Statement has landed
Posted by: Graham Clarke on 09 May 2015
So after three long months of waiting, my Statement preamp finally arrived yesterday. I managed to do pretty well in being patient until we got down to around the last ten days… This was the starting point:
Since my Statement home demo via UHES in January I’ve changed my two main interconnects to Super Lumina ones and have swapped out NAC A5 for Super Lumina, at a somewhat excessive cost, but with brilliant results.
To answer a previous question asked on the Forum regarding how these speaker cables are tuned, it is down to the resistor used. The resistor is soldered across the positive and negative cables and then surrounded in the metal box to protect it. This provides the correct inductance that the power amps require. The tuning is the value of the resistor and the type of resistor used (e.g. RS Components, Farnell etc). Required values were determined for specific lengths via listening and then other lengths were calculated via a computer program.
Anyway, onto the day. The plan was to check the torque settings on the S-600 speakers’ drive unit screws, break down, clean, tighten and reconfigure the Fraim racks, install the six Super Lumina DIN-XLR cables and oh, just add the Statement S-1 pre-amp to the mix, replacing the 552…
To complete this task we had four people. Ian and Norman from UHES of course, plus Jason Gould and Mark Raggett directly from Naim. It’s always enjoyable spending time with Ian and Norman but also getting to spend around four hours with Jason and Mark was the icing on the cake.
Ian first checked the speaker torque settings, which turned out to be fine since their last check nearly two years ago. Given I purchased these as ex-demo speakers from UHES it’s probably no surprise that they had already bedded in and didn’t need further adjustment.
I wish I could say the same about the Fraim racks. These were new a year ago and Ian had told me that I should check the tightness of the spikes after a few months because there is a degree of compression and expansion of the wood from new which will loosen them. Having assumed that they would just be slightly loose combined with a degree of laziness and a manic work schedule I’m afraid I hadn’t bothered. Well, when we broke down the power supply Fraim rack and lifted the base off the carpet, one of the spikes remained embedded in the concrete floor, to my embarrassment! So YES, you really DO need to check these with newly built Fraim racks.
During this time break down time, Jason and Mark had man handled the S-1 flight case out of Mark’s car. At least for the UK, these are delivered direct from the factory to the customer. “Man handled” is the correct term given the 102Kg shipping weight but this was slightly easier than in January as the case now has detachable wheels. Direct delivery is done to ensure that the unit turns up in 100% perfect condition both cosmetically and functionally. This was of course not a problem with mine.
While they were busy doing this, I kept myself busy by taking a look at the long awaited DIN-XLR cables.
Anyone familiar with Powerlines or Hi-Lines will recognise the packaging.
As you can see, both ends use the Air-PLUG technology that the other Super Lumina cables use via a set of interconnecting metal rings. The XLR canons are also metal, unlike the original ones.
Jumping forward slightly, the only glitch of the day was that when installing these cables into my Snaxo BMR, the far end of the Air-PLUG connectors on the top cable touch the one beneath. When the system has bedded in I’ll have to see whether this actually makes an audible difference.
There was another box which was unexpected, this turned out to be the Statement accessory kit, the finish of which was beautiful.
There were three layers to this box with the top containing the manual and a spirit level.
The second layer in mine was empty given I had not purchased the Statement power amps. Apparently I am the first person world wide that Naim have supplied with just the pre-amp, all other purchasers have gone for the complete system.
In the bottom layer of the box were a number of tools
Including some Statement Fraim chips (different from standard ones) and the remote control which is in the bag on the right. This is constructed of metal and is similar in weight and feel to the NARCOM remote.
Given the NARCOM remote is £300, I dread to think how much a replacement one of these would be. I better not lose it down the back of the sofa.
After completing the first Fraim rack, Jason and Mark unpacked the pre-amp.
Given the size, weight and space constraints this does need to be planned! With the protective cover removed it finally appeared for the first time.
Even unpackaged this weighs 60Kg so moving into position isn’t an easy task. This is what it looks like inside to help explain (no, this isn't mine!)
That's a lot of components!
Happily (for me) I left the task of moving to Mark.
No pressure there Mark, I’m sure you loved me taking pictures of you while you were doing this!
