552 First Impressions

“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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I’ve just paired up an ND555 with a 252 and am very happy with the result compared to the NDX2 and then somebody comes on and mentions a 552.
GRRRRR!!!

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It’s always the way… think you got great? Nah, catspiss compared to this…(insert whatever flavour)

Edit\ I’m certain the 552 wipes the floor, but where d’you stop, barring Statement…

My wallet stops at 252.
Yours is bigger…go to it!

And edit/ tell me an SN3 is as good as a 252 - sorry, not in my book ( and I’ve had both…)

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Off course, I’d love a full 500 system if family circumstances and finances were different. But they’re not, so it’s important to enjoy what we are very lucky to have anyway.

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Hi Mike thanks for support I cannot justify £15000 + for a pre amp and power amp around £30000 all in. As stated it’s annoying being down trodden by naimes that have shed loads of money. I like many others have worked hard to achieve our objectives and enjoy our systems. Time and time again I see ( I have a 252 250 or 252 300 to see replies of oh you need to upgrade to 552 500 in time) as if it’s the pinnacle of audio excellence. Yes it would be nice however some of us live in the real world

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My Titan T 88s sound great with humble 52…… via ndx2/555drps/52.
Would love to experience a 552 but cannot see spending the big bucs on a 552-
My system sounds so darn good now and I am quite content ever since I got the better ps for ndx2.
Probably my final system….unless I get tempted to get s/h nd555
David

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