ND555 Impressions

yeti42 posted:

Have you paired the remote? It’s even less useful than the app but it can control the screen turning off during replay which the app can’t, it may also be able to put it on standby but I haven’t checked that.

But it glows when you pick it up! I find the volume control more nuanced than the app - on my Nova that is. Still waiting for the Lotto.

Yeah I paired the remote ............ It seems ok at switching sources - I have not figured out how to switch off the screen yet - using th remote........... I tell you what, weirdly - I prefer the old placi handset of the NDS .......... it was light and felt just right............Mr Zigbee is like a brick....a serious weapon if her indoors falls out with me!!! (ulp).....I recon if the old handset was used and the highline cable omitted - it would probably have saved a grand on the price!.....  Also those transit bolts are lethal .......... they must employ Samson to tighten those.........I had to use a grippy cloth to cover the head and use a tap wrench!!!!  I intend to have a mini listening session tonight ........ and will report back - while her indoors is having her Corrie/Emerdale fix. Thanks for all your support encouragement and help,....

Harry posted:

We are the same. Very few people get to see the inside of our house. We do admit a select trusted few. Occasionally. I understand where you are coming from.

Do you allow visits in the Oval Room, or just stop in the guesthouse to demo a MU-SO?

:-))

Ha ha ......... its worse than that I don't have a Mu-so .......... a little Bose soundlink (which my wife loves) and a Denon av setup ... suffices. Actually....... non hi fi cognoscenti find the Naim system very intimidating - and just don't get it. I would not be happy having my 500 system in the main lounge ......... its a bit domineering...personally I like the industrial aesthetic - but it is a bit of a monolith....which suits our discrete music room.

i placed my order for the ND 555 on Saturday.  My dealer thinks it could arrive mid Dec.  That will be a delightful stocking filler.  Hopefullty the casing pixies will put in a good shift between now and then. Im keeping everything crossed. It's great to hear the impressions, keep them coming please, it adds to the aniticipation 

Nagual posted:

i placed my order for the ND 555 on Saturday.  My dealer thinks it could arrive mid Dec.  That will be a delightful stocking filler.  Hopefullty the casing pixies will put in a good shift between now and then. Im keeping everything crossed. It's great to hear the impressions, keep them coming please, it adds to the aniticipation 

Congratulations - you will definitely have a good Christmas....

Yes let’s hope Santa,s little helpers manage to get it out for Xmas

There should be enough time to get it out for the festive season.

My dealer said that Naim - were dispatching new orders in January............ he had to apply quite allot of pressure to get mine......... I really hope you get yours before Christmas.....good luck.......

Richieroo posted:

My dealer said that Naim - were dispatching new orders in January............ he had to apply quite allot of pressure to get mine......... I really hope you get yours before Christmas.....good luck.......

Yeah i remembered reading that so i was a little surprised when he said it might arrive before christmas.  I'm relaxed (well too excited to be fully relaxed) I still have my fully broken in unbroken NDS to delight me.  If it arrives before Christmas then - wow - what a treat that will be but having read the journey others have endured i am  prepared for the fact that the goalposts could shift on this one...

I’m planning to go and collect mine tomorrow, yet curiously my NDS is really sounding better than ever this evening. Maybe it knows...

Clive B posted:

I’m planning to go and collect mine tomorrow, yet curiously my NDS is really sounding better than ever this evening. Maybe it knows...

OH YES.  My iPhone knew when I'd just bought its replacement...these devices know more than we think.

Just found this quote from a review of the magazine image Hifi......

Originally Posted by HiFi 6/2018 Ekkehard Strauss: "... ..So the music seems to me like the soundtrack to a movie, whose images easily arise in the head. When you close your eyes and surrender to the performance completely, in a few seconds a room opens up with musicians, instruments and microphones that can be seen at a depth, as is the case when nothing at all obscures the natural connections. Anyone who was allowed to experience this state of affairs, this trip to another world of sound is so incredibly precious that its value seems almost impossible to measure. At any rate, I will have great problems in ever satisfying myself with less than what is offered here in the music reproduction of digitally stored music. With the ND 555, Naim has ended the discussion "Analog versus Digital". Here is a signal source offered, which in connection with high-resolution files in my eyes (and especially for my ears) currently represents the technically feasible. Only in the days of jubilation does one encounter a device that explores the technical limits as dramatically as the Streamer ND 555 does.

Bert Schurink posted:

Just found this quote from a review of the magazine image Hifi......

 

Originally Posted by HiFi 6/2018 Ekkehard Strauss: "... ..So the music seems to me like the soundtrack to a movie, whose images easily arise in the head. When you close your eyes and surrender to the performance completely, in a few seconds a room opens up with musicians, instruments and microphones that can be seen at a depth, as is the case when nothing at all obscures the natural connections. Anyone who was allowed to experience this state of affairs, this trip to another world of sound is so incredibly precious that its value seems almost impossible to measure. At any rate, I will have great problems in ever satisfying myself with less than what is offered here in the music reproduction of digitally stored music. With the ND 555, Naim has ended the discussion "Analog versus Digital". Here is a signal source offered, which in connection with high-resolution files in my eyes (and especially for my ears) currently represents the technically feasible. Only in the days of jubilation does one encounter a device that explores the technical limits as dramatically as the Streamer ND 555 does.