We agree not to put it flush up to the racks so that it could be easily cleaned. Getting the position right, ensuring it was absolutely level and parallel with the left hand rack easily took 30 minutes such was the perfectionist nature of Ian and Mark.
Installing the second Fraim was relatively straightforward after this, poor Ian was left to do this while everyone else chatted and watched on. Jason commented that normally with home installs they get involved directly but knew that they could leave this to Ian given his expertise. High praise indeed for UHES.
One added bonus of moving to two racks and separating them slightly is that cable dressing is now much better, with no Burndys touching the wall and all but a few cables off the floor.
Finally, after over four hours of work, everything was set up and listening was about to begin!
By now it was about 6:30PM and we had a dinner reservation for 7:30 as we were all hungry, so we only had limited listening time. I wasn’t too worried about this because the pre-amp is brand new and stone cold, the DIN-XLRs are also new and the rest of the system would have cooled down, so my expectations weren’t too high.
From the first track there was a slight degree of harshness around the sound. This was consistent with the from cold demo in January. High frequencies were also a little tight and I’d say that the pre-amp and system in generally was probably only at around 50% of its full potential. Despite that, some of the greatness from the January demo was already apparent: the super low noise floor (if it was any lower it would be sucking noise out of the room) along with the incredible detail and separation of every instrument being played.
Unfortunately Saturday obligations mean I won’t get to listen further until later in the afternoon, but both main sources have been left active playing into the system and with further warm up I’m expecting a big jump. So you’ll have to wait a while longer for the clichés and superlatives.
More to follow and thanks for reading if you got this far.
Last night I had the pleasure of meeting Graham and his wife Deb, to listen to the Statement NAC S1 with full SL loom, in a domestic setting with equipment similar to my own. Previously I have only heard the Statement paired with the larger Focal speakers which are not to my taste, so the opportunity to hear it through a pair of Ovator S600s was not to be missed.
I brought along a memory stick loaded with a few of my current favourites, that I thought would also serve as good tests for the Statement pre-amp’s capabilities. I had spent a few hours earlier in the afternoon listening on my NDS, 552, 300, Passive S600 system, so I was ‘tuned in’ to the music beforehand.
We settled down a little after 8.30pm and began the session with some vintage Genesis; The Picture Show, from Selling England by the Pound. My initial reaction was ‘It’s certainly different, but is is better?’. The bass was more controlled, and there was certainly more detail in the high end, but I initially felt less ‘connected’ to the music. It took several more tracks before I began to understand what was going on, and tune my ears in to the new presentation and acoustic environment.
Graham and Deb’s room is about the same size as my own, but more rectangular opposed to square in my case. The speakers fire along the longer length, so are a little further away from the listening position and slightly closer together than I am used to. The room is also slightly more ‘live’ than my own with the ‘clap test’ producing a little flutter echo. We had a brief discussion on the merits of room treatment and my own experiences with GIK Acoustics before returning to the music.
The selection I had brought along was fairly diverse:
Agnes Obel’s, Aventine, where I played The Curse had loads of detail and a nice airy feel, but seemed to lack bass extension, although upon further thinking and comparison with other bass heavy tracks, may have just been more controlled than I am used to.
Fleetwood Mac’s, The Chain sounded tight with loads of bass energy in the ‘Formula One’ bit that everyone knows.
Evanescence’s Bring me to Life also sounded pretty fine, with no muddle or confusion in this rather busy track.
On Rush’s Tom Sawyer, Geddy Lee’s vocals, which can challenge many systems, sounded very clear; probably the best I have ever heard.
On Show Of Hands’, Arrogance Ignorance and Greed, The Napoli, I was hearing far more of the very quiet female vocal that is often hidden behind the more powerful male vocals.
A spot of Hungry Lucy finished off my selection, before we listened to a couple of tracks that Graham and Deb both think really demonstrate the capabilities of the system. Ian Dury’s Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick had the usual unsophisticated passion, energy and drive, but also some real artistry and detail that I had previously missed. We finished off the evening with Lindsey Stirling playing Crystallize from her eponymous debut album, which was completely new to me, but already downloaded from Qobuz this morning… I pointed out that this track reminded me of some of Infected Mushroom’s material, which turned out to be a running joke between Graham and Deb - the latter referring to this fine Israeli duo as Diseased Mushroom… with the exception of a few tracks, not really her thing.
