Silver lining?

The 552 is good but be careful as you might desire a statement. 

Drewy posted:

The 552 is good but be careful as you might desire a statement. 

Its really not as crazy as it sounds:

2 x 555PS > NDS > S1 > 500 DR

Does the S1 need an PS ?

I think not!

Sell everything else!

Just saying!

I guess it really depend on the Silver linning!

Allante93!

PS. My condolences to your grandfather!

Ooh big step. One does become sentimental to ones components - it's a case of my having recently achieved a listening room and layout where the system fits and sings so well. And an inheritance on top - who am I to complain? (Yes I will always miss him and he was 95.)

The 552 appeal is obvious reading the forum, but I also have a spare level on my frame where a second 555 PS could go and the NDS would replace the nDAC. My source would then be optimal - a figurative term noting my thread on 552 DR and Statement!

I just wondered whether people might think the 552 will reveal flaws in the source - e.g. brightness? But I genuinely think the HDX nDAC and 555 DR is a great combination.

But then again is the 252 good enough to hear the difference an NDS gives over the nDAC?

The 552 is generally very forgiving of source. It won't improve them but it's surprising how good a lesser source can sound through a 552. I'm still running a NAD 4020A tuner into mine and it's a lot better than an £80 in 1981 tuner has any right to be. Similarly the DVD5 playing CDs, you only fnd out what's missing when you replace it with something better (which a cord DAC wasn't, too sterile).

I would get rid of those MA200's. Fine as they are in isolation,they SERIOUSLY hold your system back. I have a pair at home and those for rear-channel duties on my home-theater setup.

nDAC / 555PS + 252 + 300 is worthy of much better speakers. It is a wonderfully musical set that is now effectively being strangled by the scooped-midrange of the Monitor Audios. 
If you like your floorstanding speakers to have a smaller footprint have a look at Kudos C20s, Ovators S-400s or similar.

Have you considered a new Atom? 

I would agree with Yeti4. The 552 just makes any source sound good. Even my sky box run through about 10m of cheap phono cable to the 552 sounds good.

I've just moved from a CDX2/NDac/555PS to 555CD player with just the one PS and have to say the improvement was pretty staggering but the 552, as a single upgrade, takes a lot of beating!

Adam Zielinski posted:

I would get rid of those MA200's. Fine as they are in isolation,they SERIOUSLY hold your system back. I have a pair at home and those for rear-channel duties on my home-theater setup.

nDAC / 555PS + 252 + 300 is worthy of much better speakers. It is a wonderfully musical set that is now effectively being strangled by the scooped-midrange of the Monitor Audios. 
If you like your floorstanding speakers to have a smaller footprint have a look at Kudos C20s, Ovators S-400s or similar.

Agree with Adam, think seriously about a speaker upgrade and also speaker cables ....

Thanks for the tips. I understand the speaker issue, but I really have found an excellent sound in my listening room - kind of reminds me what Edouard from France said when he got his Sonus Fabers.  Of course I claim mine with a 252.

Hence my confidence in a 552 simply makes the greatness greater. I think that's what I'll do!

I'm sure you will not be disappointed,  it will be interesting to hear how it sounds once installed...

Given the source of the funding, can I suggest thinking about it in terms of the outcome being a lasting momento to your grandfather, such that every time you play music there is a reminder that can link you to him if you allow it. It could be very visual - e.g. different speakers, or aural - something that brings a marked improvement you hear and appreciate on every listen, ideally something thatbis unlikely to get be replaced in a fit of upgraditis in the future (A similar sad circumstance in my life last year resulted in the change to both my speakers and DAC, a lasting tribute to the person who brought me up to love music.)

Thanks Innocent Bystander, that sentiment means a lot to me and it is the best way of becoming absorbed in the emotions of the sound. It's even poetic.

I don't think you'll find anyone questioning whether a 552DR will improve upon your 252/SCDR.  However, I'm not so sure about your source plans.  As you plan on keeping the HDX but are contemplating swopping out your nDAC for a NDS, you would be using the NDS as just a DAC. Ok, it can take two 555PSs but does that justify the change?  I've tried an NDS as a DAC using one 555PSDR and compared to the nDAC/555PSDR I preferred the nDAC.  I'm not saying you will hear things the same way, but since you say you won't be able to try in your listening room before buying you would be taking quite a gamble.   

