Phil, what I mean by ‘visceral’ has possibly been better described by Simon as ‘…faster and sharper…’ or Mike’s (MDS) description of ‘…added boogie and exuberance…’. I think we are all describing the same traits but in our own language.
The best quality of the 552 though is that its SQ requires no dissection or analysis by the listener, just enjoyment of great musical performances.
We do however need to try and describe what the 552 does to those that are interested.
Thanks Phil.
When Naim were doing roadshows with the pre production HDX, we were on CDX2/XPS2 and planning on going to CDS3. Having auditioned the pre/power combos up to 282/250.2, we had decided to not go with Naim amps. About six months before we heard the prototype HDX, we had changed speakers.
As a part of the long, careful and time consuming speaker audition process, we listened to a prospective candidate at the dealer, fronted by a CDS3/XPS2/252/SC/300. This wonderful system left me moved by the music in a way I had never experienced. There were tears. We couldn’t believe how good it sounded. It became the aspirational goal that we would buy if we won the lottery. If we ever started playing the lottery!
Fast forward to the pre production HDX demonstration. HDX/XPS2/552/500/SL2/nSub in the same room we heard the 252/300 before. Musical memory is unreliable. Nevertheless, it is easy to remember how a system made you feel and react, even if you cannot reliably remember exactly what it sounded like. I spent the next two hours wide eyed with my mouth open most of the time. I heard music portrayed that you could stand up, walk into and practically touch the performers and instruments. Timbres, textures, real live vibrations and voices.
So the plan became modified. If we ever earned more money than sense we would get the 252/300 because, to our ears, HiFi didn’t get any better. But if we ever wanted a reminder of what properly reproduced recorder music sounded like, we could always pop into the dealer and listen to a 552/500. There wasn’t any danger of buying them. We couldn’t possibly justify that sum of money on something so frivolous…
We are lucky and we know it.
Hi Harry, thank you for sharing your experiences also, and everyone else.
I have this feeling that when I was younger my more modest systems allowed me to connect with the music, but now it takes silly money. It’s been like that since the CD arrived. Maybe memory is not reliable.
Must dash the sour dough needs mixing for the loaves. 40 mins late!
Phil
This morning I put the Powerline that came with the 552 on the 300 (previously PL Lite). The 552 used the Powerline I had for the 252 SuperCap DR.
I have the distinct impression there has been quite an improvement in the course of playing Goldfrapp Felt Mountain. Maybe this would have been a good step for my 252/300 setup.
What are people’s thoughts?
Phil
Speaker Positioning Method
I am listening to Jennifer Warnes ‘Ballad of the Galloping Horse’ track recommended by this Speaker Positioning video. I must say it sounds as though she is near the centre perhaps a little left. She is sounding very sweet.
This video with a bit of practice seems as good a guide as I have ever had. Thank you @Paul_C.
@Simon-in-Suffolk do you think the 552 makes it easier to setup speakers. If you went back to a 252 wouldyou change the the speaker setup? Is there a logical explanation? Thanks.
Phil
I am not sure the 552 makes it easier to setup speakers - I don’t think they are related in that way… other than because of the frequency extremes of the 552 it could make speaker setup slightly more challenging in terms of room interaction. If I went back to a 252 would I change my speaker setup? I don’t know - probably unlikely - but I can’t really see my self giving up my 552
Phil, I believe you’ve only had the NAC552 for a few days, but I find with mine that if I turn it off for a period, such as when I go on holiday, it then takes eight days to come back on song. It seems quite repeatable too, eight days every time. So I expect yours will still be getting better for a while yet.
Simon’s observation rings true with me - a 552 reveals lots of detail in music when permitted by the quality of the recording. My slight concern, if that’s the appropriate term, that you can become over selective in the albums played - the temptation always being close to hand to avoid the albums with sub-optimal production. But maybe that’s always a temptation wherever you are in the naim product range.
Peter
Filipe - Glad you found it useful, I thought it was a revelation. The “Ballad…” is meant to be centre so maybe you need to tweak your placement a little more. Remember to forget symmetry as the objective is to adjust the sound taking account of room characteristics. When you have got it “right” it is then useful to listen to a varied selection of your music catalogue and maybe make some adjustments if necessary at a later date. I will post a list of additional setup tracks that I have used - I have a “speaker setup playlist” that I use which includes some excerpts from live concerts.
Peter, why do you say that - I find albums of all production qualities can have merit and be enjoyable - the 552 simply gets you to the master as it was finalised - and that can be truly rewarding… I enjoy listening to production techniques - and that goes from fine production, to lo-fi bedroom mastering - each has a place and the 552 simply gets you closer to how it was originally heard and experienced.
