Over the Powerline Lite to my lugs, yes. Since letting the 500 go my goal was to maximise the 250DR, Powerline, Morgana DIN to XLR with full fat Fraim.
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My experience with powerlines is best to have on all your Naim gear. Gives more definition, clarity and deeper base. Get them for HiCap 2 and NAPSC if you can.
I started with one on the Supercap 2 and then 135s.
One on the 250DR will improve things. Also if you have one try on HiCap2 and Napsc and see where it sounds best. The other upgrade is to get a Supercap instead. Probably get more for your money that way.
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If you do decide to purchase a Powerline make sure the IEC end is fully decoupled as per instructions, nice gap between the black and silver parts makes a difference.
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Oh sorry I am confused @HiFiman, what do you mean by having a gap. I push my powerline very hard for fear of not having a good contact. Do you mean it needed to have some gap?
this made me chuckle!hahaha i think we can all relate to this image with our stereos
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There should be a gap between the black and silver bits. This is a picture Richard Dane took, I’ve zoomed in, this clearly shows the floating gap.
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Appreciated 
. Will go read that FAQ NOW!!
Speaker’s really are the main thing that decide if you need a better amp or not, or if the better amp will bring much difference to it all.
Hard to drive Speaker’s or loud volumes.
Dan as for warm up, you will already be way past that point, an amp will only take a few hours to warm right up when being used. I remember you saying you got it nice a warm already. So you are waiting for nothing now, just enjoy.
Plus i wouldn’t be in too much a rush to get a 552dr over the 52. I had a lovely late 52 and the difference between it and the non dr’ed 552 was minimal at best.
Obviously the 552 will look better matched but the 52 was hand built and very special in it’s day. The only problem with the 52 is they very much in sound quality as i found out, and it’s easier to find one thats not as good as it should be in sound quality to one that’s 100% spot on.
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That’s a very interesting viewpoint in my favour @Dunc.
The 52 sounded great with the 135s and now fantastic with the 500DR. I had it serviced and it has the POTS 8 upgrade. Lovely olive remote too. I have only had it it since September 2023.
All sounding very nice on sunny sunday afternoon. Time to sit back and enjoy the music.
I had 3 different 52’s back in the day. One only lasted a day as it was very poor, and my lovely pots 8, 82 sounded much better.
The next one i had sounded better and was the twin board version, still an early one but it was nice.
I finally finished up with a very late model with all the updates naim did to the 52 along the way. Single board design now and it was better than the previous one.
But what i am trying to say is, if you a have a nice one then you could well be better keeping it, as especially with vinyl being a main source fo you, you could well find the 552 for the outlay not a big step forward, and more a side way step.
But only you can decide that when the time comes, but as said i certainly wouldn’t be sitting there thinking much about it.
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Mine is a 1993 version, so fairly early. It’s been looked after alright. From the off, unserviced it was noticebly better than my wonderful 82 which I had for 5 years. Then I got it serviced and it has come back sounding better. The POTs 8 upgrade was done later. It has K phono boards which I have left in. I know many say it sounds better if you take them out but I am keen to keep it all original.
“I often listen to music loud. I found the 250CB used to cut out.”
Blimey, you ran your 250CB hot enough to cutout… that’s impressive. The only time I had an amp run anything like hot was when I had a little Creek CAS4040. That was a while ago…
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Many many times @Bokermonz. Never had a problem with 135s on that front with the fans. The NC has fans.
Have managed to kick in fan on 500DR as well even though it has heatsinks. I had it running hot!
It’s certain types of music that run amps hot. If you play jungle, techno, drum and bass loud for sustained periods it runs them hot.
I find listening to loud rock it doesn’t run as hot as there are quieter periods in the music.
Hi Dan,
I also had a 52/500 and my initial thoughts when getting the 552 was that I had lost some of the sweetness, whatever that is, but then I got used to it. Given that time again, I would have bought the Townshend Podiums first, as they increased the transparency and inner detail I was after, not to mention the effortless driving of my Titan t88s.
I too now have a full 500 system, but alway like to read about fellow forum members who are on a journey to/or reduced their box count, but now take with them the wisdom of what truly does it for them.
It’s an expensive learning curve.
As others here, don’t ditch the 52 too early the gains maybe elsewhere and you may, as they say “through the baby out with the bath water”.
Whatever, I always enjoy reading your posts and good luck on the health front.
Russ
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Thanks Russ, appreciate you and Dunc both saying don’t rush to ditch the 52.
I thought I’d need a Radikal 1 or 2 for the LP12 but the changes I made to tonearm, cart and phonostage have made such a difference that the LP12 sounds very sweet. I had the Lingo 1 serviced and the mains inlet changed to non filtered type. It all sounds very good.
And the changes to the streamer with adding the ND5XS2 to the NDS with 555PS has worked very well. I don’t feel the need to change to ND555 right now, although it would reduce box count by one.
So I don’t find my system lacking particularly. I guess the Radikal 1 or 2 would be next nevertheless.
I want to see how good my source can be.
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I had the phono boards in the second 52 i had, i did remove them both but can’t say i heard a difference. But they just push onto the boards so very easy to remove and replace if needed.
But if you aren’t using them, then i would remove them as for one it help keep the life in the phono board’s, and secondly it certainly can’t hurt removing them from inside the box as it’s less stuff going on inside to try and power, plus give off nasty things to effect sound quality off the rest off the things going on inside the box.
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I’m going to leave them in there. I love the 52. I may keep it. I may not so will leave it original. I may even want to use the phono boards, but doubt it.
The system is sounding great. Just fitted new blind which was a complete mission without taking system apart!
I just took the phonostage and LP12 out when fitting. Couple of balls dropped from Fraim which you expect!
Need to fit blind valance but a job for another day!
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I sold nait 1 and 42 (both spare) today.
Nap 500 is my main target for 2024 … hope he will come soon. Best with DR … if not - also ok. I let one pass some time ago for a steal price…damn
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When the cable is hanging free down this equal gap is hard to manage.
Just to let you know the 500DR sounds mighty fine with the 52. Taking advice on here I am not rushing to a 552DR.
So many views on here saying 552DR is more important than a 500DR but with the 52 maybe it’s the exception!
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