DB, will you also try the AQ Diamond to see if it brings anything more to the party (compared to the Vodka)?
FR, I also tried reversing my AQ Vodkas. I have two; one connecting the NDS to the switch and the other connecting my Synology NAS to the switch. Each reversal caused the music to become more fulsome; superficially richer but with a loss of lightness/deftness/detail and engagement. I’ve now reverted the AQ’s to their original directions.
At some point in future - yes. But these things for me take a couple of weeks to really come on-song musically - my Vodka cable is still improving and lost any trace of harsh-edge it could have at first. I want to play and enjoy some music in the gaps between these demos!
Presently I borrowed another Poweline mains lead to try on my Melco NAS as I’d previously used a standard Naim stock lead for that and wondered what that would do if anything.
Immediately the improvement was a clear and welcome reduction in background noise and greater clarity. Bass is fuller with more ‘start-stop’ definition and similar refinement throughout the frequency range.
…it may be staying.
DB.
Thanks. I’d be interested in your findings if and when you try the Diamond.
Good to try it and get your own view. Mine definitely are better reversed with the Melco and another brand of Ethernet better reversed with another Melco in another system - it may be Melco-specific.
DB.
Interesting results with the mains cable. I had a spare Powerline, which I tried on both the Melco and then the Cisco switch. I ended up preferring the stock Melco mains on the Cisco.
I’ve been running the Melco for 8 months with a standard stock Naim main lead.
I’d heard another system with Melco - and my Dealers Melco used with Powerline and had wondered if they had something extra - not it seems they did. The effect is similar to when I tried them on other HiFi boxes if not more so - well worthwhile.
A ‘busy grain’ in back of the music dropped-away and it is calmer and cleaner-sounding. Bass in particular more solid on-off thunk to it. I then run it for a few days to ensure nothing is lost as you tend first to hear additive changes and not any parallel things missing that you only hear much later, which is why I always decide over time.
So does that mean you used the PL on Melco?
I’m wondering if the improvement is less the Melco sounding better in itself, but the PL isolating the mains from its supply better. My Melco uses a switch-mode supply which I was amazed worked as well as it did when I demoed it in my system so this may improve isolation from the rest of the HiFi which is all on PL leads.
I get the impression that it is not so much what is getting in from the mains but stopping what the rectifiers and other supply elements inside the box are doing, in terms of creating inevitable rectification noise, getting out onto the rest of the wiring all the other boxes plug into.
DB.
DB, have you ever tried or heard of the sonority platforms that can replace the glass shelves? Dave recently reported on that.
I did try them a few years ago and did not like them in my system.
They do something in one area at expense of another - it may be system-specific which you prefer.
DB.
Apologies for the delay in replying, DB…busy family weekend.
Yes, like you I found that the Melco benefits from a mains lead upgrade. I’m now using a Sarum T cable, which is probably over the top but it works a treat.
Thanks Dave - I thought that is what you meant but wanted to be sure.
DB.
I’m late to this party and don’t own an ND555, but I do own AQ Vodka and I know one of AQ’s employees (he used to work at my trustee dealer) with whom I have discussed directionality.
AQ cables are earthed at one end, so can’t create ground loops but I think could, in theory, act as ariels if connected to a metal shielded plugs. It may be possible that the positive effects of wiring “the wrong way round” are caused by this. I’m seeing the dealer tomorrow so will ask and report back.
Keith
Well the mystery deepens - as after I put the Powerline on my Melco, which improved clarity and removed a lot of ‘busy-noise’ and wrought obvious improvement to bass power and clarity …as time wore-on over many days I was suspicious it had gone a bit ‘sideways’ in SQ and the music was off a bit on some material I knew.
This can happen with upgrades as you hear immediately what is improved or bad but sometimes miss the absence of something previously there but now not so much. This is why I’m a fan of extended home-demo, as that usually gets to the heart of things.
