ND555 Impressions

Yes, Naim have omitted the iRadio Stop Stream button from the new streamers. Whether by accident or desigh, I have no idea, but I find it most irritating. Perhaps if enough of us tell them, they will put it back. 

Jonn posted:

Harry posted:

In the main screen, tap the bottom bar on the main screen to bring up the Now Playing window. Tap on "Stop Stream"

There does not appear to be the “Stop Stream” option now using the ND555 although it was as  you describe on the NDS. Have you still got Stop Stream with your ND555?

Otherwise it means using  standby as suggested by PCD which isn’t as convenient.

That'll learn me to double check. I was on the MuSo at the time and it didn't occur to me to check the ND555 - which I obviously just did. Oops.

An alternative if inelegant stop gap is to go back to another source (uPnP in my case), start something and stop it.

Sorry.

ChrisSU posted:

Yes, Naim have omitted the iRadio Stop Stream button from the new streamers. Whether by accident or desigh, I have no idea, but I find it most irritating. Perhaps if enough of us tell them, they will put it back. 

I did question Naim regarding not being able to  reorganise stored radio stations on the ND555 they said they are going to look into this hopefully they might add a stop stream function as well.

This evening I heard an ND555 with 2 power supplies. Not for me I’m releived to say. It loses what makes the 555 special, the sense of flow. There were others for whom the lowered noise floor and wider dynamic range were more important but my attention started to wander when the second ps was introduced.

Good news for Bert, he will be less tempted.....The nds with 2 ps was also not for everyone.....

I thought the second PS on the NDS made a huge difference in a good way. I've never heard an ND555 with just the one. Maybe I should have done that. There are so many variables in play, both organic and inorganic. It would be rather odd if we all heard and did exactly the same.

How you integrate nd555 with Roon? 

If I have Roon account can I use it with nd555 ?

Emre posted:

How you integrate nd555 with Roon? 

If I have Roon account can I use it with nd555 ?

You run the Roon Core on a computer. It then finds your music library and Tidal account, and plays music through the ND555. Control via the Roon app. 

Harry posted:

I thought the second PS on the NDS made a huge difference in a good way. I've never heard an ND555 with just the one. Maybe I should have done that. There are so many variables in play, both organic and inorganic. It would be rather odd if we all heard and did exactly the same.

It was at the Naim Roadshow event with AudioT Oxford and Reading at the Shillingford Bridge Hotel and Jason was in attendance. The system was 252/300 and Dynaudio Contour 30s in a barn with high ceiling and plasterboard on the walls. The acoustics were somewhat challenging but the setup was revealing enough that the differences between NDS, ND555 with 1 ps and ND555 with 2 were plain to hear. It was a fairly even split between those that preferred 1 or 2 ps on the 555 and those that preferred 2 were talking in HiFi terms as I alluded to above, it probably reflects different ways of listening to music. There was no split about the NDS coming third though a fine source in its own right.

I will stick to non-hifi way of enjoying music :-) 

yeti42 posted:

This evening I heard an ND555 with 2 power supplies. Not for me I’m releived to say. It loses what makes the 555 special, the sense of flow. There were others for whom the lowered noise floor and wider dynamic range were more important but my attention started to wander when the second ps was introduced.

Now that's interesting. I used 2 DR power supplies on my NDS and there was a clear improvement over a single PS. 

Last week I exchanged the NDS for an ND555 and connected the two supplies. While the ND555 is appreciably better than the NDS there are two areas that are not ideal.

First, the the ND555 has a more forward musical presentation which is OK on most recording but occasionally drifts into stridency which can become wearing after a while.

Secondly, the soundstage on the ND555 is much wider and deeper than the NDS. Again this is mostly OK but on some recordings there is a lack of coherence, with voices and instruments emerging from odd places in the mix making it difficult to get a sense of the whole.

Not being entirely satisfied with what I was hearing I tried a single PS last night and this was a definite improvement. The stridency on some vocals disappeared and the soundstage locked into place.

I'll reinsert the second PS after a few days to see if the difference is still there, but at the moment I'm much preferring the single PS.

When I first auditioned a second 555PS on my NDS, it was easy to make a list as long as my arm of all the HiFi improvements. There were many of them. Unfortunately, it is impossible to revive old threads on this forum. Going back there means starting anew thread, which cocks up the time line. 

The HiFi gains were obvious. But that wasn't enough. It had to sing, resolve, display interplay, emotion and above all, timing. And the second PS did more of this. In my case it wasn't about how I listen. It was about how it moved me. Another possible difference is amplification. Mine is different. There are so many possible variables that it is impossible to nail one down. But one thing I can say with confidence is that it was not a HiFi thing with the NDS, although the NDS showed plenty of gains in that department. I don't listen to HiFI. I listen to music.

I've been to a number of places, down the years, the last being network isolators and network switches, which seemed to be worth a look. From my perspective, which may or may not apply to anyone else or no one, these were examples of HiFi changes. Different emphasis of different frequencies, giving an impression of more detail but a false one, to my ears. The main thing that killed these two experiments for me was the compromise made to musical communication, the emotion, the magic. It wasn't there. I lost interest in listening to music. This is an  acid test for me.

In my case, the possibility that a difference stems from listening to HiFi as opposed to music, does not apply. Although a suggestion that I hear difference because I listen to music and not HiFi applies 100%.

Harry, am I right in understanding that your trial was performed solely on the NDS? If so, why not repeat Jonn’s test and see how you find the ND555 with just one power supply. It would be interesting to have your view on that. 

Hopefully, mine should arrive soon.

