But isn’t the Naim sound you so love in itself a filter, the only difference being that you only get one and don’t have the option to change?
Perhaps one day the likes of Chord and DCS will come up with a Naim filter - win win!
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The truth is that the ‘best’ one will depend on your ears, the room, and which one you’d like to be better.
A number of us on here have been fortunate enough to be looking at high end streamer/DACs, including the offerings from Naim and dCS. To my ears, the dCS into a Naim system sounded the best to me - most relaxing to listen to, most musical, most detailed, most natural, most rhythmic. It also has the advantage of ebbing more upgradeable and so has a longer shelf life. Your mileage may differ, but you owe it to yourself to listen to both before buying.
FWIW, I ended up with a Rossini and clock, having listened to the Bartok for ages - not because the Bartok wasn’t great, but because it was - and the Rossini is a step up again.
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No love for Linn’s Klimax DS in this company?
We know you hate dCS and others, and own a NDS, and defend it to the bitter end, thats fine, but its also very blinkered.
Filters are great, much better to have than not, you can get the sound you like rather than the sound the guy at the factory thinks you should like, its not like they are massively different, infact most of the time my old ears can’t tell the difference, but occasionally they come in handy for different tracks, if you wish.
Take the so called upgrade naim did on its streamers just last year, lots didn’t like it and wanted to old filter back, for me if i don’t like it i can just choose a different one, you honestly think not having that feature is better? Come on, your just being even more silly than normal lol
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Nail on the head, as we say
They do just put a towel over each speaker, that should dull it down enough lol
But seriously the naim sound is great, (nd555) its just for me and quite a few others, we found something that is simply lush, for me a nd555 with as many huming power supplies you want to throw at it, is a big step backwards
Hahaha. Chord has another filter, but much more annoying: it filters the musicality. Lol .
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Lol good one!
If it filters the musicality, the musicality can’t pass through. Lol 
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Is that any different from what you do, maybe enjoy doing, with cables? At least with the DACs that do that, they are inbuilt not extra cost, and you could find whatever best suits each piece of music of you are so inclined, rather than just having one (and in the case of Naim, if I understand correctly, one that might be changed on any firmware update, whether or not you prefer the new to the old…
Personally with Dave, as a DAC, I like what it does with the default settings and have never even tried alternatives it is so good. And given the complaints on this forum about sound quality changes after firmware updates I am glad Dave can’t be updated! But of course it is only a DAC, and doesn’t need the front end updates necessary to maintain or add online streaming services.
I don’t have a streamer so no dog in this fight but to criticise FR for his NDS defence whilst not seeming to acknowledge that you are probably the most vocal dCS advocate on here is a mite disingenuous 
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Hold on, if the Naim house sound is what you love, why do you have a non-Naim preamp? Isnt the pre-amp that influenced sound signature the most?
I am not criticising these filters as such, but i don’t like personally having it. For the reason I gave above.
But can understand easily that others may appreciate that.
As for playing with cables, I don’t feel being concerned. I just tried different Ethernet cables, which is another problem.
If I change a cable, it’s for upgrade motivation, and it really doesn’t happen often.
But I don’t like all aspects in all Naim sound. I like a lot the feeling of urgency, the organic sound, the articulation, the involvement.
But Naim lacks some refinement, colours, and can sound a bit bright.
The Ear pre gives me what is lacking for me in an all Naim sound.
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@frenchrooster how has the sound of the nds improved with the addition of the Menco n1zh? do you only use it as nas?
A french expression says” c’est le monde à l ‘envers”. I agree with you that it’s not me who defend to the last degree of energy the Nds. It’s funny to be accused for that, from a person who advertises indefinitely the greatness of DCS in every threads. Lol
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It improved really, a major change. The sound became more relaxed, natural, analog like, without loosing dynamics.
However for the price of the N1z2 , you can have a second hand 555 ps , with service. It would be even more of an uplift.
Yes, used only as Nas. I don’t stream Qobuz, neither Tidal. And don’t buy cds anymore, only download albums from Qobuz or Bandcamp.
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I also only stream from nas, is the N1A of the same level too?
Its not just myself that has come to this conclusion, you only have to read back through many different threads to see this.
As for me, then i can see the funny side in this lol.
I dont defend dCS, i realised what it can offer, many more have since tried it and agree, i just try to open people’s minds, that there is life away from naim, especially if you are looking for something naim can’t offer right now.
I do hope there next generation can step up to the mark, as it may tempt me back, but it would need to tick alot more boxes than it does now
Not. Better than a Nas , but the N1z2 is really a step.