Def improvement with Tidal on my QB.
I believe that as far as we know this is the best explanation and all there is to it:
It’s also consistent with info available in the Beta room, and I wish this was public because it would dispel some myths. Just so much: the bits are the same
2 Likes
Clever stuff - where science meets art.
After several days and a lot of different albums, I really observe a noticeable improvement. More clarity, easiness, and a cleaner, more natural sound vs the 4.6 I had before.
It’s not subtle.
3 Likes
My Lumin U1 Mini also got better with the latest sw update. And the 272 also now with 4.8. Sounds crazy good here now 
1 Like
I’m not really convinced about that explanation, since in the modern streamers there is simply too much happening in the digital area to control this realistically. Network connections are active all the time, audio decoding and routing is as well, and ofcourse display handling etc.
Since there is a DSP in all the devices with a DAC, i assume they use that to tweak the sound, rather than toy around with low level stuff like memory read/write timings.
Just an assumption though. 
It’s a more elaborate version of what’s in the help topic in the beta room. Don’t want to talk about it too much but you can read it. This should be public IMHO
Yes but i’m a bit sceptical… tuning the sound on all the different streamers by micro-tweaking memory read- and write timings etc would be an enormous undertaking, while the same effect could be much more easily reached by using the available DSP…
1 Like
An incorrect assumption, all the same.
If you are a member of the beta group you can go and read how Steve Harris explains it, if you want to.
Best
David
1 Like
Audio optimization is more than adjusting frequency response
Not allowed to post bits and pcs from such? How do one become a beta tester?
Changing the bits with the DSP would be cheating and I don’t think they are lying. Most likely they compile a bunch of versions with different parameterization (or it’s runtime configurable) and choose what sounds best. It seems to be taking a few days as we know
Ok i don’t really care much about this topic per se, but i’m only referring to this part:
a method of optimising software instruction execution timing such that they can fairly reliably act as a crude tone control
I’m not saying that there isn’t any optimization of electrical I/O taking place at all, there very well might be. I just find it hard to believe that it would be the primary means of controlling the EQ of a firmware release.
Either way, carry on!
The rules are somewhat ambiguous and it’s best to keep quiet. To become a tester email beta@naimaudio.com and ask if they have open spaces
I don’t think Simon meant EQ as such (despite the wording) but influencing the general perception by noise shaping
It is not a primary means of controlling the EQ, they just tweak it when a FW update is released to optimise the SQ with that particular FW version.
1 Like
No it’s not wow, whatever that means.
These 4.8 changes are subtle, some slight changes in various balances, a touch less this, a hint more that, they are not anything like ‘wow’.
Maybe some history is needed to better explain as it’s been a while since development was stopped on these so called legacy products.
During the numerous versions of firmware over the years, some effort was put into the DSP code to optimise SQ, the changes were not only fine tuned by Naim, but also a beta test group made up from us end users.
Some changes were not always improvements, some had mixed approvals - e.g. approved by NDX users but not approved by NDS users. some NDS users liked a change, others did not.
Now this 4.8 seems to have fine turned one more time & thanks to the team at Naim, they seem to have mixed the cocktail just right.
4 Likes
As an NDS user I would describe it as a huge improvement but am at a loss to describe why apart from greater enjoyment in listening.
Have been waiting a few days to see if the initial improvement on my NDS (not really expected, unless subconsciously) does not go away, and it is not going away… 
What I could describe from the first day as fresh (no doubt) and more “airy” presentation, I can summarize today as improved resolution and soundstage imaging, that are quite evident, and more delicate/refined upper frequencies, that are a bit more subtle to grasp… It could very well be, that my old, crazy head is playing tricks with me 
… But does it really matter if the SQ is so materially better with 4.8? Very happy with that.
2 Likes
I think its all physics
Now I always thought there was a fascinating artistic side to physics…
Been producing music this evening - adding third, fourth and fifth harmonic distortion to a bass sound instrument to make it sound more pleasing, and well, more bassy on hifi equipment - fascinating stuff… and of course Ikutaro Kakehashi worked this out a few decades ago.
S
1 Like