Ah bless you Dusty, don’t you worry I’ll keep nagging you 
Once out of this tiresome Covid malark, we’ll get you down, and we won’t be drinking shandy for sure 
Speak soon Peter
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Yes - that was about it for me too.
I hoped it would be an ‘upgrade’ in my home-demo - but also half-hoped it would just be a bit better than my 552, but it was so silly-better I was actually in shock for a while at both what it was allowing my system to do - and the looming realization that I may be getting one! 
It is a crazy-beast - allows the improbable to happen - and always amazes me at just how it handles everything in such a musical way with no sense of strain or limit.
The freedom and confidence it gives to the music to just breath and ‘happen’ with my system…it was enough!
If yours is new then it really explodes into life again after about 9 months just when you think you have it all.
…I’m sure you can make room for yours. 
DB.
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I might have to reNaim you…Devilbear 
Great to see you DB!
Hi DB, great of the old bear to come out of hibernation if briefly
I was trying to avoid your Statement ( no pun intended much) as even a quick body roll would not have saved me from being shot out of the sky over West Sussex!
But exactly what you also experienced was what I was hinting at, as I was sat there thinking: ‘ Nah, it can’t be that much better than the 552 surely’!
It’s a wonderful beast the S1 and clearly I’ve got more to come 
All the best Peter
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Bought the Statement unauditioned ??
I bought my preloved Titan T88s without an audition…but a full Statement?
Help me understand
David
See post 98.
I was referring to that post
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Personally if I had money I would buy the S1/500dr without listening to it. Joeling enjoyed a lot the 552/500, so he couldn’t gone wrong with the Statement, I feel.
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I’m actually using one of PeterR cherry Fraim levels that wasn’t required when his S1 arrived, thanks S1 
Those days Oil price was nearly USD100 per barrel. Would not b considering doing something like this this year.
Me too!
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Well good to hear, that my trusted Fraim has found happy new homes. ATB Peter
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I think the reality is that we probably all bought out S1’s more or less unauditioned.
Sure, we went to the Naim dealer and they played stuff though their system and we went wow and I even went to an open day, but then the S1 was connected to two monoblock S2’s ( not in my price range).
But the reality is these things are so darn heavy and massive that the only way you can audition them at home, is effectively to buy them. It took three guys and a lot of care to get the S1 in position. But, boy was it worth it.
I did persuade Alasdair to lend me their 808s (still a two-man installation job) to test against my existing 88s ( which I had auditioned at home before purchase - along with four other speakers -including Naim & Focal).
But, then after 30+ years of Naim ownership and upgrading, I never doubted their word when they said the Statement series represented a new standard in reproduction (& performance).
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I was awkward, in that I wanted an Audition first - and Signals arranged it - from when I initially asked if it were possible with them then being a ‘non-Statement Dealer’ to deciding to become one and getting both a shop ‘demo’ version and ‘new’ S1 Pre without me having decided it was going to be a purchase or not.
There were not many people at that time using Statement S1 Pre with Reference NAP500, so it was a genuine concern as to ‘was it worth all that money?’
So they acquired two new S1 Pre and loaned me one of these for a week - if I did not buy it then it would end-up as they ‘demo’ one and them also having a ‘spare’ new S1 Pre.
…fortunately for the Dealer it all went-down very well and my new S1 Pre became mine and never went back and the other became the shop demo amp.
But it was a very difficult home demo for them to arrange - they also did it when I home-demoed three NAP500 before buying an Active upgrade over my then three NAP300.
They took the risk and it all ended-up well for them - and me!
The S1 Pre is - with the big caveat that you can afford it - a very safe upgrade if you are presently sitting at the ‘552-500’ level.
For me it made my whole system ‘happy’ which I think was for a 3x500DR Active system was capable of doing a lot more than I had been getting.
I think the 552 is an excellent Pre and sits very well at 552-500 Passive or 552-3x300 Active system balance level. The S1 Pre made my Active system do far more than I ever expected possible - so I’m very pleased.
DB.
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Hi DB,
From what I’m hearing, you are absolutely right. Strangely it seems as if ‘ the amp’ overall has grown a lot bigger and not only the preamp. I suppose at 75 Kg the S1 is not exactly a lightweight 
ATB Peter
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please stop this discussion, immediately !!!
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But Ken, lets not overlook the benefit of also reducing box-count! 
Best Peter
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I suppose when one buys an S1, you can get away with a lot, but for clarity, his name is Alastair
.sjb
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Not sure what a woman will prefer: less boxes or less space 
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Crikey, quite a thread. Good to know that everything has settled in so well, Peter. Thanks SJB for the clarification on my name spelling. I’m so used to all the variances that I never bother to correct.
Lovely comments from Suffolk Punch, though. Looks like we might have slowed (but never stopped) the rate of purchase of Porsches 
You’re right about the need for a leap of faith. Even with a home demonstration, acclimatisation and settling in takes far longer than people realise.
Darke Bear was given perhaps the closest we can get to a home dem. I vividly recall, though, the sense of mild terror when our demo S1 arrived with a sibling. All was well in the end, of course. The S1 is a majestic thing, head and shoulders above the 552. As with many things that are really good, including cars, appreciation of this comes with time.
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