I must say that I also did an A/B comparison of the DSP5500 and the N802 and did not reach the same conclusion as Doug: I prefered the N802 (especially for mids and highs).

The 5500 indeed seemed a bit more punchy in the bass but as far as the N802 is concerned, you have to be very careful about the associated equipment, they require a LOT of power to give their full potential.

My listening test was done with the Cyrus aPA7 150W monobloc and this was definitely not enough (the choice of the Cyrus amp was based on the whish to reach the same price as the 5500). Note that in both case the source was the 508 CD.

I now own (for more than one year) the N805 and even at this level I can tell you that a good amp makes a huge difference (I recently upgraded to a Chord amp and the result is wonderful).

I think a good N802 setup will cost more than a pair of 5500.

Michel