Thanks @Andyblain Do you still have a Naim system? Do you still use a Naim preamp?
No, all of my NAIM system went, Matt. System (which includes AV) is now:-
dCS Vivaldi Clock
dCS Rossini Apex DAC
Dan DāAgostino Progression Integrated
Kudos Titan 606
Anthem MRX 740 AV Receiver
Sony UDP1100
Miller & Kriesel surrounds
KEF R8 Atmos speakers
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Gregg how you getting on with the new amp you have on demo?
Plus just a reminder to any other naim pre amp/amp guyās, if you wish to try running direct, and need some rca to naim din cables to try it. I have some you can borrow for free.
Hi Dunc
Demo with the Rossini APEX direct into the 500DR is done and unfortunatelyā¦ā¦a demo DāAgostino amp should be here on Monday (if FedEx did not botch things up).
If the demo goes as I anticipateā¦ā¦I will most likely become an āexā Naim 552/500 owner.
Thanks for the loaner cables. I will post them back out this week.
Best
Gregg
You are not waiting and giving Naim NAP 350 monoblock a chance before committing?
No - I will be comparing the DāAgostino amp to my 500DR.
Running a 500 system for 20 years, and having owned many other Naim black boxes prior to that, I am confident Naim did not release the new 300 level amps to supplant the 500DR.
The 500 amp will remaini in the lineup for at least the next year or two until its replacement is released. It will continue to be considered (short of the Statement) Naimās best amplifier.
I see. I am only with Naim for less than 3 years so not familiar with the history. I am just worry these classic Naim are all discontinued and I bought mine all new at the wrong time 
Regardless I am still new and young so many options to explore out there.
Be very interested in your opinion of the DāAgostino.
I had planned another visit to Edinburgh for more demos but came down hard with Covid. Plan is now to wait for my new speakers to arrive and be installed/dialled in at home and then choose an amplifier to replace my Luxman.
I actually preferred the 300 to 500 which goes against the majority opinion but based on that Iām going to give the 350 monos a crack at things along with a couple of other makes and then get a home loan of the demo favourite.
Iām sticking with LPs but going down to 1 deck from 5, so need to use a Pre or an ADC after a phono stage to feed the Rossini. Digitising the record replay chain seems a bit sacrilegious but having used amps like Lyngdorf/TACT itās something Iām OK with.
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Enjoy what youāve got right now, if itās a new hobby part of the fun is hearing different systems and trying things out yourself, lots of ways to skin the home audio cat 
. Many people prefer the older Naim chrome bumper or olive amplifiers to the black classic, just because thereās now a new classic range coming out doesnāt make the old one sound bad.
Good thing about Naim is their longevity, even the oldest amps can be serviced plus their popularity makes it relatively easy to move them on via classified ads or trade in for a decent price.
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You are right. Take it slowly and simply enjoy the whole process. Every manufacturer do things differently, so we should enjoy their different flavour
Loads of great amp comboās to try, each offer something different.
But a true balanced amp done right must be the first thing you want to go with your dcs dac, so you can get the advantage off balanced completely throughout the system.
Then itās down to matching up with your speakers, room, and what you like the sound off best.
I found the class A ampās lovely, they certainly sound different to the SS ampās. They added that smooth, warm, lush sound, but without losing the dynamics or detail.
I also got a much bigger sound stage that wrapped itself around the room, much deeper and taller than i had with my 500dr, as that had a more just infront of the speakers sound. It also had a much better bass, as in speed, control and slightly more weight to it.
But in contrast i have heard Constellation ampās direct, and these had a cold sound, nice detail, etc. But i certainly didnāt take to it, and couldnāt imagine sitting down for hours infront of it.
So itās as normal, you just need to do the leg work. Go and listen to as many comboās as you can, get a feel for what each does, then arrange a home demo, and see how it goes, as we all like different things, and no one amp fix.
Just had the audionet Humboldt dropped off to see how it soundās against the vitus.
2 super integrated ampās in the house
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Crikey! That really is a behemoth!
It makes my Gryphon Essence amp look tiny by comparison! 
Await your listening impressionsā¦
To be fair thw picture makes it look bigger but it is taller than the vitus by about 70mm i think, the width and depth about the same
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Nice amps, both are on my radar in the future, pity the Vitus had a price hike recently. Interested to hear what the differences are between these amps in your system 
I will let you know soon
My first feelings on the humbolt, this is only really after a few hours yesterday, and a few this morning so far.
It has an extremely clean, detailed, dynamic sound.
It i feel has slightly more top end brightness over the vitus, this certainly highlights every bit off detail come through.
I also feel the sound stage is quite different, itās wider than the vitus, but itās not as tall or deep.
Itās more like naim in a way, as it sounds slightly in front off the speakers, but its much wider.
The midrange, and bass i would say so far that thereās nothing in it.
But on first listening it certainly comes over as a very exciting, fast sound, but i did find it a bit trying compared to the vitus after a few hours.
The vitus is certainly a different sound, its not as clinical as the humbolt, but itās more musical especially over a longer listening session.
I have said before the vitus has a slight lush sound to it, itās more like a naim amp but on steroids.
I feel the humbolt might be a touch too much with the dCS kit for me, but i could see it being a more perfect match for a source thatās not as detailed maybe.
I also have it on the rcaās now, as this means i donāt have to mess with cables, plus itās ment to be the better input on the humbolt.
Donāt get me wrong here, the humbolt and vitus are both extremely very good Ampās, i am trying to pick out differences, and being very critical.
I am sure anyone would be more than happy with either one.
But itās still very early dayās, and i am trying lotās off different music today to see how it copes.
Cheers dunc
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Swapped back over to the vitus about an hour ago.
It sounded a bit flat in comparison. Certainly, the top end is much softer than the humbolt.
But it soon sounded once again very nice, the top end sounding more natural, less forced at you.
So, I decided to play a few tracks that are a bit topie. B52 album is a prime example. Now, on the vitus, it sounds ok, but on the humbolt, the extra top end starts to take it into the realms of being a bit harsh. I can easily listen to the complete album on the vitus, but even by track 3, i was already hovering over the remote, ready to hit stop.
If i could, i would be turning the treble down 3 or 4 points, and maybe turning up the vitus 2 points ?
The sound stage is certainly different, as i said above.
The humbolt certainly has a more forward presence to it, with the extra top ending feeding it. It sounds very alive, on its toes, and very fast.
The bass control i canāt really say is any different.
Itās all about the top end, and the difference soundstage, is what i can gather from this so far.
So itās all about what you like, and how it fits in with the rest off your system, as normal.
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I think at this level if itās not an obvious YES! then itās a no.
Iād keep looking, Dunc ā I was grinning ear to ear when I found my dCS boxes and the darTZeel amplification. Other things were good, but for this sort of purchase it has to be without the qualifiers. (For me.)
Edited to add: ā¦and I tried more expensive examples of both. dCS and darTZeel is where I landed.