I did a post asking the same question to Naim…nothing…i still only power what i use.
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There was a marked improvement in SQ for me when I enabled all inputs a couple of months after I purchased the ND555. It seemed counter intuitive as with the NDS it definitely worked better the other way with unused inputs being disabled.
Also make sure you enable “server mode” under “other settings” in the app…also has a positive impact on the SQ.
All of the above tips were given to me by my dealer after he had conferred with Jason from Naim.
PS: I am also noticing a nice improvement in SQ following this firmware update…the soundstage has definitely expanded producing a very enjoyable “out of speaker” effect.
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There was similar improvements with Firmware updates for the NDS.
I remember there were two Beta versions out, for us, as Beta testers, to compare and contrast, then vote.
I would like to think that if the Naim Engineers are learning new tweaks for the DACs in the ND555 whether they will apply any improvements back to the NDS, given they use the same DAC technologies. Please?
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Hi @Leith
Are you sure about enabling server mode regarding SQ? Sorry to question you but had heard opposite advice in the past although don’t remember exactly where.
Hi @jsaudio
Always worth checking these things. I found that enabling server mode made a small but definite improvement. This change was made by me about a year ago and I remember trying it enabled and then disabled a number of times before settling on enabled as being the best option.
It was originally my dealer that prompted me to try enabling it as he had had discussions with Jason from Naim regarding it.
Give it a try and see what you think.
Enjoy.
There was a thread already on that for the new streamers. All imputs enabled is recommended by Naim.
Like @Darkebear , I noticed a change in the low end.
It’s not easy to put this into words.
I’d describe this as a symmetrical change. It seems that the Low end has been enhanced in the same way as the mids and highs did.
It goes deeper, better articulated, clearer/cleaner.
I’m not a fan of music containing too much “low end”. It usually ends up being a big mash…
Naim did a great job. Rock and Jazz track are now much more enjoyable. Symphonies such as the 6th of Mahler’s are a great pleasure!
I’m lucky to have speakers that can handle that.
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Where FR?
Cheers
G
Another pleasant discovery: sibilance on some recordings is gone!
The firmware update had also an effect on some violin recordings.
…is this an understatement to express the fact there was a problem? 
The very first seconds of the preludio of the partita n°3 in E, BWV 1006 (disc 2, track 10) were always unpleasant. The bow attacks sounded a bit like nails on a black board.
This unpleasant sound was audible with my actual speakers and the previous ones as well.
I tested that track on a McIntosh system, on two different Soulution systems (with my actual speakers) and on Sennheiser headphones. No sibilance.
That detail, and some others, made me wonder about the ND555’s acclaimed qualities… 
I thought that this sibilance could be related to my listening room, system setup, etc.
My room is carefully treated and the system setup is rather ok (it could be better, of course).
By making that annoying sibilance disappear, the firmware update somewhat confirmed it : the problem was the ND555.
This is reassuring and disappointing at the same time…
The good thing is that, IMO, the ND555 now reaches the 500 DR series level 
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In my system, with NDX2, not ND555, there is also a clear improvement with the new firmware update: greater amplitude in the soundstage, and better integration of frequencies, with treble and mids slightly more extended and, above all, tighter, nuanced and more controlled bass. It is not a difference from day to night but appreciable and significant. Fantastic work done.
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In Nd555 impressions I think to remember
Apparently Naim has been reading the forums and noticed that several folks are moving away and going to other brands for their streamers/dacs. Glad to see that they are responding. Too bad they keep so quiet about it. If they said they had something in the pipeline, I might still own my ND555. Too late now.
Or perhaps they pay no attention to the forums, and this was something that they decided to do. It confirms that something was not optimal to me.
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I can understand why you moved away from the ND555…
I was pretty close to audition a CH Precision combo, which is in the same price tag as a 500 series system.
But didn’t. I like the 552DR/500DR very much. Wicked fast, silent and delicat at the same time. Brings life to classical music
In my opinion, before the 3.4 update, the ND555 felt a bit like an unfinalized product.
Perhaps my expectation were too high…
What amplification did you use with your ex-ND555?
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Hello Thomas
The Speakers are the Apogee Scintilla One Ohm speakers. Not all amps will drive them properly. My Naim dealer at the time inquired with the factory about using a Naim Amp. Naim did not recommend it. So the synergistic combination has always been the Krell KSA-80B amp for these speakers. I had the amp recapped a year ago. I am working to recap the crossover in the Scintillas with V Caps. Cannot afford Mundorfs. Perhaps others I should consider?
I was experiencing significant mid-bass bloom on my NDX2 as well. The SQ was disappointing.
Out of frustration, I unplugged my NDX2 last evening. This morning I did a ‘power-on reset’ of my NDX2 and it resolved my ‘heavy bass’ issue. The SQ is significantly better and I am now noticing similar improvements as noted by others.
I should have done a power-on reset initially. I had experienced SQ issues (harsh/brittle high-end) with my previous Nova after a firmware update. A factory / power-on reset addressed that issue as well.
I don’t think it confirms anything of the sort.
I see a huge amount of praise on here for the ND555, and very little, if any, criticism of the ND555’s SQ. There has been a little concern over the SQ of version 3.4 of the software, but far more praise of it. I will add my voice to those who very much like the SQ of version 3.4, a significant improvement IMV.
I am afraid the old adage that an unhappy customer will tell 10 people of their experience but a happy customer will only tell 3 people often hols true. You therefore often hear complaints disproportionately to compliments.
I also see a lot of pride of ownership of the ND555, so I am not sure where all the doubt over it is appearing.
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I heard a lot of high end systems since some years now. The best sound I could heard was with 552/ 500 dr / Nd555/ 555dr/ Apertura Everest. It was really something!
Recently I heard a full Soulution electronics and Dac, Melco n1z2, big Magico at a dealer place.
I stood in the room only 10 minutes: the detail retrieval was impressive. The sound very holographic and with impressive bass. All was very clear and transparent. But the sound was clinical, cold, and lacking the feeling that musicians are playing together with enjoyment. Impressive, more resolving than Naim 500 system for sure. But tasteless.
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That’ll be the famous Naim PRaT you are hearing there, FR. It brings music to life in your living room, and not many manufacturers of HiFi can match this particular aspect of music reproduction.
Other aspects of music reproduction are of course available at any good HiFi store.
Possibly Nigel, but not only that. There is meat on the bones that full Soulution/ Magico is lacking. There is also an impression with Naim that the whole is more important than the individual instruments. It enables more easily to understand “the why”, the intention and relationships between musicians.
Conrad Johnson electronics do it even better than Naim, but at a decrease in Prat and involvement.
And the third aspect, a bit different from Prat, is the feeling of urgency. A grip and quickness , a life that many electronics are lacking.
However Naim is not perfect, even a full 500 series with our favorite speakers: the soundstage in back is lacking, and some electronics and dacs present more details and colors of instruments.