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Fraim time !!

L

linnaudio

glad my Naim isnt really Linn
Just ordered my Fraim today so should be here next week, Once again i never demo'd one so have no idea what to expect from it in terms of SQ but i know i like the looks of it. Anyone give me a heads up on what to expect in terms of an upgrade. An please only people who actually have Naim on a Fraim. am sure there is plenty of ikea fans who willl say its not worth the money
 
Am hoping i can hear the difference when it arrives. Everything is already on an Apolla Aria that i bought about 11 years back with my first Naim 5 series. Just hasnt got enough levels now and doesnt really match the hifi no more as the crackled black finish has changed on the hi end stuff
 
Its worth the money if YOU think it is, just like many other aspects of hifi.
I don't think its worth the money, but then I don't see how my wife's handbags cost so much either. I'm sure she's say the same about the "needle" for my turntable.
With a Naim system, I reckon the Fraim LOOKS gorgeous, it really complements the look & quality of a Naim system.
Never yet been convinced of the sonic upgrades, & yes I have compared the Fraim with other racks.
Good on you though, I'm sure you'll be happy with it. If I still had an all Naim system & a lottery win, I'd buy the Fraim on looks alone.
You'll find plenty of glowing reports of its sonic benefits on the Naim forum.
Enjoy.
Matt.
 
With my experience, the Fraim really brings a lot more clarity to the sound vs any other surface I've tried.

FWIW, you should download from the Naim forum Martin Payne's Fraim setup instructions emailed by a Naim employee. They're essential IMO for best performance.

If you have any problems locating them or questions about setup, feel free to PM me or post here at PFM or the Naim forum.

enjoy!

dave
 
manicatel said:
Its worth the money if YOU think it is, just like many other aspects of hifi.
I don't think its worth the money, but then I don't see how my wife's handbags cost so much either. I'm sure she's say the same about the "needle" for my turntable.
With a Naim system, I reckon the Fraim LOOKS gorgeous, it really complements the look & quality of a Naim system.
Never yet been convinced of the sonic upgrades, & yes I have compared the Fraim with other racks.
Good on you though, I'm sure you'll be happy with it. If I still had an all Naim system & a lottery win, I'd buy the Fraim on looks alone.
You'll find plenty of glowing reports of its sonic benefits on the Naim forum.
Enjoy.
Matt.
Click to expand...

Am not sold on the sonic benefits either to tell you the truth and i have bought it on looks alone though it would be nice to find some truth in the tale. I suppose only time will tell. If i had never got it it would of always been nagging me after the money ive spent on hi-lines/Power-lines etc. Seems silly to go into that much detail over microphonics with cables and not do the same for the units themselves
 
IME the Fraim (in its untouched guise) is the 'handbag' that stylistically contains ones valuables, without actually enhancing its contents. From a purely functional perspective, it is somewhat compromised by the use of glass for the shelves. I have tried two different shelf materials, Corian (which made the CDS3 head unit less grainy, more dynamic and reduced a tendency of some lower end bloat) and the Sonority (which had an positive effect several times the magnitude-and price- of the Corian). I could however see that a standard Fraim could offer a sonic upgrade over something very flimsy and vibration prone, especially with equipment having moving parts (CD/turntable)

So far I have tried the Sonority under both my CDS3 head and the NAT01 (yes, it works just as well here too). Tonight I will employ an extra shelf and see how well it works under the XPS2.
 
IMHO - makes a serious difference to Naim kit and in the context of the system I recall you having, would be a more than worthwhile upgrade and is also gorgeous to look at. It needs to be set up properly however. Absent this, it is still an improvement over just about anything else, but you are missing much of what might be achieved.

However, that's only my view - why did you buy it if you were not sure ? It is very pricey stuff. Why not try Isoblue/Hutter/Mana etc if you were/are looking for an aesthetic and sonic upgrade?
 
My jouney to Fraim was from another highly regarded rack, Hutter. I was not prepared for the improvement wrought. It brought a sense of ease and natural flow. Building correctly, as the guide suggested above, is important too.
 
Interzone said:
Does it have the same effect in non-naim systems?
Click to expand...

