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Naim ND555 immaculate build, but does it make a difference to sonics?

BentonF

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Just been looking at these images of the Naim ND555 streamer. I’m no electronics engineer, so my admiration of the build quality, layout and attention to detail is perhaps misguided but aside from the horrendous asking price, does all this effort make an audible difference or is this over-engineering for the sake of bringing in more profit?
 

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Vincent Kars

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€ 16.200,00 in my country
Sucker pricing imho
 

andreasmaaan

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I don't have an answer to your specific question, but it's worth noting that Audio-GD devices are some of the worst performing in the universe:

M2H8.JPG


R85.jpg



HE2013.JPG
 

Soniclife

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Just been looking at these images of the Naim ND555 streamer. I’m no electronics engineer, so my admiration of the build quality, layout and attention to detail is perhaps misguided but aside from the horrendous asking price, does all this effort make an audible difference or is this over-engineering for the sake of bringing in more profits?
Given that you can get measurably perfect for a lot less, who cares?
 

digititus

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NAIM do not provide any technical data beyond how heavy it is. Rather disappointing for the price.
For another 10K (I'm guessing) you'll get a fatter power cable and your own neighborhood substation to power its 25W typical use scenario
 

garbulky

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I don't have an answer to your specific question, but it's worth noting that Audio-GD devices are some of the worst performing in the universe:

M2H8.JPG


R85.jpg



HE2013.JPG
I don't think the amp in the first pic has ever been tested. Would be interested in seeing it. I've used the Audio GD HE-1 and it sounds pretty fab to me.
 

restorer-john

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What I find horrendous is this kind of cable management with wires levitating everywhere for no reason...

Perfectly good reasons for all those wires being exactly where they are. Routing everything on a single PCB is only done because it is really cheap, not because it is inherently 'better'.
 

TimF

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Dirty pictures. Not appropriate for minors. Once you remove the cover it goes from soft porn to full-on porn. I've seen a category of porn called Dirty. I thought that funny as a distinguishing characterization. Porn can be defined as when the material under consideration is made immediately and maximally displayed and available. A definition of art could be when the material under consideration is made most accessible. Porn is, of course, specifically not a delving into or even a depth consideration of the material under consideration but instead a highly selective and particular perspective and characterization of the material under consideration. Sexual imagination requires some illusion and idealization, and (mis)-characterization. I would argue that love, in contrast, requires some truth and revelation of the actual that requires a coming to terms with reality. What do I know?
 

Soniclife

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Perfectly good reasons for all those wires being exactly where they are. Routing everything on a single PCB is only done because it is really cheap, not because it is inherently 'better'.
I do like their tube train wiring, their more complicated stuff takes a long time to learn to make neatly.
 

JeffS7444

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does all this effort make an audible difference or is this over-engineering for the sake of bringing in more profit?

I think what successful high-end audio companies have figured out is that they are actually in the business of catering to the desires of clientele who want what they want and are willing to spend considerable sums of money to get it. And for the customer who desires a bespoke Naim solution to streaming audio, the ND555 may be just the ticket.
 
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BentonF

BentonF

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Oh I know Naim are directly targeting the moneyed-up audiophile nervosa cohort here. Not being an engineer, I wasn’t sure if the design and execution of this unit is considered sensible, evidence based and electronics at its best or fancy build for the sake of sucking people in with unnecessary or even sonically detrimental design choices.
 
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andreasmaaan

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I don't think the amp in the first pic has ever been tested. Would be interested in seeing it. I've used the Audio GD HE-1 and it sounds pretty fab to me.

Yeh, I'm not sure how these particular pieces of gear measure. Although the bottom two are an R2R ladder DAC.

Re: the amp, Audio GD has posted supposed measurements on their site, but these have proven hugely unreliable in other cases: http://www.audio-gd.com/Master/Master-2H/Master-2HEN.htm
 

restorer-john

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Sure the Naim is expensive. Overpriced, probably. But it comes from a highly respected company, one that has stood the test of time, co-founded by one of HiFi's most interesting and dedicated characters. The Queen honoured his committment to audio with an MBE.

I always loved this advertisement:
1582332410312.png


I see inside that product above and I get excited for the future of real HiFi. It's properly made- hand made. Uses quality chassis and fixings. It can be repaired and serviced and will no doubt last many decades.

Julian Vereker:
1582332335502.png


https://www.naimaudio.com/connection-magazine/27816/remembering-julian

You guys can keep your cheap-in-an extruded-can on a single PCB full of SMD, lead free, fake components, flavour of the month DAC- it's toy stuff. It'll be in landfill in no time and that's hardly the gear we should be aspiring to own, especially moving into a sustainable future.
 
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