ND555 v CD555

I believe some in Naim’s leadership  for 44.1/16/2 have a view ... after all the CD555 was the sonic template for the ND555 to at least match. Some other experienced comment on this forum has suggested there are some subtle pro and cons with each. After all there are many implementation similarities downstream from the PCM1704Ks which I suspect ultimately becomes the limiting function. I think what is not in question is the ND555 offers more replay options.

I am very interesting to know. By technically ND555 should be better than CD555. But I tried some high res digital player but sound not as convicing as my CD555 inlcusive the dCS Vivaldi also. May be was the matching problem and etc. Anyone here can give some comments on these comparison?

As Darke Bear suggested on the ND555 impressions thread, hi-res doesn't necessarily mean better than CD red book. I've downloaded some hi-res stuff and found I still preferred the early CD recording.  It's the quality of the original master/re-master that is key. Hi-res won't compensate for a poor one.   

I think one can’t dismiss the mastering either. A 44.1/16/2 master is almost certainly going to be different even subtly, than a higher resolution master. The mastering process plays a significant part in how a track sounds and is often part of the creative process.

It might also, in part, be as a product of digital / analogue reconstruction, that the sinc response low pass filter coupled with the PCM1704K is not the optimum match for certain popular hidef encoders in the business... to my understanding these discrepancies can become more noticeable with hidef... Certainly some in the industry are discussing the importance of encoding and decoding matching with so called high definition.

Some remasters on lp, like mobile fidelity, sound better vs the original lp.   So I don’t know why it’s not possible to find a digital remaster better than the original digital cd.

As for highrez, some new albums produced nowadays as highrez format can sound sublime, better than the 16/44 format.   I have never heard a cd sounding so good as some recent highrez.

French Rooster posted:

Some remasters on lp, like mobile fidelity, sound better vs the original lp.   So I don’t know why it’s not possible to find a digital remaster better than the original digital cd.

I've heard deeper bass and clearer highs on analog remasters but usually something in the musical flow suffers and I end up reaching for the battered original rather than the pristine remaster, admittedly based on a small sample of 70s prog (Crimson, Floyd, Yes) if it was Eighties recordings things might be different, but maybe not.

yeti42 posted:

French Rooster posted:

Some remasters on lp, like mobile fidelity, sound better vs the original lp.   So I don’t know why it’s not possible to find a digital remaster better than the original digital cd.

I've heard deeper bass and clearer highs on analog remasters but usually something in the musical flow suffers and I end up reaching for the battered original rather than the pristine remaster, admittedly based on a small sample of 70s prog (Crimson, Floyd, Yes) if it was Eighties recordings things might be different, but maybe not.

Some examples of better vinyl remasters vs the original ( for me of course):

jeff beck / wired and blow by blow/ 1976/77:  remaster by mobile fidelity 

Herbie Hancock : headhunters( 74): remaster by  mofi.

Santana: Abraxas :   Remaster by  mofi.

Tony Joe White :  Homemade ice cream :  remaster by Analogue Productions 

French Rooster posted:

yeti42 posted:

French Rooster posted:

Some remasters on lp, like mobile fidelity, sound better vs the original lp.   So I don’t know why it’s not possible to find a digital remaster better than the original digital cd.

I've heard deeper bass and clearer highs on analog remasters but usually something in the musical flow suffers and I end up reaching for the battered original rather than the pristine remaster, admittedly based on a small sample of 70s prog (Crimson, Floyd, Yes) if it was Eighties recordings things might be different, but maybe not.

Some examples of better vinyl remasters vs the original ( for me of course):

jeff beck / wired and blow by blow/ 1976/77:  remaster by mobile fidelity 

Herbie Hancock : headhunters( 74): remaster by  mofi.

Santana: Abraxas :   Remaster by  mofi.

Tony Joe White :  Homemade ice cream :  remaster by Analogue Productions 

Tony joe white album is great, I had this album in the early 70's

Santana Abraxas also great

douglas posted:

It looks like the ND555 with two 555 power supplies  is seen as the current top digital source from NAIM by quite a few.

Just wondering if the CD555 also with two power supplies would now be considered a poor runner up?

Douglas.

Having recently traded my CD555 in for the ND555 still using the same two 555DR power supplies I have no regrets.

However the CD555 could never be described as a “poor runner up”    it served me very well for twelve years giving our family untold pleasure and it remains one of the finest CD players money can buy. However technology marches on and the new ND555 renders my CD collection better and opens up the possibility of higher than CD resolution replay together with Tidal and the like and internet radio.

I would say quite firmly that resolution and bit rates are not everything, as others have said, I have listened to many hi-res files and most cases preferred my own rips from CD. Done well, of course hi-res will win the day but it all comes back to the original recording and mastering, as we found with CD newly released remasters of older material can sometimes be superb but often the reverse is the case with the original first releases sounding better. Again with internet radio and bit rates, some stations running at 128 or less can sound hugely better than those at 256 or 320, it all depends on the source.

To sum up if you can pick up a pre owned CD555 at a very reasonable cost compared to its new full price as was, and you feel streaming is not for you, then it is certainly worth going for..... just don’t ever listen to an ND555!

i hope that has answered your question.

Try the Chord Hugo M Scaler on your CD555 before buying the ND555 you will be surprised what it can do to a CD player.

CD555 has no digital input or output, so no mscaler.

Interesting replies to my original post. Many thanks.

I find myself in a similar situation as Michael would have been, i.e. A CD555  with two 555DR power supplies. I heard the ND555 with one 555DR at a demo by my local dealer and was impressed, but not sufficiently on a brief hearing to part with the funds involved.

However, Naim have never gone backwards in bringing out new products. Its a considerable sum to change but the CD player cost was always substantial anyway. Music from this player can be magic. I take the view there is always more.

So its back to the dealer for a home demo for a few days and when it goes back to him I will know if I want to change.

Douglas.

douglas posted:

So its back to the dealer for a home demo for a few days and when it goes back to him I will know if I want to change.

I will be very surprised if the home demo with two supplies in your own system doesn’t sway you towards the ND555, such a versatile piece of kit over the CD555. Hopefully your dealer will   offer you an attractive deal to do the change. Looking forward to reading your findings Douglas.

I recently bought a cd555, it is very but very good...

i will buy an nd555 soon for Tidal and convenience of downloading

Streamers/DACs will develop faster and faster, don’t be surprised that after 4 year a gadget like Hugo might sound better and work faster than nd555

Still naim will be the best for holding some of the value

Emre, you have confused streamers with DACs.. to my ears I prefer the Hugo audio reconstruction to that of the ND555 audio reconstruction.( I have written about why this is probably the case before.. I just don’t get the ‘Mandelbrot effect’ with PCM1704K based reconstruction,which is an important part of my listening enjoyment).  However  I need a quality transport for a Hugo.. which could be ultimately a ND555... I currently use a NDX transport.

Remember as far as signal reconstruction the ND555 and CD555 use quite traditional and long standing methods.. at this time Naim are not exploring more recent innovations here from the last 5 or so years... I am sure they feel they get their best Naim sound from more traditional technology that they know best, rather than take a risk and effectively starting again with more recent technology... but I suspect behind the scenes that may be now or about to start happening... not least because it’s imposed by the obsolescence of older traditional technology such as the PCM1704K.