Yes,passive crossovers are always worse than active 
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Well they aren’t going to say it’s just different or slightly better are they, 
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The question is, are you better spending the money on just one amp or a pair of mono amps in this case with the Statement amp’s or all the gear you need to run active 
Running lesser amp’s compared to a better one normally results in a poorer sound. I was in the camp that much preferred the single 500dr over running 3 x 250’s, but not everyone does.
I guess it’s nice to have the option but for me i would rather put all or part of the money into a better amp, and after that i would probably change speakers as i have heard some outstanding ones over the years that i would love to try once i move house, and all of them can’t run active.
I guess running 3 x some very good amp’s would work, but then you are talking stupid money on amp’s and cables, etc to run the 808’s and way before that point the 808’s would have long gone in my house.
I heard the 707 active with nap300,s vs 500…….i preferred the 500, though others on the forum who were there preferred the active set up. We are all different in our tastes.
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I guess using the kudos one is far better than the old naim one? As i must confess i haven’t heard it being compared against the naim one.
I guess not having to use any power is a nice bonus as any power supply will add unwanted noise to everything in the signal path.
You are the same as me then, i just hear the better grip it has on the speaker.
It was said many times to me last year at the show, and some from a few kudos owners, they all couldn’t get over how different the bass was compared to how theirs sounded.
One 808 guy was absolutely amazed by how mine sounded compared to his, he couldn’t believe it was the same speaker, unfortunately i can’t remember what he said he was running as it was a very busy day, but i remember him just sitting there for over an hour.
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Yes, that is exactly the gist of what I said in my previous post and alluded to in this one - but I was specifically responding to your comment about improved crossovers. I firmly believe that sound quality inevitably would be better active than passive, all else being equal, but whether lesser amps would active would be better than a better amp passive can only be determined by trying (and of course that was the OP’s question). Then of course there is wonky active with different amps, acknowledging that it is the bass end that benefits from current delivery (power) far more than treble, whilst mid-treble benefit most from clarity of amp. That again could only be determined by trying, but any form of active with Statements pushes cost above mere passive with them, so beyond the question here.
Was that at the Signals show @Gazza ?
I thought the same as you on that and preferred the 500.
The active set up was faster and better micro detailed, but lighter and lacked some of the grip, slam, weight, colour and texture of the 500 for me.
Yes, it was there…….they were great shows, got a feeling we have seen the last of them. I bought a 552/500 shortly afterwards, the show sold me the 500, Alistair persuaded me to upgrade from 252 to 552.
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IME, this is one of the issues with 'speaker demo’s e.g. sometimes more can be too much for one’s ears e.g. if you want to hear a clearer vocal, but the 'speaker/system is set-up to deliver (or favours?) more upper/mids, the vocal can start to recess within the overall soundscape to my ears. It really is a case of how do you like your tea/coffee.
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I preferred 3x250 (NC) to my 500, with an Exposure Crossover. I then preferred 6x350 with the Sigao. I’ve heard S1 only in Naim’s demo room, with Focal speakers, so it’s hard to hold the differences in mind till you get home. As far as I could hear my ‘home’ sound in my head at the time, it wasn’t a no-brainer revelation….
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Getting a S1 home demo is a logistical challenge. A pair of S1s are better amps than a pair of 350s & most likely better than 6x 350s. As has been said on rrp cost alone there is no comparison. Moving from 350s to S1s is not a leap of faith, it is a change of direction.
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How about a pair of Boulder 2160 mono’s or Dagostino Momentum Z mono’s, or Constellation Statement Mono’s
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I am wedded to naim amps 
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That would be an interesting ceremony! Presumably polygamy is accepted, but do get divorced each time you change from one amp/set of amps to another?