ND555 Impressions

Richard Dane posted:

Jonn, please do ask on the forum if you haven't already. We'll all try to help you out if we can. But try to make it a separate thread in the Streaming Audio room. 

OK, just posted in Streaming Audio..

Just an observation as others have noted - piano - music sounds so wonderful........ the speed and decay and timbre of the notes sounds so natural.......my little speakers are singing.... :-))

That was what hooked me immediately, first chords from the album Tribal by Dr John, the piano just sounded wonderful, as you say the speed, decay, timbre. Very special.

It is weird - I've never played so much piano music as since I've had the ND555. It does all music well but some instruments are shown to benefit more and piano seems one of them.

I'm also finding some early release versions of albums have improved so much they now eclipse what I'd though was a rare-case better Remaster, but although the Remaster also improved, the original improved more and has zoomed past the quality of the Remaster.

Alan Parsons Project generally have done the better Remasters I've found, perhaps since he is a Recording Engineer he has more care in handling it. Certainly there has and is no problem with compression with APP Remasters, but he has shown he does not like original recording noise and processed-it to remove it - and very slightly tweaked the HF up a little to compensate for slight roll-off; it is all well done for a Remaster.

But now the original 'music and noise and all' release via the ND555 just sounds musically superior in that the noise is handled better - meaning it is just handled as a signal - and the music too. I believe you do hear the original signal within the noise and the ND555 allows you to hear it - the Remaster has it removed and it is not there - cleaner but not, now, IMO, better. The ND555 is setting a new standard in replay of all music.

DB.

While I also have already mentioned that the ND555 makes everything sounding better. Specific areas which are for me a call out:

1. Piano Oriented Music, most systems fail to deliver on this. The ND555 just delivers beautiful music.

2. Live music comes across very live in all it's dimensions.

I also find inflection and tone in vocals amazing.

Try Rebecca Pigeon ... Spanish Harlem 192....

Richieroo posted:

I also find inflection and tone in vocals amazing.

I've been listening to SO MUCH female vocal music since getting the ND555.  There's a reason!  

A little sonic update ........ the highs - are now sounding quite amazing - the detail and shimmer as symbols decay ..... is incredible .... Scorching Bay John Metcalfe........ very good for an incidental relaxing listen.......

Richieroo posted:

A little sonic update ........ the highs - are now sounding quite amazing - the detail and shimmer as symbols decay ..... is incredible .... Scorching Bay John Metcalfe........ very good for an incidental relaxing listen.......

ND555 has many sonic blessings . 

I'm delighted to say that I'm back in the ND555 clan. Installed last evening, I played a couple of albums last night and have played one and listened to Naim Radio so far today. When I was going through the system set up, I selected System Automation. I then selected 'Classic' preamp (as opposed to Statement), but should I also select RC5 Modulation? It seems to work perfectly well without it, but I cannot find anything about it in the FAQ. What does it do? Does anyone know?

Clive B posted:

I'm delighted to say that I'm back in the ND555 clan. Installed last evening, I played a couple of albums last night and have played one and listened to Naim Radio so far today. When I was going through the system set up, I selected System Automation. I then selected 'Classic' preamp (as opposed to Statement), but should I also select RC5 Modulation? It seems to work perfectly well without it, but I cannot find anything about it in the FAQ. What does it do? Does anyone know?

Hi Clive, glad your back with the Clan mine was installed by our local dealer  RCA Modulation is not enabled and the System Automation is all good wouldn't have a clue what it means though??

Pcd posted:

Clive B posted:

I'm delighted to say that I'm back in the ND555 clan. Installed last evening, I played a couple of albums last night and have played one and listened to Naim Radio so far today. When I was going through the system set up, I selected System Automation. I then selected 'Classic' preamp (as opposed to Statement), but should I also select RC5 Modulation? It seems to work perfectly well without it, but I cannot find anything about it in the FAQ. What does it do? Does anyone know?

Hi Clive, glad your back with the Clan mine was installed by our local dealer  RCA Modulation is not enabled and the System Automation is all good wouldn't have a clue what it means though??

You are using the system automation, I assume? I have edited the input names too so that they are identified according to the source component names and deselected those I don't use. Hence, most preamp functions can be controlled from my iPad. I would like to know what RC5 Modulation meant though. 