Calling ND555 and Melco users.  Have you found any significant sound advantage in playing ripped files using the ND555 and Melco directly connected rather than connecting in the Melco Network mode ???  The App of course does not work in direct mode.  I'm  relatively new to streaming so sorry if this is a daft question.

Sorry all these references to Melco .......... is this a NAS ......... or the Melco unit....... that readjusts timing.........

Jonn posted:

yeti42 posted:

This evening I heard an ND555 with 2 power supplies. Not for me I’m releived to say. It loses what makes the 555 special, the sense of flow. There were others for whom the lowered noise floor and wider dynamic range were more important but my attention started to wander when the second ps was introduced.

Now that's interesting. I used 2 DR power supplies on my NDS and there was a clear improvement over a single PS. 

Last week I exchanged the NDS for an ND555 and connected the two supplies. While the ND555 is appreciably better than the NDS there are two areas that are not ideal.

First, the the ND555 has a more forward musical presentation which is OK on most recording but occasionally drifts into stridency which can become wearing after a while.

Secondly, the soundstage on the ND555 is much wider and deeper than the NDS. Again this is mostly OK but on some recordings there is a lack of coherence, with voices and instruments emerging from odd places in the mix making it difficult to get a sense of the whole.

Not being entirely satisfied with what I was hearing I tried a single PS last night and this was a definite improvement. The stridency on some vocals disappeared and the soundstage locked into place.

I'll reinsert the second PS after a few days to see if the difference is still there, but at the moment I'm much preferring the single PS.

I am really glad to hear this, as the ND555 and one PS555 was a big purchase.  I did not want to hear that I needed another PS555.  Thanks for doing

this.  I will be following, and I get my new kit in 3-4 weeks here in the states.  My dealer had 5 coming in, 3 were sold.  I jumped on the 4th.

Bailyhill

The Melco I am referring to is the N1 Server fed by a Melco CD transport.  Together roughly equivalent to the Core.

Clive B posted:

Harry, am I right in understanding that your trial was performed solely on the NDS? If so, why not repeat Jonn’s test and see how you find the ND555 with just one power supply. It would be interesting to have your view on that. 

Hopefully, mine should arrive soon.

Yes. NDS. I didn't do a 1+2 PS audition on the ND555. As it stands, I wouldn't want to. The ND555 sounds so engaging, transparent, musical and fascinating as it is. Why fiddle about. It would not be a like for like evaluation in any case. Different ears, room, amps and speakers.

If something about the ND555 was getting on my nerves, or the experience of listening to music wasn't so enveloping and magical, I would be included to fiddle. As it stands, I am not. And I'm even willing to forgive the half finishes app.

I hope yours arrives soon. Big fun ahead. Best get all the boring chores done before you vanish for a month.

Jonn posted:

yeti42 posted:

This evening I heard an ND555 with 2 power supplies. Not for me I’m releived to say. It loses what makes the 555 special, the sense of flow. There were others for whom the lowered noise floor and wider dynamic range were more important but my attention started to wander when the second ps was introduced.

Now that's interesting. I used 2 DR power supplies on my NDS and there was a clear improvement over a single PS. 

Last week I exchanged the NDS for an ND555 and connected the two supplies. While the ND555 is appreciably better than the NDS there are two areas that are not ideal.

First, the the ND555 has a more forward musical presentation which is OK on most recording but occasionally drifts into stridency which can become wearing after a while.

Secondly, the soundstage on the ND555 is much wider and deeper than the NDS. Again this is mostly OK but on some recordings there is a lack of coherence, with voices and instruments emerging from odd places in the mix making it difficult to get a sense of the whole.

Not being entirely satisfied with what I was hearing I tried a single PS last night and this was a definite improvement. The stridency on some vocals disappeared and the soundstage locked into place.

I'll reinsert the second PS after a few days to see if the difference is still there, but at the moment I'm much preferring the single PS.

That is very very interesting Yeti42.  It is very possible the ND555 is better sounding with one 555dr power supply. 

musicfan51 posted:

Jonn posted:

 

That is very very interesting Yeti42.  It is very possible the ND555 is better sounding with one 555dr power supply. 

FYI my own experiments at home prove that the ND555 is better sounding with one 555Dr supply than none.  Happy to contribute!!

Bart posted:

musicfan51 posted:

Jonn posted:

 

That is very very interesting Yeti42.  It is very possible the ND555 is better sounding with one 555dr power supply. 

FYI my own experiments at home prove that the ND555 is better sounding with one 555Dr supply than none.  Happy to contribute!!

But surely you get a lower noise-floor without one 555PS? 

The best sound quality for the nd555 is with power off.  The sound is so dead quiet silent 

French Rooster posted:

The best sound quality for the nd555 is with power off.  The sound is so dead quiet silent 

ND555 without power so so wrong..it’s like the 552 with no amp ????

I’m normally catching up on the forum days events with music on and I keep getting interrupted..kids..no...Brexit...eh no...weather...no...ND555 playing music....O YES...I keep putting down my iPad and thinking, now that sounds so so right.

As you were...stop interrupting me!!!!

For completeness I should add that a Core was serving the music in the demo, which I what I have at home too and no fancy network cable in either case.

I have heard an ND 555 with two power supplies on two occasions a number of weeks apart. Though not immediate the first time, after thirty minutes or so, I came round to favouring the sound with two. At first, I did think something  of the ND 555's [1ps] openness and fluency was reduced but after a while I realised it was still there but in a more robust form. On the second hearing, I immediately had no doubt, all the lively beauty, energy, and engrossing sound field of the ND 555 was there in bucket loads, and there I was, dancing round to an unknown piece of music selected by my dealer, air guitar and all, at 68!  I'm all for a second ps that can bring me such joy in these late days. I'm selling the vinyl and saving the pennies.