NDS upgrade

Nigel it would be good if you could do both at the same home demo.     To be able to listen in your system and then pull out the Nd555, put in your NDS.....then add the 552 should be the clincher. As posted I really wanted the 552 (based on SiS) to work with NDX2 plus 555 ps....... but sadly not for me. Dealer did warn me source first, but to be fair, they had yet to try the combination I wanted to try.

Nigel , it will be interesting to see what decision you make I was running a NDX/XPS dr into a 252/Supercap dr and 300dr.

I as looking to upgrade the NDX and in fact had a NDX2 on order with a view to upgrade to a ND555 at a later date. The dealer said it might pay to try a 555PS on your NDX and wait till you can go to the ND555 so a demo of the 555PS was arranged.

The XPS was substituted for a 555PS and this did make a worthwhile difference the dealer said I have our demo ND555 with me would you like to try that for a few days.

My new ND555 and 555PS were installed a month ago and I am completely bowled over by this combination the system is sounding awesome, so enjoyable.

Changing the 250dr to a 300dr last year and the new ND555 have completely transformed the system and my bank account !!!! 

I bought an ex demo. I am thirlled with it but strúggling with the app and now after upgrading the fimware for my MUSO everything has gone pear shaped with the network as they are not talking to each other and when they do the MUSO keeps dropping, All susequent to the firmware upgarde for the MUSO

So it seems that Gazza and PCD are getting great results with ND555/555PS/252/SuperCapDR. Gazza if I understand correctly, you much preferred ND555/252 to NDX2/552, which is similar to my dilemma if we accept the capability of my NDS is broadly similar to that of the new NDX2, each powered by 555PS.

Phew, this is getting complicated!

To simplify things a little, my plan is to try each of my preferred options (NDS/552 vs ND555/252, each with 250DR/Kudos 606 for consistency) at the dealers first and then bring home whichever black box(es) I like most (demo ND555 or pre loved 552) and try out in my own system.

With apologies to the OP if you feel this is veering away from the original topic!

My problems have rectified themselves....nothing wrong with the update

The NDS is to my ears and memory, somewhat reminiscent of the CDS3. All be it at a much higher level of performance. It is peerless, remarkably musical and will always be something a bit special. Not to mention, the current bargain of the decade. And it goes ever so nice with a 552, DR'd or not.

Something else occurs, now I come to remember it. Synergy is the proverbial pair of butterfly wings, but sometimes something seems to click so well that the whole may transcend the sum, however good the parts of the sum are in the first place. The first system I heard that seemed to pull this off, and was an experience I will never forget for all the right reasons, contained a CDS3 and a 252. Given my view that the NDS is the CDS3's spiritual successor, I would expect the 252 pull it off easily with an NDS. No, there's nothing quite like a 552. But you can't blame the 252 for that, and (like the NDS compared to the ND555) you can't take anything away from it, just because "better" things exist. It''s still a cracking good preamp. Peerless in IMO (at it's price point).

nigelb posted:

So it seems that Gazza and PCD are getting great results with ND555/555PS/252/SuperCapDR. Gazza if I understand correctly, you much preferred ND555/252 to NDX2/552, which is similar to my dilemma if we accept the capability of my NDS is broadly similar to that of the new NDX2, each powered by 555PS.

Phew, this is getting complicated!

To simplify things a little, my plan is to try each of my preferred options (NDS/552 vs ND555/252, each with 250DR/Kudos 606 for consistency) at the dealers first and then bring home whichever black box(es) I like most (demo ND555 or pre loved 552) and try out in my own system.

With apologies to the OP if you feel this is veering away from the original topic!

That’s a sound plan, enjoy...yes apologies to the OP

nigelb posted:

 if we accept the capability of my NDS is broadly similar to that of the new NDX2, each powered by 555PS.

 

This is not the case. I did a dem with exactly that and the dealer was really surprised how much better the NDS was......it was night and day. Please read earlier in the thread

A consensus is forming to this effect. It was also reported in a review of the NDX2 in one of the comics when the reviewer's NDS was hooked up for a quick comparison.. 

It is not surprising that the particular sweet spot occupied by the NDS remains singly occupied and musically compelling.

It won't suit everyone. Nothing ever does.

In a recent review which compared the NDX2 to the NDS, it was mainly a story of swings and roundabouts, with the NDS just pipping the NDX2 on boogie factor. I doubt very much that the differences are night and day, but I will admit I have not done a A/B comparison. So I was being somewhat circumspect in my comparative assessment.

