Next Upgrade? 135 to 500?

Hi-Fi Corner
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Hi
always on the move looking for the next step…

I have the opportunity to get a 2008 NAP500 (non DR) for a good price…
Now running 52/SC/135/SBL mk1
All recently serviced.

  • Will it be a big step up?
  • Will i loose my beloved olive sound?
  • Should I not got for an non DR Version
  • is recapping necessary (15 years is a bit…)

I am hesitating a bit, as I do not want to go “over the -personal taste- top!” as has happened with the superline before.

Any help is much appreciated!
Thanks a lot

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Given the cost, even at a good price, can you listen to it at home for a few days?

FWIW, I expected that 135s would be the ultimate partners for my 52/SC. It was suggested that I would probably like a serviced 300DR more, esp given my B&W 804 D3s. I listened, hoping to disagree so that I could ‘stay olive’, but they were right.

Whether it needs a service now will depend in part on how much it has been used. If it doesn’t need one now, it presumably will soon.

Others views, from those with older 500s will hopefully appear soon.

What was the problem with a Superline?

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Probably, yes…

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IMHO and based on some experience, you’re at a great place with serviced 52/135s & SBLs (SL2s in my case), meaning going to a 500 is likely to open the proverbial 552, new speakers can of worms. If that isnt an issue, fine go ahead although personally I’d do a 552 first.

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I know!
This is a door to a all new equipment… there is a newer 552 dr on offer too. Also for a good price.
And the 606 pair of kudos… would be a good match …

Testing will be not possible - private offer.

The superline (supercap) did not grow on me. I preferred the less detailed but more earthed and grooving sound of my prefix on supercap.

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Given the comment on Superline (and I write this as a fan of it, but one who takes your point), and the inability to hear first, and the service-soon aspect, I’d be a bit wary of assuming that this is the right move for you.

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Spoken from. the heart - THANKS :slight_smile:

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To me, that’s the crux. If no listening is possible, is it worth the risk…? Maybe point this out to the seller…?

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Thanks :pray: have already done.
Re-selling superline was bad, but ok. Reselling 552/500 is a different game
But on the other hand this might be less risk - who knows

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I have done a number of good upgrades, via a certain nr Leicester dealer. In all cases, the item was available to borrow, to try at home. Nothing has gone back… :expressionless:

The situation was different, buying from St Albans. But there was still a dem to confirm everything worked & was to my liking.

Blind purchases are reserved for relatively cheap(er) items, from eBay…!!!

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Why is no listening / demo possible? Is it a dealer or a private seller?

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Private seller.
Listening could be possible but at his home with different setup.
No home demo :o(

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May take some of your stuff to theirs…?

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That’s too much as it is a 2h ride and the speakers are one of the key aspects…
Taking my 52/135 would be a chance but that’s a lot of effort …

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So far… everything seems to say… ‘No’.

But… YMMV… :thinking:

(think how much easier and/or better a short term home loan of a NAP500 would be for you…)

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Go for it a passive Nap 500 is better than active with Nap 135’s , in my opinion.

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As others have mentioned the 15 year old 500 will need a service at an approx cost of £1800.

I recently traded a 300 none DR against a 500 none DR to pair with my existing 552DR. From the first second and stone cold the 500 is a major step above the 300 as you would expect, power, control, finesse, detail, sound stage…

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The thing is, as i see it, it’s all very well upgrading from 135s to 500 but this will change the ambiance from the classic olive plateau of pleasure into a continuum of itchy upgradious, the 500 will beg a service and DR’ing; then a 552, and then better cables, fraim if you don’t already have it, better front end(s), better speakers and so on…

It maybe more musically fulfilling to spend the money on better front-ends, perhaps consider a better pair of SBLs or SL2s, and live and love that proud olive amp character for the charm it will always hold.

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Thanks to all of you :heart_eyes:

It is a bit triggered because my psycho manners still struggle a bit with the black Burndy for 52.
Finally got a used one some time ago - very hard to get here…
Had to fix a slight bit on the strain relief. Had a thread here. It is installed - relaxed and without stress on the plugs.

Ever since there has been moments when I have some surreal doubts - is Burndy really OK.

I know!
If it is damaged, the sound will be gone or so much worse, that everybody will recognize.
But in my case in some situations there is a huge gap between knowing and behaving :slight_smile:

Thanks a lot for keeping me away from “buying a new car - when the ashtray is full” :slight_smile:

PS: nothing to do with 1sr of April

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I’ve gone from 135’s to a non-DR’d 500 with a 52/SC on DBL’s and thought it a very worthwhile improvement. I still have the 135’s as a back-up and used them when my 500 went for a service and DR’ing, so I have a good memory of the improvement. In fact, I still rate the 135’s to 500 as a bigger jump than 52 to 552.

It’s worth remembering that the 500 was around for a while before the 552 was fully developed, so in the early days Naim used the 52 to demonstrate the 500.

Sound wise I think the non DR’d 500 is closer to the 135’s than the DR’d version. The key difference, for me, is the control the 500 exerts on everything.

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