i just gave an approximate thickness…just wanted to all if the glass is just glass or reinforced, treated…? the same we can buy in a shop ?
I found a similar (looking) toughened and tinted piece of glass with smoothed edge etc was about £80 from my local glass merchant …But don’t know if spec was exactly the same …naim say theirs is all inspected and has to pass a “ring” test before it’s used …And some are rejected …hence higher prices …
1 Like
I tried a few different glass shelves and they all sound different and hard to beat the Naim optimized item.
I needed a shelf slightly but not too much heavier for the empty shelf under my ND555 (and previous to that CD555). I tried many and all were too bright or too dead until I happened upon one that did what I wanted.
My source stack of fraim is dedicated just to one box and is two medium levels with the base level and second level totally empty and the ND555 on top.
I tried lower a stack (one medium) to save some money but the result was poor and it was better with the two medium levels - but I always find that because the unloaded Naim glass shelves are identical resonances they ‘talk’ to each other on a Fraim stack when two are empty and I don’t like the ‘zing’ effect that loses a lot of musical info.
I tried loading the shelves but it never sounded as good and immediate as empty so I tried a larger glass shelf and - eventually - I got one that ‘worked’ and it has stayed and I’m happy with the result.
If you are having one shelf empty then the Naim glass works well and will save a lot of trial and give peace of mind. I previously ran my 552 Pre under the CD555 (as it was then) and that loaded the shelf and all was well - but then came the S1 Pre - then … and now where I have it at present.
In the context of my system it made sense - but in another context it probably does not.
DB.
1 Like
Well I am so impressed, and more importantly so is my wife, with the two spare shelves, without glass, I have on loan that I am just waiting for The Sound Org. to open tomorrow and I will try them with their glass shelves.
My wife has commented on an improved holographic 3D image with less zing on the highs, clear and really smooth vocals especially harmonies. She is always better at telling these things …So there you go…
Richard
P.s. if we buy then we may have to get used to the cosmetic downside which once again my wife surprised me when she said it’s the music that counts!
1 Like
you have the ideal wife FfF!
1 Like
It is 452 x 400 x 10 mm. Bevelled and ground edges. I paid about £60. I’m very happy with my glass on Naim cups and balls - it was a noticeable improvement. It would cost a lot to discover whether Fraim is worth the extra money. I bought longer legs to give the boxes more air and have a third rack for digital.
Phil
1 Like
Has anybody just tried some simple RF shielding between components?
Does this prevent the need to buy all this extra spacing?
what is RF shielding ? have you an example ?
Magnetism is only reduced by space or MuMetal if you want to go that far.
Electricity always comes with Magnetism and the former is more easy to screen than the latter.
The large toroidal transformers in the power supplies need space to reduce their effects - why Naim put them in separate boxes and provided the Burndy.
DB.
Hi frenchrooster,
From Wikipedia:
“Electromagnetic shielding that blocks radio frequency electromagnetic radiation is also known as RF shielding. The shielding can reduce the coupling of radio waves, electromagnetic fields and electrostatic fields.”
The Naim boxes are the screens - the fact space makes a difference shows why Naim separated the Transformers into boxes that could be put farther away.
For a lot more manufacturing costs then you can combine them into a very large box…
Or just buy the extra Fraim and like the results and ponder the reason as a cosmic mystery for others to fight about! 
DB.
2 Likes
faraday cage?
Doing a quick search, there is thin metal “cloth” you can buy for different types of shielding.
I don’t know enough yet, but seems like something you might be able to place underneath sensitive components.
Thoughts?
Oops, I made a mistake as the difference between a standard Fraim and a Fraim Lite is £200 and not £100:
Fraim standard shelf = £569
Fraim Lite standard shelf =£369
Richard
There is also netic and conetic metal shielding. Used to use in the design of military gyroscopes. Its works best in thin sheets, like .006 inch foil, and half a dozen layers, and continuous coverage. If you just put a piece on top of a piece of gear, it will just shield the center of the piece, but the edges will actually increase their leakage of the magnetic field. Very costly to do this.
Bailyhill
An interesting thread. I’m pondering equipment support options currently and I’m considering getting Fraim for the brain rack, but am thinking of keeping the power supply boxes on my Hutter rack on the assumption that the sensitive source and control components have the most to gain from Fraim support. I’d appreciate views on this premise. How important is it to have power supplies on Fraim?
i wonder if something like the critical mass rack can protect components from magnetic radiations
I find it makes a lot of difference and well worth doing. You are right that there is more benefit from doing the ‘brain’ stuff first then the ‘brawn’ stuff, but from my own experience it is about 3:2 ratio of importance and not insignificant at all.
The Power Amp seems particularly sensitive for some reason - perhaps because it does not have suspended sub-chassis and large power transistors that are mechanically more sensitive.
In any case I eventually found the system progressively benefited getting it all onto good well-designed shelves with plenty of space for the boxes not to be crammed-up too close together.
DB.
1 Like
Thanks for this DB. I hoped you wouldn’t say that…
One other variable I didn’t mention, but could perhaps be relevant. The brain stack/Fraim will be in the listening room ( I’m including the 500 main box in brain here) and the power supplies will be through a wall in a seperate room to isolate their buzzing. Sub-optimal for cable dressing I know, but the lesser evil IME.
Do we think the Fraim effect is still as important even if that Fraim is not being ‘exposed’ to the sound of music playback?
Kevin
Hi KJC,
If I could I would move all my kit, apart from the speakers of course, outside the listening room to virtually elimiate all vibration.
Of course I would still have to position it in an optimal fashion on my hi-if rack and all cables and inconnects careful dressed.
Richard
1 Like