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Product Reference Information

Behind the Badge

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Supplied With

The CD555 includes:

Suggested System

A Naim Retailer will recommend the right system for you, however you may choose to partner the CD555 with:

  • Separates System
  • 555 PS
    555 PS

    555 PS is the dedicated power supply for CD555

  • NAC 552
    NAC 552

  • 552 PS
    552 PS

    552 PS is the dedicated power supply for NAC 552

  • NAP 500
    NAP 500

  • 500 PS
    500 PS

    500 PS is the dedicated power supply for NAP 500

  • Ovator S-600
    Ovator S-600

Upgrade Path

Optional upgrades for the CD555 are:

  • 555 PS
    555 PS

    A 2nd 555 PS (inc. Power-Line) enhances further

CD555 Compact Disc Player

CD555
  • cd555_front_10pc.jpg
  • cd555_front_50pc.jpg
  • cd555_front_3-4.jpg
  • cd555_555ps_front_10pc.jpg
  • Best CD Player over £5000
  • Best buy over £6000
  • Review

First shown and demonstrated at The Hi-fi and Home Entertainment Show at Heathrow in September 2005, Naim's reference CD player, the CD555 with 555 PS delivers the ultimate musical performance from a CD.

The CD555 makes no attempt to play DVDs, DVD-As or SACDs. It does not have a digital output. Nor does it have a variable output. The CD555 simply plays CDs and at that it excels. We are confident that it is the best CD player ever.


Key features of this fabulous player include a separate power supply from a transformer secondary winding, which is triple regulated, right through to the critical master clock and de-jittering circuitry. Special attention has also been paid to reducing capacitive coupling of high frequency noise from other supplies into this super quiet clock supply through interconnect cables and wiring looms. Two Burndy interconnects between the power supply and head unit discretely carry the digital and analogue supplies, and extend the principle of reducing capacitive coupling between power supplies as far as possible.

The power supply incorporates significant upgrades over existing designs. More regulators have been used to isolate the supplies to various parts of the circuit, minimising their interaction.

The CD555 Digital-to-Analogue Converters are mounted in a "quiet room". Apart from ensuring that all critical signals reaching the DAC have immeasurably low jitter the chips are inside a shielded enclosure to keep their environment free of the varying electric and magnetic fields that inevitably occur in a CD player, so enabling the converters to do their work isolated from all external influences.

Other noteworthy design features of the CD555 include:

  • Machined, heavy, solid, transport tray to reduce resonance and vibration amplitude.
  • High mass design to improve suspension characteristics, providing isolation from the chassis and other components.
  • Low infra red reflective coatings around the CD to reduce eye pattern interference and noise.
  • Extremely low inertia and low resonance CD clamp.
  • Philips CD-Pro mechanism with a die-cast chassis.
  • Very heavy brass sub-chassis - separate for digital and analogue electronics.
  • Analogue stages, I-to-V conversion, filtering and output driver are built from discrete components.
  • Seven-pole output filters.
  • Separate low jitter clock circuit with its own multi-stage regulated power supply.
  • Post-digital filter de-jitter circuitry to eliminate jitter.
  • DACs are isolated from electric and magnetic fields.
  • Motorised top loading door.

Design features of the 555 PS include:

  • Seven regulated power supplies including a separate one for the clock circuitry.
  • Five secondary windings on the transformer.
  • A transformer that is 40 per cent larger than that in the XPS2.
  • Separate dedicated analogue and digital output sockets (Burndy) to minimise high frequency noise modulation of analogue supplies.
  • Backward compatibility with the CDS3 and CDX2.
  • Can be used to enhance the performance of the Naim HDX hard disk player or DAC.
  • A low resonance case with isolating feet.
AUDIO OUTPUTS
Analogue Outputs DIN, RCA
Line Outputs Fixed (level) 2.1V rms at 1kHz
Output Impedance10Ω maximum
Minimum Load Impedance10kΩ
Frequency Response 10Hz – 20kHz, +0.1/-0.5dB
thd+n<0.1%, 10Hz -18kHz at full level
Phase Response Linear phase, absolute phase correct
De-emphasis±0.1dB referred to main response
CONNECTIVITY
Infra Red RC5
Remote Input RCA on rear (RC5)
RS232RJ45 (fitted but optionally connected)
FORMATS
CD Formats Red Book
Disc Compatibility CD, CD-R, CD-RW
POWER
Power Supply Options 555PS, 2 x 555PS
PHYSICAL
Dimensions114 x 432 x 314mm (H x W x D)
FINISH
FrontBrushed and black anodised
CaseBrushed and black anodised

REVIEWS

Here is a selection of reviews that have been written about this product. Where PDF downloads or online links are available to us, they are featured.

  • "Complex music is delivered effortlessly but, importantly, without curbing the seismic bass and dynamic contrasts"

    What Hi-Fi? Sound & Vision - September 2009

    This comanding combo prompts the ultimate high-end dilema - a new car or new hi-fi? Well, looks like the BMW will have to wait!...
  • "It doesn't favour any particular genre over any other; it simply extracts the most from whatever you feed it"

    Hi-Fi Choice - October 2007

    Naim say's the CD555 delivers "the ultimate musical performance from a CD". It might just be right!...
  • "I can tell you quite simply what the CD555 does. It sounds like music, pure and simple"

    Tone Audio - September 2007

    State of the art CD playback - The Naim CD555...
  • "the best Compact Disc player I've heard to date, bar none!"

    Hi-Fi World - September 2006

    Naim Audio make musical instruments, other manufacturers make Hi-Fi....
  • Hi-Fi+ - September 2006

    The Naim CD555 CD Player...
  • "We introduce what could be the Porsche Carrera of players"

    Hi-Fi News - August 2006

    The CD555, a machine the company promises will take CD replay to a level simply unimagineable a decade ago. ...
  • "the CD555 doesn't try to play DVDs, DVDs As, or SACDs. It doesn't have a digital output. The CD555 just plays CDs and that it excels".

    Hi-Fi World - December 2005

    Big Naim - Claimed to deliver the ultimate musical performance from a CD....

MANUALS & DOWNLOADS

Here are all the items available for download that relate to this product. If the information you require is not featured, please contact Naim Customer Support.