I’ve been keeping one eye out for a 300DR or even a 500, but another thought has occurred to me.
I’m strictly limiting myself to 6 boxes, no more! But what if I swapped out the 300 for a 250DR, freeing up an extra space for a second 555DR on my NDS.
Does this sound like a good way to optimise my 6 boxes? I must admit I find the idea intriguing…
The power amp section would get the benefit of DR and from what I’ve read the extra 555 is a big uplift on the source. I’d be sacrificing grip and control of the speakers but I don’t think the 606 are difficult to drive
I don’t have experience of a second PS on an NDS but I can say that a 300DR in place of a 250DR absolutely transformed my system. I use Kudos S20’s and the 300 feels like they were made for each other which in a way is true as the 300 is used by Kudos.
Speculating I don’t believe that upgrading an already excellent source with a second PS would have such a pronounced difference. Maybe if you were considering NDS to ND555 then it could be a path worth taking.
I considered keeping the 250 DR and upgrading the speakers but am glad I didn’t. The 300 is so much better than the 250 that I wouldn’t want to go back.
I have run NDS/555PS with a 300. It was a sublime combination, really musical, detailed and life like. A kind of spiritual successor to the CDS3 but better. I tried a second 555PS on the NDS out of curiosity. The difference could not be unheard. More of everything, wider separation and even tighter timing. You wouldn’t think it possible because the NDS with a single 555PS is excellent to start with. Not everyone who tried this had such a good result. Your ears will have to be be the final judge.
A 500 replaced the 300, an upgrade of huge benefit which the NDS/555PS/555PS could easily accommodate and reveal even more in the source material. It’s not so much about what a 500 does, as what it doesn’t. It takes the boxes out of the room and leaves the music behind. Tight, controlled, vice like, with depths of subtlety that seem to have no limit. Sure, it can do an impression of a pile driver, but it’s a lot more capable than that.
When my 500 went in for its DR upgrade, my dealer kindly loaned ma a 250DR. Within 10 days I had stopped listening. I had found the non DR 250 to be an amp which was difficult for me to like and the DR version proved no different. The best way I can describe is is to think of a photograph of a standing person. The top of the head and the bottom of the feet are cropped off. The colours are vivid but over saturated and the fine detail is slightly out of focus, not much, but enough to register.
Again, your ears must decide. Given the legendary reputation and huge fan base of the 250, it’s unlikely you’ll get many detractors. All the best with it.
That’s interesting insight from somebody who has ‘been there’.
I remember reading your comments about the 250DR previously when I was using one myself and thinking ‘what nonsense’!
However having now made the change myself I totally get what you are saying, I couldn’t now go back to a 250 despite having enjoyed it immensely at the time. It’s this experience that influenced my response to the OP.
Given your comments on the 2 PSU’s on the NDS it strikes me that it would be interesting to compare NDS/555/555 vs ND555 with a single PSU!
And quite right too. If I can dish it out I should be prepared to take it with good grace.
When we originally did the home demo there was an imminent price rise ahead. So confident was my dealer that we would buy it, he ordered one in advance to avoid the price hike. I don’t know who was more surprised when we passed, them or us. No harm done and most important, no money wasted.
I heard a pre production ND555 with one, then two PS added and there was a difference, but it was in an unfamiliar room, with an unfamiliar system, using source material that we didn’t know, with the volume cranked up to a level which I found uncomfortable. We were running our NDS with 2X555PSDR so when the ND555 arrived it started life in that configuration. I have no doubt that ND555/555PSDR is a superb source at it’s not inconsiderable price point.
And just to add to the confusion and to reinforce the “your ears only” caveat, the early pre production ND555 in the paragraph above was fronting a 252/250/S400 system. The same S400 we had at home for a month trying, and failing to make work in our room. The dealer took them away for the demo. The 250/S400 system sounded absolutely superb in that room with that front end. Just goes to show…
I wouldn’t be surprised if your ears and hind brain made the decision for you. I remember the first time I heard a CD5, I wanted to get up and dance. I’d never responded to music played back like that before in a dealer listening room. When I first heard a CDS3 with 252/300 they had to throw me out at closing time. When I first heard a 552/500 my eyes opened so wide I thought they would fall out.
You’ll know what to do. And it sounds like you’re heading for a good result however you end up.
Only if they take it as some sort of personal attack. Some people are odd like that.
The 300 used to come in for a lot of stick for being too laid back and boring. Not so much nowadays though. Threads that air opposing views are informative and interesting - if you’re not a adopting the football supporter model of discussion.
I’ve posted about dual 555PS on NDS on several occasions but the 2 month archiving feature means that long term discussions are impossible without bi monthly contributions. It’s all in here somewhere. Or maybe it gets flushed?
I’ll keep digging. Your input on this thread was very informative. And it’s made me wonder; the top of my rack could, in theory, accommodate another box or two
I don’t think this is possible. You may well be able to use both an XPS on socket 1 and 555 on socket 2 though. Someone else will confirm this I’m sure
I had a 250.2 and then a 300 which was hands down better in every way. I’ve since gone to 300DR which is better again.
The extra PS on your NDS could be lucky number seven in the box count stakes …
