Yes the same as dan.
I had the 500dr, and 552 at the time.
I also had 3 different power supplies actually at the same time, but we can’t talk about 2 off them.
When Dan tested the NDS and ND555 not both connected to 552 at the same time,he heard a difference…
But with 2 ps on each. Perhaps the Nd555 benefits more having 2 ps than the Nds.
Or as he put it
He thought it was better as soon as he plugged it in, better bass, better details or whatever he said at the time.
But then after actually testing them side by side he realised that wasn’t the case.
This shows exactly what happens when you get a new bit off kit, you naturally hear things that aren’t actually going on. It’s going to happen, it’s already happening the moment you hit the buy now.
The best way to completely fool yourself is the way 98% do it
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Okay,if you don’t think it has something to do with the testing method that’s fine,I only wanted to help.
That’s where your comments become unhelpful, Dunc, and simply sow division and defensive attacks.
More to the point, one or two cases can’t be extrapolated to everyone else’s experiences. What you find and others find don’t necessarily invalidate one another.
I can’t remember what music you used in your comparison and love techno/transce/electronica as much as many posting here, but they aren’t, with respect, that demanding a genre when it comes to a player’s microdynamics, timbre and texture. Jazz and classical in particular easily reveal the NDS’s relative shortcomings there in my experience.
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You can obviously test things many way’s.
But what is wrong doing like this ?
It just like having a naim cd555 and ND555 in the same system, or a tape deck, turntable, etc, etc.
The pre amp being the 552dr is surely ok with having more than one source connect to it, isn’t?
What better way to get an instant comparison between 2 sources?
You will certainly hear any difference doing this, just as i do if i play my sony cd player and then switch to the ripped one on my melco, playing the same time through my sia030.
Putting one in, leaving for a few weeks and then swapping over and doing the same, just brings in so many other things that can fool your mind.
Even Dan experienced it from the off, i have also done the same, as i would say so has everyone on this forum.
So how then should it have been done to rule out any distortions from being brought into the mix ?
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Unhelpful???
No one has come up with a better way to demo it, as far as i can see. All you get it " well obviously something wasn’t right, etc, etc."
Maybe it would be better on classical music or something else, i don’t know.
But i would have thought that even with what Dan played he would have heard something more different, even if its juston the bass, or the soundstage change, or something.
I did use a variety off music, but no classical, as i dont like it.
Plus i am sorry if you feel i can be a bit aggressive in my posts, but i like to just get to the point, and actual facts.
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I am inclined to agree with Dunc regarding testing various components. I can normally tell after listening to
the first few tracks whether I like the ‘upgrade’ or not.If I am still debating about buying it after a a few days then I am fairly certain I shouldn’t buy it.
It also doesn’t really surprise me that Dunc and Dan M didn’t hear a huge leap in performance when switching between the ND555 and NDS. At this level the law of diminishing return has clearly set in. Personally I also think with streamers that the law of diminishing returns sets in earlier than with turntables etc. Hence why the strict source first approach doesn’t seem to me to be quite as important these days. Saying that I would opt for a ND555 over an NDS everytime with the better display, native Qobuz etc.
The comments regarding the 552 don’t seem to make much sense though unless of course the purpose of them is to wind up 552 owners.
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I wonder how the professional reviewers do it to make products justice. Unbox new product. In with it for 4 minutes to make an opinion. Bass is soft. Treble stands out. Voices sound ok. Done!
Next product please 
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Dan said above that with 2 ps on each ( so one streamer playing each time), Nd555 was more detailed, wider sounding, with better bass.
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I agree, my first impression of a component has never been wrong. And while run in time, tweaking, placement, etc, can improve the overall sonics the initial impression is what it is. Some component upgrades provide distinctive, immediate, obvious improvement over the component they are replacing. And some provide less obvious or subtle improvement. The latter is not something I’m going to spend significant dollars on.
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Most dealer demos switch between components either to compare tracks on the fly or consecutively. The latter was the norm in the seventies, the latter increasingly so in the eighties and after. What’s the big deal?
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Comments about the 552 was an actual genuine question, and shouldn’t be ruled out.
But as i also said you would need a better pre amp to hand to prove one way or the other.
But the S1 or something else like it should get less in the way, and show and differences up better, that’s all, and maybe the NDS is at the limit ???
