ND555 Impressions

Hello Gazza

They would have gladly shipped it, but I had to visit Music Technology in Springfield, Virginia who is restoring a pair of Apogee Scintillas for me, and I combined trips.  It also gave me a chance to have some face time with Roni at Overture in Wilmington, Delaware and see their revamped store.  Its really beautiful.  They do a lot of home theater, automation, etc and have revamped their store to reflect that as well as the 11 listening rooms for music.   My wife and I made a nice road trip of it.  Had a couple of nice dinners.  We also saw lots of interstate hiway 95.  

Bailyhill

Bailyhill posted:

Hello Gazza

They would have gladly shipped it, but I had to visit Music Technology in Springfield, Virginia who is restoring a pair of Apogee Scintillas for me, and I combined trips.  It also gave me a chance to have some face time with Roni at Overture in Wilmington, Delaware and see their revamped store.  Its really beautiful.  They do a lot of home theater, automation, etc and have revamped their store to reflect that as well as the 11 listening rooms for music.   My wife and I made a nice road trip of it.  Had a couple of nice dinners.  We also saw lots of interstate hiway 95.  

 

Bailyhill

OK I understand I lived in Michigan for a few years when I worked for Ford Motor company, I am now retired. The sense of space is something we will never forget, a drive from Detroit to the Upper Peninsula on I-75 was a long days driving. Perhaps your way of making a great trip is the way to do it, we just drive 40 minutes and probably do not spend enough time socialising etc.

Bailyhill posted:

Hello All

Yesterday was the big day.  Picked up my ND555/PSU555 and the Naim Fraims.  Drove 450 miles back without incident.  Hooked up the unit last night.  Played at low volume and went to sleep at 3:40 this am.  I am listening to Traveler/Chris Stapleton this am.  The unit right out of the box--Day 1.  It sounds really wonderful.  The sound is so full, and more refined, but more detailed.  Hard to describe.  I will be burning in all day/month/winter.  Back to the music.

Bailyhill

Time to update the system details in your profile! :-)

Bailyhill posted:

Hello Gazza

They would have gladly shipped it, but I had to visit Music Technology in Springfield, Virginia who is restoring a pair of Apogee Scintillas for me, and I combined trips.  It also gave me a chance to have some face time with Roni at Overture in Wilmington, Delaware and see their revamped store.  Its really beautiful.  They do a lot of home theater, automation, etc and have revamped their store to reflect that as well as the 11 listening rooms for music.   My wife and I made a nice road trip of it.  Had a couple of nice dinners.  We also saw lots of interstate hiway 95.  

 

Bailyhill

I dont know if you were driving up, then down, 95, or vice versa. But almost either way, Interstate 95 is some damn boring driving.  I live about the same distance from Springfield VA.  I'd stop for Jewish deli food in Connecticut

Gazza posted:

Congratulations....nice Xmas present.

Yeah nice way to celebrate Christmas .....

Clive B posted:

Bailyhill posted:

Hello All

Yesterday was the big day.  Picked up my ND555/PSU555 and the Naim Fraims.  Drove 450 miles back without incident.  Hooked up the unit last night.  Played at low volume and went to sleep at 3:40 this am.  I am listening to Traveler/Chris Stapleton this am.  The unit right out of the box--Day 1.  It sounds really wonderful.  The sound is so full, and more refined, but more detailed.  Hard to describe.  I will be burning in all day/month/winter.  Back to the music.

Bailyhill

Time to update the system details in your profile! :-)

 Congratulations Bailyhill! It is a fantastic sounding streamer! Enjoy! 

Bart posted:

Bailyhill posted:

Hello Gazza

They would have gladly shipped it, but I had to visit Music Technology in Springfield, Virginia who is restoring a pair of Apogee Scintillas for me, and I combined trips.  It also gave me a chance to have some face time with Roni at Overture in Wilmington, Delaware and see their revamped store.  Its really beautiful.  They do a lot of home theater, automation, etc and have revamped their store to reflect that as well as the 11 listening rooms for music.   My wife and I made a nice road trip of it.  Had a couple of nice dinners.  We also saw lots of interstate hiway 95.  

 

Bailyhill

I dont know if you were driving up, then down, 95, or vice versa. But almost either way, Interstate 95 is some damn boring driving.  I live about the same distance from Springfield VA.  I'd stop for Jewish deli food in Connecticut

Hello Gazza

Quite often stop at Rein's Diner at exit about 65 off Rt 84 in Ct.  I live on Cape Cod and was driving North yesterday.  Last night, went Rt 95 all the way, did not take Rt 84--as its out of the way.  And yes, Rt 95 is pretty boring.  Not at all like I imagine driving the UK countryside or in Europe.  

