I was in the market recently for a power amplifier to partner 552DR. My thoughts were;
Get the matching amplifier to my pre
Get the green Naim logo
No all jokes aside, Naim philosophy has been to separate the noise power supply from the sensitive signal boards. Theoretically this alone should provide a performance advantage for the NAP 500DR. So Peters first impressions are what I had guessed.
I think where the 350âs would be better are with very hard to drive speakers. There are a few on the forum that moved away from Naim power amps for this very reason.
If I said that there is then I would (a) be fibbing slightly as I have not yet heard any of the new series at all so I donât know what they sound like (200 or 300) (b) the S1 pre is a big step up from 552 (though the 552 is still excellent) (c) not yet quite sure about S1 powers as only had for five weeks and they are not run in yet. But there are moments of sheer magic and well recorded albums sound way better than 500 series. The bass is way better with them though. In my opinion (which may according to some simply reflect some kind of bias justifying what I have spentâŚ)
Exactly and consider that apart from the 500DR the rest of my system contains the best that Naim/ Kudos and Chord Cables sell. I never feel like itâs a bottle neck as the music sounds so good. Enjoy!
True wisdom @MrFixit . When I bought a second 555PS for my ND555 I certainly heard an improvement, but I was left wondering if it was really worth the considerable expense. About a year later out of curiosity I tried going back to a single PS and listening âin reverseâ showed very emphatically what the second supply was doing!
Leaving aside the improvements in speed, clarity and separation, the stand-out aspects for me are the much-enhanced percussion and âweightâ behind the replay. I was concerned about reviewer comments around subterranean bass performance, but that does the kit an injustice in words IMV. Yes, you could generate room issues, although equally, I think it could solve some?
I think âweightâ (as an adjective) is the way I can think of for the overall effect â and that extends to vocals too.
As I understand it the Statement PSUs whilst in the same box are completely isolated so as not to interfere with the sensitive stuff. How is it managed in the 350s?
Iâm guessing the acrylic in the middle section somehow separates the transformer from the signal boards but itâs not as effective as a separate box in the 500Dr or the way itâs done in the statement. In fact the way itâs done in the statement is a piece of engineering masterclass. I remember Steve Sells talking about it.
I agreed with your review. I went to the same room at the same dealer. That room can be a bit tricky. It is kinda hit and miss. I also have 500 systems as well. âŚ
Call me crazyâŚIt could be that my old switch was bad. But I can hear improvements via my speakers. . I like Silent Angle NX Switch⌠I have SA clock and SA Linear PS. I also use Shunyata 50 Ohm clock cable âŚ
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