Poll - New firmware: sound upgrade or downgrade?

I did put “not improved” in poll because I updated my QB2 when I got it early this year. The update vs stock made not any noticible improvement I think. But I did not listen a lot just after unboxing. THIS update might have made real/noticable improvement on Android/bluetooth or Google assistent / Google home streaming. If I stream i.e. Youtube to my QB2, maybe it is reasonable the lower noise floor makes an improvement with these type of protocols.

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Can you explain that differently please… it’s hard to follow what you mean? Most YouTube uses lossy compressive codecs. Bluetooth is lossy… potentially two lots of transcoding lossyness… perhaps I mis understand but what are trying to improve ? SQ, or reducing system artefacts by using lossy audio?

image

Blimey!!!

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After three rounds of tweaking the settings, I have to say these latest DB settings are outstanding.

Before the firmware update, I wasn’t satisfied with any individual adjustments, so I kept all settings turned on. But post-update, it’s a different story. The improvements are anything but subtle.

The soundstage is much more defined, with clearer separation between instruments and added weight to each. The overall presentation is more engaging, with noticeably improved timing—definitely more toe-tapping! I’d also say the timbre, especially in the high frequencies, has changed for the better. There’s no harshness or glare, just a smooth, rounded sound that has a tube-like warmth in the best way.

Really appreciating this new sound experience!

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I believe that Firmware update is done automatically on ND555. Version 3.10.0.

I changed to Puritan 156 2 days ago so not prepared to comment as that needs to burn in.

But it does seem that some of those who are affected in a negative way are customers like me with ND555 and 2 x 555PSDR.

I will give it a few more days and see how it sounds.

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I don’t know why they don’t add a graphic equaliser. Dcs have that facility so you can adjust the tone controls slightly.

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I suspect it may be because the issues do not rest solely in the amplitude domain.

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Further to this when I listened to @Dunc 's dCS Vivaldi set up he had all these different settings. It looked complicated but meant he could vary the tone controls according to the recording that we were listening to. He will correct me if I am wrong of course.

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Baloney

POSSIBLE FINDING

This morning I decided to reset my NSC222 via the remote control, i.e. not a ‘hard’ reset, just a standard reset.

Straight after the reset was completed, I synched the remote control with the 222 and added the 222 via the app as an existing device. I then re-added the Jazz Groove HD radio station and pressed play on it.

The bass was the best I’ve heard it since the FW update, it sounded amazing - full bodied, textured, and defined. Also, the emphasised treble that I have been experiencing since the FW update didn’t sound as sharp as it has been.

After listening to 3 tracks on jazz groove, I decided to have a listen to my goto test tracks on tidal. Because of the reset I was forced to log in to tidal. I then found the tracks and pressed play. To my disappointment, what I heard was the deteriorated post FW update sound. I went back to internet radio and the jazz groove - same thing.

It was as if the issue was fixed by the reset and then the issue quickly came back after I logged into tidal.

I could be wrong about this, I need to try it again later to replicate it. I do recall when I first updated the FW weeks ago, that the initial sound was very good, but then something must have changed. Was it a bug in the software or was it just that after some time of listening the emphasised treble gave me listener fatique.

Has anyone tried this?

Has anyone found that immediately after a reset (hard or soft) that initially it sounded great but then something changed for the worse?

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I’ve had a couple of moments where things have sounded great but then deteriorated badly. I’m guessing that it’s a code issue or something similar?

Are you a tidal user?

No, Qobuz

You know what, I now think I may have imagined the initial improvement after the reset.

I give up :joy:

Gonna stop messing with things…

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I don’t think you are. I know my system pretty well and I’ve noticed this change. It’s like something is pushing things into overload and that’s where it stays.

Out of interest, and might be of interest to Naim. When you do a reset such that it sounds as you expect, have you captured a web diagnostic server from the streamer’s status web portal, and then compare it again later when it’s not sounding as you expect. Are there any notable changes between the two?
Here you can see the various sub system controller loadings and memory utilisations

I suspect many here would have little idea how to do this. Being transparent, I have zero idea how to do it or for that matter what it is and what it would show to more knowledgeable people than me.

Quite easy.
On your web browser I would type for my NDX2

Http://ndx2-[serial number].local

You get a web screen about your streamer and its status etc, click the ‘diagnostic’ tab, et voila.

You can find your serial number, [serial number], for your streamer in various places from box, invoice, or the the Naim app, under ‘settings’ or Cog symbol, ‘information &help’, ‘about’

It’s usually 6 digits… and omit square brackets when entering

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Tottaly agree until you said tube like warmth lol never understood why people think tubes are warm they always sounded the opposite to me! Must be me :wink:

Just like transistors, entirely depends on the design whether it’s warm/filtered sounding or not.
Many valve designs however can provide more harmonic distortion than similar transistor designs, which is inherent in the components used, and this distortion can sound appealing and add a timbral type warmth

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