500 DR upgrade time

Hi,

Did you undertake a 500 v 500DR comparison and if so any comments?

Also, how long will the upgrade take?

Richard

No Richard. I didn't do an AB. We were sufficiently convinced by the picture that emerged from the last round of DR upgrades a couple of years back that we ordered this one on spec. It's the first purchase I have made since the mid 1980s without an audition. Here's hoping!

Don't know how long it will take but I hope to have an estimate next week. I also hope to have a 250 on loan (unsure of providence/spec at the moment) although that may not happen. If it does I will be interested to revisit  it because I've never liked it and I welcome the chance to revise my opinion - or not.

If it is anything like the change we heard between a 300 and 300DR you will not be disappointed. Although my modified 300 is not yet back (ho hum) we had a run-in 300DR on loan for a long weekend and were immensely impressed with the changes the latest reincarnation brought. 

Harry posted:

No Richard. I didn't do an AB. We were sufficiently convinced by the picture that emerged from the last round of DR upgrades a couple of years back that we ordered this one on spec. It's the first purchase I have made since the mid 1980s without an audition. Here's hoping!

Don't know how long it will take but I hope to have an estimate next week. I also hope to have a 250 on loan (unsure of providence/spec at the moment) although that may not happen. If it does I will be interested to revisit  it because I've never liked it and I welcome the chance to revise my opinion - or not.

At the time I will have the funds, I will also do it without an auditioning. I am also sufficiently convinced that it will bring the required benefits.

I've just had a chance to compare non-DR with 500DR and confess I was extremely surprised by the difference.  The 500DR is a far richer experience - to my ears far more musical and emotionally involving. I really didn't think there could be that big a leap, but there is.  The rest of the system is NDS with 555, 552 DR and S-400.

That's very interesting, Roosevelt. I was not that impressed at the big Brighton hotel demo, but then it was not the most revealing music and the system was playing through the horrendous bloated giant Focals. That said it was all positive 250 vs. 250DR and 300 vs. 300DR. So you didn't feel that with the 500DR there was any loss of the 500's mid-range nimbleness and tonal delicacy? What music did you listen to?

MTIA

Mike

My and J.N.'s 500s have been away in Salisbury for three weeks and are due to arrive back this week, so that seems to be the turn around time at the moment.

I am encouraged by your comments Roosevelt, as like Harry, I was so pleased with the first round of DRs with the power supplies and reports of the 250 and 300 DR that I did not compare before sending mine away. My dealer also reports positive findings so good enough for me.

All being well we shall have something to report next week.

Four weeks turn around sounds good. Well, good enough for me certainly. Looks like a surge of experience is finally imminent for the 500DR.

To my ears the 500DR had a spaciousness, and a greater delicacy than non-DR.  Music I listened to included Miles Davis, Procul Harum, late sixties/early seventies psychedelic folk, Rebecca Pidgeon, REM, Judy Collins, Tyrannosarus Rex, Calexico, Leon Russell, Respighi,  Vaughan Williams, Beehoven piano sonatas, etc. Still listening and still enjoying.

roosevelt posted:

I've just had a chance to compare non-DR with 500DR and confess I was extremely surprised by the difference.  The 500DR is a far richer experience - to my ears far more musical and emotionally involving. I really didn't think there could be that big a leap, but there is.  The rest of the system is NDS with 555, 552 DR and S-400.

RIchard

Oooohh, that sounds very tasty and encouraging Mr R. My (full service and DR'd) 500 will hopefully be reinstalled and doing the business at home in about 24 hours time; courtesy of my excellent dealer 'Signals'. Not forgetting those clever tech-elves at Salisbury of course.

John. 

Please don't hold back on the first hand account.

I shall endeavour to sit on the hyperbole button to keep it in the OFF position Harry.

John.

Sounds like a plan

J.N. posted:

I shall endeavour to sit on the hyperbole button to keep it in the OFF position Harry.

John.

John, you won't be able to restrain yourself.

Go on man, go on, let it out 

Let me know when it's safe to pop round for a listen.
I hear that it only takes 6000 hours to run in too...

Best regards, FT

My 500 is being collected by my dealer on Monday for its visit back to Salisbury.  Went ahead and triggered the upgrade following hearing difference between a 300 and 300DR - just loved the difference it made......

