Nap500

Hi-Fi Corner
20

The same kit as me and it sounds awesome. You’ll love the 500 I’m sure as its the perfect partner to the 552.

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21

I think 2017 I paid £6k for an early, bright logo 500, unserviced but working, from a non Naim dealer (Emporium). I didn’t run it long before sending it to be DRed and didn’t get the set up right until after it came back so can’t compare the sound. It did come back with a logo that matched the other boxes. All told it cost me £11kish. With no DR currently available a you have the choice to service in non DR form or wait and see if normality, or something like it, is resumed in the future.

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23

Yes Darran has said it will have to go to Salisbury

24

DR ain’t happening even if available. It would cost me more than the unit + service.

I don’t think a non DR 500 will be all that shabby tho…

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25

Got mine as a 2001 unserviced…it still sounded amazing! I bit the bullet and did the dr upgrade and servce…

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26

If it happens it will be with a service so that’s when the decision has to be made.

When mine went off for DRing and service I put the 250-2 where the head unit had been, previously it had been at the bottom of the brawn stack where I put the 500 power supply initially. I couldn’t be bothered to rearrange the speaker cables while the service happened. I actually found I preferred the 250, something I put down the the 500 needing a service but when it came back I still preferred the 250. My first thought was to get the Burndys off the floor so I moved the 500ps to the top place among the 4 power supplies but this was only a minor improvement. My CDX2, powered from a 555ps was above my 552DR during all this, next move was to swap it with the 552 so that the 552’s base was roughly level with the top of the 500ps rather than the 555ps with the 500ps a shelf higher. This did the trick and the 500 started showing its worth. It wasn’t CDX2 higher than 552 because that was fine when using the 250 but I suspect the two big ps overlapping the 552 was the problem. It might have been some detail of Burndy set up instead but I’ve had a faulty 500 Burndy where the sleeve had escaped the strain relief clamp and that wasn’t causing the lack of life.

I then had the idea of reversing the ps order to that of the head units but found the superlines supercap was better on the bottom shelf than the 552ps but the superline didn’t react so badly to the 500ps looming over it from the adjacent stack. The Burndys mostly hang at different distances so crossing them was no problem once I’d worked out which went in front of which.

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27

Thanks Yeti this is something I’ll certainly pay attention too.

Would anyone be so kind as to confirm if the height of the 500 is 160mm as shown on the website? It may be an optical illusion but it looks taller that this compared to the standard height units in the pics.

28

Yes, that’s exactly it: 160 mm

I asked the same question some time ago.

Then bought the NAP500DR :laughing:

→ NAP500 size and weight?

29

Thanks it looks more than twice the height in pics!

30

Stu

When I changed from a 300 to 500 (both non DR at the time) the 500 added a very considerable amount of power and control over my then nbl speakers. The 500 is a heavy brute and, provided your back can take it and you have sufficient headroom I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend one to you - provided it has decent provenance/ you have a chance to hear it perform. Servicing times at naim have been a bit extended of late so ideally I’d prefer to get the amp and enjoy it for 6 months or a year until the supply of components frees up (hopefully!). Good luck with your search.

Peter

1 Like
31

[quote=“Stu299, post:29, topic:24522, full:true”]
Thanks it looks more than twice the height in pics!
[/quote]0.

I have mine on a double height fraim shelf and I think you can get away with the middle height legs. (And a back support when lifting)!

Peter

Peter

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32

Thank you Peter that’s much appreciated.

33

For the question above

The 500 height is bang on 160mm and the PS 85
Just measured one of them to be absolutely sure

Lyndon

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34

My hi-fi amp history started with a QUAD 22, then 33, then Naim 250, pair of 135s and Naim 500. This was the dealers ex-demo unit. Perfect. The 500 cost way under 10K. The march of time!
I was sold on the 500 when at a Naim factory open day a guy with active DBLs driven by a 6 pack of 135s changed to passive driven by a pre DR 500. He didn’t go back.
When I had the 500 DRd I borrowed the dealers 300DR. Initially impressed but missing the amp at Salisbury.
Return of the 500DR including a service. About 50% of the cost of the initial 500!
Could go on. suffice to say: less hi-fi: more music.
If you have the funds then worth serious consideration.

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35

I have an early 500 which was serviced November 2016. The work is described as “Service. Changed tants, updated the protection caps and fitted lifted resistors.”

I always wondered why the logo lights are much brighter. Shame they weren’t changed and they are bright.

The similar vintage 552 was serviced at the same time and had the logo changed! The logo was previously described as purple tinted.

Phil

36

OK, so I’ve been wrestling with the 500 v 300 DR for the last 24 hours. I’ve thought about little else!

Here are the respective attractions of each as I see it;

500

  • It should sound better, a lot better. It’s a 500 after all, non-DR or otherwise.
  • It’s a magnificent looking beast of an amp. Iconic.
  • It should get the very best out of my NDS and 552.
  • A service will bring it back to its very best. Is there a better value power amp at the price?
  • It’s a 500 :grin:

300DR

  • I love the look of my Hi-Fi, and it sits between my speakers so I spend a lot of time looking at it! The symmetry really makes it imo. I keep trying to visualise how a 500 will look in the system and I’m struggling to feel comfortable with the thought, beautiful as a 500 is in its own right. I had the foresight (rare for me) to order risers for the rack to increase shelf height for a 500. Rack pic below.
  • My Kudos speakers were designed and developed being fed by a 300DR, as I understand it. That, combined with the Kudos KS-1 speaker cable, is a rare and special synergy that feels good. I can’t explain why.
  • Likewise the combination of a DR source, pre and power. It just feels like completing a circle.
  • The 300DR is a magnificent amp in its own right and it’s something anyone should feel incredibly privileged to own.

Crikey this isn’t easy :grimacing:

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11 Likes
37

I always remember listening to active kudos 707’s with a few nap300dr they sounded really lovely, but a bit energetic and trying a bit too hard for my liking. Then they put the 707’s over to passive with a single 500 dr, to me it had more control, gave a more enjoyeable performance. As you say tough choice……i would take the 500.

3 Likes
38

Yeah in my heart I know the 500 will trounce the 300DR sound-wise.

39

How can one listen with active speakers fed by a 300DR? :man_shrugging:

40

I suspect ‘a few’ may have remedied Gazza’a statement.

Peter

1 Like