Quite a year you have had, I hope you can enjoy the new addition…
April 2019: Just recently upgraded my system from focal 906 speakers and Cambridge Audio integrated amp, cxa60, to Focal Kanta No 1 and Naim Supernait 2. (Kept the Cambridge 851N streamer)
December 2019: I went for the ND5 XS2 (with an SN2). Can’t say I heard a big improvement over sound but to be fair I didn’t test both in home with the same set of speakers. But my personal assessment came down to value for money. I felt that the nd5 represented a lot better value vs the incremental SQ the ndx2 could provide to these cloth ears. I might have liked the option to upgrade the power supply but the XPS is not a cheap unit - so here in the states those two boxes together retail at a staggering (for me) $14,000.
Congratulation you will not regret it, while you will realize that the rest of the chain will hold the ability of your new toy a bit back. Anyhow good to first invest like you did, also when you don’t upgrade further.
The problem I noticed is the more I’ve been listening to music on my system, I’ve been enjoying it more than I thought possible… which in turn has lead me to upgrade sooner than I ever thought I would.
The only logical conclusion, I’ve decided, is once I receive my 555 is not to listen to it and then I’m guaranteed not to upgrade
Just spent 4 hours listening to, no actually enjoying my teenage son’s music. Goose bumps, hairs on end, tappy feet and more. Probably going to get tinnitus now but i don’t really care.
555 into a 552, with a 300DR driving Fact12s. Maybe i need a 500DR now - doh!
I think the real measure of the quality of the ND555 is that I have found myself listening more than ever before since I got it. To be fair the rest of the system has probably run in during 2019, too, so improvements not solely due to ND555. Spent too long working in front of it over the last 6-7 months instead of having the proper IT set up upstairs. Ho hum!