552 vs other brand preamps

analogmusic posted:

maybe the allaes got such a strong naim sound of their own?

Yes, that's the most likely explanation, but I'm not in a position to change those (too).

Gavin my Naim dealer has quoted £3600 or there abouts for a 555ps to be dr'ed + serviced ........ what have you been quoted????

Six years ago it was £1450 for the DRing and nigh on a grand for the service but with a discount on the service.

https://forums.naimaudio.com/topic/dr-prices

Assuming the discount on the service is no longer offered...

Mr Underhill posted:

Hi FR,

Can a 912/890 be a good combo with Rock & Jazz = absolutely. How would it sound compared to a 552/300 Naim rig? I don't think anyone can answer that but you in your room with your music. I think that Naim has a sound signature with each of its generations. I personally would rank them Classic > CB > Olive, others will disagree. That said one of the best systems I have heard is an Olive system .....with the right Rock music. If I had the choice if I was listening to Led Zepp on vinyl that would be what I would want to listen to it through.

I don't think any system does everything with every genre better than anything else. I was listening to the LP War of the Worlds via a Garrard 401, YBA amp and old JBLs a couple of weeks ago, it was superb .....but, it was missing detail and top end, but that didn't lesson the sheer bass underpinning and exuberance.

It is a shame you are not in the UK, if you were close enough I would lug over my 534 and hopefully we might be able to get a 552 at the same time for you to listen to. Mike who went with the 912 told me it wasn't a night and day simple choice, but he and his wife ended up preferring what they heard from the 912 in combination with the 509s - in his context.

Visceral for me means the music is alive, something I associate with well done Class A.

M

The problem is that i can’t demo the ear 890 in Paris. Perhaps should i go to London to hear it.

I am sure the sound is marvelous but i fear some softening on attacks and not the same involvement as with my nap 300dr.  I just read a review on the enjoy the music site and the reviewer said that the 890 is a bit on the romantic side ,  with a bit boomy bass, but wonderful soundstage and tones.

The ear 912 is not on the romantic side, is very dynamic but not edgy.  But never heard the ear amps.

It may depend on speakers to some extent, a subject you seem reticent about in your profile unless I just haven’t spotted them. Are they open to choice to match the amps?

fordy posted:

There is a certain Vitus dealer doing a roaring trade converting 500 series users to Vitus. He has no end of traded in 500 series boxes for sale.

Muatvadmit of late been seeing allot of 500 for sale, tempted but did have me thinking are these peeps going statement or elsewhere.

yeti42 posted:

Six years ago it was £1450 for the DRing and nigh on a grand for the service but with a discount on the service.

https://forums.naimaudio.com/topic/dr-prices

Assuming the discount on the service is no longer offered...

I can't see why the discount wouldn't still apply. Surely, a lot of what needs to be serviced will be replaced with the DR upgrade anyway?

yeti42 posted:

It may depend on speakers to some extent, a subject you seem reticent about in your profile unless I just haven’t spotted them. Are they open to choice to match the amps?

apertura altra speakers, good match with naim ( my dealer likes too) and good match with ear amps ( on some french forums).

Chrissw19 posted:

Well, so far it is really impressive. Not sure how or why that little box is able to do that but the music sounds really good. 

How is the silent little box doing Chris? More impressions? Should I get one for the fun? 

Chag -

Chag... posted:

Chrissw19 posted:

Well, so far it is really impressive. Not sure how or why that little box is able to do that but the music sounds really good. 

How is the silent little box doing Chris? More impressions? Should I get one for the fun? 

Chag -

Well, it is doing very well. Should receive a better IC (din to rca) to see if there is more to come from that little box (I'm using a £20 Audioquest rca rca). It would definitely be worth having a go to see how it performs and fit in your system.

French Rooster posted:

The problem is that i can’t demo the ear 890 in Paris. Perhaps should i go to London to hear it.

I am sure the sound is marvelous but i fear some softening on attacks and not the same involvement as with my nap 300dr.  I just read a review on the enjoy the music site and the reviewer said that the 890 is a bit on the romantic side ,  with a bit boomy bass, but wonderful soundstage and tones.

