How good is the ND555?

Steve Huff online site and YouTube channel is interesting. The guy reviewed a dozen of dacs in the year. Chord Dave, Lampizator, Denafrips terminator plus, Nagra Classic, Weiss 501, …and recently the DCS Lina.
His first choice goes to the DCS Lina ( same as Bartok but without preamp). Second is the Weiss.
The prices are very different for these dacs.

The Weiss is incredibly good for the price. I love the form factor too. I only had mine for a few weeks because the friend I bought it from made an offer to trade his streaming system (555 + 2 PS) for the Weiss and my NDX2/XPSDR straight across.

I’d never heard of Weiss in the consumer realm.

Our long term goal is to either settle for NDX2/555 or swap out nDAC for a newer high end separate DAC. We were thinking maybe Chord Dave but the Weiss 502 looks beautiful, rack/lounge friendly, and I suspect SWMBO would approve.

I don’t understand. Your friend exchanged his Nd555 with 2 ps for your Weiss and Ndx2 /Xpsdr ? So you have now the Nd555 with 2 ps?

Yes. He got a killer deal on the 555 system from a mutual friend but preferred the Weiss. He sold the NDX2 and XPSDR. I’m still trying to wrap my head around it, but we’re both happy, so. All is well.

2 Likes

My experience is that Naim preamps are very sensitive to vibration, they can sound very different with or without footer/isolation platforms. The second sensitive are sources. But for cable positioning, I do not hear a difference no matter whether the burndys are stressed or not

The dCS lina is not the same as bartock, but without pre amp.
The bartock now runs the 2.0 software for dac the lina does not.

1 Like

So you’re running an ND555 with 2ps through a SN3?

Indeed…source first :wink:

6 Likes

It’s no wonder we get upgradeitis! Fabulous streaming source. :green_circle: with envy.

And here’s us about to run a lowly nDAC on a 252 :laughing:

This is not a thing I’d have dreamed I’d have if not for the trade. And the SN3 does clearly show the benefit of the source.

5 Likes

A lovely balanced system lol

2 Likes

@jhsnider I had the ND555 with only one power supply as a source and it was great. Various people told me there were better ways to spend the money I’d spent for better overall sound and I know they were right, however my system was built over time with opportunistic buys when I could afford them, so it’s not as if I had a blank sheet every time. Now I have a NAC552 and active ATC50s I can hear more what a 555 is capable of. However, when I had the Supernait, it was easily good enough to reveal the incremental improvements to source, what a lovely system with the right speakers. Enjoy yours! I am sure you are.

8 Likes

Your system is what I aspired to go for. Want to ask your experience on the active 50. How is the low volume listening? I am quite ready to sell my 250 and go active ATC SCM 50 next.

Way back in the day on the old forum during the early “streaming wars” Lavry and then Weiss were frequently mentioned around these parts.

Best
Gregg

2 Likes

Steve Huff said that in his review. He was wrong then. However he preferred the Lina vs the Bartok he heard 1 year ago.

Hi @mech
I live in an apartment, so I’m required to do a lot of low level listening and I find the ATCs great. I suppose one of ATCs traditional strengths is the ability to play very loudly, very clearly. It’s very impressive. But in the real world the active speakers have very powerful amp packs that also allow the speaker to sound very fulsome at lower levels too.

1 Like

Lots of info on the lina headphone amp/dac/clock on the dCS site.
As said the lina does not share the same software as the bartock in its dac.
Its board is a different design, still ring dac but different slightly.
The dac in the bartock will be better, as its better laid out, has the better software, etc.
The headphone amp is better in the lina.

1 Like

That is good to know. I also live in public housing so enjoying music in low volume is ideal. Loudness is kind of given so I am not worry on loudness. It is when you want to enjoy music at night that is less than satisfying to me so far with my Dynaudio S40 + 250DR :frowning:

I’ve been reading the reviews of the Weiss Products (501/502) and they are feature rich and receive praise for sound quality, lack of colouration, staging/imaging. Interesting.

I wonder how the 502 sounds with an NDX2 as the transport :question: :rofl:

There’s a dealer an hour’s drive from us when we come to it :smile: