It’s expensive, but this music streamer sets new sonic standards
If you spend £17,500k on a music streamer, you would expect it to work straight out of the box. But the ND 555 doesn’t have a built-in power supply, so you will need to add at least one of the company’s 555 PS DR outboard power units. So what we really have here is a £26,000 music streamer. And you know what? We love it.
Naim has been at the forefront of hi-fi streaming for years, having invested in the technology early, and has continued to pour resources into R&D to make sure it stays at the leading edge. The basic digital streaming module used here is essentially the same as that which first appeared in the revised Uniti range in 2017 and then filtered into Naim’s Mu-so wireless speakers.
So, then, this £26k high-end hi-fi streamer is using the same streaming module as a grand’s worth of wireless speaker; but here everything from the product’s structural design to the sophisticated power supply arrangement and purist analogue audio circuitry helps to get the very best sound possible. When it comes to circuit design, Naim has thrown the book at this range-topper.
The Naim will happily accept up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM files and play up to DSD128 streams. Naim’s choice of number cruncher, Burr Brown’s highly regarded PCM1704 DAC chip, isn’t inherently compatible with DSD, however, so the ND 555 converts such files to PCM first. Elsewhere this is a really accommodating player, with aptX HD Bluetooth, Chromecast, Tidal, Spotify Connect, Apple Airplay, Roon compatibility and the ability to work as part of a Naim-based multiroom set-up all on the menu. At the back is Naim’s traditional Din output alongside the more conventional RCA, and aerial sockets for wireless networking and Bluetooth. There are digital inputs too – pairs of optical and coaxials – the latter offering the choice of both RCA and Naim’s preferred BNC option. Two USBs complete the list. We can’t think of a situation where an ND 555 is likely to be caught short.
UNRIVALLED COHESION
The ND 555 is a clear step better than anything the company has managed before, but there remains much in its sonic character that will be familiar to Naim fans. Essentially, the presentation is direct, punchy and organised with a musical cohesion few rivals can match.
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