ND555 Impressions

Can we get back on topic please. Thanks.

cdboy posted:

Can we get back on topic please. Thanks.

Don't worry - a new product thread is rather like the naim run in period. It takes a fair amount of time for it to stabilise with a lot of ups and downs along the way. There will be periods of euphoria and periods of sadness (and a few annoying bugs too).

It'll settle down again soon... 

At the risk of oversimplifying it and tending towards trite: (for which I apologise in advance):

It's a 500 level streamer and it sounds like one.

Go listen to one. If you can't then wait. It will probably be worth it. But there are no guarantees.

Hardly entertaining reading, I'll grant you.

james n posted:

Most kit is sensitive to how and where you place it. You can plonk it down and it will work fine but to get the best out of it, supports and arrangement of the kit can make a worthwhile difference.

Agreed! 

cdboy posted:

Can we get back on topic please. Thanks.

It's getting worse than Facebook!

tonym posted:

Darke Bear posted:

hungryhalibut posted:

...But you do need to dust!!! But all those shelves.... I actually enjoy cleaning, which probably helps. 

Yes I know - the flash makes it look worse, or reveals how bad it gets depending on your take.
It was a rather spontaneous pic and post with not careful prep to get the best pic. I was happy it was sounding good and it was meant as a general 'getting along nicely after some run-in bumps' post - I shall take heed in future to dust more - and hopefully not listen less.

I am not a cleaning person - the house is there to serve me and not the other way around. This gets me into trouble - not that I mind, but I don't overly-wish to offend.

DB.

I'm next up with a scathing criticism Mr Bear. You call those few tiny specks dust? Phah! That's not a proper dust coating, it's a pathetic excuse for dust! You should be ashamed... 

Dust? This is DUST! My new rig..

Run in or not, I have yet to hear a CD in the collection which sounds bad on the ND555... brings even the dullest of recordings to life. Love what this player has done to my system!

kevin J Carden posted:

tonym posted:

Darke Bear posted:

hungryhalibut posted:

...But you do need to dust!!! But all those shelves.... I actually enjoy cleaning, which probably helps. 

Yes I know - the flash makes it look worse, or reveals how bad it gets depending on your take.
It was a rather spontaneous pic and post with not careful prep to get the best pic. I was happy it was sounding good and it was meant as a general 'getting along nicely after some run-in bumps' post - I shall take heed in future to dust more - and hopefully not listen less.

I am not a cleaning person - the house is there to serve me and not the other way around. This gets me into trouble - not that I mind, but I don't overly-wish to offend.

DB.

I'm next up with a scathing criticism Mr Bear. You call those few tiny specks dust? Phah! That's not a proper dust coating, it's a pathetic excuse for dust! You should be ashamed... 

Dust? This is DUST! My new rig..

 

photoshop?

What a lightweight. You want dust?

hungryhalibut posted:

What a lightweight. You want dust?

The picture isnt straight that would piss me off.

The lack of apostrophe and semi colon would surely be more of an issue. 

hungryhalibut posted:

The lack of apostrophe and semi colon would surely be more of an issue. 

Typing on my mobile without my glasses on I will do better next time.

kevin J Carden posted:

tonym posted:

Darke Bear posted:

hungryhalibut posted:

...But you do need to dust!!! But all those shelves.... I actually enjoy cleaning, which probably helps. 

Yes I know - the flash makes it look worse, or reveals how bad it gets depending on your take.
It was a rather spontaneous pic and post with not careful prep to get the best pic. I was happy it was sounding good and it was meant as a general 'getting along nicely after some run-in bumps' post - I shall take heed in future to dust more - and hopefully not listen less.

I am not a cleaning person - the house is there to serve me and not the other way around. This gets me into trouble - not that I mind, but I don't overly-wish to offend.

DB.

I'm next up with a scathing criticism Mr Bear. You call those few tiny specks dust? Phah! That's not a proper dust coating, it's a pathetic excuse for dust! You should be ashamed... 

Dust? This is DUST! My new rig..

 

Very nice! Enjoy!

hungryhalibut posted:

What a lightweight. You want dust?

my wife would be very pleased.  

Bachelor with a setup like that

what does it mean, Hifiman?     is it an expression?

hungryhalibut posted:

What a lightweight. You want dust?

OK - I feel perspective regained. My set-up is very reasonable with respect to shelving in now seems.

Back to ND555 topic. There is still run-in effects going on in week 5 and tonight it has gone a bit smeary and bland - by comparison to a few hours earlier when it was really open and clear with great tone-colour/timbre rendition, but that is now clouded-over. It will pass and I'll listen again later as this stuff seems to shift through over a period of a few hours. What I do is play several types of music to search for one that gets around the run-in effect and if it is on all I play then do something else for a bit.

DB.

hungryhalibut posted:

What a lightweight. You want dust?

it’s an egyptian system i think.

kevin J Carden posted:

tonym posted:

Darke Bear posted:

hungryhalibut posted:

...But you do need to dust!!! But all those shelves.... I actually enjoy cleaning, which probably helps. 

