My system has been virtually untouched for over a year. It was turned off for over a week while we had work done in the dining room and despite sealing the doors it ended up covered in a layer or fine plaster dust - I’m sure you know what it’s like. Since turning back on, after a good dusting, about a week ago, it’s been sounding a tad dull.
So, prompted by the fact that there were still dusty bits, I stripped it right down earlier today. I damp dusted everything, tightened the Fraim, polished the glass and stainless steel balls, cleaned all the plugs with a few insertions, and set it all up again, taking extra special care with cable dressing. After the initial expected couple of hours with no bass, it’s now sounding wonderful. Brighter and more dynamic, more detailed and much more involving. Just great. I always forget how much of a difference a jolly good clean can make. Crumbs! It’s like how the windows gradually get fogged up and it’s only when you clean them that you realise how bad they’d got and how bright the colours outside really are.
People post similar things to this every so often and it’s nothing new, but I thought it worth reiterating they point that a full strip down once a year is a great idea. With Christmas just around the corner, and more time to listen to music for many, it’s worth getting the system singing as it can. It’s totally free, and the two hours were rather enjoyable in a funny sort of way.
Must be a year or so since my current set up was settled. Loathe to touch it at the moment as it’s currently working some magic. I bet there’s some serious dust bunnies round the back though. Might give it a go next weekend.
I really need to get motivated to do this. I set up the 552 just about 2 months ago, and was too lazy to take the Fraim all the way down to where I could re-level its feet. One stack is slightly higher off the floor than the other, sadly. I’m a bit OCD about it, but not so much that I fix it. Instead, I just don’t look.
I do have some new ac power distro ‘stuff’ coming; maybe I’ll be motivated then.
Rick, note that with their DIN and 4mm plugs and sockets, Naim expressly advise against using contact cleaners like Kontak. Better here to just rely on the self cleaning of repeatedly breaking and remaking connections now and then to clean the contacts.
Nigel, a timely post; I’ve been putting off breaking down the system, Fraim and SL2s to do a rebuild. It’s all sounding great still, but I realise it has been more than a year since I last did this. I had better bite the bullet…
My SL2s have been untouched for four years! It’s time to give them a tweak I think. I bought Adam’s old torque driver from him. It has magical powers. I’ve only got one stack of Fraim and even that completely covered the floor and I had a brief ‘why on Earth did I do this?’ feeling. But the results more than justify the effort - the system has been transformed.
Just wondering what your thinking behind underlay vs carpet is? Suspended so wires touch nothing other than air I understand (albeit with a little dose of scepticism). Simply adding more underlay on top of the carpet seems unlikely, to me, to achieve much.
Nigel - my SL2s have not been touched since Jason set them up for me in April 2017.
I guess the bolts may need checking for torque.
When you do yours if you could share what you did and how that would be very helpful to others with SL2s thinking of doing it!
I’ll need to acquire a correct torque wrench.
Cheers
David
My SuperLumina cables live happily on the carpet. In fact one goes through a plastic conduit underneath the fireplace. No room for cable lifters there.
Can I suggest if you’ve various burndies and the usual basket of snaking interconnects, that c. 2 weeks after a rebuild you check these again for separation etc,. I know with mine some of those pesky burndies ‘relax’ and make a B-line for other cabling.
Sturtevant Richmont Adjustable Torque Screwdriver - Cal 36/4 Series.
"Sturtevant Richmont’s Adjustable Torque Screwdriver - Cal 36/4 Series is equipped with components that ensure tightening to a specified torque.
Adjustable torque screwdrivers are used in mechanical production,.manufacturing and maintenance.
The Cal 36/4 Series Adjustable Torque Screwdrivers,.are ideal for any application where high repeatability for Low Torque is needed,and durability and versatility are required."
This model use different dealers within Naim and Linn all over the world.
So it is tested for low Nm-values.
It is very good,.it is also recommended by Fredrik Lejonklou,and several retailers at Lejonklou’s forum.
Me too. We will put up a real tree, which inevitably sheds some needles. And the tree sits next to the Fraim. When the tree is gone, I’ll set aside a cold Sunday afternoon and take it all apart . . . and see if I can get it back together correctly
This model use different dealers within Naim and Linn all over the world.