He's leaving me a 'loaner' (poss a 200, but he also has a second hand 500 in the shop so we'll see!) so I'll at least be able to play music whilst the box goes on its holidays!  

Should be fun!

ATB.  George.

They're obviously doing a batch next week, as I got the nod from my dealer a few days back that they would be doing mine next week too, so dropped it off on Wednesday and borrowed a 250 (non DR). I can't remember how long the 552 conversion took, but they said they hoped it would be 2 weeks, although sounds like it could be a bit more, let's see.

Neil

To give you a guide folks; my 500 (service and DR upgrade) was away for exactly three weeks. It's due back here for installation by Andy of 'Signals' late afternoon today.

John.

Very much look forward to hearing your impressions John and my visit to yours for a listen in just over a weeks time.

ATB

Rob.

J.N. posted:

To give you a guide folks; my 500 (service and DR upgrade) was away for exactly three weeks. It's due back here for installation by Andy of 'Signals' late afternoon today.

John.

Is it back yet, what does it sound like?

richard

And so dear friends, just like that, my three week abstinence was at an end. Andy arrived at 5pm and we had music flowing through the 500 at 6pm.

No audible switch on 'pop' was the first discernible change. I've just torn myself off the sofa after about 3½ hours listening. Where to begin? I was prepared for 'hairy' with the 500PS being serviced/re-capped as well, but the sound was deliciously smooth, powerful, and full-bodied right off the bat. It gradually opened-up and cleaned-up over the next three hours.

The noise floor is clearly lower; the blacks sounding mesmerisingly blacker. It's always a good sign when one puts on an album to listen to a well known track or two and it stays on and plays right through. That occurred with the first two CD's I played.

Music eases effortlessly from the loudspeakers, producing a bigger 3D sound-stage. There is obviously more insight into recordings and immersion into the music. Straightforward clarity, resolution and layering is improved, and timbres (electronic and natural) are better resolved. Rhythmic structures and motifs, hitherto unheard, become apparent. This, ladies and gentlemen is not a better/tweaked 500 but a different  500 - possibly a NAP 1000 striking out on the road to Statement-land. It's somehow a 'less is more' effect, capitalising on what Super Lumina cabling does so well. By that I mean that there is a sensation of the electronics getting out of the way and just letting the music present itself.

With my 500 combo at 8½ years old, there could of course be an element of things having gone a bit soft and in need of a service, but the character of the sound has changed markedly with the DR upgrade.

There will of course be much more to come over the next few weeks and months, but my first listen has produced a few laugh out loud moments and brought a tear to the eye with consistent musical delight and satisfaction. All my old faves, rendered different and anew. No run-in blues here folks - yet. So the answer to 'How much?' is 'Priceless'.

What a shame that Julian Vereker isn't still around to witness such wonderful innovation of his products. My thanks to Alastair and Andy at 'Signals' and to the engineers at Naim for a fantastic job.

John.

I just wish you'd get off the fence, John, and and say what you think

Interesting and reassuring lack of histrionics with the serviced and updated boxes.

We kept hold of our non DR500 for a while and did the comparison for a certain forum member a couple of weeks in. The new PS turned out to still have some way to go because the 18 month old PS when used with the new power amp gave the better rendition. Either way, though, the difference between old and new 500 is indeed like it's a new design.

It's the same story with the 300, by the way, properly dramatic steps.

It's great to read how happy you are.  Pity that two upgradees were flying out of the UK (separately) at the very time their upgraded 500s arrived back!

Alastair

Wow that sounds amazing John thanks for posting your impressions, really pleased for you. It would seem all the nap DR upgrades make a significant improvement on the originals none less so than the 500 I would imagine. Enjoy!!

ATB

Thanks for that John. So good I read it twice. Exactly what I was hoping to hear. After an evening on the sofa it just doesn't seem possible that our 500 can be significantly moved on. But past experience should tell us different and so your account whilst interesting and welcome, shouldn't be that much of a surprise. We've had some golden years recently, right through the (increased) height of the range as well as its width. Remarkable when you sit down and try to recount it from, say about 2008. It's more a case of what hasn't changed?!

very well written report John. good the wait is over -- and by the sound of it -- worth the wait! hopefully will be able to visit sometime to hear it all -- but i guess will wait till its warmed up -- both the amp and the weather :-)

I expect Michael wll be along to report similar good news! 

enjoy

ken