Bailyhill

Does any ND555 users wished Naim had designed it so the green logo stays on like all the other box’s instead of going on standby,and is there a reason for this.just asking.regards Bob.

I would guess it’s required as part of EU regs for minimising power consumption. Being a new product it probably needs to meet requirements that the older pre and power amps do not. To be honest my two stacks are almost invisible, just like many purchases I look closely and enjoy initially, then they are not focused on. Bit like purchasing new windows for the house, you look at them and admire for a few days, then start ignoring and look through them.

Why not just leave it fully powered up? All the other boxes are on permanently, so why be concerned over the streamer? Just because the option to switch to standby is offered, it doesn't mean you have to use it.

Bob green posted:

Does any ND555 users wished Naim had designed it so the green logo stays on like all the other box’s instead of going on standby,and is there a reason for this.just asking.regards Bob.

Hi Bob,

There was a fair bit of discussion on this, once the first few ND 555's started being delivered.

From memory, there was a firmware update which put things right and allowed the logo to remain brightly lit, in common with one's other Naim boxes, though you do have to go into "settings" to have it do so.

I've posted a link to the page on this topic, from the point at which I joined in, and you ought to be able to find the info you need.

https://forums.naimaudio.com/t...04#77033103040083504

How do you leave it powered up ?,it goes into standby automatically.

Bob, go into “other settings”. You will find auto standby is set by default to 20 minutes, it can be changed to 1 hour or so......or never.

Choose 'never', then if you actually want it to go to standby, you can do so by touching the power button on either the remote or the unit itself.

Regarding Dave's point above, I did go to quite some length explaining the process to ensure that when the unit was restored from standby the Naim logo wiuld come on at full brightness. Then I think it was the very next day that the firmware update was released which fixed the issue without having to go through the process I described. 

Hi Clive ,just done what you said,l’ve got it on never,thanks for your help mate.merry Xmas.Bob.

Quickly posting my own initial findings after a fabulous home demo by Phil from Cymbiosis. With 1 555PS the ND555 is more detailed and much more expansive than the CD555 and also has greater bass extension, but with very slightly less control and attack plus a touch of warm bloom. Adding a second PS brings the ND555 substantial strengths in all areas, including timbre and tonal delicacy. It's a tremendous total package.

I was surprised to find that ripping using DBPowerAmp to a Qnap provided superior sound quality to rips to the Uniti Core, with marginally greater PRAT and tonal fidelity. Adding a switch firms things up a touch more.

Even more surprising, I found the Hiline offered marginally more PRAT and tonal fidelity than either the Superlumina 5 pin DIN to 5-pin DIN or the Chord Music, despite some pleasant glossy artefacts of both the latter. I found the Hiline more satisfying on a wide range of music.

ND555, another 555PS , a 6-line Superpowerigel and Qnap duly ordered, with much thanks to Phil for great patience and good company.

Very, very nice system Michael...enjoy.

Great Michael. The ND555 is excellent but the presentation is different to what we all used to have with the CD players.

Which Ethernet cables and switch are you using?

BP. 

Michael_B. posted:

Quickly posting my own initial findings after a fabulous home demo by Phil from Cymbiosis. With 1 555PS the ND555 is more detailed and much more expansive than the CD555 and also has greater bass extension, but with very slightly less control and attack plus a touch of warm bloom. Adding a second PS brings the ND555 substantial strengths in all areas, including timbre and tonal delicacy. It's a tremendous total package.

I was surprised to find that ripping using DBPowerAmp to a Qnap provided superior sound quality to rips to the Uniti Core, with marginally greater PRAT and tonal fidelity. Adding a switch firms things up a touch more.

Even more surprising, I found the Hiline offered marginally more PRAT and tonal fidelity than either the Superlumina 5 pin DIN to 5-pin DIN or the Chord Music, despite some pleasant glossy artefacts of both the latter. I found the Hiline more satisfying on a wide range of music.

ND555, another 555PS , a 6-line Superpowerigel and Qnap duly ordered, with much thanks to Phil for great patience and good company.

Excellent - Phil is a tremendously helpful chap.  

I recognise your point about the Hiline, although frustratingly mine is at Salisbury for repair at the moment. 

