I had been using an ND555 for a couple of years but had a couple of problems on the first occasion my dealer lent me a NDS nd on the second occasion a NDX2.
I had never heard a NDS until I had this one on loan all I can say is that after using the ND555 for a couple of years I was disappointed with the NDS. In my system room etc the ND555 is so much better as it should be at it’s price point.
I stream from Qobuz ripped CDs from my Core plus a few downloads I also use the internet radio a lot.
Regarding my favourite it is difficult to point the finger in one direction. I think a lot comes down to the master source some Hi Res tracks are superb yet some ripped CDs are better than the Hi Res stream also some HD radio stations are surprisingly very good.
Yes, the ND555 certainly highlights the variability in the quality of source material, which can be a little irritating at times, when a great album is tarnished by a so so source file. Here the abilities of the ND555 are somewhat diminished, but on great source material the ND555 is breathtaking.
I find with two supplies that effect is far reduced.
For sure I find some poor recordings still that are difficult but far more were redeemed into music I enjoy by the better resolution of in particular the low-bass - what was out of control ‘mush’ gets resolved into presence information and harmonic structures. The bass is deeper and better resolved and that helps so much I find.
Yep - one of my tests for a good sourceis that it does not ‘cut-off’ like a knife once a particular level of resolution is reached into lower recording levels and you get the ‘alarmingly dark’ effect of the etched presentation - which turns out over time to get very fatiguing on a high resolution sytem.
The ND555 just continues on down into more subtle levels of detail retrieval into the musical fabric - and that in itself can cause problems in that it can easy get turned into a ‘mush’ of unclarity when not properly handled by the rest of the system.
Fortunately into a good Naim system properly set-up it seems to be handled beautifully - but some care and attention is needed to get it all to properly sing - and when it does sing you know and it is not subtle.
The ND555 is a superb source that continues to delight and it seems there is ever-more to get from it as you improve other parts of your system - it is not for me a limiting factor in my system.
Excels in an Active system too - where the timing information revealed is remarkable.
Its right the more resolving the system gets, the more it highlights any imperfections in everything, you just can’t get away from that fact, its ths same with everything, be it a car, hifi, etc.
If you want to just enjoy everything you throw at your hifi, then a portable cassette deck from the 80’s is just about where you should stop the music journey.
Certainly once you get to naim 500 spec and above some recordings become unplayable, as they just sound so bad, whereas before at a lower spec it was listenable.
Yes everything, its all the same i have found.
If its a bad recording, be it high res, vinyl etc, the more resolving and revealing your system gets the more this becomes a problem.
It takes no prisoners and shows it all, but at the same time, good recording sounds wonderful and better than you have ever heard it before.
As long as the component doesn’t diminish the liveliness of the music. I’ve found some DACs to sound absolutely dull and boring which a Naim product never does.
I am very much interested in a tape deck at some point. However I will never use it as much as my digital source
Poor recordings is not a problem for me…I don’t play them, end of.
Seems a simple solution to me.
Certainly would not have me ditching my stuff and seking out something low res.
The problem what i have found is that, some recordings sounding fine with a slightly less revealing system and now that the true details are being reached, they now sound a bit crap.
Yes you certainly more of everything being revealed, but at the same time any bits that aren’t quite up to top notch now hit you hard as its very easy to pick them out and once you hear them, you will never stop hearing it each time you play it.
Thats why i sometimes think i was better at a much lower level as this just wasn’t a problem, but as said the problem is then you play something good and its all suddenly worth it.
Just wish everything was recorded well.
There must be a least one piece of music that you would love even if it was recorded on a 1970 portable cassette recorder with a sheep’s horn for a microphone … SURELY.