Someone should find - and post - a photo of the prototype NAC52, which had a drop down frontage. I wonder if any of these still exist, in Salisbury or elsewhere.
1 penny more would have been the limit. 
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Mine too…without it, no music.
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Teaser … had a little hiccup with the Burndy. I might have a Burndy allergy - always bad luck with the used Burndies.
But Cable is fine and working well!
552 is … different… it has a wonderful magic …
More later
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Ok…
First impressions after a few hours 552 on the powerigel.
These 500 boxes are so nice. Love the finish.
Burndy locking collar is harder to get in its clicking-in final position - more „force“ necessary.
- volume control… a dream! One tip on the remote and the dial goes a micro step. With 52 it has always jumped a bigger step. Volume fine tuning - as it should! Yeah.
- like the display off option.
Have done a factory reset - programming and av gain later.
Sound? - yes there is sound. First impressions… 52 is switched off.
- the faint hissing of the tweeter (normal naim hiss) is back to the same hiss as with SBL… a bit SBL is back … yess
- sound is a bit brighter again
- the edginess is away - all is perfectly rounded - and still with full dynamics
- voices are more emotion packed - this was a downside with 606 against SBL. Voices are perfectly breathing… love it
- bass is less full - OMG… . Good to have 606 - it can do bass. Bass is so structured and detailed - this is a huge step.
- speed … wow. Unbelievable… perfect timing. All there.
- details… a lot more.
And in sum… magical.
The „pipe smoking gentleman“ describes it perfectly. Relaxed and maximum groovy which should not be possible - it is.
Tomorrow I will connect the turntable…
Nd555 really likes the 552. I do too 
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Yes the speed,so much faster than the Nac 52
With SBL the 52 was never anywhere near being slow. Very fast it was 
But 552 is not even better in speed but also in timing … very naim
Yes SBL are a fast speaker,even faster with Nac 552
Absolutely agree timing is so superb .
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SBL paired with 552 would not have worked in my room due to less bass weight.
But bass happiness will fade away - will pull the 606 a bit more out soon - and Gaia.
Full Igel power by the way
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It may take a while for the new kit to settle in.
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Wait until the Nac 552 is fully warmed up.
Yes the Igel is fantastic,I have to get one for mine also 
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Be careful, he can make a lot of holes in your cherished cables.
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Here we go …
The „day of doubts“ kicks in…
I know these days - have beaten them every time
I have done want i should not…
See:
52 in the rack … shoutout…
The presentation is very different!
52 (from cold) but de stressed Burndy and snaic touching:
- more held back presentation (@Igel: as you said)
- a bit dull (only when compared directly)
- more forgiving with bad recordings
- less structured in upper midband and sometimes stressed du to lack of resolution
- I bit brighter sounding ( strange - my initial thoughts were the other way round)
- softer sounding - making listening sometimes more easy
- muddy bass
552 - not warmed up properly I think:
- full upfront … really like it, but sometimes it nearly too much. Will try to replace vodka - compared it to catsnake but it lacks resolution and refinement (will burn it in first)
- bass is fully layered with perfect texture
- voices are more emotion packed.
- details are astonishing… have heared voices in the background I have never noticed as such (not the voices in my head )
- texture: wow - especially electronic music totally different - creaking synthesizers I have never heared before.
- mids … this is where the texture is happening
- very much transparent with no mercy
- bad recordings can sound harsh (e.g sibilance)
- a bit edgy at some recordings - see vodka
- room is very much deeper but the details in the back are not faint - all is noticeable
Forgot the most obvious:
- 552 has TIMING,
To be honest - like both
552 is better but also more demanding sometimes
Today I know that I will miss all the details and flow the 552 brings.
Maybe that is the border from olive to classic.
It sounds like listening to live music!
With moderate (main) listening volume 552 cracks hell
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Great ! Never found my Nac 552 sounding edgy,though.The Nac 552 likes to stand further out on the Fraim glass and with as much air around it as possible, empty shelf under it and nothing over it.
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turntable above and spare rack underneath - currently power supply for the turntable, but switched off.
Thought you have a 82
If it’s any consolation I went through the same kind of drama moving from my 52 to a 552. There was something I almost missed about the 52. The 552 really was a bit of a shock and in some respects I thought a little worse at stuff the 52 did really well but I persevered and eventually came to terms with the sonic signature of the 552. However, it took me a long time to understand the little idiosyncrasies that really make the 552 sing. There are a lot and it will take you a while to truly understand and exploit them. Some you have already heard about on here like…
The 552 needs plenty of space both above and below. Move it backwards and forwards slightly on the glass. Forwards sounds slightly better. Make sure your Fraim joints are really tight and I mean tight. Keep anything with transformers well away from it. I find the cables seem to dress better if the power supply is on the right and the pre-amp on the left. Don’t use foam or hooks on any cables to separate them they must hang freely. Feed it only the best signal from the best source and use input 2.
Finally, and this is the important one, give it time. I reckon my 552 takes around 3 days to settle again after a power down. Longer if it’s moved. And when used for the first time in a new location it can take a good month for the burndey to fully relax, even with the proverbial massage! Just sit back and enjoy one of the finest pieces of audio equipment you can buy. It will take you to some amazing venues!
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Might have to rearrange my left rack after all. Do we agree that moving from 1 to 2 would mean a good step up in sound quality?
500HU
552
NDS
Empty
552
Enpty
NDS
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Might be the difference between DR and non DR sometimes? I have never found my (your) non DR sound edgy either. Just beautiful.
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