NDS/555PS

As an NDX owner, I may not be best qualified to answer your question, but.....when I’ve listened to an ND5XS I’ve been a littile underwhelmed by it’s performance, whereas every NDS/555 I’ve heard has drawn me into the music and entertained me. So I would be amazed if you didn’t find it to be a huge upgrade. 

On the contrary, your comment mirrors a few reviews stating that the NDS/555 provides the listener with a "live" experience. thank you.

It’s a very fine combo. It plays the real microdetail without losing the typical musicality of a Naim device. The only real competitor would be coming from Linn,......while that one even would show more microdetail, it is different on pure musical terms.

Karen you are comparing two products that sit at either end of the price range admittedly you have maxed out your ND5XS but still it is like comparing 282/250 to Statement level.  If you can afford the jump then do it I am sure you will lke it.  I cannot see what the rest of your system is like in your profile but maybe think about keeping the XPSDR for the NDS and spending the rest on a pre amp upgrade.

Night and day - scale, refinement, musicality...

It was a financially painful upgrade to get to NDS / 555PSDR but a very satisfying one.

Well I think Adam has summed it up - "Night and day - scale, refinement, musicality..."

I made the move from ND5XS+XPS and love every minute of the listening experience - however, the price was a difficult hurdle for me, until I saw an 18 month old ex-demo NDS/555PS DR at half the price of a new package. Worth looking around for an ex-demo deal unless you have the cash burning a hole in which case...

Why buy the nds now when who knows tomorrow naim may announce a new streamer to replace it? It is so limited in its functionally today. 

My dealer has a NDS about half price, I thought about it, but came to the same conclusion that I was better off waiting. Using Nova as stop gap streamer, should hold its value well while I wait, and it’s a fine streamer.

Gazza posted:

My dealer has a NDS about half price, I thought about it, but came to the same conclusion that I was better off waiting. Using Nova as stop gap streamer, should hold its value well while I wait, and it’s a fine streamer.

I had a similiar train of thought after get back into Naim with the Atom, two weeks later the Nova, but did ponder the NDS (multi box setup), but thought in a few years the line up may get refreshed.

Everything is possible and every piece of equipment will become obsolete at some stage.

The real question is different - is one prepared to go through life waiting for the next best thing, that is just around the proverbial corner, or make the best of what is available now.

You have a point, but life is about choices, I have no regrets in buying the Nova now, waiting, and buying other  equipment in the mean time that will last for years. For those that buy 272 or NDS I am sure they also will have no regrets. We all have different system aspirations.

I moved in stages from a NDX with a cuddly toy PS to a NDS/55DR. Night and day is about right.

I am listening to Diana Krall right now so I will sign off as it would be rude to ignore her as she has come all this way. Hold on, actually she is not in the room, it just sounds like it!

I have heard the streamers back to back on a couple of occasions with various power supplies. It is, of course, entirely subjective and dependent on many variables. What my ears told me was that the NDX offers excellent value for money. The ND5 makes a strong case for saving for the NDX. The NDS doesn't immediately sound loads "better" than the NDX, but it is something very special which continues to reward and delight the more you listen to it. I wouldn't be surprised if there are plenty of pre loved NDSs on the market a year or so from now. Might be worth the wait?

I found the the NDS to be a material upgrade over the NDX, in fact for a while I had NDX, NDAC, 555  and agin the NDS was much better. Almost like comparing CDX to CDS when CD players were king. 

Will it get cheaper over time or superseded - probably but for now it’s Naims top streaming source and to my ears sounds bloody lovely. 

If you can get a good deal ex dem and have the finances then go for it. 

Gary

It is an awesome upgrade. I went from ND5XS/XP5DR to NDS initially with the XP5DR, but quickly to NDS/555DR, and hasn't disappointed since on all formats and all inputs.