Classic vs. 500 series finish

Hi-Fi Corner
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Hi all,

I have my heart set on a 555PS for my NDX2. I demoed it and I was really impressed. I see a lot of 500 finish ones ex dem or second hand. I think I would prefer the classic finish though?

Forum members who have mixed and matched classic and 500 finish in their fraims, do you really notice the difference?

Thanks in advance, and photos welcome :hugs:

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I have a mix……it depends how OCD you are? …….i do not seriously look at my kit….i listen to the music. They will sound different if you tap the casings?

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I have both, and a mix of NAP300 and 552. The difference in finish doesn’t bother me in the slightest and is barely noticeable.

Live dangerously :sunglasses:

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I have 555ps in 500 finish amongst the classic finishes of 250DR,272,CDS3, XPS and notice no difference when sat down 2 meters away.

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I have and i dont really notice, but then ive got a mix of olive, classic and 555. But really once its in a rack you really have to run your fingers across the case to notice the difference. If its out on display then that might be a different matter.

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I’m a little on the OCD side :joy::man_facepalming:

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Not really no. I have my 555 (500-style) on a shelf close to the nap 250 and see no difference in the rack.

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I am with you there! Also OCD and do mind the differences in look and finish. I am still on the Olive side (matched Olive) with a Classic look Superline…even that bothers me a little so mostly running the Olive with my LP12 and built in Urika!

I hoping this is one thing they fix in the new range to make New Classic more compatible with New 500….

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I have both and don’t notice or remember they’re different until I see threads about the difference. No biggie.

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I have a 555PS on my NDX 2 and I honestly don’t notice either. Sounds amazing, though. If you can afford it, go for it. All the best.

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I have a mix where the 555 and 552 have same hairline finish but the other do not. Never think about it. Get the 555 on the NDX2 no matter finish and enjoy! It’s a lovely update :+1:

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Can’t see it being an issue I didn’t even know there were 2 different finishes till a year or so ago. They’re black boxes and anyone that noticed the difference is possibly looking too hard.

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Pete the difference is subtle - both look attractive to my mind, understated contrast, imho they don’t clash - now where did i put my specs……?

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@richardjpaterson if you have more than one stack of fraim and the 555ps is on the top of rh stack and ndx is on top of lh stack, will you potential notice the slight difference.
The important thing is - does the finish effect the sound?
Buy the one on which you are satisfied on price but consider the following.
What likely would benefit the sound is for you to consider moving to a full fraim (assuming your profile is utdate).
Expect a sound uplift if all set up well and cables dressed.

edit - i see from system pics you only have a single stack, can i ask what your 606s are standing on?

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I do wear thick glasses however I’ve never compared the 2 finishes. I certainly wouldn’t let it bother me in achieving the system I was after.

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Thanks. My speakers were on pieces of slate. I have now removed them and spiked through the carpet. What a difference in sound!
On the slate (which was essential floating on the carpet), I loved the midrange detail, but they just didn’t sound right. Now they are spiked on the carpet, the whole sound is more coherent, but I’ve lost some of that midrange detail. Mainly because the bass has become thicker. Much much better spiked through carpet though :+1:. That’s my lesson learnt, properly spike your speakers :man_facepalming:

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I used to have a 555PS with an NDX2 and 300DR. It was quite a while before I noticed the different finish. It honestly never bothered me, probably due to the improved sound.

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The price of an ex-dem or pre-loved unit would decide the issue ror me.

I have a mixture of Black/Classic and Olive - and its fine for me.

But… YMMV… as always… :thinking:

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500 every time for me, I’ve got both. 500 has cleaner lines and is easier to clean being a smoother surface. Some say 500 casework sounds better but I can’t tell the difference.

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Someone else told me it should sound better, because it was designed with that case. Like you, I’m not sure I would hear the difference (placebo effect).
I wonder how many people do blind tests on these things?

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