So at the end of the evening, I reflected on what I had discovered:
The Statement S1 has a incredibly low noise floor - much better than the 552 - and this really lets you hear loads of detail that would otherwise be missed. The fine articulation of complex pieces is absolutely world class, with each instrument being clearly audible and well distinguished.
Bass is tight and well controlled with plenty of low end extension when required, although I am still puzzled over how the Ages Obel track was rendered, as the low notes on this did not seem as deep as I am used to. It may be as simple as different room characteristics, with my room having a mode very close to the fundamental frequency.
Even at lower listening levels than I often indulge myself with at home, I was hearing far more fine detail, with the occasional almost sub-sonic bass note that that really grabbed my attention.
So is the NAC S1 worthy of the hype? Absolutely yes!
Will I be buying one? A more difficult question as my current system is passive and I am mulling over the relative benefits of activation, versus the better control and lower noise floor of the S1. I absolutely get the benefits of an active crossover, but I also find my current passive S600s very musical and certainly not sounding ‘broken’ in comparison. Also, based on the different acoustic ambiance of our respective rooms, I think it’s essential to hear the S1 in my room before making any decisions. One thing I have discovered is that there is far more to be had out of the S600s than I had previously realised, as I had also been wondering if I would need to upgrade to the S800s to hear the benefits.
So, on a final note I’d like to extend my thanks to Graham and Deb for indulging another forum member and allowing me to listen to a very fine system indeed, plus introducing me to Lindsey Stirling. I understand a few more visitors are expected at the weekend, so it will be interesting to compare our thoughts over the coming weeks. Graham and Deb, If you ever fancy a return match at my place, please let me know and we can work on some dates.
Many Thanks!
Dave.
Nice write up Dave, it was great spending some time with you yesterday. I always enjoy listening to other people's music as it broadens my musical experiences.
I thought the Agnes Obel track sounded great but agree it didn't have much in the way of bass extension. Having not heard it previously I can't really comment further on your specific observation apart from saying that the disparity does seem odd. I think some of the other tracks showed that it isn't wanting for bass. In fact at one point I did wonder if it was too bass heavy but this was during "The Wobble Zone" when my S1 was burning in.
At this price level, I'd say a home demo of an S1 pre is mandatory.
Yes, we should do the return match, as I'd be curious to understand how much difference your room acoustic treatment has made.
Graham
PS: Nice car 
PPS: Next group of visitors this Saturday; you know who you are; looking forward to it!
Nice write up Dave and yet again very interesting.
Looking forward to the findings from the Lucky Four!
Richard
Nice write up Dave and yet again very interesting.
Looking forward to the findings from the Lucky Four!
Richard
So is it this Saturday for the Lucky Four?
If so I hope you are all engrossed in some great vibes!
Richard
Nice write up Dave and yet again very interesting.
Looking forward to the findings from the Lucky Four!
Richard
So is it this Saturday for the Lucky Four?
If so I hope you are all engrossed in some great vibes!
Richard
It was the lucky three of us Richard and yes, we've had a super day, many thanks to Debs & Graham for their wonderful hospitality. More later.
Nice write up Dave and yet again very interesting.
Looking forward to the findings from the Lucky Four!
Richard
So is it this Saturday for the Lucky Four?
If so I hope you are all engrossed in some great vibes!
Richard
Richard,
One of the 4 (DaveBk) has already posted above which left three for yesterday.
Tonym was in attendance, I'll let the other two decide whether they want to be identified and comment on their experiences.
I'd say "a great time was had by all", hopefully the others will agree!
Myself and wife certainly had a great day with them.
Graham
We came, we listened to music, we talked (and not just about hi-fi) we ate a beautiful meal, we left contented.
Oh, the S1? Yes, that was good...
Us attendees have all been long-term users of "traditional" Naim speaker designs and struggle with Ovators. So it was fascinating to listen to the effect the S1 had on them. There's an ease about any system lucky enough to have an S1 inserted - a naturalness and lack of low-level noise. I dislike using hackneyed hi-fi speak but I think the term "Inky blackness" was invented specifically for the S1. Very impressive, and the way the unit nestles between Graham's two stacks of Fraim is remarkably harmonious.
