That is a wonderful system - you have no idea. Miss 52/135 some day very much. With this smooth Italian speaker it should be perfect. Fully understand that you like the nds.
When I had the 52/135 I made a big mistake - bought nd555… and 606. with 606 (newer than my 1987 tweeter of my former Sbl) he’ll break loose… 552dr… 500dr… 2ndps… 
@drago is indeed finally happy, who would have ever said that!
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Thank you. I have resisted the urge to upgrade as I really do enjoy what I have got!
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For the moment - till I switch back to nds …
I was never so unhappy as I have pronounced here. I was most unhappy with naim not responding and having the lead in changing my signature without notice. The signature I build with much sweat and money.
My 2500 of 5000 posts was my finger in the wound - which might have helped 
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So… has the countdown for your lurking unhappiness just started? lol. Hope not!
I get your frustration, I got my system to be acceptable only with the USB trick and the floating switch. Thankfully now the Naim sound is back, the glorious days are still here.
Only 2500? Uhmm you can improve 
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Thanks for your understanding - really appreciated!
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It is understandable to be frustrated when a perceived promise is broken, which I think some of us felt.
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Hi @drago please explain this comment further?
Is that details from the ND555 at FW3.8 vs the NDS at FW4.8
Or on the NDS with the FW going from 4.8 to 4.9?
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It depends on whether the recording is a studio recording, mixed and mastered for release as such, OR a recording of a Live performance.
I want the Live recording or the ‘direct’ recording in a studio to place you as if you were there, at the gig, on the studio with the artist.
Whereas a studio based mixed and mastered recording I expect to be carefully crafted to present the best of the artists’s capabilities and sometimes provide a recording that they are not able to perform Live. Or when performed Live it sounds different to the studio recording.
NDS (4.8) to nd555 (fw 3.8 and 3.11)
I understand what you are after. Most studio recordings of modern music are not played live but multitracked and recorded separately thus far from a ‘ live ‘ experience of a group of people playing together. None the less it is the skill of the engineer and producer to make you feel it has a live feel.
This is why so much moderns music is uninvolving: it is made or edited on a computer. ProTools has been around for 20 years.
Recording a live gig/ concert is entirely different and should be a bit more rough around the edges.
Re-reading your post, I think we are saying the same thing. What I don’t want is a carefully orchestrated studio recording to manifest as a live recording at a gig. I want to picture Stevie Nicks singing Dreams in front of me in front of the mic with her cans on!
Have you updated the NDS to FW 4.9?
This introduces the Naim iRadio service over the vTuner service?
I did not heard any change to the SQ or the sonic signature of the NDS.
For me that was all done with the forum based selection of firmware for the NDS, NDX, 272/172 and ND5XS, a number of years ago.
No - the fw debacle made me hesitate
Yes, studio based recording is likely to be ‘build up’ using multi-track recording and mixing, but, yes, it comes down to mixing and the sound/recording engineer to deliver the recording.
Disagree, multi-track recording in the studio has been used since the ‘60s. All the Beatles late studio, Pink Floyd recording was all multi-track.
What you are referring to, is digital multi-track recording processed by the Pro-Tools software.
But good Studio Engineers can make a good recording using the tools available, in the same way a poor Studio Engineer could make a bad recording irrespective of what was available to them - analogue mixing, 4-track tape, 32 tracks of digital. It comes down to the production and the skill of the Engineer.
Like most modern software the ability to make a reasonable job is easier, but to make a good job still takes knowledge, experience and talent.
Now recording live performances is another skill. Most classical and Jazz recordings are recorded live, so you get the interaction of multiple players and the room/theatre/hall etc
But microphone placement & the mixing is key, just like the sound engineering at a live gig, and many get that so wrong.
Agreed. If it is a studio recording, build of individual performances ‘laid down’ then mixed together, I want to hear the best that artist/group can be, presented in the best presentation of their works. If that means that the first part of track 16, merging it with a further take, drums recorded days ago so be it.
The Beatles studio only recordings were all all like that, despite being all analogue tape. And that all the skills of the Recording/Mixing Engineer.
The Live, either at a public gig or ‘Live in the Studio’ IMO should be unmolested versions of what is going on. Not to say, that microphone and instrument/artist placement is not key, but again we are back to the capability of the recording engineer.
Hi again,
You are correct the Beatles would be 4 or 8 track PF was 16 track and they were all playing real instruments.
ProTools can be used to mix the stems as you suggest, however there are plugins which completely emulate instruments. Modern software completely bypasses the need to play an instrument, corrects timing and allows one to copy and paste notes at will. This is the music that I find uninvolving, although I am sure a great deal of the current releases I enjoy employ these techniques . One still has to know how music works, however one does not have to play an instrument, so you are not listening to a recording of someone playing an instrument. Drum machines have been around for decades.
Given that the mixes can be for people using compressed formats, I am not sure I want to hear a recording accurately that is intended for compressed listening.
Totally different for live and recordings of a band by skilled engineers
Anyway not intending to get into a debate, I was trying to clarify my areas of enjoyment.
I did and find the 4.9 has greater clarity but is harsher and very forceful on some tracks.
Unfortunately I have a cold and congestion at the moment so hearing is temporarily shot so I’ll have to wait to decide but at the moment I’m thinking of back to 4.8
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Pretty much says it all 
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Most contributors on this forum are ancient with associated shot hearing but that doesn’t prevent detection of undetectable differences to the sounds emitted by their systems
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As a sidenote… for the third time I went back to nds (from nd555). There is less detail, attack and transparency with nds, BUT… there is more engagement! For example - acoustic guitar is so much better with nds. More body. But I should stay quite…
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I know what you mean. Engagement with music is much more than details and transparency. I’ve decided to not fight what I like because it is technically a less good solution. Choose what makes you listen to music most and stay there 
Sell ND555 and maybe evaluate a good streamer into your NDS instead. Or buy Ansuz cables
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