Thoughts on an upgrade to 552 / Source Question

Posted by: Zipperheadbanjo on 12 December 2018

I have an opportunity to purchase a 1 year old 552 / 552 DR power supply at a larger than 50% discount from retail. I calculate that with the sale of my 252, NDX, and a couple of third party items that I won't mention here... I could recoup about 65% of the costs of the 552. Essentially my cash outlay would be about $6K Canadian... although I would be tying up considerably more than that in the initial purchase of the 552.. until I was able to sell my other gear. I do have the funds at my disposal to make the purchase now without selling anything.

On the surface it seems like a no brainer. Looking for thoughts from others who have been in a similar situation (upgrading 252 to 552).

My sources are a Rega RP 10 Turntable and my digital front end is an Ultra Rendu > Chord Hugo TT Dac. Curious if my sources are up to the standard of a 552. Amplification is NAP 300 DR... speakers are Focal Sopra 2's.

Posted on: 16 December 2018 by Emre

We want a picture.....

Posted on: 16 December 2018 by joe9407

Zipperheadbanjo posted:
Wow. Massive massive difference. And the NDX 2 isn't going back. So impressed with it. My digital front end sounds natural again. So now will be replacing my old NDX, Hugo TT, and the Ultra Rendu / Ultra Rendu PS.

ZHB: glad you're liking the NDX2. But I have to ask, how did you have the above digital chain configured? Seems like a lot of stuff with redundant capabilities.

Posted on: 16 December 2018 by Zipperheadbanjo

joe9407 posted:
Zipperheadbanjo posted:
Wow. Massive massive difference. And the NDX 2 isn't going back. So impressed with it. My digital front end sounds natural again. So now will be replacing my old NDX, Hugo TT, and the Ultra Rendu / Ultra Rendu PS.

ZHB: glad you're liking the NDX2. But I have to ask, how did you have the above digital chain configured? Seems like a lot of stuff with redundant capabilities.

I ran the NDX as a transport into the Hugo TT... then went down the roon path and took the NDX out of the chain intending to sell it... just didn’t get around to it. Ran the ultra Rendu into the Hugo TT for about the last 4ish months maybe. Love roon... didn’t love the ultra Rendu > TT pairing, but was trying to warm up to it... the 552 really brought all the qualities I wasn’t loving to the fore.

Posted on: 17 December 2018 by Zipperheadbanjo

Posted on: 17 December 2018 by aznblue

Wow ZHB, looks like a super-charged bachelor’s pad

Posted on: 17 December 2018 by Zipperheadbanjo

aznblue posted:
Wow ZHB, looks like a super-charged bachelor’s pad

The stereo is quite literally in the dead centre of the main living space... which I thought seems appropriate somehow :-)

Posted on: 17 December 2018 by analogmusic

the Hugo Dac sounds better with a high quality transport like ndx