I found the 500 amp makes the difference when the speaker’s are demanding or hard to drive.
I guess the ones you have are easy to drive and so the 500 hasn’t really made the big jump up in sound you was looking for.
The good thing is the 500 will drive most speaker’s ok, so that’s good to have.
1 Like
interesting observation - I have 282/HCDR/250DR, and with Dynaudio focus 260 - I find that Dynaudio speakers are quite easy to drive, my 250DR has no problem driving them at the volume levels I need (250 DR never gets even remotely warm), and I after auditioning 500 series and even statement, I always come home and enjoy what I have. Is it because of my speaker limitation, I don’t know. Maybe it is the way I listen to music?
I do hear what 500 series systems can do with much more revealing speakers from Sonus Faber (Amati Futura), but I just enjoy what I have.
I don’t think the special 40 needs a 500DR, even a Nap 200Dr can drive it very easily, so that may explain why you are disappointed with it?
1 Like
I’m running Contour 60s through a 300DR and 552DR. The Contours don’t seem to be too difficult to drive - certainly the 300DR is well up to it and is a good match. On the other hand, my old Contour 1.8 Mk 2s were harder to drive I think, although they work great with my CB 250.
This is why I am confused by these whole thing of amplifier upgrade. What is exactly the difference between the amplifier level Naim offer. I see some member okay with just 552 and 250.
Is amplifier just a means of being “able to drive” speaker? In such cases isn’t any suitably good high current amplifier will do?
I did asked the forum for advice a while ago before deciding to buy the 500. I ask should I change my speaker first or just complete my 500 first.
I now wonder if beefing up my speaker to a more higher end and revealing one and stay on 250 is better 
This is where the above mentioned an amplifier of enough current can drive “any” speaker. If this is somewhat true, does that explain why I am disappointed a little bit even after my 500 upgrade and that I really should look at speaker upgrade first before the 500.
Confused little man.
Late to the party but I totally agree with this, although I understand everyone has their own preference of doing things. Also, matching between speakers and amplifier is very crucial in my book, so try go get this right first.
2 Likes
Question – as what does an improved amplifier like a NAP500(DR) deliver over, say , a 250DR? Answer, in bullets:
- yes, it has more power and can deliver bigger current transients, but it’s a far better quality amplifier, which means it controls the speakers far better.
- the music deliver is tighter, faster (e.g. leading edge attack), more detailed, bass is far better, and there’s more of it, but being far more controlled, it’s just ‘there’ rather than just pumping the stuff at you.
- due to the above, it should be able to drive at higher volumes with greater clarity, and it manages the ebbs and flows in the music far better.
The one thing a 500(DR) is not is a 250(DR) on steroids, although I found the non-DR 500 to be closer in presentation to an Olive 250 than the new 300 when it was released.
All of the above assumes the 500 is set up OK.
IMHO, I would not get new speakers before upgrading an amp. The logical route is to get the source delivery (which includes the amps) sorted first, and then put a ‘matching’ (to room/system) speaker on the end, which is far easier IME.
3 Likes
the 500DR is quite a special amp, and has the unique ability to go loud with suffering any of the signs of compression or running out of steam, but it may well be that you don’t listen that loud, and the special 40 poses no load at all that could stress a NAP 250DR to sound compressed when playing loud, hence you found not that much of an improvement.
Naim always did say preamp makes a rather big difference, much more than power amp upgrades.
You should enjoy much larger soundstage, better low volume listening, and better sounds at both frequency extremes…
Dynaudio deliberately engineer their speakers to not be a heavy load on the amplifier. The special 40 has impedance drop to 5 ohm at worst so it’s not a difficult load for a 250dr at all… I would enjoy the system … I’m sure it does sound very engaging and rhythmic!!
1 Like
Like most things in audio, its all about balance. Right now your amp far outclasses your speakers, so you’re likely not hearing what all the 500DR has to offer. On the other hand, if you went with a speaker upgrade & say bought a pair of Wilson Sabrina’s, they too would be restricted/not perform optimally as the 250DR wouldn’t be able to drive them properly. To really understand what the 500DR has to offer, you need that speaker upgrade you’re planning. On top, just in general when you get to this level of kit & you want to get out of them what they were designed to provide, all the small details matter much more vs lower level kit. Room acoustics, power, racking, cable dressing, etc, etc all matter.