You write that Naim ended the discussion of analog vs digital.   I would love it to be true.  Have you listened to a high end vinyl system, like more than 40 k turntable / phono/ cart ?   I am curious Bert.

One thing I'm noticing more and more with the ND555, especially as it runs-in, is that it handles and portrays Piano music so well. Especially (for me) some very old recordings which have some tape-noise more audible than with new recordings.

Everyone has said, rightly, that well recorded music using HiDef formats can sound superb - I agree. But as important to me, as I can't go back in time and get these done again, is the ability of the ND555 to keep separate the music and the noise in the signal. The low distortion and (I think) low inter-modulation especially at low-levels means that you hear the music and your brain can ignore the noise - its gone as I am immersed in the performance in a way I've not dreamed possible.

I though these were poor recordings with too much noise - but now they have become excellent music capturing the feeling of the time they were played and put-down into the recording. The note-structure and harmonic-structure is beautiful in how notes naturally decay without any raggedness - a smooth richness, where before I did not hear that.

Naim seem to have achieved a very high level of linearity with this device.

...this is why I can put-up with the control App issues - which I'm sure will eventually be sorted out.

The basic musical source is a truly excellent music source.

DB.

DB also mentioned it. But indeed it’s the quality over the whole spectrum which keeps on pleasing me. Piano music rendered so beatifully. Most chains have some kind of issue with piano music...

French Rooster posted:

Bert Schurink posted:

Just found this quote from a review of the magazine image Hifi......

 

Originally Posted by HiFi 6/2018 Ekkehard Strauss: "... ..So the music seems to me like the soundtrack to a movie, whose images easily arise in the head. When you close your eyes and surrender to the performance completely, in a few seconds a room opens up with musicians, instruments and microphones that can be seen at a depth, as is the case when nothing at all obscures the natural connections. Anyone who was allowed to experience this state of affairs, this trip to another world of sound is so incredibly precious that its value seems almost impossible to measure. At any rate, I will have great problems in ever satisfying myself with less than what is offered here in the music reproduction of digitally stored music. With the ND 555, Naim has ended the discussion "Analog versus Digital". Here is a signal source offered, which in connection with high-resolution files in my eyes (and especially for my ears) currently represents the technically feasible. Only in the days of jubilation does one encounter a device that explores the technical limits as dramatically as the Streamer ND 555 does.

You write that Naim ended the discussion of analog vs digital.   I would love it to be true.  Have you listened to a high end vinyl system, like more than 40 k turntable / phono/ cart ?   I am curious Bert.

It’s not my opinion, it’s coming from a magazine. So I wouldn’t have put it in those words, while I would agree that the ND555 sounds extremely analogue. Enough to compete, difficult to say. But enough for me to not seriously considering adding an analogue source to my replay (the cats also help that argumentation).

I had a bit of a listening session last night .........1st  impressions....... compared to the NDS I felt it was more relaxed and composed - almost in an analogue way....great vocal inflection and tone. The rhythmic drive, depth and detail in the bass is terrific....this really propels the music along ...... classic Naim. This combined with an excellent stereo depth and beautiful detail - that seems somehow more controlled within the spacial environment generated. Am I making the NDS sound broken no - the NDS is superb - but the  ND555 is on a another level - well done Naim ...... and its early days for me yet.....

Richieroo, try listening to some slightly discordant choral work, symphonic work or vocal duets... and compare the two... to me that best illustrates differences between the NDS PCM1704K  implementation and the ND555 implementation... I suspect it will make you smile, it did me. To be fair it was Naim that brought this to my attention.. but once you notice it is hard to ignore.

Great that you finally getting into the music with it, will get better in time.

Cheers Simon..........will try that ..... Gaza ..... yeah it should be phenomenal once fully run in in about 3 months!!!! I will keep posting my findings on my journey....  cheers

My next point of attack will be the wi fi signal ......... I need to get my head round an extender .......... or mesh....doh. Fortunately in the loft space above my listening room I have a spare ethernet cat6 .......... 

I am sure someone on the forum like Simon can recommend something suitable.

Richieroo posted:

My next point of attack will be the wi fi signal ......... I need to get my head round an extender .......... or mesh....doh. Fortunately in the loft space above my listening room I have a spare ethernet cat6 .......... 

If you can possibly get Ethernet cables installed that would be my first choice. It can be disruptive if the cable route is difficult, but it’s generally the cheapest and most effective way, even in you have to pay a professional to do it. 

WiFi performance on the new streamers is certainly a lot better than it was on the old ones, so I wouldn’t rule it out, but only if you really have to. 

Ok....some misunderstanding here .... my streamer is connected to my router via CAT6 ........ and works.... however, the Naim app does not work .. the ND555 wants wifi.. to update the firmware etc. The streamer/phone need a better signal - my wifi is poor/very weak. The issue is the Naim app gives you allot more control over the streamer ......... and I cannot access this at the moment. I am looking into getting a wifi access point installed in the loft directly above the streamer........