Funny thing is I used to suffer quite a lot with SQ variability when I had my Olive system. Once I got the key element right with 500 system it’s been remarkable stable. I can sometimes notice a slight drift during the day with mains quality but other than that it has sounded consistently stunning. Even power-downs don’t upset things too much. I’ve had friends round who own big Naim systems that rave about how good it always sounds.
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OMFG!! What just happened.
Ok this is a very strange amp. I’ve tweaked my many Naim systems over the last 7/8 years. I’ve noticed improvement after warm up so many times in hifi it’s not even worth a conversation. I completely understand the idiosyncrasies associated with our beloved Naim systems so I fully accept that….
But OMG this amp sets a new standard for quirkiness. Warning; the 500DR amp can sound flat un-engaging, bright and lacking in power when not warmed up and/or setup poorly. Everything you read about positioning on hifi rack, cable dressing, plug position and so on; Please please take note and keep trying until the sound snaps into place, because believe me you’ll notice it when it does🤯
I’ll concede now as I have nothing to lose😬, I wasn’t very happy after about two weeks with the amp. It didn’t seem to have the drive or power of the 135s let alone the warmth and midrange fun. I’m guessing the previous owner must’ve had it switched off for months.
Anyway I kept reading all the praise this amp gets and kept tinkering. It must’ve gone through about 5/6 power cycles in and out of my system with the 135s. Every time I plugged them in the 135s embraced me with their warm and exciting sound and I felt like a fool having spent all this money. Why did I even try to improve upon a sound that I already loved?!
And when all hope was lost, the 500 woke up from hibernation. I had already said to myself I’ll make a final attempt to setup the amp properly before I sell it. My mind was made up.
I just couldn’t believe how different the amp was from my expectation I guess I was determined. So now I took extra care making sure that there weren’t any cables making contact with one another. I sat there deciding upon plug order in the MusicWorks G3 and rearranged a few plugs. I had read from @NigelB that even the power amp sounded better from the G3 than directly into the wall socket so I thought F***k it why not?. Now, both Furutech DPS4.1 power cables are assigned to the pre and power amp. The g3 is managing all of the plugs. The second receptacle on the wall socket is sitting vacant. In terms of amplifier positioning, the amp is now sitting above the pre on my rack as this allows more space between the amplifiers. I’ve cleaned the contacts and plugged-unplugged every connector multiple times to clean the contacts within the sockets of connectors.
I will clearly state, I have absolutely no idea which one of the things I’ve done has brought about the focus and snap of the amp but boy am I happy man right now.
NOW there is POWER. Gobs of it. The sound is so much more alive than I’ve heard from any other amp or any system for that matter. The drums are tight and strike with vigour. The bass is big and sumptuous. The treble is sweet and extended. The speed. Omg the speed. Just wow. I can’t fault this amp at all and it’s not even warmed up. The 500DR now makes the 135s sound small, considerably less powerful and excessively warm. There is a rightness to the sound with the 500Dr. I’m so excited and so relieved. lol. The Legend is real guys.
I still expect things to improve over the coming weeks as is usually the case after tear down and also the Furutech cables have been re shaped which usually causes an unsettled sound for a few days.
Anyway feel free to ask any questions but WOW!! Coming from a guy who absolutely LOVED the engagement factor of the 52/135 system my advice is don’t listen to a properly setup 500 system unless you are in a position to buy it. Ignorance is bliss. Here is a photo I shared on the system pics for you guys to enjoy.
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Listen mate I think you’re thinking too much I too have got several bit’s running in at the moment.
Just play the music 
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I’m genuinely happy for you but you’ve certainly made up my mind never to go near a 500, I’d be in a home for the bewildered long before I would have tried all the things that you have to get it to sound satisfactory.
And I hate to rain on the parade but what’s to stop the magic disappearing tomorrow? How does your 500 know it’s now making you happy and it wont head off on another alteration in sound as part of burn-in? Why are you so confident the “more to come” will be positive?
The whole thread reminds me a bit of the great song from Eileen Rose “Long Shot Novena”.
.sjb
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i can’t explain. I don’t know what I did. Was it all just a long warm up from the amp? Did the power cycles eventually wear the caps in? who knows? One thing i will say is I’ve never been so happy with the sound of my system. The NAP500DR is an amazing music making machine. I for one will happily put the effort in if it rewards me like this.
To answer your other question, I’m confident of further improvements as its only been powered on for the fifth time for a few hours and I did another complete tear down of the system. This along with other forum members reporting improvement over a number of weeks. I have no doubt anymore. I fully believe that now.
