Thomas - have you considered / heard CH Precision? Am curious…BR
Yes, I did consider CH Precision. But I very much prefered Soulution.
Soulution’s airiness, separation and three-dimensional stereo image are unparalleled. I like that a lot. CH Precision is very nice too, extremely detailed but hasn’t that airiness, which is pretty unique for a solid-state amp.
CH Precision has a similar approach to Naim’s : multiple boxes.
To only get close to the Soulution 760 DAC you need at least 3 CH Precision boxes.
I not only wanted to upgrade, I also wanted a smaller setup. I have now both.
I went from 7 boxes to 2.
Next step will be the speakers.
I do not own a Naim CD player, or any other. This Yamaha addition will allow me to play my old CDs, and new SACDs. The Yamaha has a 4 part PS system with fully isolated power supplies inside of it. When in pure direct mode, it powers everything off that is not needed when digital media is playing. The pure direct feature plays a role in the circuitry. It somehow goes to low power mode and actually increases the frequency response and drops the noise level. This isolation should bring good results. Hopefully I can hook it up soon!
Wow, that 2 box set scratches 110.000€
Considering I had just told him I was in the market for a streaming transport for my Luxman gear, this wasn’t very bright of him. Honest yes. But now he has to wait 6 months to get my money.
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Yes , but I think he will get a lot more money from you for a Luxman than a Teac …
(must admit some Teac products , look seriously good value for the money - and your TT looks an absolute bargain )
Very cool. I really look forward to to hearing how you get on with the new system Thomas. Please keep us updated.
Soulution are the only amps I’ve heard that compete with and very possibly beat the Naim 500 series. I’m sure you are going to love them.
Thanks, KJC. I’ll keep you posted, of course.
I’ll try to write something once I get the system installed and burnt in. I’ll be able to compare them side by side.
As for competing/beating the 500 DR series, no doubt about that. I’d say that the Soulution 7 series is more on the Naim Statement level.
I love the Soulution presentation and my Naim 500 DR system as well. I wish I could keep them both
Remains to be seen. The Luxman D-N150 DAC I have is only JPY 180,000. Even the entry level TEAC streamer (just to use as a transport) is JPY 230,000 which is overkill (but still cheaper than a Lumin U1 mini). I can’t imagine a Luxman streamer being less. And it needs to fit on my 40cm Quadraspire midi rack too and the suspect it will be full width when released.
The only thing that really sits nicely in the size and price bracket is a Chord 2-go+2-Yu. But it’s fugly and has no native app.
I think I will wait. See what the Luxman looks like and costs, then fall back to the still too expensive for my needs TEAC. Like the current Luxman gear, the TEACs are holding 100% of their retail value second hand or even higher due to supply shortages.
Have you thought about upgrade to statement ?
A little late for that don’t you think?
Yes, I thought about it once or twice.
It’s a lovely piece of design.
But in terms of box count reduction, it isn’t optimal.
I not only wanted to upgrade the amplification. I also wanted a better DAC.
There isn’t a lot of competition for the Soulution 760 DAC; it’s an impressive piece. One needs to listen to it; it’s hard to describe it with words.
Just like the ND555 with 2x555PS, it hits way above its price point.
While a tad lengthy, The Absolute Sound magazine has described it rather accurately. But again, that’s only words.
And to be clear, at the 500 DR series level and above, “better” is a very subjective thing; “Different” might be a more appropriate word.
Interesting - thanks.
Congrats!
I’ve listened to a few Soulution systems on Marten en Magico speakers. Hugely impressive.
Thank you for explanation!
I just learned
I purchased nd555. And I’m considering for getting 500 552 DR before price increased on dec. but i haven’t heard them yet. It’s big money to me.
Less boxes will make you feel more comfortable with eyes ? Or there’s other advantage ?
I saw many people care about box count on forum.
Yes, very much so. And having a LOT less cables is also a relief.
Well, it sounds great
If you have, and like, the ND555, you can’t go wrong with the NAC552DR.
You can consider it as an extension of the ND555, and so is the NAP500DR.
Together they form a coherent and marvellous audio system.
haha I laughed.
seems cables and boxes really make many people uncomfortable I guess.
You had a great rack tho, your room, system, rack , chair all looked like a nice clean set together.
I like the look.
Hope 500 552 are not old technology, and won’t be replace anytime soon…
As for me, I wouldn’t put it that way.
Tinkering the system, optimizing it, etc. could be nice. And I understand the pleasure it might bring. I simply don’t have time for that.
Having a more straightforward system is also a pleasure.
The only unpleasant thing about the Soulution 711 amplifier is its weight: 65Kg.
Placing the beast in the rack will be a challenge. I can lift a tad more, but won’t be able to carry the beast at arm’s length. I’ll have someone to help me.