Active NAP500 DR Upgrade

Thank you for your thoughts Richard and DB!

Great journey DB, love reading all about it. Thank you.

Does anyone know the current wait if you were to book 500s in for DR today?

Just curious of course ... I keep telling myself I can wait until they are due for a service...

I was told 13 weeks, 2 of them have passed so far. I booked before deciding DR or just a service (I bought a 16 year old 500 a month ago). looks like it will be the DR which will bring the cost up tp a tad over half the price of a new one.

Mine was a very log wait of about 3 or 4 months and a turn-around of less than 3 weeks to get it all done and back to me.
The DR update removes all existing electronics and even the plugs so you really only get your old box returned with new insides. I had my power supplies serviced at the same time to get it all over and done with - there is a lot less run-in if you only have the DR done, but if your 500 is nearing 10 years without service it is worth getting that done at the same time, funds permitting, as it will be overall less expensive and less gap without your system.

There is still run-in going on with my set - another 'wave' of 'bluntness' went through it yesterday for a few hours then cleared, but as each successive episode happens, the level of effect is less intrusive and afterwards the sound quality is better than before. But as I mentioned above, in Passive systems you may not hear this as much. I'm writing for those that may experience this themselves in Active systems so as not to loose heart until it really gets better over time.

DB.

Run-in of the 500PS boxes does open-out the bass to a lot fuller and better over time. I had the opportunity of hearing this at my Dealer when I had a 500 DR demo and swapped the brand new 500PS for one that had run-in for a year on the NAP 500 DR head unit - I preferred by a long way the more sumptuous sound of the run-in 500PS, although the new PS did have some zest that I liked too, so perhaps Naim have been refining the PS too.

DB.

Darke Bear posted:

Mine was a very log wait of about 3 or 4 months and a turn-around of less than 3 weeks to get it all done and back to me.
The DR update removes all existing electronics and even the plugs so you really only get your old box returned with new insides. I had my power supplies serviced at the same time to get it all over and done with - there is a lot less run-in if you only have the DR done, but if your 500 is nearing 10 years without service it is worth getting that done at the same time, funds permitting, as it will be overall less expensive and less gap without your system.

There is still run-in going on with my set - another 'wave' of 'bluntness' went through it yesterday for a few hours then cleared, but as each successive episode happens, the level of effect is less intrusive and afterwards the sound quality is better than before. But as I mentioned above, in Passive systems you may not hear this as much. I'm writing for those that may experience this themselves in Active systems so as not to loose heart until it really gets better over time.

DB.

Hi DB

Did you send in your burndy cables as well? Asking so that I know what to do if/when I decide to have mine done 

Thanks ayap1

I sent the Burndys in too - and Naim re-set them and they look a lot neater, as a couple were loose and bedraggled somehow before. 
The only things I did not send were signal interconnects and mains leads.

DB.

Good news on the run-in ride delivering principally positive results Gary. Logically, I found that the peaks and troughs become less pronounced over time and I think my DR'd 500 (and serviced power supply) has just about hit its zenith, almost 6 months down the line.

I've been away for a week so powered down and unplugged my set. I re-powered it last evening and it's sounding very good indeed this afternoon. There is obviously more to come because the sound is a little constrained, but pre DR'd boxes I used to get the 'fat and bloaty' thing on day-two. DR seems not to do that. Put another way; run-in kit seems to come back on song more quickly when re-powered after a hiatus.

John.

All the best,

Richard

Thanks for sharing your journey with us Gary, it makes for interesting reading.

Great to read things are really beginning to blossom in your system now. As time passes the run-in process starts to become less of an issue as  or course you know. Soon you will just be able to enjoy the music and forget the system.

I would wholeheartedly agree with John in as much as it took a full 5-6 months to fully run-in my previous 250-DR from new and now my 300-DR is only just recently begun to settle down, it can feel like a long ride but it`s a great journey getting to the point where it all comes together.

Rob.

DB, presumably the passive system vs active installation divergence in running in experience could be down to the fact in a passive system when the (single) amp is 'in the groove' the system sounds good, whereas In a 3x amp active system it only needs one of the amps to be moody for the whole thing to sound a bit off?

And there's the truth - whatever the playback medium so often I've been left flat by what could have been a really good performance completely compromised by the Engineer's seeming incompetence.

Mr Bear - brilliant thread, great read.

kevin J Carden posted:

DB, presumably the passive system vs active installation divergence in running in experience could be down to the fact in a passive system when the (single) amp is 'in the groove' the system sounds good, whereas In a 3x amp active system it only needs one of the amps to be moody for the whole thing to sound a bit off?

In part you are right - with run-in there is no guarantee that all will do so in sync. But I do think that another aspect is that Active systems are more 'fussy' that everything is right before they give their best. I remember reading many years ago posts saying they are a thousand times more revealing - that may be some exaggeration, but certainly it is a lot more revealing of the dynamics, life and inner-content in music and therefore the same for run-in. Effectively a well designed Passive crossover smooths-over the rough-edges and although it removes some aspects of music, it also takes the worst edge of the run-in.

Also, as my system runs-in and becomes more stable I'm gradually doing the little set-up tweaks that I did before I re-rigged it to send it to Naim for DR and service. These are ensuring all the leads don't foul - the speaker cables don't press the Burndies at the rear - the Burndy leads should be free and you hear when they are not. The other thing is the fine tweaking of boxes on their Fraim shelves - essentially centered near the 'front' (two balls end) of the glass - but not right at the front. Some of these are small tweaks then sit and play some percussion and synth music and it is clear - you would have to hear it to believe it. Once done I find it 'stays' like that for extended periods of years so it is just an occasional thing. I don't like having to do it, but I learned how to and can so it is OK.