Don’t think anyone can answer that, as no one has probably tried it on here.
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No big deal at all, as that’s what i am saying to do, as in what Dan did.
But it’s not how it’s done on here, obviously by what’s been written by folk.
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The well known reviewers say generally that the test a component on several weeks, even months. But maybe they lie. Who knows ?
These write that they wait the component is burn in. Then they make the test.
However, what is problematic, is that they quite never compare the gear on test with a similar level price component or similar level.
Sometimes the only comparison is based with the component in the inferior range, like Ndx2 vs Nd555.
In both cases these kind of reviews have a little interest.
Here we had a very honest comparison made by Dan, both well burn in.
As the memory tend to forget the details very quickly, I don’t see a better way to do.
But yes, if listening a new component for a longer period, it can show subtle nuances and differences, as seeing that the Nd555 is more cohesive or musical. That the bass on that track had never sounded so extended with the previous streamer, or the voices on the background are clearer…etc
The differences may appear with time. But anyway we can’t say that the differences are huge. Each one has to decide if it’s worth another 10 k to spend. I am not prepared. Maybe for 5, 6 k.
Those streaming Tidal or Qobuz will have less hesitation.
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I might be mistaken but I thought you said that you had compared the DCS and ND555 through a 552/500 PMC system and was clearly able to hear the ‘superiority’ of the DCS components. If so the 552 clearly has not reached its limitations as it was able to show up some of the ‘special’ qualities of the DCS over and above the 555. I understand from other threads that to fully appreciate it’s ‘special qualities’ you are better off connecting it straight to a poweramp or using an alternative model of amp like Vitus. I have no reason to doubt you.
For the record I don’t own a 552 and doubt I ever will. I think alot of what is written about it on the forum is nonsense. Heard it compared to the 52 a few times and though it was better but not that much better. Also I have heard the DCS units into a Vitus SIA 30 like your own and some top of the line PMC. I thought it sounded great!
Btw very jealous of those who attended the Joy Division and Smiths gigs. Would loved to have gone but sadly too young!
Here’s the thing. Dan took no time to hear that the differences between NDS and ND555 were small. I think that’s fair enough. Where allowing more time to evaluate is prudent is when the differences are significant but not obviously better or worse. It took me no time at all to know that I preferred the Stiletto/ Scorpion LP12 over stock LP12 or a Rega NAIA . Likewise with S1 over 552. By the way the ND555 benefited greatly from the S1 
. Chord Signature X mains cables on the other hand I’m still not sure about two years in 
Both Streamers sounds best when earthed(non floating),so best way is to connect one Streamer
to the Preamp and listen to some tracks ,then unplug it and plug in the other Streamer.
Hi
I have tried the ND555 twice.
The first time may years ago when i had an active system and my NDS.
It was a secondhand unit, but only a few months old. Tested like Dan, thought i might have a problem one, so I took it to the dealer to try against his, and it was the same. Also took my NDS in to try, and in the dealers system, i thought i could hear a difference, with the ND555 being slightly better. We also used his hi res tracks from a melco. At the time, i only used tidal at home to compare.
We didn’t do the direct switching, just one in at a time.
I decided at the time that i was better off spending my money on getting my system better to hear what the ND555 could do.
The second time, I had the dealers’ demo unit to try, but I still didn’t really get on, and this time i took it back with my NDS, and power supply to try on the dealers system, and this time i did the direct switching, with 2 other guys and myself in the room. One said he could hear a slight difference, the other and myself couldn’t. This was using hi res from his melco.
It was at this point i first got introduced to the dCS rossini and clock, as it was brought into the room and plugged in.
Now at the time i did think it was running through the naim 500 series kit, and i thought this for years afterwards, but it wasn’t it was actually running through an amp on the floor next to the naim rack, but the same speakers. This i found out years latter, as it was running xlr balanced into this amp. Thinking back i do remember using the rossini remote to control the volume, but never put two and two together,
Any way this wasn’t going through the naim kit as i thought it was,plus it took me years to finally work out why i could never get the same sound at ho e as i heard at the dealers.
It does go to prove, that you need to pay attention or atleast ask, and don’t just take it for granted.
Hope that clears things up, that’s the best as i remember it all.
Cheers dunc
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