Your profile doesn’t mention a power supply for your NDX2; presumably you know that you need to buy one in order to get the ND555 to work.
As HH says, and if you don’t have a PS on the NDX2, adding one would be a big uplift without jumping to the ND555.
1 Like
Obvious enough question but have you had a demo preferably at home?
2 Likes
Ha, it all started with buying a power supply for my NDX2. I had planned what seemed an obvious upgrade path of power supplies and, eventually, ND555. The dealer came back at me with an offer on a 555 (with trade in on the NDX2) that I find almost irrestible. I’m not really a ‘digital’ guy. My system is all about analogue. The NDX2 has been for my partner and guests. Still, it gets close to the turntable, if not as engaging. The hope was that the 555 would take me to the point where the source from both digital and analogue would be on a par.
I live ‘in the colonies’ … rural Queensland, Australia. Hearing gear of this quality, even in an audio shop, is not really an option … let alone in house. I do listen to a lot of hi end stuff however (some of it I suspect the 555 will not go close to! Hope I’m wrong, fingers crossed). Along with a number of colleagues, I started the local hifi club.
1 Like
agreed. that was the assumption leading me to this dilemma 
1 Like
I’d say if you are all about analogue then why spend loads on getting the streaming end up to speed? I’m happy with LP12 as my main source and Core and Bluesound as digital sources through a Chord Qutest as second / third choices. Probably no one who is listening to digital (other than you) will give a damn. My family certainly don’t. Spend your savings on music.
1 Like
Sounds like we have similar tastes, I used an LP12 for just on 4 decades before retiring it. Sadly, my TechDAS 5 made it sound broken when I put it in. I guess the hope (it may just be a pipedream) is that the 555 will top or equal my analogue rig. I use Bluesound with Quad speakers in the house (have a purpose built listening room for the main system). At any rate, the expectation is that it will be the last digital device I will ever spend my money on.
2 Likes
Which Techdas? With a Doshi phono? I don’t see it on your profile.
Interesting you should predict the TechDAS would be accompanied by a Doshi. How did you make that asssumption? I have the baby TechDAS, the 5, although get to hear the III premium and II. Both owners of the latter two use Doshi phono stages, I use a Herron VTPH2a (which I’m very happy with). BTW, I DO use some Doshi equipment, their latest power amps (which are just delightful). I wasn’t joking when I said the TechDAS made the Linn sound broken, it was a huge jump. The Linn had beeen upgraded until it could be upgraded no more and had quite a nice arm and cart (Graham 2.2 and Benz LPS)
1 Like
mea culpa. My profile showed only the digital equipment. When I compiled it I probably assumed most readers here would only be interested in that side of things
1 Like
I’ve gone from NDX2/ XPS DR to PS555 to ND555 the difference has been worth every penny.
Source first you cannot go wrong.
3 Likes
Exactly 
You have a wonderful system ! Probably the Nd555 will be outclassed by the TechDas. However the Heron may be a bit on the polite side. From what I could read. Ultimately the TechDas deserves better, but it’s already wonderful.
Thx!
For one who has not actually heard the difference your assessment is damn near spot on! I have A/B the Herron and Doshi line stages in my system and, yes, the Doshi is slightly more revealing (at over 3 times the price I guess it should be). What I will say for the Herron is that it is quieter (interesting given the Doshi has an external power supply). I guess that can be put down to Nick Doshi’s desire not to use negative feedback. The two pre-s epitomise the differenc ebetween the much used (perhaps over-used) terms ‘revealing’ and ‘transparent’. The Herron gives the listener a feeling of transparency, of stepping out of the picture and delivering an expansive and deep sound stage. By contrast, the Doshi has its own sonic signature (the dreaded veil) but at the same time takes you further into the music, reveals more nuance, you hear things that were totally absent using other line stages. I have a purpose built listening room, it is whisper quiet, so any extraneous noise can be a negative. Don’t get me wrong, had I not compared the Doshi with the Herron (which is about as close to silent as a valve amp gets) I would not even have noticed it. I have two colleagues using the Doshi phono stage. One day I will compare the VTPH2a with one.
1 Like
Don’t get me wrong Dr John, you have a wonderful system. Thanks for your interesting feedback.
I was only thinking that maybe, as you have such revealing turntable, which costs here around 25k euros with a 5k cartridge ( but I don’t know which cart you have by the way), it deserves perhaps something like a 10k phono minimum to really shine. ( like Zesto Andros, Audio Research Ref, Pass Labs XP 27, Lamm Lp2…).
We like here to spend other money 
Went down the same route, never looked back.
I went down this route when I owned an NDX2 and found it to be a big improvement in SQ over the previous XPS DR. The PS 555 DR also facilitates future upgrades.
well it’s in … amazing improvement straight out of the box! 555 in a different league.
6 Likes
This topic was automatically closed 60 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.