ND555 Roadshows

Harry posted:

This is the position I keep coming back to. My NDS sounds so accomplished, so right, so realistic and unstrained. The ND555 will have to be something rather more than remarkable.

The reactions reported here, including among NDS owners suggest that this is the case. Hard to believe. Until you hear one, I suspect.

My cheque book is cowering at the back of a drawer.

Harry, you need to open your drawer quickly and let your cheque book become accustomed to the fresh air... the ND555 is something rather more than remarkable.  Once your cheque book looks recovered and full of life  (and cash)  you should find somewhere to listen to an ND555.

Your profile doesn't tell me if you have a NAC552, but if you do, do you remember the first time you heard this preamp, how your jaw dropped? Well, be prepared for the same effect with an ND555, especially if you're hearing it compared to an NDS like we did at Acoustica (Chester) the other week.

If your cheque book remains closed after the dem,  you'll maybe need to think about getting either your hearing or your overdraft limit checked out 

I wish you hadn't said that.

Yes, I do have a 552. And I do remember the first time I heard one.  It was like hearing real people playing real instruments for the first time. It was as startling as it was immersive. We were at a pre HDX launch road show. The HDX wasn't the topic of conversation for us.

It still amazes me how much I don't know all the music I thought I knew so well.

Yet more to come? Cor.

Harry posted:

Yet more to come? Cor.

Well that is certainly my impression, Harry - a lot more to come (tho I don’t have a 552 - slumming it with a 52!)

Well, if living in a Penthouse built in the 90s is slumming it.......

Harry posted:

Well, if living in a Penthouse built in the 90s is slumming it.......

Harry, although Andrew has suggested that he'll be getting a demo ND555 at the end of June / first week in July, I've just booked myself a ticket at the ND555 roadshow on 6 September near Bristol just in case there's some delay. Would like to join me as I'll be driving anyway?

It’s all relative

Clive B posted:

Harry posted:

Well, if living in a Penthouse built in the 90s is slumming it.......

Harry, although Andrew has suggested that he'll be getting a demo ND555 at the end of June / first week in July, I've just booked myself a ticket at the ND555 roadshow on 6 September near Bristol just in case there's some delay. Would like to join me as I'll be driving anyway?

Very kind, thank you. Helen is disabled so  we do our own thing for transport, travel and parking, so as to accommodate her needs, which can vary quite a lot, day to day.

We're grateful for your kind offer. However, if we do go to Bristol it's best if we make our own way.

I will, in any event, be very interested in what transpires, particularly if the launch is delayed or demand is higher than supply.

Harry posted:

Clive B posted:

Harry posted:

Well, if living in a Penthouse built in the 90s is slumming it.......

Harry, although Andrew has suggested that he'll be getting a demo ND555 at the end of June / first week in July, I've just booked myself a ticket at the ND555 roadshow on 6 September near Bristol just in case there's some delay. Would like to join me as I'll be driving anyway?

Very kind, thank you. Helen is disabled so  we do our own thing for transport, travel and parking, so as to accommodate her needs, which can vary quite a lot, day to day.

We're grateful for your kind offer. However, if we do go to Bristol it's best if we make our own way.

I will, in any event, be very interested in what transpires, particularly if the launch is delayed or demand is higher than supply.

I have a funny feeling this just happened... has anyone been advised by their dealer that there is a delay in their ND555 delivery?  Hopefully not.

Now, if Naim would stop doing these bloomin' roadshows, demand would drop and manufacturing capacity would certainly keep up with it.  On the other hand, perhaps there's a last minute tweak being applied, like on the 552 all those moons ago?  

Whatever happens don't panic ! 

(and don't take too much notice of idiots like me spreading silly rumours just so he can get his ND555 faster)

I'm sure there's already one with your name on it. I expect they're just making sure they're 101% ready to make it a real good 'un.

Harry posted:

I'm sure there's already one with your name on it. I expect they're just making sure they're 101% ready to make it a real good 'un.

Harry, you should be a salesman (for Naim) 

Hi Harry,

Had a quick chat with Mike from Infidelity. His impression was the same as mine, that we were listening to an early production ND555. When I chatted with Jason he said that he thought it was increasingly coming on song through the series of demonstrations he has been doing.

M

Is there only one production ND555 then currently on tour?

What guarantee is there that the first ones off the production line will be glitch free?

Unfortunately the release of the new range products has been followed by problem posts on here which create uncertainty, especially when new units need to be changed because they don’t sound right.

I’m a potential ND555 customer but certainly not a field tester.

I think us Uniti owners have ironed out most of the glitches in the new software, though a few have had issues with 2.6.1, which Trevor has acknowledged. I would be surprised if there as anything significant. As one of the first Nova owners, and having no issues, I am waiting agerly for my demo. For me it will be a significant financial outlay as I need a preamp as well, but I have no fear of the ND555 having flaws.

