Well i managed to nip into hifi lounge this afternoon and try a few things, didnt have hours and hours to kill, but i did get a good indication of what was what.
Nd555 first up, dcs Bartok next and finally dcs rossini with clock. Didnt try any chord gear as time ran out for me.
System was naim, 552dr, 300dr and fact 12’s speakers, being fed by a melco n1zh/2 using 16 and 24 bit
First off the naim, it sounded great and was completely what i was expecting it to be. No real need to go into the sound as i am sure we have all experienced it and this is more about what the dcs can add, if it can to the mix.
After about 30 minutes of me playing about with different tracks and different types of music, went from dire straits, fleetwood mac, nils lofgren to yello. So quite different and it was tracks i new very well.
Next up the Bartok, lovely build quality and looks a quality product that feels nice when you operate its buttons, straight away a different sound, more relaxed and less in your face compared to the naim, i wouldn’t say it was better, more just different, but it was very nice and for half the cost of the naim a bargin really. I could very easily have taken it over the naim, but in all honesty if you have a nd555 or like me a nds, then really little point as its more a side step than moving up, but it was good to try and if you havent already got yourself a nice streamer/dac, then its worth trying i feel, just make sure your rack is deep enough as its bid beast.
The dcs rossini/clock.
Well first off it looks fantastic and quite dominating sitting next to the naim gear and i wish i hadn’t listened to it. End off.
But my god its fantastic, the same system just stepped up quite a few notches, it just blew the other 2 away very easily, so much so i found myself just quietly laughing to myself. Its very special and just sounds like no other dac or digital system i have ever heard.
If you can afford it then go try it and if i was looking at a new ND555 and 555psdr then sorry naim my money would be going to dcs.
So come on naim its time to up your game, as would love to keep my system all naim and you have a while before i can afford a rossini but the saving has officially started today, but it’s that which i aspire to own and not the ND555