchase anything to bring home to Seattle.  They showed me the NDS pre-prod unit.  It was too close to closing time to hook it up.  It was frustrating to come so close and not get to hear it, but seeing it means they are real, and may soon be available in the US.  In the meantime, it was nice to chat about Naim history and hear their ideas for my hi-fi room in the new house.

I hope your order arrives soon.

Nick

I doubt I'll ever have an NDS, but I still enjoy reading these kinds of posts written

with obvious consideration and such enthusiasm.  I'm listening to my SUniti at

the moment with such enjoyment, I hardly can imagine what you must be

experiencing, Dusty.  It all gives me great faith in Naim and all their products.

BTW...there ain't nothin' wrong with a little Streisand!  One of the Great artists of

the 20th C...

California Jim

useful writeup dusty. hope yours is delivered soon. one of the reasons i am considering NDS is to get rid of nDAC which will mean that i will have one less directly powered source. and of course the other, perhaps more important reason is that it will sound better than my current setup. i will start saving...

enjoy

ken

Excellent write up. I'll avoid going near a Naim dealer for a while I think.

thanks for a very nice and tempting NDS review.

The NDS absolutely has to be better than any NDX/NDAC combo because of the brass/springs mechanical isolation....

very tempting !

Hi all.

Thank you for all your kind comments.

Update-

On Friday eve i disconnected XPS and replaced it with 555P/SU. Well, what can I say...more more more of everything. Saturday as previously mentioned was Concorde afternoon. Because of switching system on and off for various connection configs, it took till the evening to really sing. So much so that I woke up on the sofa at 2.45 am.....I hate it when that happens!!!! All adds to the enjoyment, fighting going to bed! I was also pleased by audio quality of coaxial connection of the NDS where the Transporter was connected. I was able to enjoy some Spotify listening...Todd Snider..Willie and Lobo were a joy.

To me Radio Paradise sounds even better. This to me these are the strengths of products like NDS/NDX etc. They just don't play ripped music, you can listen to infinate radio stations, plug your ipod in or your friends can introduce you to new music by plugging in there ipod and also listening to 24 bit music. It sounds like (forgive the pun!) value for money in one box. Not's to say this takes anything away from the wonderful CD555 it justs adds to it giving people options. A healhty approach by a business called Naim!!

As I mentioned this now makes my Fraim look rather sparce. NDS on top, then a space then 552 in the middle and 500 amp on the bottom. Then on the right Fraim 500 P/SU then space then 555P/SU in the middle and 552 P/SU on the bottom. I now have two redundant powerlines + another two making four that I will need to sell. Also, my DC1 has no use. My Logitech Transporter is connected via a very long coaxial lead in another corner away from Fraim. I may put it on a spare shelf on the Fraim and connect using redundant DC1...I can hear the crys....no keep that switch mode power supply away!!!! The other benefit is the spaghetti junction that I used to have is now a thing of the past (again, the wife loves this).

More reports to follow, my five year old is giving me a rather fine Herbie Hancock "Rockit" dance!!

Harry, I need to listen through out the day ref the bass. It wasn't something I was aware of. Now I am i will give it some attention. I will report back.

Thanks Dusty. I was heartened by the silence from your direction after the first post. Indicating - all other things being equal - that you're too busy having fun to be thumping a keyboard.

Have a good day.

Hi Allen,

I had no desire to change/upgrade my system (yeah...right!) from what I was using. My dealer did it all off his own back..I mean.... who would of thought it!!!

You are in for a real treat when your NDS arrives. As I seat here and type (sadly looking at my system) I note the balance of my system. Not just from an audio prespective but from a visual point of view. One thing has just struck me, and it's something (very small and me being picky) I had requested on Naim from my wish list...the DAC,.. being able to turn off the sync light!! Yup, it has really bugged me. Yup I am a mix of Victor Meldrew and Alf Garnet!!!

ND555? Well if that is something Naim are working on, then that is going to be real special. Put my "Naim" down!!!