The ear 912 is not on the romantic side, is very dynamic but not edgy.  But never heard the ear amps.

This is a real problem generally in HiFi. When I started looking at 'proper' HiFi there were a fair few dealers who carried a number of makes. I then found out that one dealer I used, RPM in Battersea, were being leaned on by a manufacturer to not only hold a minimum amount of stock but also NOT carry certain other makes; for the purpose of clarity this was NOT NAIM.

When I first tried to get into EAR-YOSHINO I contacted one of their dealers who gave a description of the sound that was at complete odds to Ken Kessler, and then tried to persuade me to buy something else; I bought the item via another dealer without listening first on sale or return, fortunately KK was accurate.

In my experience there is nothing romantic about EAR, which is why they are frequently not popular with certain valve aficionados. I would describe my 534 as you have the 912. To quote Robert Levi:

I have two of the E.A.R. 890s in my other reference system which uses KT90s instead of the EL34s and are overall larger amps. They are based on this 534 design. Sonically, the 890 is more robust and powerful, but really no more convincing if your speakers don't need the power. I am surprised by this as I am a big fan of the KT90 tube and its performance. Getting the EL34 to sound almost like a KT90 is a miracle in itself. The 534 is a wolf in sheep's clothing!

For info. I asked Mike whether he would like to comment on his choice of direction, as he hasn't been a member here for the best part of a decade he demurred, but gave me permission to copy his response, which I have edited:

Did I really say that the 912 over the 552 wasn't night and day? Well, just about everything 'took off', and as I had a bake-off shortly after the 912 came, I had unanimous support for the upgrade. This included a local dealer friend who has a very high opinion of the 552. Of course, the phono stages were a clincher and transformed the organic musicality of my cartridges, but my 01 tuner was improved, despite having a lower output into the 912. CDP more organic as well (Lector 4 box).

I thought the 552/509s combo was superb before, and the uplift of the 912 was, frankly (but pleasantly) surprising (vs Superline/Supercap/Burndy/HiLine). These findings specific to 2905 ESLs, of course, for which, E.A.R. valved stuff is ideal; however, the 509 aspect didn't change !

Context is King. Trying to decide whether you would prefer the 552/300 over the 912/890 in your room with your speakers by listening to another system is a real problem.

M

Thanks Chris. I understand that you don’t really feel that you have lost the life and PRaT, or the good of the forward presentation, of the 282 for a greater definition, transparence and neutrality that are read to come with the little gem. ????

Chag -

Chrissw19 posted:

Chag... posted:

Chrissw19 posted:

Well, so far it is really impressive. Not sure how or why that little box is able to do that but the music sounds really good. 

How is the silent little box doing Chris? More impressions? Should I get one for the fun? 

Chag -

Well, it is doing very well. Should receive a better IC (din to rca) to see if there is more to come from that little box (I'm using a £20 Audioquest rca rca). It would definitely be worth having a go to see how it performs and fit in your system.

yes , we are curious of your findings...

Mr Underhill posted:

French Rooster posted:

The problem is that i can’t demo the ear 890 in Paris. Perhaps should i go to London to hear it.

I am sure the sound is marvelous but i fear some softening on attacks and not the same involvement as with my nap 300dr.  I just read a review on the enjoy the music site and the reviewer said that the 890 is a bit on the romantic side ,  with a bit boomy bass, but wonderful soundstage and tones.

The ear 912 is not on the romantic side, is very dynamic but not edgy.  But never heard the ear amps.

This is a real problem generally in HiFi. When I started looking at 'proper' HiFi there were a fair few dealers who carried a number of makes. I then found out that one dealer I used, RPM in Battersea, were being leaned on by a manufacturer to not only hold a minimum amount of stock but also NOT carry certain other makes; for the purpose of clarity this was NOT NAIM.

When I first tried to get into EAR-YOSHINO I contacted one of their dealers who gave a description of the sound that was at complete odds to Ken Kessler, and then tried to persuade me to buy something else; I bought the item via another dealer without listening first on sale or return, fortunately KK was accurate.

