Your dealer should be working with you to ensure that you are happy with your system. Has he been to listen to your system, and was he able to make any suggestions? If he can’t get it to sound better than your NDS, he should take it away and give you a refund without quastion.
Hi ChrisSU, you are absolutely right. I have to get my dealer involved more. It is quite an effort for him to come to my place. Regarding this I did try to solve the problem by myselfe and even did get in contact with musicline by myselfe. They tested the unit and came to the conclusion everything is fine. This didn’t help me :-(.
Stefan
something is wrong with the set up. burndys? problem with the nd555 itself? A dealer can visit at your home?
Hi frenchrooster,
burndys got checked by Musicline as well as the player with the powersupply. They say it is good, what is actually my dilemma, because I thought it is obvious that there is something wrong.
The thing is, it is not day and night obvious. At a first listen it sometimes even sounds impressive but after a while you realize it is unpleasant. By now I got really sensitive to it and can spot the problem mostly with the first song.
Stefan
I’m one of those odd people who prefer the CDS3 to the CD555; I just find that the CDS3 is more musically satisfying. Maybe some find the same about the NDS and ND555? Maybe Stefan’s 555 isn’t faulty and he simply prefers the NDS. Without hearing it’s impossible to say, but what is possible to say is that somebody buying one should be delighted with it. The only answer seems to be to let him borrow another one. It will either sound the same - in which case it’s just a case of preferring the NDS - or it will sound much better - in which case the first one is somehow faulty. There is of course a third option - that the second example will sound even worse - but let’s set that aside for the moment.
One question Stefen did you purchase the 555 PSU at the same time as the ND555 or did you use an existing 555 PSU that was used running two burndies into the NDS.
Hi Neil,
that would be obvious, but the transit bolts are removed. what is interesting, you can even hear the plates making a little noice inside the ND555 when walking around in the room.
Stefan
I am totally with you. I’m trying different speakers right now and because the SL2 is a little bit brighter it could emphasis the problem but the SL2 should not be the problem.
Hi DB,
yes I tried many different ethernet leads also a CAT5e, didn’t solve it.
Regarding the my amps the 300 was DR’d and serviced a few 3 or 4 years ago, but my Pre has around 12 years on it’s back. I tought about that as well, but it just sounds fine with the NDS and LP12. But this is at least one possibility.
… they are torqued just recently with the right settings (3,6nm), but thanks for the tought DB.
… Thanks for the info, that is something I needed to know
… just did move the units. Will listen more closely now. At a first listen, it didn’t solve the issue.
Hi nautilus, sorry to hear you have issues with the ND555 as well. I won’t give up on the ND555 yet. I really would like to like the player and I still guess there is something wrong.
Hi Chris, thanks, this gives me confidence to be more demanding with my dealer.
I bought is in early August and I guess it was from the first production batch. Replacement is not an option right now, because Musicline checked the unit and everything seems to be ok. This is my dilemma.
… I thought about that myself. Especially when comparing firmware 4.4 and 4.6 on the NDS 4.4 was the more musically satisfying for me. But regarding the ND555 everybody in my family doesn’t really like it. So it is not just me.
… you are so true
I had the 555PS already with my NDS running two burndies. I also use the old burndies because the were already run in. Musicline also checked the burndies and measured them.
Hey and thanks to everybody so far. I’m overwhelmed by your response and that gives me hope.
Thanks for that.
Stefan
Hi Yeti,
I tried a lot in this respect. I use Powerlines in a Musicline distribution block. The plugin order is first 555ps, than 552 and then 300, nothing else. I have a dedicated line.
I also tried the power igel (musicline) for a while, but it didn’ get better.
Thanks
Stefan
Well, from reading your opening post, my first thought was… the Burndys! While I haven’t had any hands on with an ND555, my experience with previous “burndied” sources immediately twigged my suspicions. They’re tricky to get right sometimes and it’s often down to hands on feel and ensuring that the strain relief collars aren’t overtightened so there’s just enough movement there - not too much though as that’s nearly as bad and can lead top the cable assembly coming apart. However, if Musciline have checked them and tried them on their own ND555 then I guess they’re fine. Has your dealer tried a different unit and a different 555PS in place of the ones in your system? That would be my next step and perhaps the only way to get to the bottom of the problem.
This is very interesting as I am fairly certain that the sound from my ND555 has ‘gone off’, sounding noticeably harsher than it did. The clear indicator is that I’ve been using it a lot less than usual, preferring other sources, particularly FM radio.
I shall watch this thread with interest as I would be keen to restore the performance of the ND555, particularly given its cost.
