Yes the Statement S1 has a similar effect on the very good 552. If only money was no object!
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Thanks for confirming my … thoughts…
To my ears at Salisbury 500dr v Statement it was not a question of flatness…for me it was the inner detail, layering and a hint more clarity - it was just better but not hugely. I can’t remember if the 500dr was being driven by the S1 at the time…perhaps Mr Dane can remember…
I can remember. It was being driven by a ND555 with one 555PS DR into a 552 DR I am pretty sure.
And the source was a UnitiCore playing only CD rips.
Thats interesting…so the test was 552/500dr v Statement…wow that makes the 500dr even closer to Statement power amplifier. The S1 preamp is superior 552 … so we were probably hearing most of the effects of the preamp…
Your memory is better than mine David!
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I’ve only been there three times, so I have less to remember!
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Presumably you were comparing Statement pre/power to 552/500? If so you can’t blame the poor old 500 alone for making the sound worse.
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In answer to the original question, and title of the topic, me!
I am currently saving in the hope of buying my end game speakers, ATC SCM50As in the next couple of years
The 500DR with passives would have been out of reach but the 350s may prove to be a better bet in terms of future flexibility, I just need to figure how to organise an audition and then clarify the savings plan…
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I remember the first time I heard the Nap 500, it was maybe in 2004. The speakers were Apertura, costing around 4k.
It was a Naim week show at the dealer place.
We heard the same tracks from 112/150 to 282/250 to 252/300 to 252/500.
There was each time a clear difference. But from 252/300 to 252/500 on that same speakers, we all heard little difference.
I think it’s a bit the same here comparing Statement vs 500 dr. To really here the difference you need some very high end speakers, in the 40/50 k range. Not enough resolving speakers will not reveal the full potential of the Statement.
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Perhaps not the speakers in your case - a better comparison would have been 552/300 to 552/500 … maybe then you would have heard a difference. In other words, the 252 found it’s ideal spot at the 300 level. Also - I hope the source was ND555 (or Solstice)… otherwise all perceived progression up the range would be unpredictable at best.
FR – you don’t need top end speakers to hear the differences IMHO and ‘to my ears’. Statement’s natural partners are higher-end speakers but not essential, and certainly not for an S1-pre. The problem with many of the show & demo comparisons is that the kit isn’t warmed-up – and a 500 really needs a 552 in front of it. To my ears, there’s a material jump in tonal quality and detailing from a 300DR to 500DR.
Balanced system and a point i often mention.
Pointless having a statement system with sbl’s.
Your system is only as good as its weakest component.
But i totally agree with you
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Like many here I’m tempted in theory but unfortunately in reality could never afford a 350. I am hoping it tempts many to upgrade along with the rest of the 300 series. So that my own hoped for trade in classic combo falls out of the previously mentioned naim tree lol. I am pleased that naim keep moving forward and if the reports on the 200 series is any indication will hopefully make many people happy.
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Even with 2k bookshelves speakers?
Personally I would never imagine building a system with 10 k speakers and Statements, even just an S1. Not my philosophy and experience.
I agree, a better comparison would be 552/300 vs 552/300… however the 252 is already a very good pre. At that show the dealer received only the 252, the 552 was not available .
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Very agree with you. Most here haven’t experienced what a true high end speaker can do . But most also have not the space to accommodate big full range speakers in their home. I can’t imagine that 552/500 can be near the level of a full Statement trio in an appropriate space and system.
Very good, but perhaps not quite good enough once it got to the highest level - which is why even better preamps exist. In my view the dealer should have stopped the progression when his preamp reached its plateau.
So naim already had monoblocks (135…) and then they told us that the bridge design is better “one nap 500 passive is better than 6 pack of 135s active”, and now they have monoblocks again and in the next iteration it’s going to be bridge again? (box count, etc.)
What’s the point?
Didn’t Julian know monoblocks are a better design some 25 years ago when he launched the nap 500?
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I have experienced what a high end speaker can do. I have also experienced what a high end front end can do with cheaper speakers. I like both! I have also experienced what a high end speaker can do with a lesser front end … that ain’t so nice.
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