Once you get the 500 and 552 back and they are run in, hopefully this lockdown situation will have eased and then you can try a rossini and clock in your main system.
I feel it will be very rewarding as i found it to be., months later it still astonishes me with how good it is and its easily the best source i have or have every heard
FR,
A Naim NDX2 without an external power supply sounds somewhat different to one with a 555PSDR. Similarly, an MSB Premier with the most basic power supply sounds somewhat different to one fitted with the Powerbase and a bare DCS Rossini sounds very different to one with the external clock, at least to these cloth ears.
When seeking to draw conclusions about the performance of equipment at this level, itâs really important to be clear about the partnering power supplies and clocks that are in place at the time.
Like you, I am not a great fan of the Rossini. But then try one with the clock connected. It is a different beast, one which makes superb music to us.
Best regards, BF
Hi Glenn,
That pretty much sums it up, yes. Hence the apology to your bank balance! For that budget though, there are 2 streamers that are a clear step above others that Iâve heard. The DCS combo is one, the MSB Premier with Powerbase is the other.
The Rossini has great PRAT and musical involvement plus awesome resolution and imaging talents.
If memory serves, the MSB sounds slightly warmer than the DCS combo. It is less resolving and may time slightly slower (we are talking small differences here), but completely absorbs you inside the wonderful, smooth, flowing music that pours forth like liquid gold.
Both are great, great streamers and we would be over the moon to have either as the end-game source in our system at home.
Best regards, BF
Well I cannot agree with this. After one month of playing with my Bartok (with both internal and external headphone amplifier) vs. my KDS/3 with the same external amplifier - leaner is definitely not what I am finding. If anything the Bartok might have even provide more weight than the Linn.
You just hit the magic words. The Bartok already has plenty of resolution, imaging, air and space for my ears. My only complaint is exactly the same as an earlier comment on this thread (perhaps from you) - something to the effect of the bass being 1/2 a beat behind. Slight but noticable. Unfortunately anyone using Naim for an extended period of time gets addicted to the PRAT - anything even the slightest bit âslowerâ becomes extremely noticable. The band has become more mechanical and lost their groove.
âInvolvingâ is an interesting concept. Based on reading this thread many have commented that the ND555 has seen better days when considering parameters of detail and resolution vs. other DACS which use more modern DAC chips (or FPGA). It does however score high on involvement - imho due to the inherent Naim philosophy of PRAT.
I will further hypothesize that enhanced resolution,imaging etc. can yield greater âinvolvementâ for non Naim users accustomed to equipment which does not have the Naim boogie factor. They instead might reject the ND555 as not âinvolvingâ specifically because of its lower levels of resolution and details.
I am pursuing this journey precisely because the comparisons to my Linn have showed me what enhanced resolution and detail can bring to the proceedings. If the Bartok is already nipping at the heels of the KDS on those parameters than the prospect of the Rossini upping the equation is something I want to further investigate. If the Rossini (and clock) brings back the missing factor - PRAT - then that combined with superior resolution, detail and imaging will make it something which I will consider for my system. My end game will then be achieved as I will be able to switch two totl sources, dCS and Linn, between my two systems (headphone and Naim). Every 6 months a new girlfriend! I hope my wife will not get jealous 
Best
Gregg
Guilty as charged mâlord. 'Twas I.
This I too have found to be key. The ND555 + 1 PS we found to have okay resolution but lovely musical involvement and PRAT. It sounded really quite like our CDS3/555PSDR, just a bit better at everything. It was better but not wow better. By way of contrast, the bare Rossini has phenomenal resolution (like a super Bartok) but PRAT wasnât great and it left us cold.
However, adding the clock transformed the sense of timing, PRAT and emotional engagement in the music for us. It was no incremental tweak. It was the difference between âI really donât care for thisâ to âUh, oh, I NEED one of these in my lifeâ.
I suspect this is pretty much what @Dunc experienced when he heard it too.
Whichever choice you make in the end, enjoy the music.
Best regards, BF
but yet, still you bought Dave + Mscaler?
I understand Bluesfan. Just say itâs better to listen at home to be sure someone will really like it.
A member here is not completely satisfied with the Msb premier with powerbase. So different experiences existâŚ
I compared the Rossini alone, because it was already 20k euros, and would not afford the clock.
