I remember being quite impressed by Hegel…
Shush !
Nagra is very cool. I demoed Nagra classic pre and power befofe going 500 and on some music it was remarkable (Kleiber Beethoven), it was Rock that kept me on Naim upgrade vs moving. I still lust after a Nagra phono stage though. The HD stuff is super cool looking but I’ve not demoed and notably more dinero than my pre loved 500 gear!
Depending on speakers I think that the Classic amp might just not have enough umph…
If I wanted to keep my Magicos, which I do like, I’d have to get the HD Amp. And yes it is PRICEY
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For amplification I would NOT move away from Naim. I have tried 3 times and failed. Along with that I’ve also had demos of other amps that just did not do it for me. Some were much more powerful but I found them un engaging. Vitus springs to mind.
I think the reason is that I came into Naim very quickly in my audiophile journey and everything else seems boring to me when compared to the edge of seat attack of Naim.
Having said that the few Naim sources (budget) that I’ve heard did not convince me like a 1999 Audio Note DAC 2 did which cost me 1k. Ever since then my DAC has always been tube based. And now my phono pre too.
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Similar situation here. I replaced my NAC552/ NAP300 for a Dan D’Agostino Progression Integrated. Drives my Wilson Sasha DAW’s effortlessly and is one box.
Not sure if I would keep my ND555/500 PSU or replace with a DCS Rossini or even the Lin Klimax DSM.
Would probably upgrade to Wilson Saha V but definitely replace Linn LP12 Klimax with same.
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I’ve a sneaky suspicion I have the very 552/300 Mike.
As mentioned above I spoke to several trusted friends (all Naim owners) and did my own demoing before ultimately moving on my 552/500 last month after 15+ years of use. I had HIGH expectations for Nagra and demoed the classic pre and power (as mentioned above) AND the external classic power supply. Very disappointed to say the least - and I too had high expectations.
The DarTZeel CTH-8550 super integrated did it for me and gave me the encouragement to step up to the DarTZeel separates. I thought those were pricey yet the Nagra HD check in at even more than that. Here in the States the Nagra amps are $100k while the pre is $70k. Then again DarTZeel mono blocks are $250k…I guess that is why I went with the single chassis amplifier 
Next up - speakers (and I am dreading it). My Kudos Titan T88’s are doing fine however I owe it to myself to do some exploration. Stenheim comes to mind (they are voiced with Nagra and DarTZeel) and the new Magico S3 may be a contender as well. My room is not large (17’6" x 11’7" - 5.35m x 3.55m) so I need to be careful.
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one vote for the Rossini here. There are quite a number of Naim, and ex Naim owners, on the dCS forum. It feels like home 
I think you are correct.
Through Paul Money Hi Fi?
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I moved away from a Naim 500 series system nearly 20 years ago and have since come back to one. If something terrible happened to my current system, I’d look at options like the Linn Klimax, which replaces 5 Naim boxes with one, and maybe look at a system that has DeVore speakers on the end. But, having gone away and come back into the fold, I would think very hard about anything to replace my current 500 system with active ATCs.
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Thanks for that.
Probably go in that direction eventually.
Meanwhile still really enjoying the ND555. Still have my trusty HDX with CDs on a Synology NAS played through ND555👍
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Yes, that’s the ones - thanks for passing them along. I also got a ND555 (head unit only - had the 555PS) from them this year, so now fully set up on the streaming and amplification front.
My pleasure.
Pleased they have gone to a good home.
I am sure you are enjoying them as much as I did.
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I really appreciate all the responses. Surprisingly the only pieces I would keep in my next system would be the K10’s from ProAc. I think Naga with DCS in steamers. Would much prefer the 500 Naim super integrated that would keep most of us from changing brands.
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So what is the challenge for you with keeping your 500 set?
Is it the footprint and the cables or the boredom for something new, which creeps in from time to time 
I am afraid that Nagra, as engaging and beautiful as it might be, will bring you to even more boxes and cables. Well, we want the external Nagra PSU to each of our boxes, don‘t we? 
How could you describe the differences in sound between the Dagostino and the 552/300? If I may ask
I get the desirability of a single super box, doing the same and genuinely sounding as good as a multiple-box setup as a holy grail, but given that a Naim 500 super box doesn’t exist, and might never, it begs the question what made you / “most of us” choose the 500 separates system, and what has changed to make it no longer desirable to you and others?
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To the OP’s question, I feel a similar-ish juxtaposition. I am moving home later in January and I have just gone through the unenviable task of dismantling and packing away all the boxes, cables, Fraim components (mostly no original boxes for Fraim), lp’s, cd’s… I have to say that I am not in the least bit looking forward to attempting re-assemble the jigsaw puzzle after the move! The prospect of only three or four boxes and so much less space take is the stuff of fantasy to me right now!!!
Peter
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IB I reckon that having climbed the proverbial hi-fi mountain and on reflection, finding that in so doing I have effectively built a hi-fi mountain, there is a sense that the scale of it may all be a bit unnecessary for the home environment. All with the benefit of Captain Hindsight glasses of course! Hopefully just a temporary phase as part of my house move adventure!
Peter
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