…to cut a long story down - I tried reversing my ‘reversed’ AQ Vodka back to ‘normal’ - and now it sounds much better the right way around. It did not before when new and before the Powerline change on Melco, but now it is clearly better the ‘right’ way around.
The usual caveat given that ‘it makes no difference’ …etc… but it does here. The harmonic structures in upper voice-band, piano and violin now sound correct - and my brain is not telling me ‘this sounds wrong’ anymore.
So moral of story is always be prepared to check things after run-in if preferences were formed before that happened, but I also suspect the Powerline presentation now also gels more with it ‘right way’.
Since it is a free fix - all is good.
DB.
As mentioned in the show thread republishing the discussion again here to get some opinions from people who run their ND555 with a 2nd ps…
Had also a nice side conversation with Jason after the demo. I asked for his recommendation on a potential next step I could take in my journey. I asked him if he would recommend to go for a 2nd 555PS or DR’ing my NAP500. Given the fact that I am only streaming he recommended me to go for a 2nd 555PS first. Benefits in the noise floor, deep bass, …
Was happy with the guidance, not that i am now running to my dealer to get a 2nd one… (they cost something), but at least good to keep in mind. And of course I would also be interested in the opinion of members who have two about this choice, so will repost in ND555 as well.
Thats interesting Bert as before Jason has not been so definitive about a second ps, saying some like one ps, others prefer 2. When i did my nd555 demo, i did listen to the second ps, and it does do what Jason claims. The silent parts of a musical piece are an inky blackness and the bass is deeper. Be interesting to hear others as my gut feeling would be the 500 dr and service?
As one who has unDRed 552/500 I would say that if you like what you hear then why DR. I know other extol the virtues of DR, and if the 552 is DRed then best to do the 500. Darke Bear recommends 500 first and get it settled.
I personally would not want more bass, and my music has inky blackness where appropriate.
Phil
The thing is both the DR for 500 and Second 555PS for ND555 are both beneficial in different ways.
If I had to choose one or the other I’d probably go for the 500DR as it is a fundamental upgrade to the system presentation - but…
If you have a system that does deep bass and you want more detail and resolution throughout and more solid controlled bass, the two supplies does that. Source first may win-out in some systems so I can’t fault the advice given.
I auditioned the ND555 with one PS at first and considered in on-par with the offering from Chord, the Dave with up-scaler box; different presentations but similar musical communication.
Then with the two PS (and increase in cost) the ND555 blew-away the Chord in terms of a ‘just being there’ effortless controlled seamless engaging presentation of the music. This was into a Passive Statement system at my Dealers.
So whatever you choose I’d not worry too much as they are both big upgrades.
As to some people preferring the single-supply version - I respect and think I hear why, as it tailors the presentation in a way I’ve heard a few people prefer. If you like a ‘big’ sound then two supplies does that in the right system, but the standard single-supply option is excellent - all to taste!
DB.
Indeed, it’s all to taste. On a similar setup, I think possibly at the same dealer(?), my view was that the Chord offering was more engaging and communicative. I found there is something just rather homogenised to the ND555 sound by comparison, perhaps it what I am used to(?) … I can only put it out down to the TI DAC technology and different approach to reconstruction… rather than the Naim analogue electronics
As DB says… it’s all about taste.
I’ve only heard the second ps at the end of a demo run by Jason last autunm. The system at the time was 253/300 into Dynaudios and I thought the second ps lost the fluidity to gain some impact and separation. I don’t know how the ps were plugged in on the block but from my experimentation I found plug position to have a surprisingly large impact on this so my conclusion at the time that I didn’t want a second ps can’t be considered final anymore, damn it.
With all this discussion about network cables, I’d encourage ND555 owners to demo the Chord Music Ethernet cable. I’ve listened to all the usual suspects discussed here and Chord’s Music cable is in another universe. Incredible resolution without any tension, edge or unnecessary forwardness. I’m a big fan of the entire line, I own the DIN5 IC & DIN-XLR cables as well. You have no idea how good your Naim electronics sound.