NAC552DR

Drewy posted:

Timmo1341 posted:

Is this really true? £20k on a preamp and you need to spend a fortune on cabling to get it sounding 'right'? 

Full standard Naim cabling here apart from powerlines and strangely mine seems to be the exception.

I have no experience of top end Naim kit Drewy, but I can't for the life of me imagine having to spend £1k a pop on patch cables to get the tone sounding right!! SL speaker cables yes, I get that, but RJ45 leads?

Hi LI084 ...... this is exactly what I found .......... the strange thing is .... it sounded like extra high frequency detail being let through .... causing a shift in balance ..... not a change in high frequency volume ...... I had to change my Naim Hi Line to Super Lumina ..... then it all snapped into place.

Hi Richieroo

I read in your profil that your 552 is not DR.  I conclude that these extra high frequencies details are common to 552 and 552 DR

I have used the 552 non dr then dr for 14 years with standard Naim cables and it is an outstanding Pre Amp. Maybe fine tuning is needed to get it right in any configuration, but it should and does always sounded fantastic. I see there is an excellent s/h example on ebay that looks a bargain to me.

RICHYH posted:

I have used the 552 non dr then dr for 14 years with standard Naim cables and it is an outstanding Pre Amp. Maybe fine tuning is needed to get it right in any configuration, but it should and does always sounded fantastic. I see there is an excellent s/h example on ebay that looks a bargain to me.

Just checked it out on Fleabay, bargain indeed!

Lio84 posted:

All used materials for me

And 552 is very transparent, your source needs to be at the top

And you have a top source at the front! - CDS/555PSDR  

However, if you want to take your CDS3 to a whole new musical level, buy it a DIN/DIN Chord Sarum T cable  

Debs

I've been the owner of a 552DR now for just approaching six weeks and must say it is a truly stunning piece of kit. It has really brought the music much more to life. Everything just sounds so much more real and so much clearer. It cleans up what were previously apparently coloured recordings. I have been surprised just how much better everything sounds. I keep being pulled back to listen actively to what's being played. If you love music and have the opportunity to get one, I wouldn't hesitate. 

Clive, thank you for sharing your 552 experiences. Yesterday I finally had my first 552 audition at my dealer and what you’ve said about bringing music to life is certainly true! I felt 552 unfolded parcels of performance like opening of petals on flower that by experience you know are there, but by insight.  I am going to move ahead with purchase next week, I wouldn’t say I found it on first listen as transformative as many suggested. My salesperson was very encouraging and after many years of allowing him nursie my audio habit along I’ve  learned be patient and trust his guidance. 

During visit to shop I listened to NDS/555DR, I heard number of sources ripped as well as Tidal, I was not won over feeling absence of something palatable that I still find on my CDS3/555DR.

Any thoughts appreciated! If I buy NDS it would be with 2-555DR.

Charles

Streamers release you to try more music genres and artists I use my NDX constantly I think of a song and tidal provides in hi def? If I find something incredible I try to get it in vinyl it will be tad better sounding on a LP12- immediate gratification is HiFi  Streamers,  can't live without them today.

Charles,

Glad to hear your experience with the 552 was inspiring.  You, better than I, can attest that a 252 is not a pre begging to be replaced.

That said, I believe that all of the classic Naim pres, back to the 72, and prior, are worthy if the “wedded committment”, if that is where one finds oneself.  I think my 552 has a timeless immunity to obsolescence (as did the 112 before it); and that is worth paying for.  It does not have to be “Best on the Planet” to be worth every penny.

Nick

Charles, I'd not worry too much about what you hear at dealers shops. I find this a terribly hard environment for any equipment to sound at its best. My dealer usually has something interesting and expensive running but if I stop and listen it never connects with me like it does at home. I have a very strict rule of 'try before you buy' and this must always be at home.

Personally I'd suggest you buy your 552DR and then take 3 months to let it settle, and it will take at least 3 months! The usual order of settlement with a 552 takes the following curve, on plug in it sounds great then rapidly deteriorates between dull one moment and bright the next. This can last for three weeks or so. Next it will steady a bit but sounds locked in with a very tight 'between speaker' image. This can last for months with small snippets of it sounding fantastic one day and average the next. After about 3 months you will get the famous 'WOW' moment where it generally stays. I also tend to think there's another 'wow' moment at about 6 months. It all sounds a bit of a chore but I'm just trying to prepare you for the journey. The good news is that it will still sound better than anything you've heard from the word go, you just won't hear what it's full capable of for a few months.

The other reason for telling you this is that auditioning other kit during this period can be confusing. Sometimes a source that is not so revealing can sound slightly nicer, so I'd wait a bit before trying an NDS or 555CDP.

A friend recently went from his 10 year old CDS3 to a 555CDP and reckoned it was one of the single best upgrades he's ever made. I was also blown away with my 555CDP. I've heard an NDS many times and would say that it's at the same level with just a different emphasis on presentation, so you can't really go wrong with either choice from a sound perspective - although there is still the redundancy aspect to consider.

Good luck and enjoy.

It' s all about system balance,

it's not so much surprise that Drewy found a signifcant difference with cables. Even the most tiny difference even on cable dressing or box stacking can affect the performance.

Like in the hi end sports cars or race cars world for example, the tyre compound & pressure,l chassis geo. (For the record Lotus this year has changed front toe specification for the Elise from 0 to - 0,2 ). 

A little consideration i was discussising recently with another forum member is that Naca 5 for example, has been developed in the CB or Olive Naim era. Now, even the 500 series, which for sure, has a much larger bandwidth than its older or  lesser siblings, can benefit  the trickle down technology from Statement amps with S.Lumina cables. 

Then  if it's worth or not to splash £££ on cables or boxes upgrade is  among personal priorities of life

Regards

Roberto

rsch posted:

It' s all about system balance,

it's not so much surprise that Drewy found a signifcant difference with cables. Even the most tiny difference even on cable dressing or box stacking can affect the performance.

Like in the hi end sports cars or race cars world for example, the tyre compound & pressure,l chassis geo. (For the record Lotus this year has changed front toe specification for the Elise from 0 to - 0,2 ). 

A little consideration i was discussising recently with another forum member is that Naca 5 for example, has been developed in the CB or Olive Naim era. Now, even the 500 series, which for sure, has a much larger bandwidth than its older or  lesser siblings, can benefit  the trickle down technology from Statement amps with S.Lumina cables. 

Then  if it's worth or not to splash £££ on cables or boxes upgrade is  among personal priorities of life

Regards

Roberto

I haven’t tried any other cables in my system other than the ones that came in the box. I did have Chord Epic speaker cables already when I bought my Superuniti a few years back but changed them for naca5 as that’s kind of what it was designed for. Can’t say I noticed any great difference but was financially better off for it. Still using those very same speaker cables with my current system.

I’m happy where I am with my system so am not looking for excuses to spend any more right now. Just bought another boat after a 7 year break which will give myself and the family more pleasure than some overpriced wires. 

Sod’s law next week i’ll be starting a cable thread