My experience, which the dealer shared, was that the vocals were much nore involving as well as the boogie factor It really was very marked. I would not have bought the NDX2. There was not the usual problem of comparing pros and cons, the NDS was just better

If others recognise the superiority of the NDS over the NDX2, then it is making a pre loved NDS sound like a bit of a bargain, on SQ grounds anyway.

I would go for it without hesitation......err that is what I did.

.....but now I have a problem.....I am hearing some limitations in the old kit....especially lack of 'grunt' it is all a bit thin, especially the drums. In the dealers I hear a 282/supercap and 250DR.......if I could buy one which should it be!!!!

Davidr posted:

.....but now I have a problem.....I am hearing some limitations in the old kit....especially lack of 'grunt' it is all a bit thin, especially the drums. In the dealers I hear a 282/supercap and 250DR.......if I could buy one which should it be!!!!

I am afraid I am not familiar with either the 52/SuperCap or the 135s but I know they were all well thought of in their day. I have only ever used my NDS with Classic pre and power amps (282/252/SuperCapDR/200/250DR). It could be you are hearing some kind of incompatibility between your Classic Streamer and Olive pre/power amps - just a thought.

It might be worth borrowing a 282 (with either a Classic HiCap or Classic SuperCap - preferably DR versions) and a 250DR from your dealer if he has this kit and separately substitute the Olive for Classic versions of the pre and power amps and see which gives you what you are looking for. It is of course possible that you may have to go all Classic and the sweet spot is 282/HiCapDR/250DR IMHO. I am assuming here that the 250DR has enough grunt to drive your Sonus Faber Olympia speakers.

I used my NDS for a number of years with 52/Supercap/135s with no problem. There was certainly no compatibility issue. Regarding "lack of grunt", well that surprises me and I'm not sure that changing preamp would affect that. Further, I'm not sure how a 250DR would compare to a pair of 135s in 'grunt' factor. The one thing that springs to mind, however, is when were the 135s last serviced?

They were serviced 2 years ago, everything was re-capped. Maybe it just needs to warm up. 

So given all of your comments I think it must be speaker placement, room acoustics or burn in......which is a relief. 

Davidr posted:

They were serviced 2 years ago, everything was re-capped. Maybe it just needs to warm up. 

So given all of your comments I think it must be speaker placement, room acoustics or burn in......which is a relief. 

You can add cisco 2960 switch, with audioquest vodka lan cable. It will give you more slam, body, bass and involvement.   The cheap switches, like netgear , give a leaner sound.  I have nds too.

I found the switch to a Cisco switch to be inferior in sound quality, compared to my bog standard switches. But for fifty quid used, it's worth a punt for the possible improvement it might bring in some systems. I use Vodka but I now have C-Stream from the switch to the ND555. For some reason, it seems to render music in a more natural and flowing way. It's probably all in the mind.

Harry posted:

I found the switch to a Cisco switch to be inferior in sound quality, compared to my bog standard switches. But for fifty quid used, it's worth a punt for the possible improvement it might bring in some systems. I use Vodka but I now have C-Stream from the switch to the ND555. For some reason, it seems to render music in a more natural and flowing way. It's probably all in the mind.

I found first the cisco 2960 a bit edgy and forceful.  But now I have a brand new white model, plugged into a high quality power block, furutech power cable, and audioquest diamond ethernet cables.  The sound is wonderful now, fluent, natural, with body and superb prat.  I very strongly advise you to try a new model, you can send it back if not satisfied.  Even vs the netgear gs105 powered by a high quality linear ps, the cisco is a good step better, in all areas.

Of course you may find different. But it is worth to try.

At some point I may revisit it.  For me, it seemed to emphasise some frequencies. This could have been construed as more clarity but it wasn't really. I suppose that if the sound shaping was to my liking I would now be a happy user. 

Harry posted:

At some point I may revisit it.  For me, it seemed to emphasise some frequencies. This could have been construed as more clarity but it wasn't really. I suppose that if the sound shaping was to my liking I would now be a happy user. 

The old refurbished I had first was a bit edgy, but not the new one. I bought a brand new one for around 100 GBP .   A better power cord gave more naturalness too.  All is flowing naturally now, with no emphasis.    My nds is more on the cd555 side now, than cds3.