Join, FWIW, I'm fairly certain that all 500 series, including ND555 get final hands on and listening test by Roy, Gary Crocker or Steve Sells (or perhaps even all three!) before being signed off.  

Mr Underhill posted:

Hi Harry,

Had a quick chat with Mike from Infidelity. His impression was the same as mine, that we were listening to an early production ND555. When I chatted with Jason he said that he thought it was increasingly coming on song through the series of demonstrations he has been doing.

M

Thanks for that. Sounds like we're there or thereabouts.

My dealer couldn't be absolutely specific. He said that dealer demo units would be the first batch built and these would hopefully be glitch free, although it was an opportunity to road test a bigger batch.I expect they are being built or are finished now.

So far as we know, there was one prototype out on the road. Or at least, only one at any given time. 

We did a factory tour when the NDS dealer units were being shipped. My dealer, who attended the tour, took his demo unit when the day was over. We got out hands on it a few days later and liked it so much we bought it.

On the up side, the DAC DSP in the first NDS public FW sounded beautiful. It didn't have all the functionality of the current FW (most, if not all of which I don't need) but I still think it sounded better than anything Naim released for the NDS for at least two years subsequently. The next FW upgrade came soon after the NDS launched, so only the very first few units had it for a short time. Our NDS lost some of it's organic transparency after that, but not much. And not enough to sour it. On the downside, the screen wasn't straight. It didn't bother us because we never looked at it. A couple of years later it failed, which I understand was a weakness of the NDS. 

I expect most, if not all units will be glitch free. The advantage of hand built attention to detail is that they can be painstakingly built, tested, listened to and rebuilt if necessary. And some are. Nain does not wipe anything down with an oily cloth and kick it out the door. The disadvantage is that human error will never be entirely eliminated. But with Naim's after sales service behind everything they sell, you'll seldom be in difficulties for long, if at all. I've had faults on a factory refurbished HiCap, CDX2 XPS2, NDS, 552 and 552PS. Naim's customer service, their attitude, and of course the performance of the boxes in question have never motivated me to look elsewhere.

OK sounds reassuring. Do I get mine with a quality assurance signature from one of the above as one of the first off the production line ?  

Jonn, I think that any quality assurance is taken as read with Naim, because even if in the unlikely event something isn't quite right you know they will bust a gut to make it so.

My, what a cosy love fest this thread is turning into. 

I genuinely marvel at this level of adoration and fervour Naim still generates among a (seemingly) large cohort of users. 

.sjb

I've heard, although I'm not sure I believe it, that micro signatures are laser etched on the bottom surface of the metal sprung plate. You probably don't want to try to verify that.

Sloop John B posted:

My, what a cosy love fest this thread is turning into. 

I genuinely marvel at this level of adoration and fervour Naim still generates among a (seemingly) large cohort of users. 

.sjb

In my opinion I think people 'adore' Naim equipment because it brings out the emotional enjoyment in music.

I know I personally have tried equipment from other manufacturers but the other brands seem to leave me feeling cold and unmoved when listening to some of my favourite tracks

Cosy luv fest on tour with ND555 to Ireland...you are not very encouraging?

Sloop John B posted:

My, what a cosy love fest this thread is turning into. 

I genuinely marvel at this level of adoration and fervour Naim still generates among a (seemingly) large cohort of users. 

.sjb

ah! when you get to hear this ND555 thing, you might well join this cohort.

I'm not into streaming, but boy, oh boy, this machine in a game-changer !

My power amp (Krell) and speakers (Wilson) entitle me to declare that my adoration and fervour of Naim is not blind !

Sloop John B posted:

My, what a cosy love fest this thread is turning into. 

I genuinely marvel at this level of adoration and fervour Naim still generates among a (seemingly) large cohort of users. 

.sjb

In the past I have had similar thoughts - particularly when people are opining that a new product will be wonderful and worth it just because Naim are making it. I trust my ears - which is why, having heard the ND555, I believe it is a major advance on the NDS. If I had the money available now then I would get a dem at home with my system and if I still liked it would get one myself. I won’t tell anyone to get one - but do go and listen so you can decide for yourself

I remember Bert saying he had a date of mid July for his ND555? I am being told the dealer demo units and first orders are now nearer the end of July and NDX2 is end of August.

Gazza posted:

I remember Bert saying he had a date of mid July for his ND555? I am being told the dealer demo units and first orders are now nearer the end of July and NDX2 is end of August.

Yeah July was the word on the street. But knowing this is always a question with the launches of these flagship products. So let's see, it also depends I guess how the delivery model will work. England first or equal distribution... I would be very very happy with a July delivery. Would be a great month. New car, new ND555, holiday still in front of me and the North Sea Jazz Festival....