Might be time to move the ND555 on to a new home….
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I’ve told Drago privately that he just might prefer the NDS sound regardless of FW. Nothing wrong with that right? What sounds best is subjective and varies just like the personalities doing the listening.
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Thanks to the fantastic and unwavering efforts of @Darkebear and @Cohen1263 I turned off the USB switch two days ago and lo and behold, an even more differentiated, and certainly also very pure, beautiful sound. Now, after two evenings of wonderful listening, I turned the USB switch back on: I just missed that slightly more complete, somewhat rougher and wonderfully groovy sound. Great that FW 3.11 now has both options. No definitive opinion yet, but the USB On version is now preferred here… we’ll see… curious about the attitude of others in the long term?
NB. the option to switch the USB-setting back on via the app disappears again!
(haven’t rebooted the NDX2 lately … as @Mike_S did)
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It seems Mile (based on reports from the likes of Mike_S) that the Internet Radio input turned off provides the big gain. I’m not adjusting anything now unless there is an obvious degradation in sound. Just so very good!
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Yes, I can imagine that. Listen to a lot of internet radio during the day, so the switch remains active here. Currently everything OFF (including multiroom & clients) and only Qobuz, iRadio, Server and USB ON.
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I’ve just compared two scenarios on my system. The first was disabling USB and iRadio.
That brought a slightly smoother sound but still a slight lack of body and still a degree of sharpness / shrillness on female vocal’s particularly. I then disabled the multi room settings. This brought about a fuller, more realistic sound (To my ears).
I’m leaving all four disabled for a day or so before making any firm judgement but it’s sounding pretty impressive at the moment. I don’t use the radio much on the ND555 and although I use multi room occasionally, it’s not a must have for me.
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All fine … maybe it’s time …
But the whole situation is so f… up. The nd555 I bought, I loved a lot.
And there is also something really nice with nd555…
First world decisions but not an easy one for me…
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Maybe you should just disable all your unwanted inputs on the ND555 and use it for a while and see if the magic comes back for you. Try not to keep comparing with the NDS, just use the ND555 for a month and then see how you feel. Tweaking and comparing can just be confusing, and distract from simply enjoying the music.
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Wisest words ever … I know that… 
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Yep - I tried it for a day and went back to USB on. Darker and more ‘with-it’ easier to follow and better bass.
A can of worms - assume nothing and tread carefully is what I find. Don’t listen to details or lack of noise but how the music grabs you - or not.
Presently the only confirmed for me change I like is MR Settings disabled. The others do things but shift things around and I have not come to a view as a whole they actually improve my musical experience.
DB.
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Are you doing a power down evertime you change something?
And yes - you are correct as ever. Better (darker) with usb on. More organic
Reading all the posts on this topic I sometimes get the feeling some have lost the joy of just listening to the music
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Yes - might be. But this is not my fault! I had not signed for this FW experience after 3.8.
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That shows how we all hear things differently and enjoy different presentations. I think Internet Radio OFF is a big improvement. MR was major though. We can agree on that DB
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Agree on that very much! USB on is really better. Power and dark … like it (for the moment ).
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No - power-down does its own thing too, which I don’t really like doing a lot.
I just make the change and decide if it pleases me - makes me want to listen to a whole track through rather than just a bit as a test…things like that. If I get a ‘yuk’ reaction then I put it back to how it was previously and move-on.
Presently just the MR settings off is the all-round improvement here for me. With the other setting I hear changes and some thinks improved but at the expense of other things now being worse. It is a combined effect. A bit like the person who upgrades his HiFi and it is better, cleaner - but he does not want to listen to music on it much anymore. It has to keep me involved and interested to want to play music - then I am happy with changes. I make few changes and always carefully for this reason.
DB.
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Thanks
USB is off again.
Smoother when off - more grabbing 
Back in fiddle land…
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But we can’t say that we know better when it comes to this D. Or can tell people how to listen to music. USB on or OFF will split opinion like so much more here. Maybe the likes of Internet Radio sounding better off (IMO) is due to a reduced load on our ND’s.
I turned USB off with Radio and it sounded better so didn’t try splitting them. Love how it sounding so not “fiddling” 
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Do you also have now internet radio off or not, I have lost track of your current recommended setting ?
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On at present - as I said abobe, I only have MR setting disabled of the hidden settings.
I tried IR Off and just did not get that immediate obvious positive reaction but heard more noise just elsewhere.
I am not saying I am ‘right’ but just what I presently prefer. I don’t go along with all off is better philosophy as it does just seem that to me, as view on what should be so, but I prefer to experiment and ponder the results and keep to what is enjoyable for me in the context of my own system.
DB.
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