2 Likes
You guys advice are very reassuring. I am just glad my equipments are settled completely and now is simply a matter of speaker hunting. Exciting to explore various offering no doubt. Hopefully I can find a loving match that balances everything out and bring the synergy I looking for 
2 Likes
Yes my experience entirely.
…and mine. Set the fans going on my pre-DR 500 going more than once.
I think this bit of wisdom gets lost to a large extent in this hobby. It’s easy to imagine that what you have can be bettered massively. It’s also easy to change something and SQ take a step backwards or be slightly underwhelming. Solving the problem can involve huge investment until that balance can be restored (I doubt many revert back). Then when you compare what you have to what you had, you may ask the question was it really worth it? I once aspired to a full 500 system in the future but that went away once I had sorted my own system and drawn a line under it. No doubt it would provide improvement in many areas but would it make me want to listen more than I do now? Categorically no.
5 Likes
Another member of the Forum was teasing me a few days back that by the end of the year I’d have a 500, I won’t because at least for now, I’ve exhausted the (hifi) budget.
But had me thinking about approaches to all this stuff. I’m an instinct person as opposed to a great analyser/measurer, I used to occasionally get in trouble as an HR director when I would say “forget what the process or rule book says, what is the right thing to do?”. So when it comes to the hifi I’ve so often bought on instinct. The exceptions were the Xerxes and Titan 505s where I did extensive home demos but then I began to wonder, particularly with the former, if I actually confused myself.
But when it comes to Naim, sure I’ve done demos and obviously listened to the sage advice of you guys, but so often gone with instinct. I first went into Naim because I needed more capable amplification to drive my then Dyn 1.8s, I’d been fed a lot of anti Naim rhetoric but curiosity then said try it, an excellent Naim dealer installed a CDX2/202/200 in my home and after an evening, yeah that’s good and although not so long after the 202 was replaced by the 282, hell it was good. However, 3 products always itched the CDS3, Nat 01, and 552. Actually always wanted a Nak but that bird has flown. The CDS3 became available 2nd hand and after a brilliant Saturday afternoon spent with the late (truly) great Frank Abela at Audio T Reading just listening to music it came home with me, no further consideration, and despite thoughts of switching to streaming I won’t let it go, it’s here until it dies. The Nat 01 I was lucky enough to acquire before Xmas and despite needing a better aerial (later this month) it’s truly a wonderful thing. The 552, let’s just say that’s a longer story, but I agree completely with the view that however it’s configured the preamp is the fulcrum of a hifi system. The 552 is just off the planet brilliant.
So what’s all this got to do with the 500? As I said it’s certainly not a 2024 issue but it does present a dilemma, in that I’ve always been minded towards it but I think as much for reasons of aesthetics as much as sonically, I can just see it sitting there in the rack. I’ve heard it sounding awesome in one of the very best hifis I’ve ever heard and quite a few others but is it the paradigm shift that the 552 undoubtably is? But there’s another point, active ATCs fed by a 552 has always intrigued but then of course the room would have to accommodate them.
Sorry for the kind of thread diversion, just rambling on my mind!
Regards,
Lindsay
8 Likes
Perhaps because, like much received wisdom in the world, it’s actually nonsense.
In my experience, in audio it’s all about carving up your budget in such a way as to get the best possible result. If that means ending up with the kind of wildly unbalanced system I happily ran for several years, so be it. I ended up with that wildly unbalanced system because it was much more musically satisfying than the alternative supposedly better balanced system that I compared it with.
And it was only by doing the comparison that I found out which way of carving up my budget gave me the best result.
As usual, YMMV.
1 Like
Sounds like you have moved on from your “Wildly unbalanced” system to a nicely balanced system now. 
. All is well in the world.
Sorry LindsayM, you ask if it’s a paradigm shift. Well, I’ve always thought the transition from 135’s to 500 was exactly that. The move from a 52 to a 552 I thought was a bit meh! I hope that gives you some sort of reference or scale?
There are quite a lot of bargain 500’s out there at the moment with people moving to the new stuff and reducing box count. Now would seem to be a very good time to buy.
1 Like
Only by leveling up, not leveling down.
1 Like
Some of these look like bargains but are often within a year or two of next service requirement based on the date they were DR’d. So, add on a couple of £k to factor that in.
How we here things I think the 552 over 252 and 282 is truly a paradigm shift.
3 Likes
Not that I can now - BUT 252 - 552 first or 300DR - 500DR ? i just remeber the 200DR to 300DR was amazing and the Sopra2 really sang!