The benefits of being a dinosaur

Mr Underhill posted:

Hi Mike,

Exciting times, from Dark Bear's cogitations you will be in the same ballpark as the ND555 with a simpler setup, and your already excellent system must be on fire.

Congrats,

M

Thanks, Mr U. Must get your own impressions soon  

Mike

Mike Kent posted:

Yet another dinosaur here. I worked my way though most of the CD players Naim built... some much better than others, but then I managed to buy a CD555 second hand from Billy Vee's for £8000, and I absolutely loved it from the first moment I played it. What a machine! The LP12 rarely gets a look-in these days. I run it actively into two 500s and SL2s, fed by Super Lumina, and with the luxury of retirement I listen to it virtually every evening. Every kind of music is a joy... incredible definition, orchestras spread out in front of you, always so easy to follow what instruments are doing, and virtually nothing it doesn't play well.

Haven't had the slightest problem with it... but of course there is always the nagging worry that at some point the mech may fail. I know Naim keep spares, but how long before pressure  from Focal makes them stop storing the parts? Although, if that happened, I'd just buy another second hand one. There are remarkable bargains to be picked up.

Thanks, Mike.  We must be soul-mates.  On the mechanisms, my dealer suggested that Naim store and hold two spare mechanisms for each CD555. I was a bit surprised that Naim was willing and able to carry such an overhead but was very reassured as a new CD555 customer. We dinosaurs value longevity.

Well one week later. I've noticed I'm building up quite a queue of recorded TVs programmes and a pile of recently purchased DVDs that I've promised myself I'll watch.  The home theatre system must be feeling rather unloved at the moment.  Nuff said, really ....

rsch posted:

MDS posted:

I’ve yet to be persuaded to switch my primary listening from CD to streaming. The prospect of all that ripping and the ethernet cables, switches, routers, software and apps stuff. Well, never say, never, but for the time being for my primary source I’m sticking with the simplicity and reliability of what I know: CD.  I admit it. I’m a dinosaur.    for a main system i prefer too the simplicity of inserting a silver disc, without the hassle additional boxes, servers, ethernet cables and so on.

 

Only a week ago I was pretty certain that my CDS3 was going in px for a streamer but having cogitated I’m now coming back round to the same conclusion as above. 

Regards,

Lindsay

Without a separate music listening room, we find that removing the clutter of physical CDs from our living area is enough justification to turn to computer-based music. I don't think we could never go back to physical media.

Me toooo.... I changed my Cd2x with a cd555....

it is fantastic sounding and looking piece of kit

still I will buy a streamer for Tidal etc not sure nd555 

I guess the only problem with joining in the fray is that 555PS price will only go up in value with these influx of ND555, largely negating the savings from going the route of CD555?!

Emre posted:

Me toooo.... I changed my Cd2x with a cd555....

it is fantastic sounding and looking piece of kit

still I will buy a streamer for Tidal etc not sure nd555 

Congratulations, Emre. Can't have been easy to find one in your part of the world.

MDS,

Like you I've gone from a 3 box CDX2, Ndac and 555PS to a pre-loved CD555. Partly because of the sound and partly because of the design. Some things in life can look so beautiful you just have to own them. I'm a designer at heart, so I guess this bug bites me harder.

What you have with something like the CD555 is probably the finest CD player in the world coupled to the most elegant piece of engineering you can imagine. Then, when you play your first CD, the music finally makes total sense. Every track becomes a performance, tracks previously dismissed become favourites and you finally have something approaching the quality that the best analogue seems to achieve.

If an ND555 is out of reach then this is, without doubt, is the next best solution!

Enjoy.

I agree, Geko. The engineering is impressive, as is the performance.   

Will there be spare parts left?

MDS posted:

Emre posted:

Me toooo.... I changed my Cd2x with a cd555....

it is fantastic sounding and looking piece of kit

still I will buy a streamer for Tidal etc not sure nd555 

Congratulations, Emre. Can't have been easy to find one in your part of the world.