Yes I know - the flash makes it look worse, or reveals how bad it gets depending on your take.
It was a rather spontaneous pic and post with not careful prep to get the best pic. I was happy it was sounding good and it was meant as a general 'getting along nicely after some run-in bumps' post - I shall take heed in future to dust more - and hopefully not listen less.

I am not a cleaning person - the house is there to serve me and not the other way around. This gets me into trouble - not that I mind, but I don't overly-wish to offend.

DB.

I'm next up with a scathing criticism Mr Bear. You call those few tiny specks dust? Phah! That's not a proper dust coating, it's a pathetic excuse for dust! You should be ashamed... 

Dust? This is DUST! My new rig..

 

Cool man(a)!

Bachelor = célibataire (not sure the French spelling is right for gender there but google is) the female equivalent would be spinster but they get annoyed when you point it out.

DB’s findings are always worth a try if you have room, even when they don’t work in my system. I don’t have S1 nor active so finding I prefer the reverse of his plug order could be a difference in preference or system but in the end I’ve tried it and made my own mind up.

Dust doesn’t look too bad unless you disturb it, I keep telling my wife that but she needs more persuading. 

Célibataire or vieux garçon.  Thanks Yeti42.    Dust doesn’t disturb me, it’s more the concept of empty shelves with glass that looks a bit ridiculous.   I would buy a better rack than the fraim and would use all the shelves.   Naim rack can’t be the only one.   Hrs, critical mass, Stillpoints Ess, Artesania....    These racks are among the best.  One of these racks costs around the same as 2 naim racks, but i can be full of components.....    The difficulty is to find a synergy with naim components and naim sound.  But i hardly believe that the naim rack is the only one possibility.

French Rooster posted:

Célibataire or vieux garçon.  Thanks Yeti42.    Dust doesn’t disturb me, it’s more the concept of empty shelves with glass that looks a bit ridiculous.   I would buy a better rack than the fraim and would use all the shelves.   Naim rack can’t be the only one.   Hrs, critical mass, Stillpoints Ess, Artesania....    These racks are among the best.  One of these racks costs around the same as 2 naim racks, but i can be full of components.....    The difficulty is to find a synergy with naim components and naim sound.  But i hardly believe that the naim rack is the only one possibility.

I think most people don’t experiment with a rack and just follow suit as they hear the positive impact of the rack. Within that context people then try to optimize. I guess it would also be rather challenging to compare racks like we compare boxes, cables etc....

French Rooster posted:

kevin J Carden posted:

posted:

Darke Bear posted:

hungryhalibut posted:

...But you do need to dust!!! But all those shelves.... I actually enjoy cleaning, which probably helps. 

Yes I know - the flash makes it look worse, or reveals how bad it gets depending on your take.
It was a rather spontaneous pic and post with not careful prep to get the best pic. I was happy it was sounding good and it was meant as a general 'getting along nicely after some run-in bumps' post - I shall take heed in future to dust more - and hopefully not listen less.

I am not a cleaning person - the house is there to serve me and not the other way around. This gets me into trouble - not that I mind, but I don't overly-wish to offend.

DB.

I'm next up with a scathing criticism Mr Bear. You call those few tiny specks dust? Phah! That's not a proper dust coating, it's a pathetic excuse for dust! You should be ashamed... 

Dust? This is DUST! My new rig..

 

photoshop?

Dust you say...I resemble that remark 

Good work DB, I love reading your and others journey here, the attention to detail, sharing your findings with us.

I am loving my ND555 and my journey very much mirrors yours. It's good to push "the boundaries", otherwise we would all bears in caves....see what I did!!!!!!!!! Look at the attention to detail in F1, to "wring" every ounce of performance to increase the performance, I see no difference here with what DB and I and others do here. Sharing that knowledge for others to try/enjoy and get the very best from their system. I know this to be true as DB has come to my home, and  took my system onto another level of performance with his attention to detail.Thank you DB 

The ND555 is a reference product with a reference price tag we have very high expectations from Naim and as this thread has shown, they deliver.

Now, where's my Duster!!!!!!

Yes keep it up DB. It was really great to meet you recently. You are a very pragmatic guy in your outlook to Hifi and life and know the journey and direction you are going in.

My ND555 is now approaching week 2 - it seems to be opening up further - with stupendous delicacy especially at hi frequencies ........ now, I only have very small pmc 21 speakers but the ND555 seems to really have reinforced and tightened bass considerably...... I listened to the bass frequency output .... from 20hz to 80hz ....... I was amazed that I could actually clearly hear 25hz! ... with the volume set to 80dB ... at 50hz .......... 25hz gave me around 50dB not bad considering I thought I would get nothing - other higher frequencies gradually stepped up ...... to meet the 50hz level. The trouble is I have a nasty room mode/standing wave at around 65hz which can get excited on certain rips......... due to space constraints - it looks like I need some form of room treatment........doh. I am a bit nervous over how effective room treatment is ....... has anyone here had any experience.