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Yes, and in your own room.
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I didnât heard the Bartok, only bare Rossini.
And donât forget that listening on headphones is not the same.
Hi FR,
Sorry to have to restate this but that member does not have the top end powerbase. He has MSBâs basic power supply.
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Indeed, for reasons of budget.
Setting money aside, we preferred music from the DCS combo over DAVE + M Scaler by some margin.
Ah ok. Have you compared both, the basic ps vs powerbase?
Bluesfan and Glevethan, I want to clarify also: I donât want to deny your experiences and listening impressions. Only share mine, which may be different, and what I read here on another Msb premier impressions.
My goal is to prevent someone reading that thread to be careful and listen by himself on his system, inside his room.
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yes but it is a lot of money (Dave/Mscaler), surely there is a lot that you did like about itâŚ
I did hear the full stack top of Vivaldi DCS combo - and it just did do it for me, in the way that the Chord DAC do it (starting from the Mojo). I just couldnât get my foot tapping along⌠Strangely enough, with the same amp and speakers, I asked for a demo of Vinyl with a top turntable, and the âdigitalisationâ of music just went away⌠what a relief to hear the vinyl.
There was something that just changed in the music - the flow.
Thatâs not an issue with even the Chord mojo⌠to my ears.
It seems chord have been able to figure it out. I have repeated that test with my Dave, playing an analogue recording on my turntable and playing the same Cd quality on my Dave, and there is no difference in the flow of music, even if they do sound different.
I found that with Vertere interconnects, the Chord DACs (all of them) are really engaging and superbâŚ
Hi FR,
No problem, none at all. The Powerbase is a circa ÂŁ7,500 upgrade to the base dac, so really should make a difference, in the same way that a 555PS does to whatever Naim component it supplies.
As you say, the best learning and the wisest decisions come from personal auditions.
Best regards, BF
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FR
Oh yes most definitely! I demoed the Bartok on two occasions however no need in my room. I brought my trusty Focal Utopias with me for both demos 
The Rossini will be an interesting challenge if the dealer can get creative. I will not do ANYTHING without a demo - and considering these Covid times it will have to be an in home one. I have my trusty headphones here for demo in the headphone system.
The problem now is the end game has changed. The dCS will be doing double duty - headphone AND two channel. As we know that brings a new problem - my cupboard (oh I meant Fraim shelves) is bare 
Letâs cross that bridge when we get to it.
** Once again it bears repeating - UK residents are extremely fortunate. Home demos rarely exist here.
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I have said it a few times now, the first time i heard the rossini and clock it just knocked me for six, i was just blown away with it and from that day onwards all i could think about was the way it sounded and how can i afford such a thing.
It was probably made better by the fact i wasnât expecting it to be so good, i had gone to try the dave, tt2, m scaler, Bartok, nd555 against my NDS. The rossini i didnât even know about at the time.
But in testing the others out and not really finding the right answer, paul at hifi lounge went and got the rossini and clock, while saying this is what you really need joking.
Like what i said before the moment it started up i was just there. No other source has done that to me since i first heard a CD player, back in the day. It really is the end game for me as i guess many other owners the same.
The one thing i will say is DONT listen to one, unless you can somehow find the money to own one, but if you are lucky enough to have the funds and a great system to go with it, then go check one out as i think you will find it will answer most questions.
Cheers dunc
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Reading this forum is like âDeja Vu all over againâ as Yogi Berra said. I bought an ND555 about two years ago. A year ago, I found that the music was not âin the roomâ for me. I had upgraded most everything else and decided to evaluate other options. I tried the MSB Primeer. It was really good and offered MQA. However, when I listened to the Meridian Ultra Dac, that checked all my boxes. The sound took about 5 seconds in the in home demo, so I know what you all are talking about with the dCS and MSB with Power supply. Perhaps I could have continued with the ND555 by adding the second power supply, and the 552 Pre and its power supplies, but that was beyond my budget. So I am very happy with the Meridian Ultra Dac, both with MQA and Hi Res material. This unit may perform for some in the same league as the dCS and MSB, etc.
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Thanks Bailyhill,
I must audition one of those Meridian Ultra Dacs âŚ
This is it. Being there with the music. In whichever way you can achieve it.
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