500 series replacement?

[frenchrooster]

Airstream caravan gasoline consumption : 25 liters per 100 km. Not really ecological, lol.

[PeterR]

Are you coming down to the south coast Tim? if so you shall be most welcome to pop in. I’m not far from HH and the coffee is good ATB Peter

[S.L]

@ASenna04

My bet will be it is unlikely to be replaced in the timeframe you are referring to. Naim do not change their products frequently. Also, the cure of their products, pre amps, power amps and power supplies keep their value very well.

Yes, that’s a big part of the reason why I’m still considering a full Naim system.

@ASenna04

Unfortunately for you, it’s the streamers like ND555 are the ones that have been enhanced and the old one loosing. But, it’s safe to say the ND555 is relatively new and is unlikely to be replaced in the next few years.

True, and I thinking about a second power supply, but it’s a bit wired if I don’t have a naim system and using RCA for a ND555 with 2 power supplies right?

[S.L]

@graham55

I think that you’d be crazy to spend $100,000 (either Canadian or US) on a system that you’ve never heard.

Yes very crazy lol

@graham55

If you’re thinking of spending that amount of money, any dealer would fall over themselves to demonstrate the full Naim system - plus valid alternatives - to you. It may be slightly inconvenient to you, but you’d be mad (in my opinion) not to have a proper audition first. What if the Naim sound is not to your liking

too bad non of the dealers have 500 series to do that here. I called every single naim dealer in the city. and they only have Muso ,Uniti , and superianit3, not even 200,300 series.

@graham55

Incidentally, you say with some conviction that Naim’s 500 series will be replaced in the next year or two. Do you have access to some secret inside information about Naim’s product lines to which the rest of us are not party?

I don’t, I’m thinking about that because I visit naim forum very often since I got my naim streamer, also this is the best forum I have ever found, I love here.
To be honest this forum brings me a lot of desire and imaginations for the 500 and 552. Thanks for you advice.

[S.L]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

[S.L]

@Bluesfan

70% of BMW buyers in the UK buy one without a test drive. Amazing but true.

So a lot of crazy people in UK then. that’s a BIG percentage!

[S.L]

@anon4489532

I think you’ve misinterpreted what the OP wrote regarding planned replacement. It’s a question rather than a statement, and ‘because’ should be read as ‘in case’.

Thanks for fixing my word. Yes, it should be ‘‘in case’’

@anon4489532

As to whether it’s a good idea to get the 552 and 500, it’s an awful lot of money to spend and ideally needs an audition, as you say. By all accounts the McIntosh is a fine amplifier. The OP should bear in mind that the four Naim boxes require good support to work at their best, so that means four shelves with head units and power supplies carefully separated, which means further expense.

Agree, it’s an awful lot of money to spend. if I have a full naim system, I will still keep my mcintosh system, so I will have 2 house sounds.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

[S.L]

I don’t know much about the fundamental design, but it’s been on the market for almost 2 decades, that’s an amazing number for technology for sure !

[S.L]

@HappyListener

1- the presentational differences between the Mac (on paper also a very powerful integrated) are likely to be material e.g. Macs and other valve kit tend to have a warmth to them, whereas Naim kit is all about pace, rhythm and timing.

Yes, it’s very powerful, I don’t think I will use ever all these watts to enjoy listing.
Is it possible to hear a lot of PRAT just from the streamer ? or I will hear more from Mcinotsh more?
I asked my dealer this question, he said both , and a lot of his customers matched their naim streamer with mcintosh amps.

@HappyListener

2- It’s my instinct here that the Amatis & (powerful) Mac are a good combo for classical music, with the warmth of strings et al, but perhaps at the cost to (subjective) ‘pace’ in the flow?

