A headphone output in an integrated makes every sense to me, given that it is an all-in-one amplifier, and with accepted limitations compared to separate pre and power - but I’ve never understood adding a headphone output to a preamp: To me it would be far more logical to add a headphone output to a stereo power amp, whether a suitably attenuated link from the speaker output, or a link to the speaker output but with switchable gain, or a separate output stage of its own switched from the power amp’s driver stage, depending on the other design aspects of the power amp.
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The 552 is DR’d and then all parts replaced bring it up to 2020 spec, the modifications since launch will be applied at the service stage which is why I believe its mandatory to have a service as well now. All components are not changed though so sole parts will be aged but that could of cause be a benefit. Naim replace all worn/consumable parts as part of the fixed price service.
A secondhand 552 and full DR is a much cheaper way to the top of the classic tree than buying brand new.
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LOL.
This is where I turn back to wine tasting. A friend dropped of a bottle of Chateau Troplong Mondot a few months ago. A few weeks later I opened it with some other friends and recognised that it was SUPERB. Looking into it I found that it is rated as a 1st Premier Cru Classe in the 1955 St Emelion classification.
My recognition was based on my spending too much time and money on wine for over forty years (hic).
Similarly, in HiFi as a group of people we will recognise the objectively small differences wrought by an item in our HiFi chain, and to us these small objective differences will be large - to our trained ears.
I think that is why is so hard to avoid being hyberbolic in our prose.
M
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As always, owners of the 552 will say that the difference is not large vs S1, and owners of S1 will say you it’s big.
Like me, I prefer to read comments on people finding the Nd555 with minimal differences vs Nds.
Lol 
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Agree thats what I did … and have never regretted it … 20k+ is too much…it is an amazing preamp…
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Absolutely!
I did contact a friend to see if I could bring over the Allegri and compare it to his 552DR. His system is excellent and, understandably, he doesn’t want to disturb its tuned performance.
M
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No one said that 
There is, of course, a significant gap between the 552 and the S1.
The NAC S1 is extremely well built. Among many things, it excels with both the volume control and the connectivity designs (having multiple source doesn’t compromise performance).
As for value, which you seem to mention frequently, relation between price and performance is not a linear function (twice the price doesn’t mean twice the performance).
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It is very big, but system context matters. In my then system of 552DR Active into 3x500 - substitution a home-demo S1 Pre was so silly better I had mixed initial reactions:
1. I hoped it would be a small improvement and I could therefore not need to consider it and save cost.
2. Incredibly pleased it filled-in all my lingering ‘something not yet right’ feeling about my Active system up until that point.
To be clear - for me - the 552DR-Active 3x500 was a wonderful musical system, but the S1 Pre made it all settle and relax and open-out so much that the 552DR was clearly a weak-link in my system.
The 552-500 Passive it is not such a weak link and that system is very nicely balanced, but Active it was - and the DR upgrade to the 500 Amps, for me, did so much more than the DR for 552 that it moved the 500DR a lot further ahead in performance - so the S1Pre seemed to catch that up again.
Context matters, as the 552DR is clearly an excellent Pre of itself and in many systems around Reference level it performs brilliantly - I had expected to keep my 552 into my retirement now as my ‘final’ Pre and had not really wanted to hear that such a large improvement could be had as the S1 Pre gave in every musical aspect to me.
In the end I made my decision and have essentially been very happy with it for many years now - but it is very expensive and not for everyone. Finding reasons to say it was not that big a difference did not work for me.
A forum friend visited to hear the home demo between 552DR (which he had) and the S1Pre and after just a few minutes he insisted we remove the 552 and go back to enjoying the S1Pre as he was finding the difference rather upsetting to hear and wanted to forget it.
DB.
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Did I said that I expect twice the price to be twice the performance? No
You said there is a significant gap between both, DB finds it dramatic. But other say the 552 can’t be improved because it would be too close from the 552: I don’t believe in that.
Before I purchased my 552 I had a comparison between it and the 252 Pre at home.
In fact I was at that time the first customer that my Dealer would have sold a 552 and they got one in from Naim for the demo for me to try, but said to try the 252 first to get a baseline as the 552 war rather expensive…
…before that time I never thought I’d own a Pre of more than 252 level as it all seemed silly too expensive - but wanted to hear the 552.
In short the 552 obliterated (for me) the 252 as very competent as the latter was. It just had cleaner dynamics, better bass rendition, timing…the works! So I got mine.
Very happy for many years with it - got the DR upgrade which seemed worthwhile.
Then the S1 Pre to 552 comparison showed the gap was more between 552 and S1 Pre than 252 and 552, albeit into different areas of musical performance.
DB.
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Hi DB, not J.N incidentally?? 
Best Peter
This is very similar argument to the ND555 2 x psu compared to the single…everything is fine with single psu until you hear the 2nd installed… The 552 - S1 comparison does not surprise me … the cost is eye watering but in the context of a world class components maybe it is not…
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The recently for sale lightly used full Statement system at less than twice what a new 552 & 500 would cost was very compelling…
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Another thing I forgot to mention … when I went to Salisbury … Naim demonstrated the 552/500 against the S1/Statement monoblocks … what surprised me was just how good the 552/500 is. The Statement was definitely better more open more inner detail and slam… but the 552/500 is so self effacing I sat there thinking wow thats still really good…the comparisons were all passive… That said if my boat came in I would be placing the order straight away…if only…
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Wonder what the service cost would be?
I quite like my manky SN2…
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I recon 15k…(a guess) 
LOL. A mere bagatelle!
They are great amps, but a bit rich for my blood.
M
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Nothing manky about SN2 … when I had my 250 being serviced … I was lent a little Nait 5si I really enjoyed it … I am sure the SN2 is allot better than that…
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Wait for this when at the factory they had just completed an order from an American who ordered an S1 and 5 monoblocks for his AV setup!!! I am not sure how he wired that lot up…probably with miles of SL cable…