Interesting question isn't it?
My gear wouldn't fit in a Fraim now, so its a non-starter for me.
If every bit of kit [that fitted] benefitted from being Fraimed, that would indeed justify it to people other than non-Naim nuts.
If it doesn't, then that begs a question over whether the kit is
as revealing as Naim gear or
As fussy as Naim gear, possibly inferring a design weakness in Naims isolation provisions.
It could just be emperors new clothes, or maybe it's synergy?

I doubt many non-Naimers use the Fraim, just as not many Naim speakers end up in non-Naim systems, but
go on then,...........
Who's got a Fraim but no (or little) other Naim gear?
 
Interzone said:
Does it have the same effect in non-naim systems?
Click to expand...

You can probably be fairly sure that it hasn't been optimised for non-Naim systems. But it makes my Linn stuff look good.

I second the comments about Sonority replacements for the glass - worth doing IMHO for TT at least
 
manicatel said:
Who's got a Fraim but no (or little) other Naim gear?
Click to expand...

That I'd like to know. They look amazing but considering the price so they should! Naimees swear by them though so there has got to be something in it. Maybe I should switch back to naim to test it out (my current system would only take up one shelf so hardly seems worth it.....)
 
Manicatal -The differences with Naim gear on or off Fraim or any other surface isn't imaginary, rather a weakness in Naim's designs. However, the same exists with many other manufacturer's components to a greater or lesser extent.

Personally, I haven't tried non-Naim gear with the Fraim but others have in the Naim forum. There are a few there with the Fraim being the only Naim component owned.

regards,

dave

P.S. If Fraim didn't make the sound better I wouldn't have purchased it as I don't care for its looks...at all.
 
dave said:
?........, rather a weakness in Naim's designs.
Click to expand...

I've long suspected that some of these 'weaknesses' are introduced deliberately, so they then have to sort them out with overcomplicated fixes. It's part of their philosophy - no criticism implied - so if the Fraim improves other brands, it's probably more luck than judgement IMO
 
Sorry Nero but no conspiracy as the problem with microphonic Naim equipment existed since Day One (and a number of years before anyone including Naim dreamed-up or marketed specialist supports) Matter of fact, Naim was one of the last to cash in on the support thing even after ten years of Naim Forum members demanding them on a daily basis.
 
The problem also arises that if a Naim cable touches anything, that's the end of the system. All that Naim musicality is drained away by whatever it is that's touching the cable. This is true, by the way. Additionally, if there's any torque at all on the cables, this is very bad for the musicality. I know this will have you rolling your eyes, but it's a proven fact. And the system has to be properly burnt-in and warmed-up. Burning-in can be accelerated by leaving a CD on repeat while you are out, although some authorities insist that it's more certain to happen if there's someone in the room listening to the CD. At any rate, six months should be adequate. After switching off, warming-up again takes six weeks, minimum.

So, it's not just a case of plonking it all on Fraim and expecting to hear an improvement, oh no. If only life was that simple!
 
Indeed, the microphony problem was partially addressed may years BF (before Fraim) with the plastic slider bars jammed between the rear panel and the upper casing, as well as in the use of plug in (i.e. somewhat mechanically decoupled) daughter boards within their preamps. Not to mention unofficially sanctioned damping tools-jewel cases and rubber practice hockey pucks.

I once had my 52/Supercap and CDSPS placed in a RoomTunes Clamprack, where the equipment is literally squeezed between two very thick MDF boards with both downward and upward facing spikes/cones. In addition to almost eliminating all palpable sense of chassis vibration, it also drained a large part of the music. One certain CK tut-tutted when he saw this installation proclaiming it the 'jaws of death'. Upon their release, music was snatched out the those very jaws.

Yes, stands can make a difference. Many of them make the equipment sound *worse* than just plonking it on the floor.

dave said:
Sorry Nero but no conspiracy as the problem with microphonic Naim equipment existed since Day One (and a number of years before anyone including Naim dreamed-up or marketed specialist supports) Matter of fact, Naim was one of the last to cash in on the support thing even after ten years of Naim Forum members demanding them on a daily basis.
Click to expand...
 
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