Clive B posted:

Pcd posted:

Clive B posted:

I'm delighted to say that I'm back in the ND555 clan. Installed last evening, I played a couple of albums last night and have played one and listened to Naim Radio so far today. When I was going through the system set up, I selected System Automation. I then selected 'Classic' preamp (as opposed to Statement), but should I also select RC5 Modulation? It seems to work perfectly well without it, but I cannot find anything about it in the FAQ. What does it do? Does anyone know?

Hi Clive, glad your back with the Clan mine was installed by our local dealer  RCA Modulation is not enabled and the System Automation is all good wouldn't have a clue what it means though??

You are using the system automation, I assume? I have edited the input names too so that they are identified according to the source component names and deselected those I don't use. Hence, most preamp functions can be controlled from my iPad. I would like to know what RC5 Modulation meant though. 

Clive, yes I am using system automation via my iPad and like you have deleted and renamed as required.

Congratulations on getting it back so fast. Does it still faintly ring/tinkle?

Harry posted:

Congratulations on getting it back so fast. Does it still faintly ring/tinkle?

This is a different serial number, Harry. There's only the very slightest of tinkling when tapped on the right hand end. Previously I noticed it as a significant tinkling when I placed it on the shelf and when I positioned the next shelf and when I put the preamp on that and the next shelf etc. That's why I started tapping it and why I wouldn't have been happy in the long run - I'm sure I'd always have had that nagging suspicion that I wasn't hearing it at its best, which is what Gazza had foretold. But thanks to excellent customer support from Naim (and, I'm sure, our dealer) all is now gloriously musical in this part of Wiltshire.

It's a jolly fine player indeed. I've just been playing a couple of Duke Ellington albums, which sound outrageously good - very clear bass lines with clear start and stop to the notes with no unintentional slurring, and there's a real three-dimensionality to the sound, which is especially noticeable in the brass. There's quite a lot that I've never heard before. And it's only been playing for about five hours!

Clive B posted:

I'm delighted to say that I'm back in the ND555 clan. Installed last evening, I played a couple of albums last night and have played one and listened to Naim Radio so far today. When I was going through the system set up, I selected System Automation. I then selected 'Classic' preamp (as opposed to Statement), but should I also select RC5 Modulation? It seems to work perfectly well without it, but I cannot find anything about it in the FAQ. What does it do? Does anyone know?

Clive, did they find anything wrong with it in the end?

New unit huh? Nice. Gotta love that after sales service.

Ours will be powered down for November as we repair to somewhere warmer. It'll be singing again by Christmas.

Have fun.

Gazza posted:

Clive B posted:

I'm delighted to say that I'm back in the ND555 clan. Installed last evening, I played a couple of albums last night and have played one and listened to Naim Radio so far today. When I was going through the system set up, I selected System Automation. I then selected 'Classic' preamp (as opposed to Statement), but should I also select RC5 Modulation? It seems to work perfectly well without it, but I cannot find anything about it in the FAQ. What does it do? Does anyone know?

Clive, did they find anything wrong with it in the end?

Neither I nor my dealer know, Gazza.  It's kind of irrelevant to me now as the new machine is so different. It's also blowing me away with each album I play. Superb piece of kit!

That’s great to here Clive, enjoy.

Update from the colonies - the ND555 has made it over the pond!

It was definitely on a slow boat, but well worth the wait.

Out of the box it is sounding very good - a step up from my much-loved NDS.  Looking forward to a few weeks of settling in with a lot of music.  The perfect upgrade for the coming winter weather.  

Clive B posted:

Gazza posted:

Clive B posted:

I'm delighted to say that I'm back in the ND555 clan. Installed last evening, I played a couple of albums last night and have played one and listened to Naim Radio so far today. When I was going through the system set up, I selected System Automation. I then selected 'Classic' preamp (as opposed to Statement), but should I also select RC5 Modulation? It seems to work perfectly well without it, but I cannot find anything about it in the FAQ. What does it do? Does anyone know?

Clive, did they find anything wrong with it in the end?

Neither I nor my dealer know, Gazza.  It's kind of irrelevant to me now as the new machine is so different. It's also blowing me away with each album I play. Superb piece of kit!

Good to hear that you've got a brand new, rattle-free machine but it rather begs the question, what's happened to the one you returned? Would you mind revealing the serial number of the returned machine?

