552 First Impressions

It’s a bit of a game changer the 552.

I fully expect it to take a couple of weeks to become more consistent but it’s giving me a glimpse into a whole other world just now. It makes all the other steps up the Naim ‘ladder’ feel comparatively small in retrospect.

G

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:hear_no_evil: :headphones: la lala la la

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:joy:

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Haha innit :laughing:

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Not everyone can afford a 552 so stating a 252 is a waste of time is disrespectful of people who enjoy owning one. I get a bit naffed of with posts having a slight undertone of it’s not a 552 or 500 so it’s not good enough

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“hungryhalibut](/u/hungryhalibut)

GraemeH

9m

@GraemeH I’m so pleased that the 552 is living up to your hopes. It’s a stunning preamp and a world away from the rather pedestrian 252.

I hope you will feel able to accept my hungryhalibut award for the Ultimate Anti-Mullet. I’m rather surprised that nobody has suggested that you need to improve your speakers, which of course you absolutely don’t. But when someone does, they will automatically receive the Ultimate Clown award.

I hope your lovely system gives you and the family many many hours of enjoyment.“

@anon4489532 thanks indeed. My dealer happened to have one he’d got for a customer trial a year ago. The customer went the McIntosh route instead and so it sat boxed in his store for a year during lockdown.

As I still had my NDX2 to trade plus the 252DR the uplift wasn’t such a stretch.

My Proacs? Charlton Heston’s ‘…cold dead hands’ speech comes to mind. I’ll be boxed before they are!

BW

G

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Hi G, from one Anti-Mulleteer to another a big congrats from me on your acquisition of the 552 :+1:t3: Enjoy Peter

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Sounds like a good upgrade - from another non-Naim-mulleteer, surely a Naim Fraim is now in order.

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Thanks!

G

Anti-mulleteers of the world unite.

We have been downtrodden for too long. ‘Oh why don’t you get these posh speakers like mine!?! All you need as a source is an Atom with a 500DR hanging off it!?! Source first is old hat!?!’…I hear the mulleteers shout.

BTW, I view the pre amp as part of the source and the beating heart of any system.

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I was waiting for the Fraim suggestion. No room at the inn for Fraim and anyhow I prefer a more discreet look.

…and it’s sounding marvellous!

G

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…And that’s what counts. Enjoy! :slightly_smiling_face:

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Out of interest @GraemeH how is your system arranged?

250DR. 552(pictured). ND555
………………………………………….
Virgintv. 552ps(pictured). 555PSDR

G

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At the moment the 250DR’s transformer is next to the 552 head unit. All I would suggest is that you arrange the top row with the 250DR on the right hand side as the transformer in the 250DR is in the right of the box and therefore gets it further away from 552 or ND555. This is why in a two stack Fraim, the brawn stack is always on the right.

Enjoy.

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My 5m speaker cable is at it’s limit, so one for a later day Nigel.

Thanks though,

G

OK, I thought you might have your reasons.

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I was going to say the very same thing. The 500 series is too rich for me at double the price for each component in the system. I’m delighted with a 252, it’s more than enough for what I will pay. It’s a bit elitist to go around running it down, and somewhat unnecessary.

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The 500 is a waste of time, go for the Statement directly.

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It’s a great amp, i almost kept mine……the offer of 552 and 500 was too much, otherwise would have a 252/500 system.

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