Happy with the new Naim update

I seem to remember Simon in Suffolk posting a few years ago that Naim ADD noise to the streaming board to adjust the sound signature.

Maybe they remove a bit of noise from here and move it there. Or simply removed the noise they previously added. :grinning:

Weā€™ll never know.

Itā€™s interesting, (well it is to me, as I own a PrimareNP5), that people who added the NP5 to legacy streamers reported a more detailed and refined sound.
People are also indicating the new firmware provides a more detailed and refined sound.

Presumably Naim, (and any other HiFi manufacturers) are free to assess the performance of any number of streamers with their own equipment, access the firmware, see how itā€™s achieved and replicate it in their own streamers.

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Yes, I think this is called reverse engineering and I donā€™t think thereā€™s any law against doing it.

Very good practice I should think to learn from other competitors to improve oneā€™s own product.

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Sounds like a noise-shaping equivalent of insider futures trading with planned obsolescence and share buy-backs!? :flushed:

After some extended listening Iā€™m very pleased with the update. Radio Paradise and JB Radio are my primary stations and they sound noticeably improved. I didnā€™t expect to notice such an improvement from a fw update.

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I use an ND5XS2 via a DC1 cable into an NDS.

Right now, Iā€™m listening to a YT video of Brad Mehldau jamming with the very mellow funky young double bassist Jorge Rossy & the amazing slow but expressive drummer Felix Moseholm.

This is somehow a brilliant improvised performance of Jimi Hendrixā€™s hey Joe.

The sound quality of the video is intrinsically good, but listening to it now itā€™s by far the Best Iā€™ve ever heard it, An absolute delight. And thatā€™s definitely down to The firmware update.

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Does anyone believe that Naim could and would facilitate a download of the previous firmware for anyone that wants to roll back?

It doesnā€™t seem like a big ask, right?

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I still think it is potentially very dependent on the music played as well as the hardware itself.

For me all the above apply apart from ā€˜more forward and pushyā€™ with vocal actually being much more natural, not forced and in some cases a bit too polite.

Overall for me this is much more than a black box upgrade for free. Iā€™d be reluctant to change the firmware again.

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@drago has swapped camps and is now over on the ā€œdisappointedā€ threadā€¦

No - I am in both ā€¦ I do not want to mislead. The update has definitely some real improvements.

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It does seem to be an inherent challenge with streamers, that firmware can impact on sound quality and system balance and there could be advantages and disadvantages - all very system dependent and oneā€™s personal preferences.

Once set up to oneā€™s liking, CDs and record players donā€™t have this challenge.

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Iā€™m actually slowly coming around to the new sound, I think when you make the switch initially all you hear is the difference but as a few days pass your brain forgets the old sound and accepts the new as normal. It reminds me of years ago my preferred setting on an old Trio amp I had as a teenager was Loudness button on for more oomph, dial back the bass slightly to about 11 oā€™clock to compensate and then turn the treble up to about 2 oā€™clock - the latest firmware sort of replicates this to my ears.

Strange - here the absolute opposite. Voices are clear, forward and like nailed on stage. Which i actually like :wink:

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Yes, I was thinking it would be horrible if they fell back to a lower level of sound quality on the next firmware update.

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The very interesting thing for us is that we use the NDX2 as transport only (digital out) and hear a SQ change. A transport is just 1s/0sā€¦.

So itā€™s FW DSP change for sure?

Weā€™ve just listened (again) to Classic FM A Film Music spectacular via our Sky Q box. Definitely more clarity than last time we listened. SWMBO impressed - especially with piano solos. Much singing/humming along.

However itā€™s not all great news on the TV front. Was watching ā€œBlack Snowā€ off Sky Qā€¦ there is an electronic ā€œsplashā€ of cymbals on episode 1 introduction. Hard on the ears. Iā€™d watched that episode before (didnā€™t get further into it last time) and donā€™t recall being the ears being assaulted in same wayā€¦ very sharp. So some ā€œmanufacturedā€ sounds not going so well. Have also noticed same on lower bitrate internet radio - harsh.

Over last week listening to Tidal no such complaints since FW upgrade, Have tried most genre now from some ā€œunpleasantā€ metal, mainstream stuff, vocals etc. plus HQ internet radio. General uplift in SQ.

I can understand some people might be unhappy with the change. Itā€™s a bigger HF change than introducing SuperLumina speaker cables to our naim setup for instance (which we always thought brought more HF sparkle ).

But with our current speakers, and my 50 year old ears, itā€™s currently a thumbs up.

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With all reported impressions in mindā€¦ One can wonder if Naim with the new firmware wants to make the old Classic sound more like the new Classicā€¦

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I was wondering about this as well. I donā€™t have enough experience with the NC but for me whatever they did it sounds very good to me(my system, ears, room etc).

After reading some of the comments here, I decided to update the firmware of my NDX 2 after a long time. Generally speaking I agree with some of what has been said previously, indeed I feel a more detailed / open sound with a cleaner bass. So far so good (luckily for me), but one question naturally comes to my mindā€¦

Why does the Naim support say the sound signature of Naim products does not change with a firmware upgrade?

Iā€™d say itā€™s not a fully correct statement. Of course the general signature does not change but some (minor?) aspects have been clearly tweaked and they can have a less than subtle impact on a Hi-Fi system.

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Would this change if any fit the newer Focal speakers better?

Thought about it as well, but there are also changes in NC signature

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I am very pleased with the firmware update on my NSS 333. After listening for a few days I find that it enables you somehow to become more emotionally connected with the music. It just sounds so much more engaging, allowing me to appreciate more of what the musicians are playing. I wasnā€™t expecting that and I donā€™t think it is related to any confirmation bias. There are cosmetic changes to the audio presentation of the audio too. The update on my Muso 2nd generation was also fuss free.

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