Hi @Stefan, Didn’t spot any response to DB’s suggestion, or see any mention that you have Fraim. It does make a difference as does plug order. I prefer power amp first on my daisy chain of double sockets then pre and 555PS followed by and separated from sources with a empty one. I’d go as far as to says these, air round boxes, cable dressing and avoiding polluting electrical devices can make or break your sound quality at 500 level and below. Your dealer should have done these for you and instructed you.
If you think the LP12 is amazing in your system then maybe the problem is more limited. You can always turn off analogue to hear digital and vice versa.
I ordered my 555 as soon as the price was announced and it was brought round by the dealer the first Saturday after deliveries started, and it didn’t turn on with the non DR 555 ps I’d bought ex demo and used with a CDX2 for several years, the 555 went back to the dealership where it started up OK with their ps and my ps powered their NDS OK. A phone call to Naim on the following Tuesday, when both dealer and Naim were open, suggested a fault with my ps. Off it went and Naim found a broken diode and faulty regulator on a rail that is used by the 555 but not by CDX2 or NDS. DR-ing seemed the obvious course and Naim expedited the job to get my 555 running ASAP. It did sound a little harsh on switch on but that was gone by the next morning and though it improved over the next 6 months it never sounded harsh again.
Wow… that is interesting… the ND555 wasn’t my cup of tea, but that is quite an observation.
I can’t say I have ever heard a ND555 sound bright or harsh, just not as insightful as I prefer, but then I have only listened to them on different systems to my own.
In my experience a system should never sound bright or harsh no matter how detailed… the key for me is detail, insight and natural resolution as you relate to it, without undue brightness, prominence or artificiality (unless mixed that way)… I do suspect something is amiss somewhere rather than a issue with all ND555s… especially if you really enjoyed the NDS.
Unfortunately the other realisation has got to be never buy blind… try and ignore the hype … especially on this forum… and make your own mind up. There are so many suggestions and recommendations on here that I couldn’t disagree more with… obviously some I agree… but in the end only you can decide in your listening room.
Stefan, you have tried more than can reasonably be expected to get this issue with your ND555 sorted by yourself. As others have said, as you have tried all the obvious things, to my mind the only true test to get to the bottom of this is for your dealer to bring around a second ND555 (and CD555PS?) and try it in your system.
If you love the second ND555, then your one is faulty. If the second ND555 sounds equally poor to you then you simply prefer the NDS, or there is some other ‘incompatibility’ with the rest of your system and/or your room.
My strong advice to you is give the dealer one more opportunity to sort this by demoing a second ND555 in your system. If they won’t, then escalate it to the top brass at Naim HQ.
(I would guess Charlie is watching this play out).
That’s not right if it’s on Fraim, assuming you don’t have an incredibly bouncy floor. I seem to recall someone else having a suspension problem that Naim rectified, so it could be that. Your 555PS needing attention on the circuit the NDS doesn’t use but the ND555 does is another possibility which Musicline could obviously not have noted when checking the head unit
Stefan,…At This level of products,.it is the trader’s responsibility to install ND555 in your music system.
As Well As Follow Up The Deal,.and check that you are satisfied with your investment.
You should be allowed to borrow one ND555 and PS for at least a week,…this given that Naim’s products need a few days to “start singing”.
Then you can compare in peace and quiet.
These errors often tend to be at subtle levels,…but get so large over time so you stop using the product.
It can be a bad solder somewhere,…for example in your cables,this affects much more than most people think.
And,…a bad soldering is not noticeable in the soundquality during a quick listening test of a pair of cables.
That Musicline has fast-tested your ND555 does not mean so much.
They apparently stopped there,and did not help you further to find the problem.
You should,…as I said above test another ND555 and PS for a long time in your OWN Music-system.
Also Borrow home other Burndys from your dealer and compare.
But…Next step,.contact your dealer.
Doesn’t that Help,…Contact Naim HQ.
There was another post about the ND555 where the circuit board was not located properly and was touching or rubbing. I can’t remember who it was. It could be that after transport, to the dealer, its now in a different location, and performs fine at the dealer. With time, it may have migrated to a position that is not favorable, touching or rubbing. I would pursue this quite dilligently. Its a big clue. It might not be the whole problem, but it should not be making noise. Whomever had that issue, please chime in.
Richard, if a dealer doesn’t want to do more with this nd555 not sounding right, can the OP ask Naim audio himself and send it to Salsburry? Will Naim audio refund the OP for the sending?
I don’t know how it works in that case.
My first unit had something tinkling around inside, which sounded a lot lighter than the suspended subchassis. I took it back to the retailer less than 24 hours after I’d collected it. It was solved by replacement, albeit with a scratched unit.
Stefan,…At This level of products,.it is the trader’s responsibility to install ND555 in your music system.
You should be allowed to borrow one ND555 and PS for at least a week,…this given that Naim’s products need a few days to “start singing”.
But…Next step,.contact your dealer.