Thanks for this, really helpful. I have made an offer of £3500 and they are putting it to the owner. I had an XPS DR for a while; but I was not that impressed with the improvement it made for the money and so I sold it on. I’m looking forward to hearing the difference with the 555PS
I would hold off and get a newer one in 500 finish.
I bought two recently. Both immaculate.
£4250 for 2021 500 finish.
£3950 for 2016 500 finish.
You get one hit with these things and you don’t want any marks at these prices.
I held out for all 500 finish as that was what I wanted.
The 500 finish is more expensive. On the rack you may not notice it. For me it was important though.
These things need a service every 12 to 15 years, so for me a 2016 unit does not need doing until 2028.
If you are not going for full 500 series the finish may be irrelevant.
My second was 4,5k GBP
Late 2021 - bought 2022.
500 finish. Used in dual supply setup before
They are also selling a 2022 500 series finish for £4795 from memory. Same owner as the 2021 model in classic series finish and who’s selling the ND555 they have. I would have to wait another month to be able to make an afford I can afford on the 2022 one if they still have it by then. I’ll give it some more thought. Thanks for sharing the prices you paid, very helpful.
Try to negotiate a better price. A 500 finish and if immaculate would be my choice. I knocked down my 2021 one by about £500. Was very pleased with price of £4250.
They hold their prices well. Get the best you can. Even if it’s older, if immaculate and 500 finish worth it.
If you end up with full 500 system you may regret getting one in classic finish. This is why I waited on 2nd one and was quite happy with 2016 unit.
Be picky. You don’t want scratches or nicks on the fascia. Will drive you mad!
If you get a real bargain as I did with 500DR I don’t mind the odd mark. I got mine for £6000. It’s immaculate apart from tiny nick on top of fascia. I am fine with that. If I paid £12k I wouldn’t be.
Thanks as always Dan, I am going to try an offer on the 2022 500 series finish model and see what happens. I am in no rush as I will be getting my 300DR on Saturday and I’ll be more than happy enjoying the uplift that brings for a while. I’ve upgraded multiple things at once in the past and so it will be good to experience each bit in isolation.
I look forward to hearing your opinion on the 300DR.
You will have a top notch system with 252, Supercap DR, 300DR and NDX2. The 555PSDR will make it all sing. Many would be more than happy with that lot!
Have you got a turntable?
Thanks Dan and I’ll be sure to share my thoughts. It’s my dad’s funeral on Friday so I’m going to pick the amp up on Saturday to cheer myself up
I just have a Rega P1 Plus at the moment as whilst I do have a lot of vinyl from when I was younger and had Technics decks to DJ with, I don’t listen to it as a source that often. Nowadays I mostly collect special edition box sets of my favourite albums or new box set releases from my favourite artists.
The best one I have is the Uber Deluxe Edition of Achtung Baby from the 20th anniversary. It even comes with a pair of the fly sunglasses and kindergarten baby, the album made up of early demos of the songs. That’s how it’s done!
I have noticed a few Rega RP8s going for a good price recently though… Not in the same league as the LP12 but still very good.
Did you get your 555ps from a guy who sold his complete system?
A RP3 might do the job for a while. Unless you are into it I suggest you don’t go down that rabbit hole.
I have LP12 full Klimax and around 400 albums on vinyl.
A record cleaning machine becomes a must!
Concentrate on what you have and get that set up right.
And then if you want a different record player then go down that route.
Rega Planas are great. Linn are marvellous too but ends up costing a fair bit in my view. I went the whole hog! Klimax level. But you need a good bank balance or lots of credit to achieve that !
Maybe, can’t remember tbh. I think he downgraded from what he had.
Thanks Dan, I’ll stick with my P1 Plus for now. Not only due to the limited amount of time I spend listening to vinyl; but also due to space and convenience. Whilst it will not sound anywhere in the same league as expensive turntables, having a built-in phono stage and power supply is ideal for me and my single stack Fraim.
I am definitely going to follow your advice re the 555PS DR and get a 500 series finish. It might mean waiting a little longer but I am in no rush and have the 300 DR to enjoy. I just managed to also pick up a Sarum T DIN cable to go between my 252 and NDX2 at a good price to match my speaker cables. I am REALLY looking forward to hearing what difference it makes and I will also report back on that. Think that is me done for a few months at least
So after a very sad day yesterday for my dad’s funeral, which went very well and with over 100 people showing up at the service it was truly very touching, today has been a lot happier going to pick up my 300 DR. Even better my Sarum T DIN arrived whilst I was out!
I’m going to set up the 300 without the new cable first to do a comparison to my old 250. I’ll report back if I’m allowed to set it up tonight After being out all day on a 6 hour round trip to pick the amp up I am not in the good books…
I also got asked the dreaded question - how much did that cost? Not a good sign… It’s a bit like one of your parents saying ‘I’m very disappointed with you…’
Sorry about your Dad, lost mine last year. Music helps
Sorry about your Dad.
Never discuss money spent on hifi with anyone outside the forum! It will not go well!
This is why I am divorced and have 5 ex girlfriends since then.
As soon as they ask about that time to say bye bye!
I think the expression is “mind your own business”
The crusades I have made for my system! Travelled up to Birmingham to pick up Sopra 2s. And had to break down my sofa to get system in. Sofa was ripped and sawn up to make way for 3 stacks of Fraim and speakers.
It’s your life! It’s easy for me to say all this. But I remember when I was married my ex wife persuaded me to sell all my hifi gear.
This is very tongue in cheek but I am offering support and some stories!
Just put the 500dr in my system and it trounced my 300dr. Got one with only 6 months use for under £9k. I feel a little heady about the money but the sound is incredible. Prices on second hand are really moving.