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.
Only limited time to listen yesterday and unfortunately the same will be true today.
I can't say I really noticed any further improvements yesterday but my head wasn't really in the right place for a full on listening session, so I wouldn't take that as a definitive update!
Hopefully more to come in the next few days.
Well Graham, I am happy to give it a listen for you! 
ATB Peter
Only limited time to listen yesterday and unfortunately the same will be true today.
I can't say I really noticed any further improvements yesterday but my head wasn't really in the right place for a full on listening session, so I wouldn't take that as a definitive update!
Hopefully more to come in the next few days.
Well Graham, I am happy to give it a listen for you! ATB Peter
You've got good hearing if you can hear it from your home...
Only limited time to listen yesterday and unfortunately the same will be true today.
I can't say I really noticed any further improvements yesterday but my head wasn't really in the right place for a full on listening session, so I wouldn't take that as a definitive update!
Hopefully more to come in the next few days.
Well Graham, I am happy to give it a listen for you! ATB Peter
You've got good hearing if you can hear it from your home...
Yeah Graham, at least my hearing is better than my back. Just a thought sat here under my umbrella outside, I would be able to hear it in MY lounge, 
ATB Peter
Only limited time to listen yesterday and unfortunately the same will be true today.
I can't say I really noticed any further improvements yesterday but my head wasn't really in the right place for a full on listening session, so I wouldn't take that as a definitive update!
Hopefully more to come in the next few days.
Well Graham, I am happy to give it a listen for you! ATB Peter
You've got good hearing if you can hear it from your home...
Yeah Graham, at least my hearing is better than my back. Just a thought sat here under my umbrella outside, I would be able to hear it in MY lounge, ATB Peter
Once it's nicely run in, maybe you should come and hear it in MY lounge
Well Graham, would really love to thank you. You know where I am! 
ATB Peter
Purely to satisfy my curiosity what is the service interval on the S-1 ?
John
Statement is able to service itself.
To be honest, i'm surprised that these amps aren't able to be monitored from HQ to make sure they're running at peak performance at all times and any adjustments needed to be done remotely by Naim techs.
Purely to satisfy my curiosity what is the service interval on the S-1 ?
John
Statement is able to service itself.
To be honest, i'm surprised that these amps aren't able to be monitored from HQ to make sure they're running at peak performance at all times and any adjustments needed to be done remotely by Naim techs.
Don't be daft, they cant even upgrade firmware over the web let alone service kit!
I am interested in the thought process behind purchasing a £50k pre-amp to partner with modest equipment, surely a mullet of the highest order? Would similar improvements been gained from investing that money in better speakers / power amps etc instead? Or is the long term goal to have a full statement system then get some better speakers?
Purely to satisfy my curiosity what is the service interval on the S-1 ?
John
Statement is able to service itself.
To be honest, i'm surprised that these amps aren't able to be monitored from HQ to make sure they're running at peak performance at all times and any adjustments needed to be done remotely by Naim techs.
Don't be daft, they cant even upgrade firmware over the web let alone service kit!
I am interested in the thought process behind purchasing a £50k pre-amp to partner with modest equipment, surely a mullet of the highest order? Would similar improvements been gained from investing that money in better speakers / power amps etc instead? Or is the long term goal to have a full statement system then get some better speakers?
That's a good question...
I've heard an active S800 system powered by 3 NAP500s vs my active S600 system powered by 3 NAP300s. Both systems used 552 although the S800 system used CD555 with two 555PSes vs NDS with one 555PS for mine. Clearly the S800 system was better and was very very good.
However, I would say that the sound of my system with Statement pre replacing 552 currently beats the S800 system. Yes, that is debatable and not everyone would agree, but that is my opinion.
This makes me think that in the really top end systems, the 552 is holding them back, in much the same way that many people are now learning that NAC A5 and Hi-Line was holding their systems back vs Super Lumina. Source first still applies here!
There are other issues too. While I loved the S800s they would just be too big in my lounge. Similarly, space constraints would likely prevent me going from NAP300s to NAP500s.
Hi Graham, you have an incredible system. I have been a Naimee for just over 12 months now, and went from a small ND5XS/172XS/200 with Chord Chorus/NACA5. I now have CD5XS/NDX/282+2HiCaps/ and bi-amp 200/250.2 with Hi-lines and Chord Signature Tuned Aray, and still NACA5. I use Chord Evo3 Optimum and Voodoo Black Diamond power cords on a dedicated line with Chord Syncro and Sirius powerboard. JBL S4700 speakers. I didn't realize at first how important high quality cabling was until I splashed out. I get the blackest background and silent running without amp hum (thanks to Syncro). My point to all this is I bought a test mic and program and found my room had many modes and frequency irregularities. I took several months and a HELL of a lot of hard work to build full trapping and resonance gear and now I have a room that allows me to hear every 5Hz increment from 30Hz to 1000Hz without standing waves distorting the sound! Have you considered treating your room? I am lucky I have a spare bedroom that I could use which allowed me to, however if I may suggest you get your room tested and treated, you will hear even More nuances and definition than you would think possible. Have it done professionally though! It is a very difficult and time consuming job, and considering your investment you'll find it worth every penny. All the best mate, again love your passion and system, Steve
Thanks Steve, and looks like you've been enjoying the upgrade trail.
If the room containing my hifi was a dedicated room, I would certainly consider that and I suspect you are right that there would be improvements. But the room's our lounge! So I do have to consider the sensibilities of such an arrangement. Also while I must say that my wife is very tolerant to my hifi habit (and she enjoys listening to music too) I think that one might be a step too far
Once it's nicely run in, maybe you should come and hear it in MY lounge
Are you going to sell tickets Graham?!!
