Just wondering how long people think it takes for 500 series components to be fully ‘burnt in’ and performing at their best.
I have
CD555 fresh from service, 555PS DR, 552 DR and 500DR.
They are all about 2 months old and I have played maybe 2 hours of music a day (on average over the 2 months)
The system sounds great but wonder if its got anything else to give over time.
A few months at least. My system is on for at least 12 hours a day, and they took many weeks at this level. Just sit and enjoy your music👍
I’ve heard it can take anything up to 15 years to fully burn - just in time for it all to be serviced! 
Joking obviously. 
If I was lucky enough to have that level if gear, I’d just play it and enjoy the ups & downs of it all settling in and not over analyse or worry about it.
My experience is that different 500-series models take different times. I thought a 555PSDR took about 1 month and the change wasn’t big. My 552DR took a bit longer and the change was bigger. By far the longest, and the biggest change has been my experience with a 500DR. That has taken 2 months before it blossomed, sounding rather cold and hard over the burn-in period. The worst is over but my dealer says I should expect it to take 3 months before it is really on song.
All my 500 components have, in stages, been upgraded to DR status. MDS is right in that the inprovement is not a gradual one, sometimes with a backward step on the way. The biggest item to benifit was the 500 power amp right from return to the system. I forget the time for it to reach its optimum. All I know its the major pleasure in making music at home.Puts TV as an also ran!
Douglas.
Thanks for the info guys. I have actually only had the stuff for 5 weeks! Just wondered about the time frame for it all to be at its optimum whilst putting the kids to bed! The beauty of an active forum 
I found it took many months. I recall the 555dr in particular, after about 3 months I thought burn in had finished but at around 4 months I noticed quite a lift again. This was the final change I noticed, which funnily enough a friend had the same experience (we both ordered the 555’s at the same time).
So, probably more to come yet.
If like any other Naim components about 2 weeks of regular choose and of course remaining powered up.
At the risk of being controversial I’ve heard all this about 4/6 months, I’m sorry but I’m very sceptical. How is that monitored? Do folks return to the same piece(s) of music at say weekly intervals and record their findings?
Regards,
Lindsay
Mine took around 6 months!! On 24/7…hope that helps…
I think it is hard to monitor but when you experience it you just know. It has happened to me a couple of times. Suddenly the music just sounds amazing, like something fell into place (that was not wrong before either, it just got noticeably better). You wonder if you did anything, like changing the speaker placement, but then you realize it must probably be the 555PSDR or ND555 burning in.
When this has happened I have gone through a few of my “test” songs to verify that I am not going insane.
A 500 level component will sound fantastic out of the box, as you say. My personal experience is that there is considerably more to come. 555PSs didn’t seem to do much more over time, at least in my ears/room/system. My 500, 552 and ND555 have taken around 6 months to stop improving. They still sound essentially the same, but the detail, texture, realism and transparency have all gone beyond what I thought was possible.
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