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Amen Brother!
.sjb
Yah, another believer. There are so many variables, often I think, just get the basics right and enjoy it. But I’m not listening to a 500 DR in my system……
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Yep, I did warn you that it was very demanding of set-up! It would be very easy just to sling it in and think you were getting 100% of the available performance. The good thing is that when it’s on the mark you know it’s on the mark. The magic just starts to happen and you can’t help marvelling at how good recorded music can sound.
Believe it or not it seems to go through another little jump at around 6 months. Not sure what causes it but it does.
Enjoy!
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Connector oxidation maybe.
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I get that from the brand new things will take a little while to bed in, but why would it do that? There can’t be any reason at all, surely? As I say I’ve got several new bits bedding in at the moment and things are changing so I’m not in the warm up/burn in denial camp but equally I think we hear things differently for any number of reasons.
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After a recent tear down and rebuild of my system I experienced a similar leap in performance of my 52/135 based system. I think this will become an annual event for me. The key things seemed to be cleaning of all contacts, levelling and tightening of the racks and dressing of the cables. Oxidisation and vibration are the enemies. Glad to hear your system is now performing to expectations but having never heard a 500 I am quite happy to carry on in blissful ignorance with my 135s 
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My 500DR was new in January. I had to power it down for the first time for a smart meter installation in October. I went through the same epiphany as you on power up again. It was transformed. Enjoy the ride !
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52/135 as I have said many times on this forum is an amazing system. More importantly it’s such good value for money.
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All this if even true what’s happening, really would put me off.
A power amp is certainly the one item that will warm up the quickest as it draws the most power. I would say after about an hour of being on and used it’s about there.
Even all the cable stuff drives me mad, if they are really that bad throw them away as they are certainly not up to the job. Or even better just get the other half to move one and touch it against another cable whilst you are listening to music, i bet £1000 pounds you won’t hear a difference.
People get so hung up on all this stuff as it what you read all the time on hear, and really in my mind its all mostly rubbish, but believe what you like as they say.
I get that naims mains cables could cause a problem as they are just normal unshielded cable, but the other’s should be fine, especially when naim themselves run power through the same single cable etc.
I say just sit back an enjoy the music rather than sit there trying to pick holes in it all, as if you do that you are never really going to be happy with it all.
Again just my view on it all.
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I’m at a loss to explain it but it’s not just me. A couple of friends with big Naim systems have also noticed this six month thing. I might add that my experience was after a service and DR’ing on the amp, so may not happen with pre-loved stuff.
I’m of the opinion that the occasional power-down seem to be beneficial. This may be something to do with emptying and refreshing the caps? As previously mentioned my 500 system has been the most stable Naim system I’ve owned. My active system from years ago was a nightmare!
It was sounding pretty magical last night. The wife was away and I was up to 3am playing the ‘Forum Albums of the Year’ selections! Some great stuff!
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Quoting Julian Vereker. The father of 500.
“The NAP500 seems to be much more like a pre-amp, it takes ages to warm up - not at all like 250s or 135s.
julian”
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Fair enough @Dunc. I will say that I WAS trying to just enjoy the system but I wasn’t enjoying it. I began to think that I was uncomfortable with a new sound which is why I reverted to the 135s.
Also if anybody was sat beside me throughout the entire process with blind folds on, and still could not tell the difference, I would question their hearing. The sound uplift was not subtle. It was glaringly obvious.
Similarly I am not sure which one of those things has transformed your system. Nevertheless, in my experience the way the components are powered starting from the wall outlet to the power conditioner (if any), the quality of the power conditioner, quality of power cords and the matching of selected cords to components, all are crucial in producing the desired / best result.
I am glad that everything has finally worked out for you.
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Sorry Dunc, not my experience at all. I can tell when my SL interconnect is touching something. Move it away and instantly there’s a noticeable improvement in sweetness - like a level of hash has been removed. I also find that when the system is in the zone it’s like the air in the room becomes charged with the notes, much like live music. I’ve only ever heard this effect on a 500 system and my mates Statement system. On the Statement system it was even more noticeable as it seemed to echo the venue acoustics as well. It was uncanny how it could place you in amongst the musicians. Get something fundamentally wrong in the system and you seem to lose all this. That’s the key reason I pay so much attention to the set-up as that’s where the magic lives.
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The size off the heat sink in the middle and sticking out the back will obviously draw heat away, but the components inside are very much the same and will heat up very much the same once you pull power through them, unless the voltage is much less.