If you find yourself avoiding certain albums because of how they were produced, mastered or compressed - that might suggest something is not quite right in your setup - such as room/speaker interaction which might be highlighting something it shouldn’t perhaps.
I was listening to Roy Harper’s Sophisticate Beggar last night (big ben pressing) a mono recording “enhanced” for stereo replay and completely forgot about the recording deficiencies I was enjoying the music so much. This is what the 552 does at its best, it’s possible to set up a system so it highlights recording faults but it doesn’t have to be like that.
This is the Sumiko Masterset setup method. I’ve used it a couple of times to set up Thiels and later allaes, not so useful for NBLs for distance from the back wall but the lateral positions I ended up with for the Thiels did transfer with similarly wide sweet “spot” (which is at least as wide as the speakers are apart).
Sorry chaps, whilst I kind of get where you are coming from, I do not agree with your comments.
I recently upgraded my record player during which I listened to variations of cartridges. The one I ended up with undoubtedly helped extract much more detail of music from the record and that is commendable however, what a contrast when the next album played benefited from a fab production. To these cloth ears, the gap and potential for enjoyment was massive. That was in a well known dealer’s audition room and I find the same at home.
I guess I just find rubbish production quality very disappointing and it impacts on my ability to enjoy the music on good quality systems. Listening to medium wave radio is a bit of a leveler! Not the 552’s fault, I hasten to add.
Peter
My room arrangement is such that we maintain passages in from hall, to dining room and patio on the left. The seating is on the right. The left hand speaker is 2.4m from ‘wall’ to give access to the patio. The right hand speaker is 1.6 from the wall. There is about 2.1m between the speakers. The sound centre is on the tv which is left of centre between speakers but actually close to room centre. I guess symmetry is not essential.
The width is 4.1m to fireplace and 4.8m full. I sit left. It sort of works, and it seems the sound centres to the room rather than between the speakers. We can add a chair next to the tv when we have more guests.
Phil
Recordings that I have historically categorised as challenging and may have tended to play less, tend to do better with the 552, because, as has been said, musical communication takes pole position and the HiFi baggage counts for less. But everybody draws the line somewhere.
For me, it is mostly brick walled stuff with low dynamic range. There’s no point. As well as sounding awful, you can hear exactly how it sounds awful. Happily, our MuSos and a couple of decent (for a car) car audio systems can make a decent fist of banging them out convincingly. A 552 won’t polish a turd. It’s good, but it’s not capable of bending the laws of physics.
All this discussion of the 552 makes me think about putting it on my upgrade list. Right now I am taking the advice from several members who suggest to not audition until ready to buy–I know this rule very well as I have the same rule about driving cars. I never test drive anything I am not ready to buy.
After the ND555/PSU555, the Townshend DC47 autopreamp, the rebuild of my Krell, addition of Unity Core in 2018, I am pretty much depleted in the hi fi funds.
It will probably come down to a 552 or a Tesla/X3i/xc40e/X3e etc.
Bailyhill
Thanks for all your feedback.
One of the big differences for me has been that along with all the benefits of a faster preamp (excitement (sharpness), more timbre and appreciation of the musicianship, …) the soundstage is so much better defined. Of course my hearing may not be all it was but the uplift is quite substantial.
So I would be interested to know whether I could have got more from the 252 by working harder on speaker placement. I haven’t touched them. Simon says he probably wouldn’t change his. I’m not sure I feel good enough at it to fiddle. My room is not straightforward as I tried to explain in my last post, but we have to live in it…
I experience a brilliant soundstage the last day I had a Rega Aura phonostage In November. So it is something to do with source as well as preamp. The attraction of the 552 is that it works for all sources.
I will also try a Powerline on the 300DR (Lite with the 252 before demo) when I return the 552 as even with 552 I noticed a difference. It takes the shrill off Adele 19.
Phil
I recently acquire a 552. Had never heard a comparison of one with a 252 (or anything else for that matter) so didn’t have many expectations either way. Very quickly, though, it was revealed (compared to my 52) to be a very major uplift indeed. You can if you wish hear individual instruments, but the overall music is at the same time more cohesive. There’s more bass extension, better overall scale and it’s just more realistic / natural. Saxophone became more melliflous, double bass more in the room. I couldn’t let it leave the house
I refuse to listen to a 552 for this very reason and just slum it with my 252/300…
Nice description Harry.
Stu
Thanks Stu.
Tell you what, that is a “slum” that I was very happy to inhabit and would still be, if I had not been so fortunate.