552 - unusual review
Posted by: Manni on 15 December 2002
Hi all,
in no.49 of image hifi, a german hi-end magazine, a test of the 552 was published.
The author, Werner Höglmeier, is a proud owner of a top Naim-system ( or sistem? )- LP 12, Prefix/Supercap, CDS 2, 52/Supercap, S-Naxo/Supercap, Sixpack, DBL - , so he was able to compare the 552 with his 52.
In nearly every hifi-aspect Mr. Höglmeier found the 552 to be superior to the 52. But far more important in his opinion is the emotional factor!
Music heard with this preamp is like a drug, an extrapiece of more quality of life.
By the way, the author wrote, that the perfomance of his Prefix powered by the 552 alone was better - more realistic - than using an extra Supercap - in contrast to the 52.
So long,
Manfred Müllers
Posted on: 15 December 2002 by Manni
Correction!
The name of the author is Werner Höglmaier not Höglmeier.
Sorry
Manfred Müllers
Posted on: 15 December 2002 by Don Atkinson
Correction!
The name of the author is Werner Höglmaier not Höglmeier.
Sorry
Manfred Müllers
and system is spelt system,as you correctly noted, not sistem like a few others have used in the past few days.
Did the author feel that the higher cost of the 552 was justified in order to capture the amount of emotion it delivered ?
Cheers
Don
Posted on: 15 December 2002 by tre2fly
How ironic, only an hour before reading Manni’s reported German HiFi mag 552 summary, I emailed unsolicited, a few lines to Chris Coster, NANA to (try) to express the intensity of pleasure from my system recently. Rather than Werner’s term drug, I’d probably say intoxicating...
Here’s a portion of what I wrote:
The folks at Naim, Vienna Acoustics, and peripheral suppliers ought to know the extent of life disruption their products cause.
I don’t know if it’s just continued tweaking of acoustical room treatments or the 552 finally running-in, but even with a Toshiba DVD (w/bel canto dac2) source, the masterful and meticulous melding of modern materials into HiFi equipment, is now so musically and cellularly stimulating, that for those who recognize and appreciate it, it is a positive milestone of modern existence.
The point being simply that the desire to listen is now so unrelenting and untiring that I can’t seem to get nary a fucking thing done anymore.
Tom.
Posted on: 15 December 2002 by Manni
Hi Don,
in the summary Werner Höglmaier wrote: outrageous expensive but outrageous good! I think that means, the price - in Germany 21500€ - is correct.
A cold comfort for those, who cannot afford the 552: "the 52 remains to be a world-class preamp"(W.Högelmaier).
With kind regards
Manfred Müllers
Posted on: 15 December 2002 by Martin Payne
quote:
Originally posted by Don Atkinson:
Did the author feel that the higher cost of the 552 was justified in order to capture the amount of emotion it delivered ?
Don,
it's worth pointing out that the 552 would increase the total cost of this system by less than 10% at (new) UK prices. (This is comparing cost of buying system with new 52 + 2xSuper, against new 552 + prefix directly into 552).
Alternatively, it would add about 14% of the new cost of the system to sell 52 + 2xSuper (privately), and buy a 552. (This at retail prices, BTW).
cheers, Martin
Posted on: 19 December 2002 by Chris Bell
I experienced a simular reaction to the CDX2. Emotion was at the top of the list. Naim is on to something new.
Chris Bell
