Another Quick ‘Box order on rack’ Question

Hi-Fi Corner
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I have one rack (plus a wall shelf), with four 110cm wide granite shelves, solid oak legs and spikes (!). It weighs a lot more than me and is a great counter to a really bouncy floor.

A row of new & dedicated sockets will sit on the left - It’s being finished on Tuesday! While everything is unplugged…

The CDS2 is a top-loader, so needs to be on the top shelf. Aesthetically, I’d marginally prefer to keep olive kit and NDX2/XPS2 close, but it’s all quite marginal. Also, the top shelf has fractionally more space –no legs.

The Superline is pretty sensitive to position, but I am less sure about the rest.

I had: -
52 Superline CDS2
NDX2 XPS2
CD PS Lingo 4 Supercap
Tape Ethernet switch 250

I suspect that best will be: -
CDS2 Superline CD PS
52 Supercap
NDX2 Lingo 4 XPS2
Tape E-switch 250

If there is probably a much better order, could someone save me some time and let me know what it is?

2 Likes
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I would avoid having the CDS2 head unit right above the NAC52 - not good in my experience. To that end, the first stack option would be better. A big concern though is how the Superline will get on with the CDS2 head unit close by. The gain of the Superline is super-high and there’s no slugging internally so tends to be very sensitive to what’s around it and close to it. Unfortunately with such mix of kit and an unknown rack there will probably be a bit of experimentation in getting the best performance from all sources here.

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Thanks Richard,

I will be experimenting - just being lazy about where to start.

I have already found the Superline to be both super-good and super-sensitive to location. I had it to the left of the 52 for a while, but it sounded exactly the same in the middle and it made the LP12 cable stretch a bit easier. It certainly can’t go on a shelf with a PS - we tried.

Once the CDS2 finally dies, I’ll have an easier time, and perhaps room for a Core and perhaps even a second-hand 500 in place of my venerable 250, but I like the CD player too much to be hoping for that day.

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Yes, I would concur there.

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Have you considered a two tier wall shelf or another single tier next to the existing one for the Superline? Appreciate that might be a bit much but just a thought.

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Moving the existing one might be more than I can bring myself to do unless really needed, but I take the point.

Thanks

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Would the ideal arrangement be with one rack of fraim, to have the CDS second from top and then add a medium shelf with the Nac sitting on top?

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I think that that would mean not using the CD as it is top-opener, no?

Also, when I got the granite rack, it was a much more dramatic upgrade versus my old racks than the uplift from similar racks to Fraim for someone else with a very bouncy floor. That is hardly proof of anything, but is one of the reasons why I won’t be replacing it with a Fraim.

In addition, I’d need 2 Fraim racks unless I want some boxes head high, and that alcove isn’t quite wide enough for two (130cm) without staggering the legs a bit.

What support is best/ by how much seems to me to be much more room-dependent that some comments have suggested, though that does not mean Fraims don’t work well in most places of course.

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With a singe stack it gets a bit irksome having a CDS head unit anywhere but at the top. The distance provided by the intermediate level will be helpful though even with the CDS on top.

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Useful to know as I do have an intermediate shelf on the bottom. Thanks.

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Richard,
I have my CDX2 directly above my 82 - :roll_eyes:
So… should I aim to have a blank level between the 2 units, in the longer term…?
Or what can be put directly under a Naim CD, with least detriment…?

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Yes, definitely a bit of space or else put the 82 above the CDX2 if possible.

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