Darke Bear posted:

Alan Parsons Project generally have done the better Remasters I've found, perhaps since he is a Recording Engineer he has more care in handling it. Certainly there has and is no problem with compression with APP Remasters, but he has shown he does not like original recording noise and processed-it to remove it - and very slightly tweaked the HF up a little to compensate for slight roll-off; it is all well done for a Remaster.

DB.

 It's interesting as I have always preferred the original TAPP CDs to the remasters, which while very clear and technically good seemed to have lost something along the way. I do agree that the originals sound stunning through the ND555.

DaveBk posted:

Darke Bear posted:

Alan Parsons Project generally have done the better Remasters I've found, perhaps since he is a Recording Engineer he has more care in handling it. Certainly there has and is no problem with compression with APP Remasters, but he has shown he does not like original recording noise and processed-it to remove it - and very slightly tweaked the HF up a little to compensate for slight roll-off; it is all well done for a Remaster.

DB.

 It's interesting as I have always preferred the original TAPP CDs to the remasters, which while very clear and technically good seemed to have lost something along the way. I do agree that the originals sound stunning through the ND555.

I've an APP 'Eye in Sky' early release CD in-post to me and am looking forward to ripping it and comparing it in a few days - I'll report on that then.
One good think I like with the ND555 and streaming is that as I arrange the different master releases in different folders I can quickly try them each and decide what is better for me. Some remasters are just 'different' some a are better and many are worse. Certainly the ND555 even-handed replay of difficult signals containing low-level tape-hiss, live crowd acoustic and low-bass information redeems many of my previous 'poor' CDs to better than the previously assessed as 'better' versions.

It is quite nice finding a lot of previous 'poor' recordings are now rather good, if not excellent. Certainly they are more musical in the sense that the raw un-messed-with masters when replayed properly contain, for me, more to immerse myself into that some of the remastered 'cleaned-up' versions, where it seems even at the best some music was also cleaned off with the less-wanted noise. Always very personal as I know a lot of people who can't abide noise, but I find as long as it is white-noise type signal then my brain seems to remove it from the mix for me. Less easy are more chaotic recorded events of shouts and things buzzing and the like. To get a live concert or session recorded that captures the sound and feel of the event without any unpleasant intrusions are great musical experiences for me. 

DB.

fDarke Bear posted:

DaveBk posted:

Darke Bear posted:

Alan Parsons Project generally have done the better Remasters I've found, perhaps since he is a Recording Engineer he has more care in handling it. Certainly there has and is no problem with compression with APP Remasters, but he has shown he does not like original recording noise and processed-it to remove it - and very slightly tweaked the HF up a little to compensate for slight roll-off; it is all well done for a Remaster.

DB.

 It's interesting as I have always preferred the original TAPP CDs to the remasters, which while very clear and technically good seemed to have lost something along the way. I do agree that the originals sound stunning through the ND555.

I've an APP 'Eye in Sky' early release CD in-post to me and am looking forward to ripping it and comparing it in a few days - I'll report on that then.
One good think I like with the ND555 and streaming is that as I arrange the different master releases in different folders I can quickly try them each and decide what is better for me. Some remasters are just 'different' some a are better and many are worse. Certainly the ND555 even-handed replay of difficult signals containing low-level tape-hiss, live crowd acoustic and low-bass information redeems many of my previous 'poor' CDs to better than the previously assessed as 'better' versions.

It is quite nice finding a lot of previous 'poor' recordings are now rather good, if not excellent. Certainly they are more musical in the sense that the raw un-messed-with masters when replayed properly contain, for me, more to immerse myself into that some of the remastered 'cleaned-up' versions, where it seems even at the best some music was also cleaned off with the less-wanted noise. Always very personal as I know a lot of people who can't abide noise, but I find as long as it is white-noise type signal then my brain seems to remove it from the mix for me. Less easy are more chaotic recorded events of shouts and things buzzing and the like. To get a live concert or session recorded that captures the sound and feel of the event without any unpleasant intrusions are great musical experiences for me. 

DB.

Hey DB, 

I understood very well that you prefer original cd vs remasters or highrez remaster,

But i you listening also to contemporary hirez albums, produced  and recorded nowadays ?

Recent albums recorded on 24 bit can sound really stunning.