My fellow audionauts made some suggestions around possible acoustic adjustments to Debs' & Graham's room (my suggestion of completely removing one wall strangely didn't appear to find much favour). As usual, for nearly all of us, compromises on room layout must be made (I'm a believer in electronic room correction but that's another discussion). Fascinating to experiment a bit - a couple of towels over the flat-screen TV made some things sound better, others not so good.
We listened to some interesting music (as you do on such occasions), and like DaveBk before us we were rather taken with Lindsay Stirling.
So many thanks to Debs & Graham, you're both lovely people and hopefully you can make the journey up to darkest East Anglia sometime soon for a return hi-fi nerd's day.
Tony,
How wrong you are! Last night we demolished the living room wall as you had suggested. "Spacious" and "airy" describe the new look however it is rather dusty and I'm not so sure about sharing the lounge with my car 
Also a little concerned about the large cracks across the ceiling, maybe we should have left the RSJ alone.
Glad you enjoyed yourself and we'd love to make a return visit sometime!
Graham
Hi Debs & Graham.
Thank you very much for your kind hospitality yesterday with enjoyable food, drink and company.
It was great to hear the infamous S1 Pre in a domestic setting and the challenge, that comes with dialling out a piece of equipment in a system, which one is not familiar with. The S1 shines through easily with its total lack of character and its ability to purvey micro detail due to its low noise floor. It simply seems to hold all individual instruments and vocals seperated with an iron grip. Note decay amongst most other aspects took it to a level well beyond the 552. I suppose it should at the price of 57K, which makes it 3 times the price of its little brother.
I would of course be fibbing, if I claimed that I wouldn't like to hear it in my own humble system. Thankfully I don't think my 552 will sound br...bro.... broken, when a cloud in the sky will make me revisit my own system .
It is also one of those products, which will reveal deficiencies with everything else within the system itself but also the listening room. My guess is, that the S1 would very much thrive on a second PS on the NDS purely to match the resolution of the S1, as I felt the source had become the weakest link. Hey as usual the game never stops, as Harry once said : " Until we stop it!".
Again thanks for the experience and all the best Peter
Hi Debs & Graham.
Thank you very much for your kind hospitality yesterday with enjoyable food, drink and company.
It was great to hear the infamous S1 Pre in a domestic setting and the challenge, that comes with dialling out a piece of equipment in a system, which one is not familiar with. The S1 shines through easily with its total lack of character and its ability to purvey micro detail due to its low noise floor. It simply seems to hold all individual instruments and vocals seperated with an iron grip. Note decay amongst most other aspects took it to a level well beyond the 552. I suppose it should at the price of 57K, which makes it 3 times the price of its little brother.
I would of course be fibbing, if I claimed that I wouldn't like to hear it in my own humble system. Thankfully I don't think my 552 will sound br...bro.... broken, when a cloud in the sky will make me revisit my own system .
It is also one of those products, which will reveal deficiencies with everything else within the system itself but also the listening room. My guess is, that the S1 would very much thrive on a second PS on the NDS purely to match the resolution of the S1, as I felt the source had become the weakest link. Hey as usual the game never stops, as Harry once said : " Until we stop it!".
Again thanks for the experience and all the best Peter
Glad you enjoyed it Peter and hope you felt the long drive was worth it.
The S1 shines through easily with its total lack of character and its ability to purvey micro detail due to its low noise floor. It simply seems to hold all individual instruments and vocals seperated with an iron grip. Note decay amongst most other aspects took it to a level well beyond the 552.
Great explanation, I think the description fits very well.
As we discussed, I'm on the fence regarding the 1 or 2 555PSUs choice after a shortish listen. I'll get one in for a week at some future point for a better test but think DRing my power amps and possibly adding a Melco are higher priority for me. Yes, who knows when it will end! Probably with an empty bank account!
How wrong you are! Last night we demolished the living room wall as you had suggested. "Spacious" and "airy" describe the new look however it is rather dusty and I'm not so sure about sharing the lounge with my car Also a little concerned about the large cracks across the ceiling, maybe we should have left the RSJ alone.
Glad you enjoyed yourself and we'd love to make a return visit sometime!
Graham
Well done Graham, I just knew you'd see the wisdom of my advice! My work here is done...