CD 555 vs NDS in naim demos?

What does a compromised rip mean?  That all the 1s and 0s don't arrive?

Even if a CD player would be on top over my streaming setup, I would never buy one again because of the CD mechanic/laser unit itself. Who will produce such units in future? Apart from that, my very early CDs (bought it in the 80s) showing some holes in their surface...

So long live viny;-) 

If I were purchasing a source without actually already having the 555 then I'd probably go towards the NDS, unless I got a great deal on the 555.
No matter all the theoretical discussion - you need to actually try it and buy what you like.

Already owning a 555 is a different matter - I'd like an overall upgrade when I buy a new source, which I really didn't hear with the NDS, but given the huge price difference between 555 and NDS it is perhaps not a surprise. NDS has to try to do a lot more for a lot less cost compared to the 555 which only does one thing at three time the price. The surprise is that they can be compared at all IMO.

DB.

Darke Bear posted:

If I were purchasing a source without actually already having the 555 then I'd probably go towards the NDS, unless I got a great deal on the 555.
No matter all the theoretical discussion - you need to actually try it and buy what you like.

Already owning a 555 is a different matter - I'd like an overall upgrade when I buy a new source, which I really didn't hear with the NDS, but given the huge price difference between 555 and NDS it is perhaps not a surprise. NDS has to try to do a lot more for a lot less cost compared to the 555 which only does one thing at three time the price. The surprise is that they can be compared at all IMO.

DB.

Allante93 posted:

Of course, its always about sells!

However, Naim being a Reputable Company puts forth an effort to market it's products in the same fashion they manufacture their products!

One can read the lines

One can read between the lines

One can read beyond the lines

@ 13K, Our reference network player, the NDS, is an audiophile-quality music source, every bit the sonic EQUAL of the very finest high-end CD players and turntables.

But more than any one particular aspect of its presentation, @ 25K, the CD555’s genius is the way it brings each disparate strand of your music together into one fluid, NATURAL and involving performance. This, WE BELIEVE, is how hi-fi should sound.

The Armchair QB!!!

 

 I Couldn't agree more!!!!! +2

The Armchair QB!

A couple of years ago I was present at a friend's comparative dem of CD555 and NDS at my Naim dealership 'Signals'. Simply ............ the consensus was that they sounded different, and opinion for preference could swing on the individual recording being used.

Like it or not; streaming is the way forward. Ergo; Naim must be innovative and fecund. Sales of (even great sounding) old-tech CD players ain't gonna keep the ship afloat.

John.

Agreed John!

J.N. posted:

A couple of years ago I was present at a friend's comparative dem of CD555 and NDS at my Naim dealership 'Signals'. Simply ............ the consensus was that they sounded different, and opinion for preference could swing on the individual recording being used.

Like it or not; streaming is the way forward. Ergo; Naim must be innovative and fecund. Sales of (even great sounding) old-tech CD players ain't gonna keep the ship afloat.

John.

There's a no win-win situation, Naim must cater to Gen. Y'ers and Millennials.

Different,  not necessarily better, but which source had the edge, as it pertains to The Boogie Factor???

The Armchair QB!!!!

J.N. posted:

A couple of years ago I was present at a friend's comparative dem of CD555 and NDS at my Naim dealership 'Signals'. Simply ............ the consensus was that they sounded different, and opinion for preference could swing on the individual recording being used.

Like it or not; streaming is the way forward. Ergo; Naim must be innovative and fecund. Sales of (even great sounding) old-tech CD players ain't gonna keep the ship afloat.

John.

Fecund- what a lovely word! Sitting here in a room with many of the Naim womb's latest offspring, I have to say they are doing rather well, even through previous generation speakers. 

when the new Naim SuperDAC arrives, then the 555 can be retired.

They must be working on it, surely?

I'm less than certain high end DACs are viable.  From what I'm gleaning what happens before the conversion is just as important if not more so - I'm only just gleaning this. 

With regard to the sustainment of CDPs true for many they will soon be antiques.  However, I wonder what streamer technology will be like in 10 years time. 

Regards,

Lindsay

Streaming will probably be unrecognisable in ten years - in my view. Something size of a MAC mini will do the lot. Pre-amp out direct to active speakers or discrete power amp. Possibly even wireless connection to remote active speakers!

It seems to be moving that way already. And none of the usual hand wringing when the set-up is not quite right!

ATB from George

The Strat (Fender) posted:

I'm less than certain high end DACs are viable.  From what I'm gleaning what happens before the conversion is just as important if not more so - I'm only just gleaning this. 

Regards,

Lindsay

Very much agree with that statement, Lindsay. Over the years I've tried a variety of CD transports into Dacs and have consistently found that they make a very big difference to the overall performance.  For example, when my only piece of Naim kit was a nDAC I was feeding it from a battleship-build Accuphase transport on which I'd had the internal clock and the clock's PSU upgraded. I thought it was probably the best transport I could get. I then explored putting an XPS on my nDAC, which I duly demoed at home but my very knowledgeable dealer had an inkling that the nDAC's performance might also be usually improved by trying the CDX2.2 as a transport so he brought one along.  As you would expect, the XPS2 delivered a nice improvement but when it was then removed and my Accuphase replaced by the CDX2.2 the performance improvement was bigger still.    While I was somewhat disappointed to discover that my Accuphase transport wasn't as good as I thought it was, the experiment re-enforced my previous experiences.  

So while streamer and DAC technology will no doubt continue to develop, the means of delivering the digital source should never be overlooked.  

Mike 

J.N. posted:

A couple of years ago I was present at a friend's comparative dem of CD555 and NDS at my Naim dealership 'Signals'. Simply ............ the consensus was that they sounded different, and opinion for preference could swing on the individual recording being used.

Like it or not; streaming is the way forward. Ergo; Naim must be innovative and fecund. Sales of (even great sounding) old-tech CD players ain't gonna keep the ship afloat.

John.

John, right now I am listening to the 24bit version of Rubber Soul via NDS and It is a serious step up from the CD555 playing the corresponding remastered CD from the 2009 series. To me, it makes Naim's choice of source for demos completely logical, despite the cynicism evident in some of the earlier posts in this thread. 

My only frustration with the NDS is the snaillike release of back catalogue in 24bit, (although I did buy 400 albums last year!) and that for some reason, some artists will not release new material in the format. An example is Lucinda Williams 'Highway 20', just released. My choice now is to buy and rip the CD, every time playing it knowing that I am not hearing it as it could be, or to go to the grave without hearing it at all!

What a dismal choice! How did I ever get on this roundabout?

David O'Higgins posted:

My only frustration with the NDS is the snaillike release of back catalogue in 24bit, (although I did buy 400 albums last year!) and that for some reason, some artists will not release new material in the format. An example is Lucinda Williams 'Highway 20', just released. My choice now is to buy and rip the CD, every time playing it knowing that I am not hearing it as it could be, or to go to the grave without hearing it at all!

What a dismal choice! How did I ever get on this roundabout?

 

 

You can always come around here and listen to it on a decent CDP

SJB

Sloop John B posted:

David O'Higgins posted:

My only frustration with the NDS is the snaillike release of back catalogue in 24bit, (although I did buy 400 albums last year!) and that for some reason, some artists will not release new material in the format. An example is Lucinda Williams 'Highway 20', just released. My choice now is to buy and rip the CD, every time playing it knowing that I am not hearing it as it could be, or to go to the grave without hearing it at all!

What a dismal choice! How did I ever get on this roundabout?

 

 

You can always come around here and listen to it on a decent CDP

 

SJB

I presume you mean 'Highway 20' , and not 'Rubber Soul' !!