ND555 Impressions

Probably Hermes ............ nightmare.......

Ha! Tell me about it.

Actually please don't.

Been there once. Never again.

Harry posted:

Similar here. Isn't maths useful when used properly?

Sometimes I use the expression, "I cannot afford to save that much."

I think I've employed that kind of logic on occasion.

I have occasionally said...'for that kind of saving I can't afford to say no'....in my head and actually managed to convince myself!

But I only allow myself to use that flawed logic on purchases that don't require a sanction from my better half.

I want to get an idea of how big is the upgrade:

NDS to ND555.

Is it like 252 to 552/300 to 500? 

More? Less?

BP. 

BPhotographer posted:

I want to get an idea of how big is the upgrade:

NDS to ND555.

Is it like 252 to 552/300 to 500? 

More? Less?

BP. 

Very good question ! One person on here said 30%. Others just said it sounds better . But I would like more input from folks who have ND555. 

Richieroo posted:

rjstaines posted:

analogmusic posted:

 the second hand value of NDS will remain at around 4K GBP.... no need to panic.

 

As I've always said... "I like a man with a sense of humour"  

Totally agree .......... 

I think $6,000 USA dollars for ones that are 2015 and newer. (They were $12,900) The age of the NDS has to be factored into the price . A 2012 NDS is not worth as much as a 2015 or 2016 NDS.  

For me it wasn’t that cliched night and day.. but the ND555 did seem to resolve more musically and make ‘better sense’ on certain sorts of complex audio and music... particularly when disharmony is involved. Oh yes the ND555 is designed to be more resilient to environmental side effects like not necessarily needing to use fancy Ethernet cables, or drop outs from latency issues on internet streaming etc.... as well as it offers a rather sexy colour display. I don’t currently own a ND555 but have enjoyed them in good listening environments severeal times now.

james n posted:

Pev posted:

Clive B posted:

I too noticed that sale price, but it was scratched. I'm now trying to convince myself that a scratch like that is not something that any serious self-respecting music lover could ever live with and would be willing to spend considerably more to get a mint example!

 

I'd be more than happy to pay less for a scratched case of any box every day of the week - each to his own. Black felt tip or boot polish can work wonders! 

Scratched equipment to me means a lack of care taken with its ownership. For some items that's not an issue, but for a piece of high quality audio kit that needs extra care taken when moving (due to its floaty bits) , I'd be a bit wary of something that wasn't completely mint.

If I was looking for an NDS then a mint, cared for example would more likely get my cash. As you say, each to their own.

Condition and age always factor into a the price of used equipment . 

A test is what would you, genuinely and honestly, pay for it yourself. In the wider market, it will be worth less because you have knowledge and confidence in it and no one else has that insight.

I think it's the NDX owners who have the most to worry about....

best

David

best

David

musicfan51 posted:

BPhotographer posted:

I want to get an idea of how big is the upgrade:

NDS to ND555.

Is it like 252 to 552/300 to 500? 

More? Less?

BP. 

Very good question ! One person on here said 30%. Others just said it sounds better . But I would like more input from folks who have ND555. 

It is so long since I went from 52 to 552, that I can’t quite remember but I would say that NDS to ND555 is in that ballpark, which would be more than 30% in my opinion. It is a game changer.

BPhotographer posted:

I want to get an idea of how big is the upgrade:

NDS to ND555.

Is it like 252 to 552/300 to 500? 

More? Less?

BP. 

You will not get an objective answer because you can`t compare an emotional experience to a technical answer, so only your ears will give you the right answer to decide

i have not heard, or perhaps once, that the nd555 was just a bit better than the nds.  From what i read here, the step seems to be big and some cd555 owners have even decided to selll it.    If i had funds, i would not hesitate and would buy it without listening to it before.

I auditioned the ND555 and the thing that struck me .... it was more open than the nds with more detail. Detail and vocals are brought into a sharper focus and leap out. Bass seemed very good but it was hard to assess....as the speakers were room/different. The thing that impressed me this was with a 282/SC/250dr ... also it had that great timing ....there is no doubt  in my mind it is a significant advance over the nds which I may add is still superb...and certainly not broken!

