ND555 at Olive System

90% vinyl yes. I ‘may’ get into streaming at some point! Perhaps in my second system to go with the N50. Picking it up tomorrow :grin:

N50 - PERFECT!
Mine is without source as ND5XS2 is on tour in the living room :slight_smile:
ähäm - music room :slight_smile:

1 Like

Hi @frenchrooster
Unbelievable… today PN is totally different…
Very full bass - could that be? Even thought it to be too much - yes me…
Unplugged all other stuff ( farad - nd5xs2…). Only PN playing. Not the same system as yesterday…
This must be my first burn-in-ride… my hifi dilemmas - here they are :slight_smile:

Thanks for your advice with PN

1 Like

If you are happy with the SBL speakers then keep them. All I am saying is that modern speakers will produce different results which may offer something different.

With my system I had Linn Kelidh speakers then Focal Aria 936s and now Focal Sopra 2s.

The Sopra 2s are magnificent. The Aria 936s gave something the Kelidhs didn’t. However the Kelidhs were in some ways sweeter and more musical than the Arias which are bolder and offer more power resources.

Different speakers may give you more of ehat you are after and can hold your system back.

That was the point I was trying to make. Not to say that the SBLs are not perfect for you or anyone else.

2 Likes

You are fully correct.
I have my SBL for over 30 years yet. My ears are SBL. A bit of a job to adjust for new speakers. But - you never know until you see or hear.
And sopra 2s is a wonderful speaker - I can imagine your face when the first sound appeared :heart_eyes:

1 Like

DBL is the answer :wink:

3 Likes

They could be the answer. Its having the space for them too.

DBL’s work very well in a small room.Designed to stand close to
the wall behind them.
My room is about 3,3 x 4 meters.

1 Like

All setup for a hard listening weekend.
Had a quick check of ee8/farad (running 24/7 for 5days) against PN (running 7days).
PN wins… but ee8 farad is close - will also compare to ee8 with smps.

@frenchrooster
PN has 24/7 for 7 days - with streaming - not only power.
Love it - should I expect to get further massive changes … less bass ? :joy: :roll_eyes:

It should open still and get some more involvement. It takes a long time to fully burn in. So I would wait until the last day before you have to return it and compare it vs EE8 or EE8/ Farad.
If it’s 7 days 24/24, you are at minimum the middle of the complete burn in.

1 Like

Had extensive testing … think decision is done.
Will write my thoughts later.

Found a very nice NBL - I am very tempted… maybe not easy to setup, as I have a roof Beginning 1m from the floor. NBL is 1,14m … sad

Resumee…

Even if it is only day 8…
Have made intensive listening today.

New setup:
PN: cinnamon cable to HDX - vodka to nd555

Test 1:
Ee8/farad cinnamon to HDX - vodka to nd555
Close … but the magic is missing. There is something special with PN… Depth and lively mids are so amazing - giving the feeling listening to vinyl.
With ee8/farad it is more analytical. Much better with PN. This must be the Sean jacobs effect with PN. Had it when I had a glimpse in DC3.

Test 2:
Ee8/smps
It is faster and really analytical - stressful compared to PN.
Like it as well. You can listen to sounds - with PN you can listen to music.

Test 3:
Half loom vodka - vodka from PN to HDX plus vodka PN to nd 555.
More open and transparent in the mids … mote detail. But … a bit too much forward and more analytical. With cinnamon it is a tiny bit less detailed but much more earthy and musical

Same with Ethernet cable from refined audio.

The biggest step was chord Clearway to vodka. Vodka is so much better. Clearway is a bit silky but with cloth and much more 2D.

Also tested PN with powerline against standard and other audiophile cable (a friend gave me - forgot the name). Powerline wins - less hard with bass - more weight in bass and more analogue sound.

We have a winner :1st_place_medal:

4 Likes

NBL is too big.
SBL mk2 or SL2 will be very welcome to pop up. That latter is very rare …

Interesting that you say the EE8/SMPS sounds fast and analytical as that’s exactly how I would describe it. There’s lots going on with sounds coming from everywhere. With the LHY LPS in the mix it all goes a bit more simplistic.

I took the LHY round to a friends the other night. He has an ND555 two 555DR power supplies, 552DR and 500DR used with Ovator 800’s. He’s also using the EE8 switch with the standard SMPS. We switched back and forth a few times and the effect was exactly the same. He much preferred the SMPS for it’s detail and openness. Bass was marginally better on the LPS but wasn’t enough to compensate for the loss elsewhere. This seems to be the general effect I’ve had with the four LPS’s I’ve tried so far.

1 Like

Totally comply!
I also bought the LHY - by your „advice“ :grin:
I got it even with a better cable for over 100.

LHY does a good bass but is lacking speed and transparency in HF and even in mids. Preferred SMPS at once.
Farad is way ahead but also missing a bit speed and sparkle (and depth) - but only compared to the PN. Without knowing the PN farad is a fine uplift. I would have kept it if not… :grin:

PN is also not as speedy as smps, but with my sbls (speedy as well) and room this was a bit too much with nd555.
In my setup smps lacks room and throws all information to the front. PN gives depths without lacking sparkle plus very nice 3d layering. Even more detailed as smps these details have more room, hence the more relaxt presentation.

Will use lhy with ee8 for „the second lane“ for tv, Apple TV, Xbox… lhy has an on off switch - so I can only switch on when used. Or sell ee8… but might be harder to sell

I’ve just returned my dealers PN. However, my issue was that the PN bumped the bass too much and just unbalanced the system. Everything became a bit bass heavy and started to become noticeable on every track. I would have liked to have seen if this evened out over time, as their was definitely a quality to the sound that I’ve not heard before.

I would also like to give the Farrad a go just to see for myself.

1 Like

Bass uplift is exactly my major need, I felt the same - it developed more of it during break in.
Maybe also my ears adapt.

That what I would have liked to ask you @Geko
Do you feel the same effect with PN as with lhy. I think not. Here is speed and room and something special without almost Vinyl like mids. In my case a major uplift

Had a friend came by yesterday… he is not into hifi but likes music. With new nd555 (and ee8) the first time ever he commented „too much“. All in front is a bit stressful. I loved it and was a bit surprised with his comment. Was a bit hard for me to understand as I loved nd555.
When the first tone came through PN I instantly thought… „this could have been his point“

He confirmed it yesterday - now it is relaxed and he loves listening again.

Silly question ahead
Do you pull the Ethernet plugs till the end into the connector (I do so)
Or pull them a bit put to let the floating naim like.

Actually I don’t find the SMPS that stressful. I find it very even-handed with all frequencies, with a very well balanced image that still manages to keep everything separated when things get quite complex. The PN was more accurate with timbres and much darker in tone, which tended to give everything a slightly calmer sound. There was definitely a quality about it that I’ve not heard before. All the LPS’s I tried either sounded slow, messed with the high frequencies or sounded a bit phasey

I just click them in. Out of curiosity have you tried Catsnake?