Apart from class D not much has changed i agree. Things have just got a bit quieter in the power supply department.
Agreed. But there have nevertheless been advances in amplifier technology over the past 25 years and more, even if not specifically in analogue amplifier circuit design as such. Otherwise things like say an original Quad 33/303 would be as competitive now as it was in the 1970s. It isn’t. My point being that for such a high end product to remain in production for 25 years, essentially unchanged, and still remain competetive and desirable, is IMO quite an achievement. The hi-fi world in general is fickle, things come and go, and yesterday’s blue eyed boy can quickly become today’s museum piece. I find it surprising that the 552/500 still holds its own against much more modern high end designs.
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No surprise really.
A CB or Olive 3 box combo, will not be shy against many so called modern (sterile) High End amps of silly money.
There’s a reason some people are coming back to these lovely boxes again and again. Buying into the new $$ love affair could be shortlived.
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That’s true, although I wouldn’t call modern high end amps “sterile” necessarily. I’m sure some are, as are very many older designs, but certainly there are some really excellent ones around as well. But remember that the 552/500 is available brand new and costs £54K. That’s a very different proposition to a CB or olive combo that’s used and can be had for peanuts in comparison. The fact that a 552/500 is still a sensible buy today at £54K is I think pretty amazing. I would by now have expected it to be showing signs of its age and starting to lag behind many more modern high end designs in certain areas. Judging from the What Hi-Fi? review this doesn’t appear to be the case at all. If I was in the market for an amp at that sort of price I must admit I would have been very wary of the 552/500, simply because of its age and thinking that a better replacement is surely in the pipeline. After reading the review I would have no such concerns. Of course, this is assuming the review can be trusted! All academic for me anyway. I’ll never be able to afford one.
Sorry to hear about Yang, hard losing a well loved pet. We lost Jim last month and my wife brought home a kitten yesterday. Now I need to cover the stereo before she notices all the green lights! Keep up the good reporting. Always appreciate your insights!
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Maybe one day Wathifi can be trusted 
I wouldn’t trust any hifi magazine, especially one that relies on advertising to keep going.
At best its just a read, but if you are looking to buy any expensive hifi then home demo is the only way as we all know, and certainly not what a magazine says you should buy.
Also they only go so far with brands and expense, so again not really covering it all, so the best as far as they go is very limiting.
The fact they say the dCS rossini apex is the best digital dac they have ever heard says it all really, yes its good but there are much better ones available.
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I’m sorry to hear about Yang.
Regarding point 3, since this time it’s my home game, I will probably be there again. Meeting in real life would certainly be nice. However, I don’t know how to leave a message.
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As we constantly reminded customers who wandered in with a rolled up WHF demanding this month’s trio of 5 star source, amp and speakers, “Please try and remember, none of these magazines are in the audio industry. They are are in the journalism industry.”
This usually to overcome resistance and a mindset that was only interested in demonstration of the flavor of the month and nothing else.
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I have heard some high end equipment and whilst “sterile” is a harsh term it did make me think of Pep Guardiola’s Man City - technically perfect but that technical perfection killed the passion and I ended up getting bored watching them… on the other side of the coin Klopp’s Liverpool were a far better watch, didn’t win a tittle and maybe not as good technically but far more enjoyable to watch.
One of the things I have always loved about Naim (above the pure sound quality) is the service ability / longevity of old products
When I started buying hifi I always thought I would get a good set up and keep it for life, obv. Tech changes to sources have changed that but Naim amps / sound has been a constant for me.
The 552 is an amp I see me keeping and suspect the only thing that would change that is a high end steaming pre amp. The fact that 25 years down the line they are finding it hard to improve on says a lot!
I am less enamoured by hifi reviews too as whatever I seem to read everything gets a 4 or 5 star review and an award!
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Sorry about Yang, they make such a hole in our lives when they depart.
I do appreciate that your reviews are far more than professional, they are written from the viewpoint of the enthusiast speaking to fellow travellers.
I look 
forward to them
Ian
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They will only continue in production if there is a market for them.
Two thoughts spring to mind
1 Naim are a business not a charity
2 If it ain’t broke don’t fix it
Ian
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An other brand might have called the DR versions a new product?
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We will find a way to connect. If there are more interested Naimees we could even have lunch together - which means we also wouldn’t loose time at the show.
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At least we have our profile pictures, so we know what each other looks like.
But seriously, maybe @Richard.Dane could pass my contact details on to you?
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I will be there on Saturday
I do hope you’ll get the opportunity to hear it in a properly set-up system and room.
The Olympus paired with its Olympus I/O is a genuinely singular piece of kit.
To my ears, it seems to avoid both the usual digital artefacts and some of the limitations traditionally associated with vinyl.
There’s something rather unique about the Olympus’ presentation.
Taiko Audio didn’t merely raise the bar here.
It feels more as though they approached the whole problem from an entirely different angle.
Cheers,
Thomas
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I like the look of the Taiko
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Hi Thomas , the taiko need a dac right? Basically it’s server? Thanks .. looks good and read a little on this brand.. very interesting
The Taiko Olympus is a modular, battery-powered platform.
At the heart of the Olympus lies a proprietary interface called XDMI.
XDMI is both a hardware and software architecture.
The Olympus and its XDMI interface is admittedly a fairly complex machine internally, yet the entire architecture has been conceived around one central idea : simplifying the digital signal path as much as possible.
In practice, this means minimising, or altogether removing, intermediary stages, signal conversions, and unnecessary processing throughout the digital chain.
It is also designed to replace traditional interfaces such as USB, AES/EBU, and the like.
In order to be connected natively to the Olympus, the DAC itself needs to be equipped with an XDMI interface.
At present, the brands offering XDMI-equipped DACs are Lampizator, MSB Technology, and soon Aries Cerat.
However, the Olympus can also host its own internal DAC module. Which is, in my opinion, the best option.
As a result, the Olympus can be configured and used in several different ways:
- Streamer only
- File Server + Streamer
- File Server + Streamer + DAC
- Streamer + DAC
On top of that, the Olympus can either be used as a single chassis, or split into two separate units: Olympus + Olympus I/O.
At the moment, there are not many true alternatives to the Taiko Olympus.
The obvious competitors would be the Wadax Atlantis Reference and the dCS Varèse.
All three are extremely impressive.
But I would say the particular achievement of the Taiko Olympus is that it somehow managed to break down the wall that traditionally separated digital playback from analogue music reproduction.
In that sense, the Taiko Olympus feels like something of a singularity in the audio world.
Personally, I use my Olympus + I/O as a Streamer/DAC (a bit like I used the ND555).
The Taiko Olympus uses Roon as its playback/server software, which I’m rather fond of!
Hope this helps 
Cheers,
Thomas
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