MDS posted:

I don't think you'll find anyone questioning whether a 552DR will improve upon your 252/SCDR.  However, I'm not so sure about your source plans.  As you plan on keeping the HDX but are contemplating swopping out your nDAC for a NDS, you would be using the NDS as just a DAC. Ok, it can take two 555PSs but just that justify the change?  I've tried an NDS as a DAC using one 555PSDR and compared to the nDAC/555PSDR I preferred the nDAC.  I'm not saying you will hear things the same way, but since you say you won't be able to try in your listening room before buying you would be taking quite a gamble.   

If using NDS just as a DAC, another option might be Dave. But you'll need to hear them to decide between them - there was a recent thread on NDS vs Dave, but IIRC there was very little  in the way of real comparative evaluation.

Would one just use the HDX as a server over upnp to the NDS?

Hungryhalibut posted:

Would one just use the HDX as a server over upnp to the NDS?

This one does. 

Sorry, I meant to say 'would one not just use....'. It's certainly what I would do, which would render the 555PS on the HDX unnecessary, so it could be reassigned to the NDS. Actually, I'd ditch the HDX and get a Nas, but that's simply personal preference. It would save rack space though. 

Just ordered the 552 DR - no audition!

I fully appreciate and respect forum tips  but I genuinely found a sweet spot with my above system, listening room, hifi and cable layout - with no small part from reading this forum.

I simply don't want to get caught up in tweaking this and that if I reached and were happy with the above system - especially with a 9 month old daughter. I subsequently just threw my cards and precious money on the table - trusting the forum's collective unconscious...

And bought the 552 DR. I now await for it to arrive.

Let's see if it was a worthwhile purchase eh?!!

Congratulations, I'm sure you will be more then happy.

How long do you have to wait for delivery?

Hi Wenger2015, they said 7 to 10 days. Then I guess it's warm up time afterwards, but what is great is everything else is already optimised - speaker placement, cabling, furniture. I just swap the pres and press play!

Amusingly, I have a fire guard (like a cage) around my system as I have a daughter who will be crawling and pressing buttons pulling cables very soon.

(And incidentally she is always eyeing up those black boxes with green lights behind the cage - planning something I'm sure!!)

Sounds like you are all primed and ready to go....happy days as they say.

You must keep us updated... 

Ps congratulations on the new born, my grandchildren loved the bright lights on my boxes, they tend to work as a magnet for little ones, I was forever on patrol as they say...

Maybe get the dealer to install it, see farthins cat's thread and my 552 didn't work too well in the same rack position my 282 was happiest (due to power supplies in the adjacent stack, moving the head unit up a shelf cured it, it's a sensitive blighter). Your dealer will have a better idea if something isn't right and will be able to address any setup issues there and then. I'd guess you're not sneaking it in under the radar this time.

I got the phone call so it's here. Well more like 'there' as I don't have my own transport and it's at the hifi shop. It will be delivered to my address most likely by Tuesday.

(Where I chuckle to myself is the thread I posted about Naim running things in. Now awaiting a brand new 552 DR, I am reticent getting the supplier to run it in!)

As I've purchased this un-auditioned from a well balanced great sounding, well set up, warm 252 DR system, I'll update this thread to let you know if the 552 lives up to expectations....

Consciousmess posted:

I got the phone call so it's here. Well more like 'there' as I don't have my own transport and it's at the hifi shop. It will be delivered to my address most likely by Tuesday.

(Where I chuckle to myself is the thread I posted about Naim running things in. Now awaiting a brand new 552 DR, I am reticent getting the supplier to run it in!)

As I've purchased this un-auditioned from a well balanced great sounding, well set up, warm 252 DR system, I'll update this thread to let you know if the 552 lives up to expectations....

I don't think you will be disappointed...... 

If it is indeed brand new give it 3 months before you pass judgement.  That's how long it took mine to open up compared to the demo one I had. When I first got mine it sounded a bit 252