In my experience there is nothing romantic about EAR, which is why they are frequently not popular with certain valve aficionados. I would describe my 534 as you have the 912. To quote Robert Levi:

I have two of the E.A.R. 890s in my other reference system which uses KT90s instead of the EL34s and are overall larger amps. They are based on this 534 design. Sonically, the 890 is more robust and powerful, but really no more convincing if your speakers don't need the power. I am surprised by this as I am a big fan of the KT90 tube and its performance. Getting the EL34 to sound almost like a KT90 is a miracle in itself. The 534 is a wolf in sheep's clothing!

For info. I asked Mike whether he would like to comment on his choice of direction, as he hasn't been a member here for the best part of a decade he demurred, but gave me permission to copy his response, which I have edited:

Did I really say that the 912 over the 552 wasn't night and day? Well, just about everything 'took off', and as I had a bake-off shortly after the 912 came, I had unanimous support for the upgrade. This included a local dealer friend who has a very high opinion of the 552. Of course, the phono stages were a clincher and transformed the organic musicality of my cartridges, but my 01 tuner was improved, despite having a lower output into the 912. CDP more organic as well (Lector 4 box).

I thought the 552/509s combo was superb before, and the uplift of the 912 was, frankly (but pleasantly) surprising (vs Superline/Supercap/Burndy/HiLine). These findings specific to 2905 ESLs, of course, for which, E.A.R. valved stuff is ideal; however, the 509 aspect didn't change !

Context is King. Trying to decide whether you would prefer the 552/300 over the 912/890 in your room with your speakers by listening to another system is a real problem.

M

i will have to go to London, but i need a new passport....to hear what the ear912/ 890 can do vs 912/nap 300dr.  Better for one can be worse for the other....But thanks for your reply, i appreciate.

I just received the nos telefunken pcc88 6dj8 and installed them on the ear 912:  after 2 hours run, i must say that the sound is a bit cleaner, softer and more transparent, with a bit more details. A little upgrade i think,  and the tubes have only 25 hours run....so i guess a more improvement still.  Just a thing i don’t understand : there is less gain vs my nos phillips, i have to turn a little more the volume.  But absolutely  dead quiet, even at 12 o’c volume !

I preferred the nos phillips vs the ear ones, but now the telefunken.  My phillips have around 3000 hours, so i preferred to change.  450GBP for nos telefunken is a good price, they are considered among the best pc88, with mullard and one other brand i forgot.

I have to be biased as I have EAR859se, variously rated at 11 or 13 watts they have in common with all EAR amps the apparent ability to punch above their weight. My speakers are said to need 50 watts, but go quite loud enough in my 24 x 11.8 foot room. I know that they were demonstrated with EAR amps at The High End show. Continually they are able to demonstrate the changes I make in my system.

If I had the money my upgrade would be to EAR 861, they can be bridged, so power should be ok.  But, getting demonstrations not so easy. If you have a London dealer good, if not, I wonder if Jordan Acoustics can help.

Outside the UK look at the show report section of The Ear.net, November 2016 where a dealer that stocks EAR is visited.

Good luck!

...and/or drop Dena at EAR an email and see what they can advise.

If you do come to Blighty and fancy a trip down to my place you would be more than welcome, 35 minutes from Waterloo/Victoria.

M

French Rooster posted:

Chrissw19 posted:

Chag... posted:

Chrissw19 posted:

Well, so far it is really impressive. Not sure how or why that little box is able to do that but the music sounds really good. 

How is the silent little box doing Chris? More impressions? Should I get one for the fun? 

Chag -

Well, it is doing very well. Should receive a better IC (din to rca) to see if there is more to come from that little box (I'm using a £20 Audioquest rca rca). It would definitely be worth having a go to see how it performs and fit in your system.

yes , we are curious of your findings...

Well, the nice IC have been delayed by the snow till Monday ... 

Mr Underhill posted:

...and/or drop Dena at EAR an email and see what they can advise.

If you do come to Blighty and fancy a trip down to my place you would be more than welcome, 35 minutes from Waterloo/Victoria.

M

very thanks, i will remember your invitation.