What to DR?

I think you need Darke Bear's advice on this one, Gavin.

Yep!

552 DR must be a must. 

Chag -

I dare say 552 first

Regards

Roberto

The 552 does sound like good option.  I don’t recall many comments re DR on the CD555.  Of course the other two 500’s could be a little out of balance with the new one - but then it is quite a big outlay....

What in words does a DR upgrade bring to say a Nap 300 because I’ve heard rave reviews about Powerlines and strained to hear a difference then convinced myself I did. The same with Chord Signature Tuned Aray claims of night and day instant difference turned out to be minimal at best. 

so at over £1500 I’d very dissatisfied if the DR upgrade was along the same lines as the above. I think I’ll go for a non DR Supercap instead. 

I cannot really comment on the DR.  I went from an Olive Supercap on the SNAXO to a new DR version and it was clearly better, but I think there were other changes in the newer model.  Any change on a SNAXO sounds like the system is “drunk” initially, with the timing gone, but in a couple of hours, there was more detail.

Powerlines I have always felt as marginal.

But SL cabling quite dramatic.  Particular the XLR cables that really pulled out any bass tracks.

Eventually getting all the 500 Amps the same at DR status will be very worthwhile, but getting the 300 out of the mix will be the biggest upgrade you have already made by far. Nothing against the 300, but in an Active mix with the 500 Amps it sounds so different to my ears that I never got on with it when I tried that 'wonky-active' configuration and preferred 3x300 until I could afford the 3x500. 3x 500DR is another story - but not where I'd spend precious upgrade money next.

The 552 to DR will give the next big gain IMO. It will take a couple of months to run-in to really open-out after the DR and can sound a bit analytic-detailed at first, but it does nicely bloom into something much better than the non-DR a few weeks or months after the DR change.

The Pre is very important and IMO the DR to the 500 already is putting the power Amps way ahead of the Pre, even given how good the non-DR 552 is in its own right. But in the context of your system, which will be very revealing, you need the best Pre - cables - source in that order.

I say source last only in your case the source is already very good. IMO the CD555 benefits from DR a lot, but the 552 DR seems to do more good things in musical terms. The DR on the CD555 gives more insight and detail when I did mine, but the Pre getting DR also had more fluid timing capability, which I think more musically important, but just my opinion.

I also like two 555 supplies on the CD555, but not all like this so it needs audition - but that last of all after all the above.

But first just enjoy the system you have just upgraded. Remember to check the Snaxo level, as the 300 output is 1dB lower than the 500.

DB.

... also make sure you have a good Fraim set-up for all these boxes - I'd go as far as to say it may be the most important upgrade ahead of anything if things are all too tightly crammed-together.

A 3-way Active system with 3x500 amps is big and needs some room to work right. The Snaxo placement is very critical and keeping it and its Supercap clear of 500PS boxes is very worthwhile - at least the space of a medium shelf IMO. And the 552 and 555 head boxes should have their own Fraim stack eventually.

You wanted suggestions.

DB.

Many thanks as always DB.  To some degree, I am following the same journey, and really appreciate you sharing your experience.  (Not that I think I will make it to the S1!)

The SNAXO point is noted.  I think the original settings were marked (from a picture I once took), so was planng to change the one pot that had been moved.

Unfortunately, my room is not as big as I would like.  Hence, the DBLs may also be the end point.  In any case, I am limited to 2 Fraim stacks, one of power supplies the other for everything else.  The SNAXO has its own shelf, beneath the 552 and above a 500.  Only a standard height level though, as things are already quite tall.  This seems the logical order?

Gavin

Darke Bear posted:

... The Snaxo placement is very critical and keeping it and its Supercap clear of 500PS boxes is very worthwhile - at least the space of a medium shelf IMO...

 

I should have said, the power stack looks like (once the 300 is replaced):

555PS / 552PS / Supercap DR / 500PS / 500PS / 500PS So nothing has a lot of ‘space’, but the 555PS (which seems to be the most electrically ‘noisy’) is at the end (top).