Khan84 makes a very good point. I never really enjoyed Vodka and thought it over emphasised that typical Naim zing just a little too much, so it may pay you to experiment.
To be honest this cable, power supply, and filter thing is a right PITA because there are no rules. What works on my system won’t necessarily work on yours or anyone else’s.
Here’s a good example; a mate loaned me a length of obscenely expensive Shunyata Sigma ethernet cable to try. Stuck it in the system and after a couple of days I thought it sounded just a tad better than my Catsnake. Now comes the weird bit, I changed from my normally preferred SMPS, to a linear power supply and bloody WOW what a difference! Stuck the Catsnake back in and it sounded horrible, stuck the SMPS on again and it was fine. I’ve gone back to the Shunyata and LPS and am still a bit gobsmacked at just how good this combination is. All my criticism of LPS’s being slow and dull has completely disappeared. I just don’t know what’s going on but I fear I’m likely to feel the impact on my wallet!
Yes Audioquest vodka - tested it shortly
It is damn good… darker, groovy and and edgy
Back to diamond… voices more emotional, more detailed, smoother on the edges.
Both nice - diamond stays even when a bit more dry. Voice and resolution I like a lot. Catsnake is fine but less resolving
@Geko
Your advice is much appreciated - as ever.
Yes - totally PITA.
Same here - vodka is less dry and really cool. But it is overall a bit too dark and voices and overall detail is better with diamond.
Maybe I should try 2nd ps and vodka … i is so much work.
Now fiddling with Ethernet cable. …
Vodka is less dry in my system, but voices are really much better better with diamond… by a margin
Yes… it still is…
Currently Ethernet fiddle it is.
With 500 the difference in both cables is „huge“. Much bigger differences than with 135.
Like the grunge of vodka - but diamond is is like 4k compared to 1080p
Except there is where I am fiddling today with Ethernet cable.
Vodka - catsnake - diamond
Vodka has more boogie but is also a bit too edgy and details get lost
Diamond is more hifi and a bit more dry but smoother on the edge and stunning voices and lots of details
Catsnake in between (vodka with less boogie or Diamond with more groove)
Have Naim themselves actually suggested using dual 555PS for improved performance, or is this something someone just decided to do at one point? I don’t remember this being suggested often on the CD555 and Naim seems to never do it themselves when doing demos. Naim just demoed Focal Grande Utopias powered by Statement at Axpona and only had one power supply on the ND555. You’d think if it made such a vast improvement, as some claim, they themselves would use two 555PS in a system at that level.
Not yet …
The ee8 will de-smoothen it and make it even brighter - that’s what I do not need currently.
I am currently stuck between catsnake and diamond
Catsnake is good - but a bit held back and female voices with diamond are to bend the knee
Catsnake is more relaxed and together with fruity bass
If I remember correctly it came about quite a while back with the CDP555, so a little while before streaming. There was a general understanding that keeping digital and analogue power supplies completely separate brought about a performance increase. I’m not sure who it was that was first to use two power supplies but I suspect it was Naim. I’ve certainly been to a Naim demo where they were using two power supplies.
It does seem to polarises views and experiences. I use two supplies and couldn’t go back. I have three friends all with big Naim systems and all have migrated from one to two supplies. None, as far as I’m aware have regretted or had any second thoughts. We all experienced similar improvements in pretty much all the key areas you’d expect. Better instrument timbres, timing, dynamics, etc.etc.