Last night music was rather wonderful with so much more musical details and aspects of performance I just have never heard before in well known music. Denser but well-recorded material becomes far more transparent like a cloud of cloying crud has been removed, especially from the bass-end, but the high-frequency performance is also delightfully delicate. The warmth and 'flesh' of a vocalist is so much better - the recording mike pics-up a lot more than you normally get to hear.

For example I like listening to French Singer Mylene Farmer and her album 'Anamorphosee' is a mix of rock and ballads dense in places due to strong drums, bass guitar and synth - but her vocal range is high and she has a delecacy in her musical phrasing and holding of notes that are backed with synth and the rhythm of the bass and percussion. All of this was so much clearer - but the thing that really 'wowed' me was the darkening of the acoustic around her as she sings so that you hear more of her as she is as a person. A delicate velvet-texture of voice I'd never heard that way before. Before it was as if she was singing through a cloud of bright fog - now the fog is gone.

DB.

Absolutely Gary. You've reminded me that removal of a fog around vocalists is one of the 'biggies' I got, straight away with my DR'd amp. The sound is cleaner and more transparent in a musically revealing 'less is more' sort of way. Hi-Fi Wow! it ain't.

John.

Hi all,

I may have missed this (my apologies) are we saying the DR upgrade on the 500 is better than the 552 DR upgrade?

You have "wet" my whistle DB to get my 500 DR upgrade done. Where do I send the invoice 

Dustysox - in a word, for me yes.

I had mine serviced at the same time and straight out of the box the difference (better to my ears), was apparent....with, hopefully, more to come.

Dustysox posted:

Hi all,

I may have missed this (my apologies) are we saying the DR upgrade on the 500 is better than the 552 DR upgrade?

You have "wet" my whistle DB to get my 500 DR upgrade done. Where do I send the invoice 

Greetings Darren,

I hope the world is treating you and yours well?

As good as the DR'd 552 is, I have to agree with HL that the transformation of the 500 is more pronounced. Ditto the 300. Both become very different amplifiers and are far from being 'tweaked'.

Sorry - can't help you with the invoice business.

Good listening.

John.

Im at the same page here. 500 DR bigger upgrade then 552 DR. 552 was/is always great in the respect that "everybody" loved it. 500 could be a mixed bag depending on what you valued most in music reproduction. Not any more. Now it is just marvellous.

// Jonas 

Happy Listener posted:

Dustysox - in a word, for me yes.

I had mine serviced at the same time and straight out of the box the difference (better to my ears), was apparent....with, hopefully, more to come.

 

Thank you, i guess i'll pull the trigger on getting mine done....hopefully in time for Easter 

J.N. posted:

Dustysox posted:

Hi all,

I may have missed this (my apologies) are we saying the DR upgrade on the 500 is better than the 552 DR upgrade?

You have "wet" my whistle DB to get my 500 DR upgrade done. Where do I send the invoice 

Greetings Darren,

I hope the world is treating you and yours well?

As good as the DR'd 552 is, I have to agree with HL that the transformation of the 500 is more pronounced. Ditto the 300. Both become very different amplifiers and are far from being 'tweaked'.

Sorry - can't help you with the invoice business.

Good listening.

John.

 

Hi John,

Lovely to hear from you. 

Interesting Bank holiday weekend...wife came home Friday evening after a week away with the kids and her mum. She was complaining during the week of pains by her ribs. She went to see a local GP to be told it was probably muscular and take Ibuprofen. anyways....she pulled up on the drive Friday evening after a six hour drive barely getting out of the car, Christ, i said best you get to A & E. They have kept her in all weekend, which was a real bummer as it was her Birthday on Saturday. We had a nice coffee in the hospital...who says i don't know how to show a lady a good time..no expense spared!! It seems she has gaul stones, and an infection. They are treating the infection then she will need an op to take the gaul bladder out.Im sorting the kids out...washing machine etc you should see me i'm a natural.

Bet you are glad you asked now John 

Funny thing is my system is firing on all cylinders at the moment and i had hoped to of enjoyed some extended listening this weekend!!! That would be a big fat no then!

I've been really impressed by all the positive posts by the 500DR upgrade....see back on topic  I had thought that the full SL loom upgrade would of seen me for a while...and "ruddy Naim" have done it again.....upgrade time...again!!!

I've really enjoyed DB's journey and the way he is able to convey to the reader his experiences and enjoyment and lengths he goes to extract the very best from his excellent system + he passes on his findings and tweaks so we learn and can introduce tweaks into our systems.

I've already been in touch with "my dealer"!! I'll be interested on how long that upgrade queue is!!!!

Got to go...apparently the children eat, and need feeding!!!!

Jonas Olofsson posted:

Im at the same page here. 500 DR bigger upgrade then 552 DR. 552 was/is always great in the respect that "everybody" loved it. 500 could be a mixed bag depending on what you valued most in music reproduction. Not any more. Now it is just marvellous.

// Jonas 

 

Thank you Jonas, moves are under way.

A buggered Bank Holiday for sure Darren. Not good. I've emailed you.

John.

J.N. posted:

A buggered Bank Holiday for sure Darren. Not good. I've emailed you.

John.

Thanks John. No email received ...yet!