I find it in Dubai tnx to fourum friend analogmusic.... rest was a logistic operation  it is so worth it....

T38.45 posted:

Will there be spare parts left?

I'm told Naim have spares for the parts that wear.

MDS posted:

The prospect of all that ripping and the ethernet cables, switches, routers, software and apps stuff.

Most of us have that anyway, as a normal part of contemporary family life. I certainly didn't install extra ethernet, switches or routers just to accommodate the 272. Apps? Come on, 40 seconds to put it on the iPad or the phone and it's done. Ripping is something to do when reading emails or keeping up with what the opposition are up to by having a sneaky read of The Guardian. 

Sorry for being facetious but it really is no effort to get this stuff working, and if you're in front of a computer at any time that's the time to rip the latest batch of CDs that you picked up in the recent excursions into the local charity shops. Playing music in my mind is about enjoying it, about being able to go off on flights of fancy as tracks lead to other tracks and themes build over an evening. Streaming allows that; prod at the iPad flicking from Tidal to NAS or just a bit of iRadio for a while with a good book for company. Getting up to find a disc or an LP and going through the rigmarole of getting it all in place ready to go? Break the mood or what?

Fluency of thought and deed is what streamed audio brings to the party, or just prodding the screen to get to Mahlers 1000 or Rush Live and letting it run end to end. I'd much prefer that than - pardon me but... - poncing about making a performance of playing a record. That's what some - occasionally me included - find off-putting about 'serious musos'.  Good job there's room for us all and it doesn't have to be an either or. 

Hi Mike,

Any detailed impressions and observations?

M

MDS posted:

I’ve yet to be persuaded to switch my primary listening from CD to streaming.  So this particular dinosaur currently has a big smile on his face. 

I've yet to be persuaded of the beneifts of switching my primary listening from vinyl...and I have a few millenia to play with 

I'll have a go, Mr U.

I'm still acclimatising myself to the different presentation.  As you know, my previous source, on certain types of music, presented a 'big' picture, and rather forward.  The CD555 seems smaller and steps back a bit, in comparison.  But within that, the portrayal is more detailed and intricate.  Vocals and background instruments are easier to follow and have their own 'space'.  The presentation is probably a bit drier too.  

I have found myself nudging up the volume control several times on familiar material, perhaps unconsciously looking to push the picture up to the scale of my previous source, then I realise I'm getting carried away with the impressive speed and impact of the dynamics I'm hearing and dial back down a bit.  Our mutual friend has suggested this is in part the much lower noise floor with the CD555 - it can get loud quite effortlessly and there's less edge at the top-end and wobble at the bottom end which with my previous system would have prompted me to rein-in the volume.  To use a car analogy, the CD555 seems to be able to cruise at higher speed but it doesn't feel like you're travelling that fast.  The CD555 seems more coherent and relaxed if that makes any sense.   

Must arrange for you to gain your own impressions soon.

Mike  

Loki posted:

MDS posted:

I’ve yet to be persuaded to switch my primary listening from CD to streaming.  So this particular dinosaur currently has a big smile on his face. 

I've yet to be persuaded of the beneifts of switching my primary listening from vinyl...and I have a few millenia to play with 

Top-end vinyl can sound wonderful, Loki. The dependency is having a good vinyl collection with lots of original pressings.   

I've given up hope of finding a CD555 head unit in the USA.

JRHardee posted:

I've given up hope of finding a CD555 head unit in the USA.

Perhaps the newly released ND555 will see a few CD555 head units traded in.  Worth keeping an eye out. 

JRHardee posted:

I've given up hope of finding a CD555 head unit in the USA.

Some prefer the CDS3 - love mine!

No complaints about the CDS3/555PS here either !

CDS3 works for me. 

How do you manage to push the buttons for play, stop and other functions with such tiny little hands ?

The price has not been mentioned yet.

How much does a second hand CD555 head unit go for from a reputable dealer? Roughly speaking (as Ted Chippington used to say).