I am a big fan of strings. Cellos , violin, viola , guitars, piano, harp… etc.
I like my system a lot, Mac is a good match with Amati, and I heard Jadis is a magical match with Sonus faber as well.
Before I bought the ND555, I have demoed with other streamers to compare with Naim streamers. I A/B tested them for hours through my Amati and Mcinotsh system, HUGE difference, some are really airy , detailed , huge sound stage…and more. But Naim streamer presents all the different instruments like a full group togther. To me, that’s the spirit of music, so here i am.

@HappyListener

3- Simply trying to beat a price increase at this level as a driver to purchase when the price differentials in play are so, so big doesn’t appear sensible against the backcloth of never having heard the kit in any setting. And that horrible ‘what if’ aspect should you not like things hangs as a bit of a cloud here.

Yes, that’s why I created this topic to ask for advice.

@HappyListener

Plus, as others have flagged, you may need new cabling and other ancillaries - and, ultimately, at this ticket level you’d hope a dealer would be ‘sensible’ at purchase time.

Yes I will need to buy all the cables and frame for naim if I get 500 552, that’s why it’s $100000, $40000 for 500, $40000 for 552, $20000 for the cables, frame etc.

@HappyListener

The Naim kit still delivers great performance and an alternative is that it could see in-box upgrades rather than being replaced - in truth nobody outside Naim knows. But there are clues that due to electrical reg’s and alike, the days of large toroidal transformers powering kit may need to be changed/reined-in a bit.

If it will be in-box upgrades then it will be nice, I will not need to worry about being replaced.
I don’t know anything about changing or reined large toroidal transformers powering kit. Haven’t do my homework on that yet.

Thanks for sharing.

[S.L]

@Christopher_M

What is it that your 16500GBP amplifier is not giving you?

I’m not sure actually , I haven’t compare with full naim system yet.

[S.L]

@bruss

If I had at the beginning known what I was aiming for, I would have considered it complete madness to go from a base Naim system to the 500 without a demo

haha yes, that’s kinda how I feel right now.
but the good thing is you had time.
So you have a 500 series now ?

@bruss

Can you arrange a demo and spend a couple of days away enjoying the experience?

I don’t think I can spend days away to experience at the moment,

[S.L]

Thanks for sharing.

[S.L]

That’s wroth a trip for sure, but I can’t leave the city for days at the moment.

[Bluesfan]

We’re proud of our eccentrics, even though most don’t realise that they are!

A surprisingly large % all the same though. Such is the power of the brand. At least I test drove ours before deciding.

Best regards, BF

[S.L]

That’s a very kind offer.
Thank you Peter, I appreciate
Where do you located in West coast Canada?

[Petersfi]

Near Gibsons on the Sunshine Coast.

[S.L]

@MrUnderhill

I won’t repeat the good advice above and hope you can take up @Petersfi kind offer, although that still leaves one of the biggest factors untested, your room; so a proper demo is still best

For sure.

@MrUnderhill

It is worth noting that Naim do incremental changes over the years. An original 500 will not be to precisely the same build as today’s. Naim catch up the older variations during servicing.

that’s cool I didn’t know that, I thought the only difference is the DR.

@MrUnderhill

552/500 are great amps, if you get the chance to listen look forward to your thoughts!

I will update my thoughts if I’m lucky enough to hear them.

[S.L]

@Petersfi

Near Gibsons on the Sunshine Coast.

Is that in Vancouver ?

[Petersfi]

1.5 hours each way including a 40 minute ferry ride

[S.L]

@JTheKop

ND555/552/500 with Amanti would be a great combination, it will sound different from McIntosh ( Naim better of course because we are in Naim Forum!)

I hear you.

@JTheKop

Having said that, there is something to say how Naim North American handle dealer store in Canada and US. There is no dealer carry 500 system on demo? It is not because 500 system is too expensive. Dealers have a lot more expensive other brands on floor demo. But when it comes to Naim, most dealer has Uniti series only. So something is not right here.

YES, that’s definitely a problem.
So wired, such a successful company with many good products but no demo.
Thanks for posting out this situation !