Next upgrade - ND555 or Pre/ power

You need a 552.

regards

Rohit,

I am going to say something very controversial and not what you intended to hear.  Your electronics are fine but those 400s have to go.  I don't believe - as some do  - that all Naim speakers are rubbish - far from it - but in my opinion the 400 were one of the worst speakers I have ever heard. Unforgiving in the treble, lumpy in the bass and ill-defined mids.  Your listening area maybe modest and from that I imagine that you might have limited space available but your system would be transformed.   Where to start - Focal, Neat, Kudos, Proac, Dynaudio, ATC,  Harbeth..........

Sorry!!!!!!

Best regards,

Lindsay

I first would go for the 552, before considering the ND555. The ND555 would be overkill on the 282, and your NDS would benefit hugely from the 552.

I'd agree with that having added a 552 to my NDS/555ps DR a little over 18 moths ago.  The 552 is an amazing thing only, IMO, really appreciated once you get it home. I'd be amazed If you don't laugh out loud when playing your favourites, I don't know how it does what it does but it's great.

P.s not auditioned a ND555 yet, I went NDS from CD555, and given the ND555 is only x1.5ish the price NDS was how much of an upgrade can it be?

RM posted:

Dear Forum members

I am currently confused what route I should take next with my system - currently have an NDS/555DR feeding a 282/hicap dr / 250.2 with Ovator S-400 speakers. Would it be best to upgrade the pre-amp first or get the best source (nd555)? A part of me Wonders if ND555 is that much better than nds for it to be the next step ahead of say moving to 552 or even a 252/ supercap / NAP 300 Dr as conscious of balance in the system. Room size is modest 16 sq meters. 

Thank you

rohit 

A 300 in 16sq meters ! Naah, I would leave it all well until dust has settled and perhaps get a turntable, not buying other speakers unless they'd work close up wall which not many does.

Dawks posted:

[edit] given the ND555 is only x1.5ish the price NDS was how much of an upgrade can it be?

Massive! Honestly. Hear it and you’ll want one. It’s really nowhere near as fussy as you’d think after reading DB’s assessment. Plug, play and be amazed!

Clive B posted:

Dawks posted:

[edit] given the ND555 is only x1.5ish the price NDS was how much of an upgrade can it be?

Massive! Honestly. Hear it and you’ll want one. It’s really nowhere near as fussy as you’d think after reading DB’s assessment. Plug, play and be amazed!

Clive B, spot on I had one on demo last weekend for three days (Quite possibly from the same dealer) a truly astonishing piece of kit after you hear it in your own system it's not a question of if more a question of when.

I will visit the dealer in Bath in the morning to confirm the order of a ND555 and 555PS power supply.  

The Strat (Fender) posted:

Rohit,

I am going to say something very controversial and not what you intended to hear.  Your electronics are fine but those 400s have to go.  I don't believe - as some do  - that all Naim speakers are rubbish - far from it - but in my opinion the 400 were one of the worst speakers I have ever heard. Unforgiving in the treble, lumpy in the bass and ill-defined mids.  Your listening area maybe modest and from that I imagine that you might have limited space available but your system would be transformed.   Where to start - Focal, Neat, Kudos, Proac, Dynaudio, ATC,  Harbeth..........

Sorry!!!!!!

Best regards,

Lindsay

Lindsay 

thank you you I don’t mind controversial so thank you. I have considered this myself although not many speakers work well close to the wall in my modest room. 

Rgds

rohit 

Bert Schurink posted:

I first would go for the 552, before considering the ND555. The ND555 would be overkill on the 282, and your NDS would benefit hugely from the 552.

Thanks Bert would you say not worth doing 252/supercap at all? Does the supercap work on 282 in your experience?

RM posted:

Bert Schurink posted:

I first would go for the 552, before considering the ND555. The ND555 would be overkill on the 282, and your NDS would benefit hugely from the 552.

Thanks Bert would you say not worth doing 252/supercap at all? Does the supercap work on 282 in your experience?

The 252 would also be a nice upgrade for you. It’s just the question where you would like to end with your system. You can also of course go to a super cap on your 282 but it would be a moderate upgrade and it would then be much more worthwhile to make the setup to the 252 potentially combined ideally with a 300

Hi with the sort of money you are looking at ....... the NDS is still pretty superb .... I would be inclined to buy a second hand 252/300dr combo  with a an SL interconnect from NDS to the pre amp. This would be more balanced and sound pretty terrific.... it would also serve you well in the future.... As HH stated perhaps those speakers could go for a nice sh pair of pmc 20.26's sometime later on...(I am not sure how much they are ultimately worth but if you sold the 282/250/S400's ..... you may have enough for the pmc's)

Richieroo posted:

As HH stated perhaps those speakers could go for a nice sh pair of pmc 20.26's sometime later on...(I am not sure how much they are ultimately worth but if you sold the 282/250/S400's ..... you may have enough for the pmc's)

Did I? That’s news to me. 

The 20.26 is huge, as is the S400, and I wouldn’t use either in a 16 sq m room, if only because they would both look out of proportion. I’d be inclined to DR the 250 and leave it there. Otherwise, if money isn’t an issue, I’d get a 552/300. 

the nds is broken, why keep it?

I don't think I could be persuaded to get something of that calibre for a smallish room (nor part with that much money).

I may be totally wrong, but don't you need a bigger room for top-flight electronics like those?

Ok .... maybe smaller speakers...like neat iota explorers....etc. I listened to ND555 on the end of a 282/250dr.... It was good .... but not as good as the nds with 552/500 ... so nds as a source is very very good. So in your system the amps are holding it back. I am not familiar with S400...

A few Naim forum mates of mine have a NAC552 and and a pair of SL2s in your kind of set.

I suspect the pre would make the biggest difference.

Why not enjoy what you have? What are you missing??

with google conversion, 16 square meters give 4 m2.  It is that?   it is the dimensions of toilets, so i must be wrong....

It's probably 4m x 4m or thereabouts...

French Rooster posted:

with google conversion, 16 square meters give 4 m2.  It is that?   it is the dimensions of toilets, so i must be wrong....

4 times 4 meters equals 16 square meters ... equivalent to 13.12 times 13.12 feet ????

Sorry just to clarify it is a 5m by 3.2m room - would like to think it’s a fairly typical size room for common man here. 

SamClaus posted:

It's probably 4m x 4m or thereabouts...

Didn’t notice that you were ahead of me ...

From my personal experience I started out with a 272/250dr with Sopra 3 speakers.  Then it went to nds/252/sc/300 dr with Focal Maestro Uptopia.  Then  it was add a 552.  Next it is add the nd555 and a 500dr.  It NEVER ENDS.  After this I'm sure it will be the speakers.  Oh, I forgot the rel subs.  

Its a great system for sure already! I would consider

1) supercap - makes huge difference to 282/250

2) 552/300 - would really go for that combo and anyway likely needed to both show what nds/555 as well as nd555 delivers

3) speakers - i had kudos super s20 in same room size, worked very well close to wall. Just to mix it up

br Lars

If the money’s there and it’s not doing anything special the 552 is a delight but it won't stop there, have a plan before your next step and auditions exist to answer this sort of dilemma.

My room is 4.1m by 4.6m and I would have considered Ovator 400s if there hadn’t been a pair of NBLs playing when I walked into the shop and they just happened to work in my room when I tried them (even with a 282/hi/250-2) with no great expectation of success.