It is surprising you will end up paying around 40% as there are handling fees especially on heavy items….and dispatch.
does anybody have experience comparing the P1 monoblocks passive to NAP 500DR active?
Heard them compared the once……nothing in it, just subjective preferences. Perhaps @Darkebear can add a comment as he is S1 and active 500, and has heard the comparison as well.
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I agree I thought the 500dr was pretty darn close to the Statement Power amps when I listened at Naim in Salisbury …. the preamp is a different matter… However, maybe the Statement amps with difficult loads and very low efficency speakers could be the way to go.
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I did compare Passive S1 Pre with their Monoblocks against the S1 Pre into 3x 500DR driven Active - as I made my eventual purchase of the S1 Pre to replace my then 552DR Pre.
The obvious significant upgrade was the S1 Pre that took my HiFi system into a different place musically. I realised that as good as the 552DR was with the 500DR Amp that the 500DR amp was the ‘stronger’ item. The original non-DR 552-500 pair passive were well-balanced and then adding the extra 500 Amps and Activating that system I then had streatched the perfomance envelope.
Then when I updated the items to DR the 552DR got a boost in timing and clarity, but the 500DR Amps were so transformed that I heard that DR upgrade for those as much greater.
So my system had become unbalenced, which was only made very clear when I put the S1 Pre into it and it was just so much happier in terms of stability, openness, deep rock-solid bass clarity and micro-detail and a fine-detailed extended high frequency performance that put the 552 to shame. But you have to consider the price difference and system context.
All the above to give my context for also consideing the alternative migrating from my Active system to Passive Statement with the Monoblocks.
I did audition that system at my Dealers - the passive Statement is a gorgeous thing to play music through. The S1 Monoblocks passive give extra scale and effortlessness over the 500DR used for demo comparison, so S1 Monoblocks are better, but the S1 Pre made the key difference.
Then comparing S1 Pre passive with its Monblocks against using S1 Pre into 500DR Active and it is two different versions of the music with differenet strengths. I preferred the Active version with the 500DR Amps in terms of speed and timing over the Passive version but the S1 Monoblocks had their own gravitas that drew you in and put you at ease.
I also did the money calulations in that it would cost me (at that time) some £20k more to convert from my Active system to the passive with Monoblocks and I would also lose something of performance I was used to with Active, to get an alternative portrayal, so I declared victory and decided to enjoy more and better of what I now had and recover my finances.
That is my own story on this.
Depending on where you begin and personal preference you may choose differently.
The Statement passive system looks neater domestically compared to my Active one though!
DB.
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Thank you. Great write up btw. It’s so helpful when somebody can describe the differences in a way the reader can get an idea of why to expect.
with regards to 552DR I agree that it can be bettered as I too preferred my tube pre over it after doing a head to head. Still a great preamp btw. In terms of timing I “think” the NAC 12 edges the 552DR - perhaps because it doesnt have the soundstage and bass slam of the 552DR I am noticing the timing more. 
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As it has been in the past also, active beats passive👍
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Great write up, could not have put it better👍
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Yes, the Naim Statement is, for me, nothing short of a work of art. It has a truly unique aesthetic: industrial, retro, and futuristic all at once. 
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A potentially large cost I don’t think anyone has mentioned is shipping insurance, which can be very costly when shipping valuable goods across the sea.
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Hope this is OK here 
A very relevant review just out.
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If you haven’t already read it, I’d suggest reading The AudioBeat review on (full) Statement, which can be accessed via the Chasing The Dragon website (you may have to play with the words in a search engine) . It’s quite a long read for a review.
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My take away from this thread is that the Statement amps are good for 15-20 before needing service correct ? Mine is 24/7 in an air conditioned room to keep humidity low and temperature stable. Bought the amps in 2015.
As mentioned earlier in the thread when we were at HQ with the forum, the original demo units at 15 years old were waiting to be serviced. In another thread Steve Sells hoped they would be 15 to 20 years, but they could not be sure. So they from time to time compared new units with the old units i mentioned to judge the service life. The demo units made it to 15 years?
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Signals did get back to me last week, but was unable to get any answers from Naim.
I would have been very disappointed with that, but I believe they are taken anyway so it doesn’t matter for me now.
I would imagine new builds are taking priority and the demo units are still sitting there waiting, so perhaps they do not actually know what would need replacing etc
Naim Statement listed on Audiogon for $70K. Dealer rates it 8 and ships from Singapore.
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Could well be the same amp’s i was looking at getting as i believe a dealer had them, but obviously I don’t know for sure. But seems likely as you don’t see loads for sale do you. But also a demo set for $150000 as well for sale on the same site.
I think it’s the same set offered to me 3rd quarter of last year. Located in Singapore.
The ones i was looking at were in the US, so probably not then.