The NDS has certainly added to my system. I did the reverse, and went pre amp first (552) then amp (back then 300) which gave me the building blocks to a great system. At the time we had a new born and CD's/vinyl were something that my blood pressure couldn't handle. Because I was already streaming this was a natural path for me. I was happy to enjoy my Logitech on a 552...yup BONKERS!! Most would have gone source first, and I agree this is correct but I feel a system is the sum of it's parts. So each addition is all in context and balance to ones circumstances, finances and needs. Naim now provide systems that I'm sure ticks everyones boxes. Which is good business for them, and enjoyable music for us.

I'm down to my last 24hours with the NDS...gulp...hurry up Naim...build/deliver mine. Don't make me angry, you wouldn't like me when I'm angry

Right, NDS packed away. NDX connected back up with 555P/SU on it, no DAC.

Still sounds good, just lost an octave of music. An octave I would like back..now who took it!!!

To be fair, NDX is now cold and needs warming up and in this heat shouldn't be too long!!

Harry, I didn't detect any bass issues during NDS and neither with NDS. I can't think what might be happening, or though if I were in your shoes I would ask your dealer to inspect. I'm sure you are on the case.

NDS, we'll meet again...don't know where...don't know when!!! And with factory shut down looming I suspect September...hopefully 2012

Commiserations on the departure. But it won't be long....

Thank you for passing an ear over the lower registers. I think it might be a room issue because just lately it seems to be less apparent after some re positioning. However, there is a plan B which involves swapping the 500 and Sailsbury are in the loop. First things first though, I want to hear our present set up with an NDS on the rack. Hopefully the phone will ring soon.

Thanks again.

Dusty,

You should have a nice Christmas if you are not going away.?

Stu.

Apparently I'm round yours Stu

Just want to point out guys that NDX is still rather special. Sounding rather nice this evening

Ah...  damned with faint praise.  Probably time for me to put in an order for an NDS...

Just you wait until you hear it. It's magic. But that's for you to determine.

Have fun.

Good news Allen - look forward to reading about your findings 

Excellent news Allen - your old NDX has settled in very nicely btw

Congrats Allen, the build up to aquring a new piece is always exciting, but some are more special than others, and I imagine that this is right up there. Hope you enjoy, and look forward to reading your thoughts.

Congratulations, Allen. Are you going to feed it with one 555PS or two?

I think you can still use X5XS to feed a digital section of NDS -- but it needs testing to see if it brings an improvement  over a single 555PS.

Hi Allen, well done .. You have waited a long time for this!! Am  interested to hear your views. So far I haven't heard any magic over and above the setup I have, which is not dissimilar to your old one, but am  planning for a long home  demo to tease out the differences in a few months. But then i might be missing the point and the NDS is about a smaller box count and simplicity providing top class audio out of the box rather than having to tweak. Any way I look forward to your musings. 

Simon

AllenB.

What's taking you so long?

Best wishes,

Peter

Yeah, come on Allen, stop with the enjoyment...talk to us!

It's funny how the NDS seems to silence everyone. I mean ..Harry...then Allen! Is the NDS like the Bermuda Triangle!!!

Enjoy the evening as it settles down further Allen. I look forward to further insight later in the week...

I have a deal with my wife that we have to sell a flat we own before I can splash out on an NDS - it's been on the market a week... The suspense is killing me!

For now I have to make do with vicarious pleasures, so please post more.

Thanks.

Erm, well.... This is difficult.

The factually correct and down the middle answer is that I'd rather be enjoying the NDS than hammering on a keyboard.

The other point is that it is difficult to describe what the NDS does beyound simply being natural and musical.

The third thing is that if I said what I'm truly thinking it could antagonise and insult DAC/555PS users. It would also make me look a chump but I can easily live with that. Although in fairness, it's not my fault that the introduction of the NDS has pushed the game so far on. It's not like we weren't trying to pull together the best we could get at the time.

Allen's retirement village paradigm is a perfect summation for me. It's like - that's that. Bring on the next level and I'll investigate when the time comes but in the mean time I will close the door and just be happy.