ND5 v3.17
Posted by: Mort2k on 31 March 2013
I wish i had done it months ago:
First the improvements to Nstream are great. So quick now, playlists and track queuing is brilliant.
Second, something has changed in the sound... For the better! clarity, separation and groove and increased. I would not class it as minor, it was striking from the first chords. I free upgrade I was not expecting on Easter Sunday.
If you have upgraded I would put the time aside (15min) ASAP
Rob
The consensus on 3.17 is positive. I personally prefer 3.16 and I wish I hadn't upgraded. I expect it's been voiced to mesh well with DR power supplies so when I get my NDS back and get it paired up with my new PS555DR I'll likely be pleased.
Harry, I am intrigued by your comment of 'voicing' the firmware. Id be surprised if such things happen.. The firmware is optimised for minimal EMI disturbance from the controllers and their internal power lines, but the firmware acting as a tone control is not something the current implementations can facilitate as far as I am aware. In the two years I have owned my NDX I have noted that most firmware changes do make a sound difference. Some bigger than others depending on what is being changed in the code
Simon
The FW update is the first part of the process. The DSP map is also changed. Shame we didn't have the option to accept one and not the other.
Very early last year, I was one of the unlucky ND5-XS owners who had to return their streamer to Naim HQ to resolve an "error 36" issue. It returned fixed with v3.13 running. I'd come across the 3.17 update in November but never instigated it given that its primary purpose, according to Naim, was to resolve the error 36 issue.... My issue had been resolved so why fix something that's not broken?
The thing is, it's Easter. The children are high on Chocolate and scootering themselves to tiredom, the dog has been walked and after sublime morning of listening to the stereo I though "why not, what have i got to lose?"
15 mins later I can confirm that i have lost nothing but somehow gained a great deal.
I have no idea of what the updating electrons actually did but updating from 3.13 to 3.17 has significantly improved the quality of the music. These things are subjective, i know, but the musical seperation, openess, attack and delay of whatever i play is oh so much better.
It really has been a lovely, free Easter upgrade.
At the time of the update there were a number of reports on the DSP revision and the general agreement was that that top end clarity and bass response was improved. I don't subjectively consider either of these changes to be an improvement. I mentioned it on a factory visit and had an offer to roll back but was advised not to do anything if I was having the 555PS DR modified. So I will wait until the NDS is back home and hooked up again. TBH some time has elapsed since the 552 and NDS went back to the factory so my memory has likely reset in any case.
Harry, the digital low pass filter is a tight piece of machine/DSP code, which is optimised to reduce the EMI. I very much doubt the pole coefficients or the parameters of this low pass filter are modified as it will affect and impact many things including the analogue filters which can't be modified, but it's the tight code execution loop that is optimized in the firmware to align with the hardware so I understand.
Simon
Slightly off point but it feels like we have been waiting an eternity for the FW update to provide forward / rewind track functionality that was promised last year. Any news Naim?
I don't think anything is out in beta yet (could be wrong). I'm not sure if the FF FR is a dead cert for the next release but it will be very welcome when it gets here.