Does fraim really make a difference

I currently have
Napsc cdx2 hicapdr 250dr 282 neat sx3i speakers custom design stands
Will fraim make a huge difference or better going with a s/c dr in place of hicapdr. What is the better move?

Guess it depends on what it’s all sitting on now. If you have something half decent, I’d go with with s/c dr. Maybe go a step further for similar money and get a standard s/c and also a xps2 for the CDX2 with a half decent stand is where I go.

All depends on the budget.

Having done Lite, then power supplies than full Fraim, I’d get full Fraim first if doing it again.

When I set up my retired CDX2/282/hi/250-2 in a second home system I reused the displaced Lite but bought another full Fraim shelf for the CDX2 as this in particular benefits.

Indeed. When I moved my kit to Fraim, the CDX2 (now replaced with NDX2) improvement was significant. All the rest of the Naim kit was also moved to Fraim at the same time. The LP12 remained on its wall shelf and didnt seem to be significantly impacted by the introduction of Fraim,

I haven’t read it but there’s a whole thread on the subject of Fraim.

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I would go for the S/C. Went from Finite Elemente Spider rack to full Fraim. Did not notice any difference in SQ. To be fair, I also did not expect any. Did it only for the looks.:grin:

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Alright… certainly a number of options out there… I suppose I might want to think of a couple of moves to make in future… And system sounds wonderful at present so need to make a quick upgrade. Thanks all of you for your input.
Tom

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@31071954 Fraim will make a very good difference, it is a long term ownership product, and you will reap the benefits whenever you purchase it! My view is that if want a big improvement (having done it myself) is to add an XPSDR to your CDX2. You will be surprised how much more there is on your CD collection than you previously thought, which coupled with the increased enjoyment factor makes it a great system addition.

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I did suggest an XPS2 as well but in standard form along with the Supercap2. They might not be quite as good as the DR versions but 2 major PS upgrades plus a half decent rack should push performance levels up more than Fraim on it’s own.

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+10 for the XPS. Did not notice that was missing in your setup. Yes, adding an XPS will make a huuuge improvement I can tell you from my own experience. Much more than replacing the HC by SC. That should definitely be the first step you take.

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Fraim really does make a difference and is a long term investment in the performance of your system. XPS on the CDX2 would be my next move, before a SC on the pre. A free upgrade to consider would be respecting your Napsc, by plugging it in to your dedicated mains, if you have one, and giving it shelf space on whateveer rack you are currently using. You may be surprised by how much of a difference it can make,
Paul.

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I absolutely dread touching any component on my fraim
Not because it will upset the sound

But because it drives me nuts it all falling to bits and ballbearings flying everywhere
I just curse the day I bought it

Yes in a word. Full fat Fraim makes a world of difference on the CDX2… in fact I would almost say, based on my experience, don’t bother with a CDX2 unless on full Fraim.
My CDX2 was my first Naim component… and all these years later is one of my last remaining… when I had my 552 I really noticed the improvement Fraim brought… so much so I felt the connected XPS2 became unnecessary on my CDX2, and so I sold it…

But as with most things Naim, Fraim is sensitive to setup and occasional maintenance.

Also I don’t get this fragile bit with ball bearings that some mention … there is a little safety pin to stop the glass shelf sliding back should it be pushed… really robust… I am often connecting sources etc …plugging in headphones etc… all no issue at all.

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