There are other issues too. While I loved the S800s they would just be too big in my lounge. Similarly, space constraints would likely prevent me going from NAP300s to NAP500s.
Couple of Statement monoblocks look ideal though, ditch the active palava, and think of the cable savings
Chris
Once it's nicely run in, maybe you should come and hear it in MY lounge
Are you going to sell tickets Graham?!!
How much do you think I should charge?
There are other issues too. While I loved the S800s they would just be too big in my lounge. Similarly, space constraints would likely prevent me going from NAP300s to NAP500s.
Couple of Statement monoblocks look ideal though, ditch the active palava, and think of the cable savings
Chris
Hmm, so save £15K on cables by spending £98K on power amps. Let me check but I think there might be a slight flaw there
Congratulations on the acquisition of your new Statement preamp, Graham. You must be very pleased, and I'd certainly hope so after what must have been some considerable raids on the ol' piggy bank...
Your re-arranged system looks very fine in the photo you have posted, though I must admit the singular vertically-aligned Statement unit looks a little incongruous positioned as it is between two weighty Fraim racks of Reference series boxes. I wonder whether Naim have got a matching Statement CD or network player in the works (not to mention the matching power amps which no doubt you will purchase in the fullness of time, I'm sure..........
).
I do have a little bit of a concern, however...
What if the day should come when Naim decides to release a "Statement 2" successor, or somesuch. Might this lead to another post from the likes of Mr Rodborough saying it makes the existing Statement gear sound broken............? 
/* Dons flak jacket and hastily exits stage left */
Congratulations on the acquisition of your new Statement preamp, Graham. You must be very pleased, and I'd certainly hope so after what must have been some considerable raids on the ol' piggy bank...
Your re-arranged system looks very fine in the photo you have posted, though I must admit the singular vertically-aligned Statement unit looks a little incongruous positioned as it is between two weighty Fraim racks of Reference series boxes. I wonder whether Naim have got a matching Statement CD or network player in the works (not to mention the matching power amps which no doubt you will purchase in the fullness of time, I'm sure..........).
I do have a little bit of a concern, however...
What if the day should come when Naim decides to release a "Statement 2" successor, or somesuch. Might this lead to another post from the likes of Mr Rodborough saying it makes the existing Statement gear sound broken............?
/* Dons flak jacket and hastily exits stage left */
That's what I find most amusing / interesting - everything is the best until something else comes along and yet another veil is lifted and more inky blackness discovered. It makes me wonder how anybody can possibly listen to a modest set up it being so veiled and contaminated with noise.......I think far too many superlatives are used when describing the improvements gained with the law of diminishing return.
Graham, interesting assessment. I am not sure I would agree but I could not comment until I heard both back to back (unlikely!).
Hi Graham, you have an incredible system. I have been a Naimee for just over 12 months now, and went from a small ND5XS/172XS/200 with Chord Chorus/NACA5. I now have CD5XS/NDX/282+2HiCaps/ and bi-amp 200/250.2 with Hi-lines and Chord Signature Tuned Aray, and still NACA5. I use Chord Evo3 Optimum and Voodoo Black Diamond power cords on a dedicated line with Chord Syncro and Sirius powerboard. JBL S4700 speakers. I didn't realize at first how important high quality cabling was until I splashed out. I get the blackest background and silent running without amp hum (thanks to Syncro). My point to all this is I bought a test mic and program and found my room had many modes and frequency irregularities. I took several months and a HELL of a lot of hard work to build full trapping and resonance gear and now I have a room that allows me to hear every 5Hz increment from 30Hz to 1000Hz without standing waves distorting the sound! Have you considered treating your room? I am lucky I have a spare bedroom that I could use which allowed me to, however if I may suggest you get your room tested and treated, you will hear even More nuances and definition than you would think possible. Have it done professionally though! It is a very difficult and time consuming job, and considering your investment you'll find it worth every penny. All the best mate, again love your passion and system, Steve
Thanks Steve, and looks like you've been enjoying the upgrade trail.
If the room containing my hifi was a dedicated room, I would certainly consider that and I suspect you are right that there would be improvements. But the room's our lounge! So I do have to consider the sensibilities of such an arrangement. Also while I must say that my wife is very tolerant to my hifi habit (and she enjoys listening to music too) I think that one might be a step too far
No worries mate, your awesome system will deliver the goods regardless. I love reading about someone like you expressing your passion and joy and sharing it with us, thanks mate. Sadly, I have found on every website I have been to that allows a forum like this, little immature boys love to disrespect and challenge the opinions and decisions of others. I have discovered it is usually those types of people who will never actually get to own gear like yours, and they burn inside knowing that is a fact of their lives. Ignore it mate, I read constant comments by fools about Magico or Wilson speakers ect, knowing by their admissions they own $200 speakers and will never attain or appreciate the very best available. You are to be applauded and I am very excited for you. Cheers mate, Steve
Congratulations on the acquisition of your new Statement preamp, Graham. You must be very pleased, and I'd certainly hope so after what must have been some considerable raids on the ol' piggy bank...
Your re-arranged system looks very fine in the photo you have posted, though I must admit the singular vertically-aligned Statement unit looks a little incongruous positioned as it is between two weighty Fraim racks of Reference series boxes. I wonder whether Naim have got a matching Statement CD or network player in the works (not to mention the matching power amps which no doubt you will purchase in the fullness of time, I'm sure..........).
I do have a little bit of a concern, however...
What if the day should come when Naim decides to release a "Statement 2" successor, or somesuch. Might this lead to another post from the likes of Mr Rodborough saying it makes the existing Statement gear sound broken............?
/* Dons flak jacket and hastily exits stage left */
Bit early for me to be taking about upgrades when my new preamp is only 6 days old
I think a Statement CD player is about as likely as me becoming a super model.