Hi everyone.
I would like to ask you all about your experiences with the old PS555 against the new and improved PS555 dr.
I know there was a thread on this earlier, but it’s been closed for a while.
Any comments would be appreciated.
Hi Alexiss,
Which device are you considering to be powered by the 555PS?
I ask because the older ones were developed with the pre-DR version in mind, whereas the latest Naim sources were developed with the DR technology in mind.
Best regards, BF
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Hi and thanks for your response.
You may be on to something there.
I own a Naim nDAC, and I have had the chance to try the old PS555 vs the new PS555dr.
Although they are both great products, I felt that the improvement was more profound through the old PS555 than the new PS555dr.
The dealer did not agree with me, and I am kinda torn.
I’ve had both units for a cpl of days and there is a difference between them, PS555 being the better one.
Naim says the new DR version should improve all their units, but I dont know…
Could it be that the DR version unit I have might be somehow defective?
You can’t expect to make these decisions in a few days because they need time to warm up properly. Usually one gets an impression of what the box can do. Many of us wait months and months!
Phil
When I came to upgrade the XP5XS I was using on my nDAC I tried a 555PSDR but felt it did too much eg a bit digitally hard and bass overwhelming. I tried the non DR 555PS and instantly preferred it. That one stayed for quite a while. I was running a 282/SC/250.2 at the time.
However, that’s not the end of the story. Some years later after many other elements of my system had been upgraded I tried the DR version of the 555PS again and reversed my opinion. I concluded from this that there is some synergy when several components are DR. Also, the rest of the system needs to be able to fully cope with the extra information that the nDAC/555PSDR pushed out compared to the nDAC/555PS.
So a long way of saying that I’m not surprised you find the old 555PS better than the DR version.
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The new DR supplies, when very new not run-in can sound awful compared directly to a well run-in, non-DR supply.
I had that with both the 555DR and 500DR supply, the latter when my Dealer a few years ago for one reason or another when the new 500DR first appeared and they had their brand new one running-in swapped to use the old 500 supply onto the new 500DR head unit - and it was much better in terms of involvement, bass weight…etc. If I’d never heard the run-in DR supply a few weeks later I’d have not realised it would end-up a lot better.
The same applied to 555DR supply - it begins a bit brutish and lacking in subtlety, but then after a few weeks is everywhere far ahead of the well run-in non-DR supply was my experience.
The 555DR is cleaner in terms of bass harmonic noise getting pushed-up into the rest of the mix - when playing music with bass lines they are cleaner and better-defined. The mid is more open and detailed and the top-end more extended and refined is how I eventually found it - after about 3 months run-in.
A more emphatic presentation of the music that made the non-DR sound vague and veiled and just lacking precision; on its own it was fine but when you compare the two it is obvious what Naim bothered with this upgrade.
DB.
Has the dealer said how many hours each psu has been used for?
On a different thread, SiS wrote:
Simon-in-Suffolk (How good is the Naim NDS)
The NDAC with the 555PS is very good indeed … I preferred the NDAC/555PS nonDR to the NDS/555PS for most genres.
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Me too. On every demo, regardless of source, I always preferred the nDac/555PS to NDS/555PS, (regardless of DR)
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That’s odd, because in theory the dual Burndies to digi and analog sides of the NDS should outperform the single Burndy to the nDAC. Also, the NDS was nearly 3 times the price - so even with added streamer one would expect the NDS to be a better DAC.
Can you say a bit more about how it sounded better?
Were they very different sounding and in what way?
Do you have any idea why the nDAC sounded better to you?
Also, what were you feeding it with?
Also, did you compare the NDS and nDAC in your house, or at a dealers?
Why?
The NDAC with separate PSU via a Burndy lead is like running with two Burndy leads… as effectively the power supply of the NDAC is split into two… the internal PSU driving different circuitry from the external PSU.
As far as better DAC… again why? They both used AD SHARC processors running the same over sample and low pass filter, and both used the PCM1704K. Sure the NDS had suspension and the NDAC didn’t and was subsequently more sensitive on support… there were some other changes too… but they were from the same stable albeit sounded quite different so can see where personal preference came into play.
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Hi @JimDog. The demos were always at my dealer’s because I never liked the NDS enough to then give it a home trial. I tried the NDS as a dac eg fed by my (then) digital source of CDX2.2/XP5XS. Then tried it with the same CDs ripped to a Unitiserve. The result was always the same, the nDAC just had more boogie and involvement. In fairness to my dealer, he agreed with my conclusions. I’m not saying that the NDS isn’t good. Indeed I heard it fronting a Statement, when the system sounded wonderful (though not as good as the fully-specced LP12 that was also used). Guess I’m just so used to the nDAC signature which has boogie and a visceral bass. NDS sounded detailed and refined but somehow left me feeling unconnected to the music. But that’s just me.
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Ah - thanks, I didn’t know that.
Do you know of any great ways to connect an nDAC to a streaming service like Tidal?
Thanks. I have heard that same comment from others too on the Forum - that the NDS was more detailed but less musically engaging for them than the nDAC.
So you never fed your nDAC with digital files?
Do you know of any great ways to connect an nDAC to a streaming service like Tidal?
Yes, do as I did, use a streamer… I used to use a NDX. I would recommend a NDX2 now.
That would be great.
If I had £5k to spare…
I could afford an NDX.
Which would sound better (other things being equal) - an NDX or an nDAC or a 272 with a 555DR?
(Apologies to the OP, but some of this may be of interest to him.)
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They are very different beasts… to get the best out of the NDAC it really needs a 555PS in my opinion… so could be quite a price tag… so the 272 and 555PSDR might more accessible…
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I already have 272 and 555PSDR, which sounds great.
I suppose I should stop there, but am wondering whether an NDS/555DR/282 would sound better?
It would be nasty to disrupt a lovely system chasing something even better and find the final result worse.
It will have a greater performance… but if you are happy with yours then leave it at that unless you have those funds and a big itch to scratch 
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Hi all.
Yes, the units are “demo” units, having 100’s and 100’s of playing time on them.
The PS555 improvement was instantly recognizable. But when 555 dr was connected, it did improve the sound, but PS555 was way better (audible difference).
I had them for comparison appr two weeks.
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The non-DR 555PS will be a lot cheaper. And you can always later get Naim to upgrade it to DR status. That’s what I did. 
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