Well not quite the same, the naim has a limited ability for updates to its dac and streamer, the dcs on the other hand, ‘soft’ approach to programmable logic makes it extremely easy for users to update DAC software, whether adding new features, installing performance upgrades or adapting to changes in digital formats.
They are already looking at high resolution upgrade ready for when we get it, as the chips/ ring dac can take it, the burr brown chips used in the naim gear, can they ???
They already run and have added the new streaming services as they have come about, like qobuz, MQA, apple, etc, etc and the rossini now runs the same dac software the vivaldi had, and as they inpove things, they update the range, all free.
It would be like having the NDS, but now running ND555, but all free, instead off having to sell it, because its old hat now due to its software etc, thats the difference.
It is Clive, and as i have said all along, the ND555 is a good source. All i have been saying is once you start looking at the cost off a second power supply, you are talking a very large amount, even one power supply is bad enough and you owe to yourself to try others.
But thats just my view
Eddit
Clive’s reply has disappeared ?
If the Bartok is so good as a main source, then how come John Darko and Steve Guttenberg both only reviewed it as a headphone amp?
Dont know, why not ask them?
Maybe they didn’t have a good enough system to place it in ?
Bartok is ok, but for me the headphone amp is also partially hampered by the digital volume control, and at £2500 extra for it, you dont really want to have to compromise. As once again you can do better for less.
The pre amp in all the DCS range is good, but you need to keep the volume at 0.0 or as close to it as you can, as it losses some dynamics once you start to turn it down too much.
I guess in a few years time the Bartok will be running the same software as the rossini is now (201) and the rossini will have jumped up to what the vivaldi is now running, anyway on wards and upwards.
I see
your words
"The pre amp in all the DCS range is good, but you need to keep the volume at 0.0 or as close to it as you can, as it losses some dynamics once you start to turn it down too much."
Please re-read the contradiction in your own words.
Just saying and whats wrong with that ? Contradiction so what ! Its just my view.
Some DCS guys dont hear any difference and some like me do, its very slight and as long as you keep the volume near max its not a problem.
Bit like naim and its cable dressing, or naim pre amps, switching and turning off etc, he list goes on.
But the pre in the DCS is good and if i only had one source, i wouldn’t have a pre at all and just go with the DCS built in one
I do hope that neither Pete nor Geoff frequent this forum, else you’ll be getting an offer you can’t refuse, as they say.
how do you know the pre in the DCS is good? is it a digital volume control or a proper analog preamp like a 282 or 552?
one of the jobs of a preamp is to maintain dynamics “especially once the volume level of turned down too much”
so to me, this is a serious deal breaker.
By comparison the Chord DACS maintain dynamics at all volume levels - I know because i’ve used the for many years now.
I wasn’t particularly impressed when one of the dealers of DCS played the top rig of theirs, and then I asked them to play some Vinyl afterwards, there was like a sense of relief which the dealer admitted I heard it properly
I’ve repeated this test many times at home with all my Chord DACS, there’s no difference at all in the music flow and sense of analogue ease… between my turntable (all analog recorded Vinyl) and digital versions of the same played on my Chord DACS.
Similarly the same music played on all the Naim sources I have owned or tested do not sound stressed to me either.
You pays your money and take your chances.
You like DCS fine, but I remain firmly in the Chord/Naim digital source preference.
Just comparing to the 552 i have.
It could well be that the 552 pre is adding something to it that i just slightly prefer? That makes sense thinking about it, as like i said other DCS owners dont hear it.
Right now i am running with the DCS pre and it certainly sounds fine, will be interesting to see how it goes once the 552 back.
We all hear things differently and thats fine, as for me i personally found all the chord dacs lean and not very musical at all and would have gone ND555 all day long over them
Resistance is futile as they say - but Geoff has retired and sold out to Pete very recently. Not spoken to Pete yet… though am doing tomorrow I do have the current defence of being in the middle of changing trading vehicle for my business and so I have less cash available than I will in a year or two. This year’s hifi upgrade is the LP12! Oh and an air source heat pump!
Air source heat pump, fit lots off them and great as long as you have a very built house with great insulation values.
Mostly Mitsubishi eco dans, also nice pay back.
Yes we have very high levels of insulation. After accounting for RHI and the saved cost of an oil boiler (we needed a replacement anyway) the total capital cost will be minus £5k
US March map ND 555 $19,990, NAPS555-DR $11,990. So now add a second, list price $43970 for two ps. My goodness, this upgrade obsession is nuts.
I bought my first house in 1986 for $34,000 dollars, to put inflation in perspective. I think the house was a better investment.
Pete did offer me a 555 coming in shortly. I said no! Timing not right
I just put in my order for a 2nd PS after an extended demo about 12 moths back. It was good enough that I still hanker for it. For me the extra outlay is justified for extracting what I subjectively feel is a good 20%ish more performance (enjoyment). It made for a very significant upgrade in my system, as it should do for the money involved.
As I have said before, don’t try it unless you are ready to shell out.
I connected my second 555PS DR (which I had for my CD player), a warmed-up one, to the ND555 and I listened to it for about a week.
What can I say? So so.
Some extra fine details are revealed, for sure, but I lost some interest in the music; lost some PRaT and the overall presentation was changed not always in a good way. I got deeper into SOME ASPECTS of the recording but other things/instruments(?) were gone, I couldn’t feel the engagement I had before. Revert to one ps and the sound is fine right now.
The PS order in the power strip of which DB @Darkebear mentioned earlier is super important. When I connected the Analogue PS next to the 552PS and the Digital PS away from them it was much better than any other way I tried.
E
The two supplies on ND555 (and CD555) do change its sonic signature as a source - you need to be aware this may work well in your particular system as it is presently installed - or not.
I found two supplies as well as increasing detail retrieval and resolution also pushed-out the frequency extremes as part of this effect - bass goes lower and top-end more extended…and that can unbalance a system - it did for a while mine.
There is a reason I messed around with the plug-in sequence - I didn’t want too but found I had to - but also I had to re-tune my system to take account of increased HF response [position of items on Fraim glass became more important] - and the increased LF power [cable-dressing - speaker cables in my case needing more care].
So as well as personal preferences to presentation, it is worth tuning the system for the increased bandwidth I found.
…just for information - not questioning personal preference either-way - it is just worth ensuring you get the best demo of what is possible before the final call on what you prefer.
But in the end it is down to what makes you enjoy music long-term!
For me - the system is more ‘with-it’ and ‘in the groove’ with two supplies - but it is hard to describe what I mean - it is just more effortlessly ‘there’ in a way that helps me forget the system while the music does its thing!
DB.
Interesting how the benefit is so system dependent. Be happy that you don’t need it - for me once tried there was no turning back