Calling Owners Who Have Upgraded From 552/500DR to Integrated Amps

Hi-Fi Corner
106

If my memory serves me right, I like the NAP 350s better than my old non-DR NAP 500 in terms of SQ, the NAP 500 looks just a small bit more impressive

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107

FWIW, the increase in subtlety, space, detail and all that when going from 82/282 to 52/252 was to our ears far bigger than the change from just adding another Hicap. I would argue that it is more noticeable than the jump from 52/252 to 552, though the 552 is very clearly better.

I’d also say that I for one never got one with the original 300 - I planned to replace my old olive 250 with a pair of 135s until I actually heard a 300DR with my 52.

I now have 552/300DR. I might one day get a serviced 500DR instead, but I am not sure I will hear much difference without also moving house. More important, it (with a Superline) is good enough that I will probably have the same boxes in a decade.

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108

The difference is Big,the 552/500 are made for each other,doesn’t matter what size of the room.

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109

I moved from 282/HC/250DR to Luxman 509z and I am very happy. The 509z is now fully run in and it is a fantastic amp. Completely different league in terms of detail, space, imaging etc. Love it. Steve Huff recently reviewed his favourite integrated amps. 509z came 3rd, T+A 2nd (costs 10 K more than the Luxman) and 1st was a Devialet.

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110

With this guy, each month there is a best of best component. Actually his favourite is Modright 225i.
Not saying that your Luxman isn’t very good. But Steve Huff, no no no.

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111

I was looking for something that more matched my current taste in music but still musical. Didnt like the NC-series.I had to try a few times over the last years with different boxes but I have now finally “downgraded” the 252/SCDR/135s. My choice was the Holo Serene/KTE class A preamp plus two (physically) tiny GaN-amps, Starkrimson 25 Premium. I have always hated class D but these ones were diff - someone explained to me GaN-transistors run at much higher switching frequencies (1.1GHz in this case) so the evil stuff goes away over the top. And I could tune them with “opamp-rolling” and my pref was a pair of discrete class A input buffers.

I also replaced the Audirvana Coreplayer for Linux for Minimserver/SongKong which sound more transparent, fun and alive (with the JPLAY iOS controller).

112

I like his reviews because he says “pure magic” all the time.

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113

I moved from a 252DR/300DR setup to the Vitus SIA‑025 Mk II. I loved my Naim gear, but I needed to cut down on the number of boxes. Straight out of the box the Vitus sounded a bit dull and underwhelming, but after being powered on for about an hour it really opened up and started sounding incredible. I can’t say how it compares to the 500 series, but for me it was a clear and significant upgrade over my previous setup.

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114

I think NAP500, don’t know what an ND500 is

Martin

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115

And the classic " as good as some costing three times the price".

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116

The vitus sia025 and sia030 are very lovely sounding amp’s and quite different to the normal vitus amp’s.
I found the sia025 very nice and certainly gave the 500 range a good run when i had one on demo, certain things i liked more with the 500 and certain things the sia025 did better. So can certainly see why you like it more over the amp’s you had.

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117

Cough.

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119

I love our Naim 552/500. There is only one thing that I have heard that I really like other than the Naim (and it’s different) is Audio Research Ref 6/Ref 150 (or 75). It has all the rhythm but even more body and density. Fabulous, different to Naim but as good.

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120

I agree that the reason to move off high end Naim kit would be if you wanted “different”. I haven’t heard anything “better” within Naim’s distinctive sonic pallet.

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