Probably best to get your dealer involved and first get them to properly test and listen to your ND555. From what you describe something must be broken somewhere.
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Sorry Richard, I’ve all ready spoken to them but they have exactly the same problem with the shops ND555, so they are fully aware of my issue and, it seems, have several other ‘big system customers’ with the same complaint. I’ve logged it with Naim Tech Support and their advice was to do the hard reset.
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If that’s the car then I’m sure they will want to get their rep or perhaps someone like Jason to take a listen to their shop 555.
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As I understand it they spoken to the rep and have asked Jason to call them urgently.
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Firstly, I must say I have not taken the time to look at every members profiles, but….
Could this issue be more pronounced on certain preamps rather than certain streamer/dacs?
I have a 282 which is known to be slightly forward, almost bright. “In your face”
I have never heard a 552 but have often read that they share traits of the 252 clarity and the 282 forwardness.
So, could this issue be more apparent to 282 and 552 owners?
I have popped in a 252 now and have to say, it has mitigated the new undesirable traits of the firmware update on my ND5XS2, compared to how the 282 was presenting it.
Just a thunk…….
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Originally I was on the happy side of the new firmware. But I now feel that the price is too high in for instance a dynamic piano concerto as the one below. It’s on a certain level of volume sounds in the topend harsh. Hope it will get soon fixed, I was in general ok with the version before.
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I believe the users using ND555 with TWO (2) 555PSDR is over-representative in not being satisfied.
Darkbear
Drago
Geko
Bertbird
Chrisbell
Have you tried your system with one PS only? Maybe you now can sell one PS if the software got much better and the second PS push it too far…
Maybe Naim didn’t QC the software with two PS…
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Funny you should say that as I removed a power supply to do the hard reset, so I thought I’d have a listen. It’s has exactly the same problems except less dimensionality and smoothness.
Also funny that @BertBird mentions the effect on piano. When I was listening to a favourite piano track yesterday it had lost that marvellous piano tone that I’d come to love. It was almost comically ‘plinky plonky’ in its representation - sounded like they’d moved the grand into a Wild West saloon! I replayed the same track via the Node I now have set-up and it was far more accurately portrayed.
I know of at least six other friends (non-forum members) that were in initially excited and now currently very disappointed with the FW update.
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Something missing in the realism department, e.g. piano, drum, cymbal, is my take.
As well as slightly over pronounced higher end.
I think it might take a little while to register with people who perhaps don’t listen most all of the time?
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I was on holiday and busy. So first impression have been quite good at low level listening. But now concentrating on the listening, absolutely not happy with what has happened. I even don’t understand why this was missed in the Naim listening tests. Dissapointed, the system is now tiring to listen to if you have a lot of high end in albums.
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Thanks a lot for keeping all this up!
I also had some fear with hard reset, but it worked fine with both ps in a quick order.
The reset was as unsuccessful as yours and was in my opinion not having any different result (with resetting) as the factory reset from nd menu.
I am far away, but anyone (from naim) is invited to have a listen to my system also! Would also love to act as beta tester in any actions if this would help.
Even my girlfriend - who is deaf when it comes to music - has mentioned that it is strangely unpleasant to listen.
„Plinky plonky“ is an accurate description. The aura around the tones (especially piano) is completely gone. The transients are hard and unpleasant. This was the wow moment for me after 500dr and sigma update … no gone!
I have no streamer to hang at the nd555 as I (idiot) have updated the nd5xs2 as well.
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As I was thinking about giving up with streaming and going full vinyl again! After so much effort and money into digital chain … a hard thought 
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Thanks for understanding…
I am really happy that there is some lobby here.
@BertBird
It is exactly as you describe … first it feels fine as there is room and air and after a very short time the harshness is present. In my case some female voices tend to be unlistenable with shouty character and sibilance. I know my music very well as I have tested soooo much this last year!
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Ditto.
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You can add me to that list, with similar finding to those mentioned already. Initial impressions seem very positive but a harshness in the upper-mids presents itself from time to time, where it wasn’t evident previously.
All unused inputs now off, which helped. Chassis switch moved from chassis to floating, which helped some more. Factory reset didn’t make any discernible difference.
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ND5XS2/nDAC/555PS was much better in my system.
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But with nd5xs2 with latest fw I doubt it will be.
It seems there is a growing consensus that perceived SQ might be component specific; maybe preamp, maybe streamer, perhaps a combo.
I’m in the happy camp. I think my system sounds better than ever. However I don’t have a 500 system.
Rather than (or in addition to) polls and chat, it might be worth collating data about the systems of those who are happy and those that are not. I feel like this issue needs some science.
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Off you go then. There’s no point asking someone else to do it.
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That’s a rather abrupt response. I’m just trying to help.
Yes I could help gather some data but I feel like it might be better led by those that are in the unhappy camp. They have the most to gain so will be more highly motivated.