Regards,

Lindsay

After a big day on Tuesday, where my wife and I drove about 500 miles back with the ND555 and the Naim Fraims, we had a moment with the ND555 last night.  I spent most of yesterday connecting things, and assembling the Fraims--glass and all.  I guess I call it the "ultimate complement of the ND555".  I was listening upstairs in the music room, while my wife was finishing up cleaning up from dinner and putting things away.  I had Willie Nelson, Stardust on while she was doing that, and she could hear it sounded beautiful.  We normally spend an hour or so  listening together in the evening.  So after a while, she came upstairs to listen at the end of the day.  I had just put on Chris Stapleton, perhaps her favorite artist right now and "Tennessee Whiskey" came on.  It played about 3 bars, and she pronounced, "Oh yea that does sound better".  She is not an audiophile, but has played the piano for many years and is from a musical family where everyone played instruments.  

I must say that I am a lucky man to have a wife and partner who enjoys listening to music thru the system.  It's wonderful to have a great system, but its even better to share the experience.   

The ND555/PSU555 is sounding magnificent.  Its so refined, so clear, so much timber, while sounding like music.  

Thank you Naim for all the effort to engineer this product.  Its beyond a music maker.

Bailyhill

BPhotographer posted:

Great Michael. The ND555 is excellent but the presentation is different to what we all used to have with the CD players.

Which Ethernet cables and switch are you using?

BP. 

The Switch is the much-recommended Netgear Prosafe GS105. We were using teh cables that came with it, but will be getting high quality digital (but not audiophile) cables for the ND555 when it arrives.

Bailyhill posted:

After a big day on Tuesday, where my wife and I drove about 500 miles back with the ND555 and the Naim Fraims, we had a moment with the ND555 last night.  I spent most of yesterday connecting things, and assembling the Fraims--glass and all.  I guess I call it the "ultimate complement of the ND555".  I was listening upstairs in the music room, while my wife was finishing up cleaning up from dinner and putting things away.  I had Willie Nelson, Stardust on while she was doing that, and she could hear it sounded beautiful.  We normally spend an hour or so  listening together in the evening.  So after a while, she came upstairs to listen at the end of the day.  I had just put on Chris Stapleton, perhaps her favorite artist right now and "Tennessee Whiskey" came on.  It played about 3 bars, and she pronounced, "Oh yea that does sound better".  She is not an audiophile, but has played the piano for many years and is from a musical family where everyone played instruments.  

I must say that I am a lucky man to have a wife and partner who enjoys listening to music thru the system.  It's wonderful to have a great system, but its even better to share the experience.   

The ND555/PSU555 is sounding magnificent.  Its so refined, so clear, so much timber, while sounding like music.  

Thank you Naim for all the effort to engineer this product.  Its beyond a music maker.

Bailyhill

And it’s going to get so much better believe me. I sadly had a fault after 2 months in which time it had gradually burned in, the improvement is something that you just get accustomed to on a daily basis. My unit as then replaced with a new one, bit of a SQ dip, you then realise how much better the ND555 gets over it’s first few months. I had an ex dem 555psu, so you will hear a big improvement as both boxes burn in. Enjoy, have fun over Xmas.

55Hi everyone,can l ask what Ethanel cable you use on your ND555 ,lm yurt useing a cheapo one at the momment ,and is worth buying a much better one ?.

I now have since a good week started pushing the burn in process a bit faster and it shows. So far I had been burn8ng in through normal listening sessions. I guess I was over 200 hours perhaps 250 hours. Now I have started also running the machine during the night, and as I am a couple of days into my Christmas holiday I also have long normal listening sessions....., and yes it shows. I have now experienced a further development of the roundness of the tonality. So I will continue doing this over the holiday period, and see what it brings further. 

So for me it proofs that there is development beyond the point of 200 hours run it. By pushing it a bit I feel I also get a better grasp of the remaining improvements.

While some of you might have a feeling of Snakeoil......

Bob green posted:

55Hi everyone,can l ask what Ethanel cable you use on your ND555 ,lm yurt useing a cheapo one at the momment ,and is worth buying a much better one ?.

I listened to most of the Audioquest range up to and including diamond. Before I got a Cisco 2960 the differences could be heard, fairly easily.....after not so easy. In the end I settled on Melco....not cheap at £55 or so, but not silly money and they are very flexible to route around the back of the Hifi. See if your dealer will lend you a few over Xmas, they will not be doing anything with them?