ND555 Impressions

Once you home demo, it (and you) can never be free!

It’s akin to legalised drugs for sale on the streets of Salisbury!

2 Likes

I get what you’re saying and it is ridiculous, but you don’t need high-end gear to tell the difference or realise that lots of small changes can add up to bring a substantial improvement or, alternatively, swing things in a very uninspiring direction…

I can’t ever see myself being able to afford a 555 but if I did find myself in that position, how would I know where to start with cables etc. to ensure that I was starting from a good standard to ensure achieving the benefits of such a source?

Surely with this type of equipment there would be basic dos and don’ts That must be adhered to.

I do appreciate that many factors will influence the sound and the sum of the parts may make a significant change. However, we all have different rooms, different furnishings, different speakers, different speaker placements etc. and that is all before we take into account different musical tastes, hearing ability and physio/phsyco reactions to what we hear!

You start with the cables that come in the box, powerline and hiline, speaker cable is A5 if you’re just starting (but who starts on 500 series) and for the ND use a basic CAT5e. You need these as a reference point because they’ll get the basics right and show up what effects things like plug order, box order and cable dressing have. Get used to the system with these, let it run in for 6 months and fine tune your setup during this period before deciding if you need more, then whatever you try has something to beat.

3 Likes

But get a nice solid one with good basic components. Designacable offer a good braided Belden while Blue Jeans offer a Belden solid. Neither cost a fortune but will be a reliable choice.

1 Like

Thanks @Yeti, that actually makes good sense.

I have decent chord speaker cables under floor and into another room so swapping is not possible. However, if ever in a position to buy I would ensure that it coincided with decorating and would probably run dedicated mains and Ethernet rather than my current power line adapters.

Thanks @Michaelb, as per response to Yeti, I would need to run dedicated Ethernet prior to such a large investment.

1 Like

Just for perspective - the ND555 with a good mid-cost Ethernet connected to a data server will work great ‘as is’.

The discussion here is that the ND555 has turned out to be capable of far more than I certainly initially hoped and continues to reveal more and more innate capability as you improve all the things being discussed.

Do people want it that it cannot be improved? The nature of HiFi systems and hobby has been to seek the best possible from any given collection of components into a cohesive enjoyable system, so that is all that is going on.

I think a big problem that still needs to be overcome by many is that ‘any old data-connection’ will do and the ‘bits are bits’ thing is missing the point that whatever is causing these effects the ND555 is very responsive to performing better and better. Purchasing an expensive item then experiencing that it can be further improved is a welcome bonus for me.

DB.

1 Like

I don’t really run any sort of Ethernet installation. The phone line comes into sitting room and the wireless router is connected to it. The stereo is also in the sitting room so I have a few ethernet patch cables connecting the dedicated switch, Roon Nucleus and ND555. Everything else that streams in the house does it off wi-fi.

I don’t think it’s the case that the better kit ‘needs’ the fancy cables and set-up. Rather it is the case that the 555 series is more discriminating and thus highlights subtle improvements that just aren’t as apparent with ‘lesser’ equipment.

4 Likes

:small_blue_diamond:This,.that Darke Bear writes is the problem that is causing all these endless cable-debates.

Being “openminded”,.and not having technical explanations before the eyes is a good start.

@Svetty,…The differences are heard in all systems,.but obviously clearer in top-systems.
But in this case,as many also posted here,start with a good standard cable.
This with better cables,.will be much,much later in the installation work.

/Peder :blossom:

Not really agree on that. Some here have heard noticeable improvements in sound with better switch and ethernet cables with an nd5x2 and nova.
With my nds I heard also important improvements with audioquest cables vs cheap ones.

1 Like

DB, do you mean me :wink:

“The discussion here is that ‘Dusty’ has turned out to be capable of far more than I certainly initially hoped and continues to reveal more and more innate capability as you improve all the things being discussed.”

I’ll get me coat…

Yes you can Dusty! :smile::grin:

1 Like

I think Dusty had his own story to reveal about his very recent meddling with forbidden cables. :bear:

DB.

1 Like

I understood that Dusty took the DB description of the cables to describe himself, or anyone who is not conscious of his real capabilities. Dusty and we all can reveal strengths that are hidden. But it was more on the joking side. I hope having well understood…

You are spot on FR, just adding a bit of humour into the day.

In what seems a crazy world these days music and humour can be a great tonic.

2 Likes

I think source first still holds but when you include cables it also comes down to what the cable brings in that must be suppressed. So a good well-designed network cable may bring in more HF-trash from the computer. And SSD-disks may generate more HF-trash than the old HDD.

So the electronics must be able to suppress stuff that will cause problems. And preferrably not transmit the HF-trash further down the chain.

It is not only ethernet. I recently read the HiFiNews article on the NDX2 and one detail bugs me … it is bandwidth-limited to -3dB at 27kHz even with SR of 96kHz and 192kHz. If this is true is there any point in feeding it 192kHz content that will not be reproduced - only stress the transmission chain?

192k content advantage, from what I hear with good masters, is not more inaudible very high frequency tones but far better timing and lucidity. This is with music that was recorded with a sharp roll-off above 20kHz in the original capture process.

So it is for potential better resolution of in-band music - for sake of a number I’ll use 20kHz as the nominal maximum people hear (the range is much higher with younger or exceptional people and normally a lot lower with age and abuse). So replaying anything much above that is just adding extra noise into the downstream electronics and introducing more distortion in-band from intermodulation (IMD) and the like.

Naim are very wise to limit it - carefully while retaining correct linear-phase in-band - as how you implement the filtering is critical. And 192k give the digital domain pre-filtering more possibilities of how to do that in a good way with a better subjective end-result on the in-band music.

My hearing is nowadays nothing near 20kHz - a few years ago when I tested it I could hear notes up to 14kHz and sense ‘pressure’ up to near 18kHz but not hear a note as such. But timing-linearity is different to frequency response.

IMO all cables that enter boxes where there are electrical transients being generated - be it from mains rectification in a supply or digital-edges will create a hostile RF noise environment that will seek all paths to propagate - and the wiring exiting the boxes will definitely be one of these, so what that wiring does may have an effect - from listening it does.

People are so concerned about noise entering their house on the electrical mains from outside that they forget or are not aware of the largest source of HF noise is inside the HiFi boxes themselves. When you short-circuit the mains at 100Hz with a diode to charge a Capacitor - it is noisy.

DB.

1 Like

Going back to one of the original threads in the discussion on Ethernet cables. I was at my dealer this morning, for an exchange of my broken router. And of course checked into some other things like a 2nd ps for my nd555… and then I also talked about the Ethernet connection. So it ended up with us making a A-B comparison between the Audioquest Vodka and the Chord Music…before I start talking about the impressions…, he didn’t advise to go with the Audioquest diamond as it wouldn’t connect well with Naim, it would blend well with Linn…, I have to belief him on this as I didn’t hear the comparison with the diamond cable.

Now the comparison. We played like for like connected to the Melco, while just playing simple Qobuz stream…, so not even directly from the Melco.

We listened to Agnes Obel and some piano music from Murray Peruhia… after just a couple of notes it was clear. The Chord Music had a much more rounded sound. The Vodka sounded harsh and raw in combination to the Chord. And while I have the Vodka myself, you start to ask yourself how you ever will be able to listen to piano music on full without the Chord Music. …very very expensive - but it will be solid on my list…

2 Likes