It was quite difficult to tell for me to evaluate the ND555, because the Naim system in which I heard the ND555 is quite different from my own, and subjective adjectives that one uses to describe sound quality will mean different things to different people.  However, the main impression that I got from the demonstration I attended was that the main improvement offered by the ND555 over previous Nam streamers I had heard was in the area of 'refinement'. For me, this is very much a good thing.. To my ears, the ND555 is voiced much more like my own Klimax DS/1 than were previous streamers. I'm not sure this is quite what some Naim owners would like to hear, but it was very much a positive as far as I am concerned. It sounded pretty good to me and would now be on my shortlist for home audition (along with Linn and maybe the Chord Dave) if I was in the market for a new streamer/DAC right now.

I am looking forward to further hours with my ND555. Now on holiday, and enjoying the also great Sony NW-WM1Z.....just read about Chromecast and will also have a look at that when coming back, it mentions that you Leo can run Qobuz through it..., anybody experience with that and how it is done ?

Bert Schurink posted:

I am looking forward to further hours with my ND555. Now on holiday, and enjoying the also great Sony NW-WM1Z.....just read about Chromecast and will also have a look at that when coming back, it mentions that you Leo can run Qobuz through it..., anybody experience with that and how it is done ?

I presume you mean Qobuz on the 555, not the Sony? It's pretty easy to set up if you have a Qobuz account running. Select the Chromecast input on the Naim app, and you should see a dropdown list with Qobuz on it. Select from there and you are in.

Alternatively, open the Qobuz app on your iOS device, and choose the 555 as an output from there.

It’s a 500 level streamer. If it didn’t give a 500 level performance it wouldn’t exist. Or at least it wouldn’t exist as a 500 level source. Marketing over fact is something we are all wary of. But this is Naim. They don’t pull stunts like that.

As with going from say, a 252 to a 552, or a 300 to a 500, it’s not more of the same. It’s not the same but better. It’s not an incremental step. It’s different. And in a revealing, life like and fascinating way. It does all the HiFi things yet still manages to lock onto and portray structure, arrangement, skill, emotion, texture and timbre without gutting it and killing the music. The last Klimax System with the amps in the speakers that I heard at Audience was also fascinating to listen to. To my ears it lets you hear everything but for me leaves some of the fun at the door. Naim still has the laugh out loud element. The joy. The cheek.

Moving from NDS will be for us a big step and in a number of ways, mirrors what happened when a 552 replaced out 252. We couldn’t have been happier with the 252 but once we heard a 552, the truth of it was obvious. When the opportunity arose to revisit, some years later, and the home audition was over, it was obvious what the future was going to be. One thing we said at the time was that, at least in terms of price, the 552  didn’t appear to have a “compatible” source. But the NDS was so good that it didn’t matter.

Compared to the presentation of the CDS3, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the CD555 although it was obvious that Naim had built the best CDP in the world. I couldn’t take anything away from it. The presentation just didn’t sit quite right. And at that price level, a little dissatisfaction is a lot.  I was anticipating the possibility that the ND555 would do something akin. Maybe for me, 500 level amps were right for my ears/taste/room, but 500 level sources were not for me. This did not turn out the be the case. As the NDS/555PS is some considerable distance in front of CDS3/XPS2 or CDS3/555PS (in my view the NDS’s spiritual predecessor), so the ND555 trumps the CD555 without in any way embarrassing it.

You can’t quantify this. You’ve got to hear it. Doesn’t matter that it’s the new Naim top source. Doesn’t matter if it’s now the best streamer in the world (or maybe in the top 5 if you’re not an unabashed Naim cheerleader). You’ve got to like it. I can’t like it for you or tell you how much you like it.

Yep I agree with that - however, I will say this to me the difference between NDS and ND555 is not subtle ..... and should be obvious to most.

Definitely. 

Yep, I will second that. But I need to just hear the NDX2 for my sanity and bank balance.

I was told by my dealer - that the NDX2 is supposed to be very close if not slightly better than the NDS - making it pretty good value in Naim terms (still expensive!)............ time will tell.

I think I will be joining you in Nd555 la la land......but I have to be seen to be trying????

Gazza posted:

I think I will be joining you in Nd555 la la land......but I have to be seen to be trying????

This is said completely "tounge in cheek".

Sadly I will not be joining you in ND555 la la land.  I will have to "settle" for a new NDX2 & Uniti Core, a 20 inch Telescope in the Sierras, and a new X3 BMW.  Life is tough. 

Bailyhill