Thought the review was pretty much right…it’s a great product…but I still think the cost is too extreme…
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I could not afford a new full 500 system. But I recently jumped on the opportunity to get a second hand 552 DR. That is only part of a full 500 system.
But going from a 282 to the 552 there has been zero days of regret in regards to the cost and no moments of doubt of the performance at all. I find it fantastic that this pre amp is doing so well even today. I don’t think one needs a review to hear that. But I admit it did feel nice to read it as a sort of confirmation of what I hear everyday. 
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Yes the 500 system was my goal at one stage. But the costs went silly. I would have to spent twice what I paid for my current system just to replace it with gear at about the same level.
To some degree I feel like the upper ranges of hifi used to be attainable by the wealthy, but increasingly the prices are moving beyond what even the top 1% can afford and now strictly for what we term “the Uber rich”.
LOL you shot your comment in the foot there
Martin
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I know……i also tell my wife about the free coffee.
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This was me as well, indeed I had ruled it out due to cost. But then I was very fortunate to grab an excellent deal on a 3 year old 552 DR and then a year later 40% of a new ND555 during the legendary fire sale with the distributor fiasco. So here we are. I don’t expect a 500 will enter the fray though, I’m very content with the 300DR and with the transition years to retirement underway, the big spends are done for this hobby. Happy to sit back now and enjoy it.
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I always enjoyed 300DR. Much better than 250DR IMO. Sure 500 was a step up in both design and performance but I could have happily lived with 300DR and a great front end 
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You’re not wrong, the 300DR is a mighty fine power amp along with the none DR 300. Both are excellent, probably Naims best power amp based on value for your buck.
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£54K is an awful lot of money and I would think puts it way out of reach for the majority of people who might otherwise be tempted, including myself. In terms of very high end gear though it’s not that expensive. Great as it is though, by the time one reaches these sorts of prices one is well into diminishing returns territory. Value judgments are a very personal thing and will differ wildly from person to person. I’m sure if I heard one then all reason would just abandon me and I would just have to have it - if I had the money. My own Moon 340ix amp is obviously very far below 552/500 performance level yet it’s compleley satisfying to the extent that when I’m enjoying music I really don’t feel anything better could be justified in terms of greater expense. My experience is that greater performance doesn’t necessarily translate into more enjoyment in the long term. So whilst I would love one, I don’t feel hard done by that I can’t have one.
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Good post. My 52/SC/135 amps are not as clean, open, detailed or as consistently good recording to recording as my S1/ 2 x 500 but if I don’t listen to both systems back to back or analyse what I’m hearing I can enjoy listening to music on an emotional level just as much through the Olive amps. Contrary to what some naysayers state the 552/500 it’s still a great combo also. The review is on point IMO.
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Here’s the thing I actually agree…I purchased mine second hand….at the time I picked up a NAP500 for £4800…with all the right history…this was in around 2017 I was pleased with that..for me that represented reasonable value. Later I upgraded it to full DR…effectively virtually a new amp. For me it has been the best value purchase I have made in hifi terms. I bought a 552 off another forum member…again immaculate and very reasonable…
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Lucky you! What a fantastic bargain!
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Second hand was the way I managed to reach the 552DR/500DR. Both date back to the early noughties. The 552 serviced and DRd 2019, the 500 serviced and DR’d 2017.
The 500 cost me £4k + 300DR, paid £9k for the 552.
These amps will see me out with a service sometime in the 2030s. I was thinking of going the active route but everytime I press play the sound from the ATC SCM20 and 500 combo is something else, the 500DR is one hell of an amp!
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Yeah, I am a man of a certain age…as are most hifi enthusiasts so I see this as my last great amp….of course I do the lottery…..so if that comes up….it’s Statement here come…
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I have to say I am tempted by Devialet Phantom Extremes as an all in one solution in my lounge. The one thing I don’t like about the Naim 500 setup is the sheer size and …. personally I could not tolerate this in my lounge…so I use the 500 in my office with small Vivid S12’s speakers which sound incredible….
If you do ever get a 500 amp you maybe very surprised. I went from a 52 to 552 and thought the uplift was okay but nothing spectacular. I went from 135’s to a 500 and thought it was a game changer!
A 552/500DR are a truly world class combination.
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I even drove my 500 from a 272…with great results…vastly superior to my then 250dr…
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There’s definitely synergy with the 552/500 combo. I really started to appreciate just what the 552DR can do when I switched from 300DR to 500DR. Last major upgrade !
The trouble is.. then you start adding Superlumina DIN to XLRs and eyeing speaker cables. Lock up all wallets..
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I am using a pair of Phantom Ultimate 108 dB at home. Unless I am missing something what are Phantom Extremes?
I think I might subconsciously have started to save up for a second hand 500DR… 
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