ND555 Impressions

Tomorrow at evening probably,Friday I will have an answer for you.

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I’m sure you will be!

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At that moment I use naim server connected usb direct wd hard drive

That’s a big change. Are you comfortable with the network side of things? What size is your library?

I have been using before a Raspberry and earlier through a laptop,I was not satisfied enough,the option given me by ND555 to connect directly with wd hard drive,brought me the best performance in terms of sound,my music library currently is 4000 albums but most of them are incomplete only by my taste,those 4000 albums took space 1.5 tara.having NDS before for 5 years.

Do you know how you are going to transfer your library to the Melco?

Not yet… how? any tip will help,can I sent my library directly to Melco from my pc as it is on the same network like I did on my Raspberry?

I think you should take advice from whoever is supplying the Melco to you.

i will let my dealer transfer my music from the unitserve to the melco i wait. The problem is to have the same metadata and all cover albums.

Yes - you can do that.
As long as the music file format is one Melco reads it is easy - the Melco looks just like another external network drive on the PC file manager and you can place the files and edit the file structure as you like.

It is very easy to manage.

You can also look at and even send music to the ND555 directly from the Melco Twonky Music Server - if you are using that installed option.

Usually I use the Naim App, but also nice to have other paths - this is from my Windows PC web browser.

DB.

Does Twonky can transcode music to wav like Asset,my most music is in flac

I use freefilesync to either move files to Melco or backup from Melco to pc/Nas. There are other free synchronisation packages you could use as well and you can also use standard windows copy/paste.

Melco can play Flac directly. The Twonky music server does not convert Flac to wav like some other music servers, but since I’ve compared Twonky to Minim and vastly prefer SQ of Twonky over Minim and have all my CD-rips in WAV format already the Twonky option gives me best results.

Others have compared the possible differences the different Music Servers offer - they do all sound different despite what some people believe - and some offer different functionality. Melco can be fitted with Minim Server which does allow Flac to Wav on the fly conversion at the Melco end before sending to ND555 so if heavy using Flac that may work better for you.

I have some Flac files but my main music is on rips of CD in WAV as these still give me best SQ results and I chose all the system components to optimize replay of WAV.

DB.

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I tend to manually do just that, as I can decide when, where and if I want to do it. I back-up my Melco-hosted files to my PC and another NAS drive periodically, so I always have three copies - and in addition I back-up the Melco every few months directly with a large USB recovery drive, so that gives me four copies - plus the originals on the CDs.

DB.

Hi Bart! Will eventually get around to getting a new display for my trusty old NDS. My dealer, Peter Selesnick of Venice Audio, as well as Manu and his team at FNA, have all treated me really well over the years (and even though I haven’t bought much in the last few years).

But right now my focus is on enjoying my new Roon setup. After reading posts by @simon.pepper and others here about “roonifying” the older Naim streamers (thanks Simon!), I went and bought a Small Green Computer sonicTransporter i5 (with a 30-day return policy). What a cool little box! Was super easy to set up Roon core and SGC’s UPNP Bridge, import my library from my QNAP NAS and add TIDAL. Have been using my 30-day Roon trial for a few days now, and am enjoying it a lot. My NDS feels rejuvenated! Have also set up zones for a number of Airplay clients. If things continue to go well, this little appliance is staying and I’ll be waving goodbye to another $499 for a lifetime membership.

Agree 100% with Mrs. Bart on vinyl. Some records sound better on digital, while others on vinyl. Impossible to pick a favorite. I am pretty sure that mastering differences dwarf those found in the playback chain. For me, the divide seems to be often based on age. If I want to listen to John Coltrane, I play a record. If I’m in more of a Radiohead mood, it’s digital. Of course, there are exceptions.

Hope all is well with you and yours!

Hook

PS - Your A3s are looking fab! Hope you have found your forever speakers!

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Maybe latter I will need your help how to install Minim server into Melco so I will be able to transcode everything to wav

The Melco web site describes how to install it - very easy.

I had it installed and tried it (Minim) against the Twonky Server that came with the Melco. At that time most people were preferring Minim so I thought that was going to be my path, but I quickly found I preferred Twonky server in my system as it rendered the music clearer - I then un-installed Minim (following Melco instructions from their web site) and it was better again, as running two servers on the music database box (Melco) was not as good as using only one.
Why - I have no idea - I suspect it is the particular noise spectrum of the process used to extract, send and manage the data being different for the different music server software services.
But whatever it is - I personally did not want to turn it into a research project and just wanted to use what sounded best that met my needs.
The Twonky service sounded very detailed but could sound thin in mid-band and the Minim was fuller but less detailed and a bit ‘grainy’ in mid-band in my system - both were ‘wrong’ but one could be corrected by various tweaks and cable-choices as it appeared it was a mild linear distortion, so that is what I chose to do.
Minim is supposed to be an ongoing development so I suspect it will improve - and may already at present version be a lot better than it was a year ago when I made my determinations. I’m very happy to use Minim when and if it is as good or better than Twonky in my system - I just want to use what sounds best.

DB.

I agree with you i had Twonky for 30 days free on my laptop and really sound good ,on the other and I tried also Minim and didn’t like,was for me to shut or dark against my taste, so usually I used Asett was either good and could transcode every file I had to wav

so good news, nothing to install.

Thanks pal! Work is crazy this summer; it’s the ‘summer that isn’t.’ But we’re planning a big trip for our winter (summer in South America) :slight_smile: And it looks like RMAF is earlier this year; I may yet make it out as I’ve been “promising” for years now. Any chance you’ll go?

And the A3’s absolutely are keepers! Look great, sound fabulous (still coming on) and fit the room.

So glad you’re enjoying Roon + NDS. @simon.pepper is a great resource. I recently bought a Sonore UPNP Bridge ($299 from Small Green Computer) just to play with it vis a vis my Allo DigiOne (with the Qute2). I’ll sell off as used whichever I end up not preferring. I really does reinvigorate your enjoyment of home streaming doesn’t it? Roon got my lifetime subscription already.

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