Having just come back from Shenzen and HK that may not be a bad thing !
It was a bad joke. Related to @Blackbird post on the fake 552 pic.
Perhaps Shenzen is not a bad thing, however I would be more confident to have a Salisbury 552.
I used to have a similar view of China. But having been there twice in the last six weeks for work, that has changed. China learns quickly. I return to LHR and realise itās them laughing at us.
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I believe itās from Naim production of a 552. Not fake 
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You wrote it was a kit, a diy 552, at 70% less expensive.
I have very probably misunderstood. ?
It was the oh so lovely yet sometimes challenging work of irony 
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Itās about time really. Wealth should be spread and I hope that it does not just end up in the pockets of the few there but that a good social system gets build up.
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Interesting and more than I ever managed.
I donāt buy into: āmost expensive kit always the bestā
That said on my list are Titans 808 and some of Bobās Neat loudspeakers, along with a few others.
500 series have been a magnificent combo for decades - that is if you can afford them.
Lovely blokesā¦
One is great at pub quizzes, the other great in pub brawls!
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Wow n gosh I have just spent the last hour reading this thread. When I turned 40, (now 27 
) bizarrely my āmid life crisisā was to buy a āonce onlyā HiFi. I was new to Naim. I had no idea what I was letting myself in for!! I ābuiltā my system around my first ādipā into Naim waters with a 552, I was financially fortunate at the time. It was the heart beat of my system. At that time we had young children, so a turntable was āon holdā. We elected to go down the road of a Logitech streamer. We incorporated the Naim DAC with an XPS which was quickly replaced with a 500 PSU. Wow, revelation!
That āsimpleā 500 PSU was a game changer. To be fair the 500 PSU albeit to be used with the 500 CD turned many heads with its versatility. To this day, it is a staple diet in the Naim ecosystem and boy hasnāt āsheā been amazing! Kudos to Naim for this.
I loved my 500 system. For me, the 500DR upgrade was a game changer. I couldnāt believe after sending my 500 amp back for some TLC what I got back.
What Naim do so well is if you have a āscratchā to itchā¦go forth! I found myself really enjoying the 500 series, 552, 500DR ND555 with dual supplies. Bliss. I know there are other products/manufacturers on the market. Those moments where I turn up the volume and enjoy the āmusicā, other possibilities melted away. In Naim I trust, they deliver. Itās all so subjective. We listen, we make a choice. To be honest, when I upgraded to the S1 with the 500 DR my wife and I were āpigs in pooā!! The 500 amp was sublime. I get why @Cohen1263 has gone down the active root with 500ās. I would love to read your thoughts and journey my friend!
I sit here with a complete Statement. I genuinely love it. It delivers in spades, as it should. I also love the aesthetics. Itās simply beautiful. On those rare occasions I can close my eyes and switch off to lifeās challenges and just enjoy the music, which in part is why I brought Statement.
In conclusion, whatever your electronicsā¦your speakersā¦mains cables.etc etc. Enjoy the very reason why we do this, we love music. Itās an emotional connection, its ability to turn a bad day to a great one. Regardless of why or how we do this.
My wife and I have cooked a wonderful sea bass today, and weāre laughing, chatting and sharing great food all though our Muso in the kitchen. Statement is quiet for now in the loungeā¦.for now
Who knewā¦.actuallyā¦.Naim! Iām unsure if Naim will replace the 500 series. I hope they continue to push and improve, life has to keep moving as does business. Naim are a business, if they explore and improve then so do we. You pays ya moneyā¦.!
Life good!
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Dusty, well thought commentary, enjoy what you have earnedš
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Great post Dusty. My two new 500Ā“s are going through the usual burn in but I will post my thoughts on the transition from passive to active 500Ā“s after the Kudos crossover arrives the end of May.
Full Statement must be a privilege to own and listen to so you and your good wife keep enjoying 
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Indeed, until it is improved on of courseā¦.
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Yes, it always strikes me how old old school the 552 and the other classic preamps are constructedā¦ it surely works and works well, (and looks pretty) but that design approach does make the device more susceptible to EM interference and RF sensitive in my experienceā¦ and with our prevalence of digital sources and other digital circuitry I wonder if you would start from here now.
Perhaps when a newer design does come along we will see more modern methods used with a greater use of multi layered PCBsā¦ but yes product development ā¦ especially almost starting from first principles will not be cheapā¦
.
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I am not sure anyone is laughing at anyoneā¦ just because different countries structure them selves differently we are all human and ultimately share the same core values.
Skilled manufacturing in China, India, USA, UK, Germany, South Africa or where ever can excel or be poorā¦ no one country is necessarily any better than any where elseā¦although China has huge scale, and with around a quarter or thereabouts of the planetās population is understandable, however structurally if there is distance between design, production and consumption there can be challenges, whether itās east west, or north southā¦ all in my own experience of course.
Edit, and China has the same post Industrial Revolution challenges as Europe and the US, read this on the Beeb this morningā¦
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That is a very heartfelt post, and thank you for sharing this, sometimes I wonder myself am I crazy to spend to much time on Naim, but you put this in a nice way. I am going through a rough patch myself now, and my 2 Naim systems bring joy in these times of my sadness, and I question myself (maybe I am supposed to feel the sadness and not let my system take it away), but your post made me understand that it is the way it is supposed to be āswitch off to lifeās challengesā
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Ali, I am sorry to hear thatā¦ I trust things will work out
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Thank youā¦sometimes the words just flowā¦I find wine helps
Congratulations on your active journey. Canāt wait to read your thoughts. I know @Darkebear will have some thoughts, heās a wealth of experience and heās great at articulating his thoughtsā¦ quite annoying actually ā¦just kidding! Heās a great friend to me.
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Wow, how kind @Analogmusic . I am thrilled that my post came across as sincere as I intended it to be. Life can be tough, this forum is a great place to āhang outā with like minded folk.
Enjoy your system, enjoy the music and enjoy life. Weāre here for you. A place to chatā¦and back on topic whether Naim will replace the 500 system!!!
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