Hi Phil, there was me asking Nigel for feedback when his returns from the DR upgrade. Mine bought preloved was serviced just over 5 years ago. It sounds so wonderful the plan is to wait at least another 5 years.
How long did you wait? I can understand PB feeling there was something missing. Did you feel that and how big an uplift has it been?
Many thanks
Phil
I reckon a trip every weekend to PB’s just listen to Jazz Record Requests on R3 is in order.
Hi Phil… it’s such a great name, I must say…! 
After a two decade hiatus from hi fi, memories from the full flight olive passive SBL system then have stood steadily against time and it is against that backdrop and limited experience that I share my feedback on Naim systems. The CDS2-52-135s were certainly no slouches, and suitably set-up with dedicated spurs, there was something organic about their sonics which just accorded me goosebumps from time to time on good recordings. It’s a sound that’s stuck to my ears for this long and will be till the day I die.
And now that I am just back, the clear intention was to head straight for the 500 series as a continuation of my journey. I can listen to anything less than the 500 series set-up, but my ears are indeed spoilt and pampered to no abandon - they are still sensitive to nuances right through the Naim rungs.
Then I heard the 52-500 [original non DR at that time ]- pairing on a pair of SBLs at a friend’s place … God help me.
The 552 came, and I read the reviews and swore I would hear them in the flesh but it never materialised till 20 years on. What I read about DR tech was nothing short of revelatory, and when I finally heard them, my ears were completely fresh to how Naim had “progressed” since that 52-500 audition - and while you’ll have to take what I share with pinches of salt, to my ears, the 552DR-500DR were an amazingly new reference - even in a less than ideal store set-up where it wasn’t even cable dressed - I was shaking my head in disbelief at just how far more the Naim sound had advanced with the 500 DR system fed by the ND555 with a single PS…
I loved my CDS2-52-135s dearly then… but every introduction to the Naim hierarchy over time has only solidified and cemented my allegiance to Naim from what my ears tell me. They make listening such an emotive experience. The emotion from a reference Naim set-up - sorry not with Focals for me - starting from the 500DR series - and now the Statement - is a very tangible sock in the jaw. It just compels and demands that I listen to more of my music, and foot-tap along for hours on end. Detail retrieval, finesse and a more open sound were added much more to the olive sound I loved… more of everything really - without any loss in propulsion. For me it was a very clear progression, albeit at a cost. Old news to most of us by now.
I’m sorry I can’t give you the uplift comparisons from the original 500 to the DR versions as I didn’t do the direct A-B comparisons in the same audition, but from what I did hear… the 500 series DR is already at the reference level for what it does in terms of the quintessential Naim sound most of us here so love.
Cheers
Phil P
Hi Phil,
You must remember that my 555 must be close on 15 years old. My 500 and 552 came a few years before that. A service is long overdue and I would imagine there is going to be a large increase in sound quality. That is before you take into consideration the DR upgrade.
I have deliberately avoided the DR threads on here and am not quite sure how much of an improvement to expect. Switching the system back on again in a few weeks is going to be very interesting,
Kind regards
PB
Hey, nice Star Trek reference … 
No, neither am I, thankfully. I just happen to remember the odd distinctive phrase from back then.
I think Dusty could do with one 
Yes, and great pic. Takes me back …
Indeed, anyway, back to the hi-if, what can I expect from the DR upgrade, just more of everything?
I shall wait for your reports with interest. The specs and blurb tells me that the DR reduces the noise level or the jitter on the output voltage lines. Noise is the enemy, which is why everything to do with power matters. How much the jitter is a function of the regulator rather than the incoming power, I do not know. If the latter then maybe if that is already optimised the uplift may be less, but the overdue service will make a big difference.
I think I only really experienced decent bass with the 552/500. It is just part of the sound instruments make. Without proper reproduction of the sounds, strange things happen. Unless one hears live music it’s hard to know what is not quite right.
Whilst my Sopra 2 may not be the strongest part of my system they don’t detract from what the rest can do. I’m very content.
My big concern is whether solar panels and Air Source Heat Pump I am contemplating will mess up music. The Tesla Power Wall has a gateway that may allow that side to be turned off so the boxes can run off the mains. I think I will start a separate thread at a later time.
Phil
Looks more like a Fabricant to me
I resemble that remark PB 
From what I’ve heard the Heat Pump will mess up your heating bill. Not sure how the Solar will help.
If you’re basically happy with the sound of your system and there are no obvious weaknesses you are trying to address then I would caution against rushing into making any major changes. In my experience this can sometimes result in unexpected things happening. For example what should be a straightforward black box upgrade of one kind or another can sometimes turn into something rather more complex and costly. The change may result in some improvements but at the same time highlight weaknesses elsewhere which then need addressing as well. Or the sound may be better in absolute terms but just not as much to your own personal liking. Proceed with extreme caution would be my advice. I would definitely look at optimising installation - how about cables, mains supply etc?
I have never noticed any effect from ours
Gas will rise to about 7.5p/kWh. Last September was only paying 2.5p/kWh. With a Coefficient of Performance of 3-4 I reckon it will not add to the cost even without something like Tesla Power Wall to store Solar. 5kW of solar generation in winter might be enough. 10-11 kWh to last from sunset to sunrise. Not sure yet what the spec needs to be yet alone the cost but probably the cost of a new 552/500DR!
Phil
I had my 300 serviced about a year before the DR upgrade was introduced. A demo against a new 300DR clearly and emphatically demonstrated how significant the DR upgrade was/is. Much as I would like to be able to say that the service was an equally edifying experience, it was not, good though it was.
But that was a 300. However, as I’ve posted before, when I compared my 300 to a 300DR, I also compared both to a 500 (non-DR) and I was happy to go with the DR upgrade as I didn’t feel the 500 was a major step up. It was only when I tried a 500DR - at home in my system - that I was blown away.
If you’re happy with your non-DR versions, I wouldn’t fret about it. But, I would have absolutely no concerns that by DR-ing them the balance would somehow be upset, they are simply significantly better as a result.
Somehow it looks less appealing than I remember.
Hi Phil, the solar has been fine for us.
However, air heat pumps are another story with major installation considerations beyond the heat pump itself.
The heat pump works best if the temp difference is small. If you retain water radiators at home, the new system will try to work with a water temp of about 50C instead of the 65-75C water temp that traditional gas or boiler systems use. This means that each radiator then only puts out 60-70% of the heat that it used to, so you may end up having to fit larger radiators in every room.
This may not apply to you but it is worth looking into before committing. Best regards, BF
