Good idea Chris - but doubt mixed finishes would pass the test with my wife - she has largely led the redesign of our home over the past year and done a great job - I just have to make sure I don’t order items that don’t fit in- ie don’t stuff it up
Hence the Isoblue range rather than the more typical metal components of a hifi rack- plus I too like the look of them
My rack is cherry rather than oak, but nobody would look at it and say that the top shelf doesn’t match the others. You just see the nicer grain pattern on the top shelf. But sure, if you have the budget for the more expensive shelves I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.
On balance, I do think Isoblue looks more like furniture and less like commercial shelving than any other rack.
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The pippy oak is quite a bit darker, and overall rather different in grain pattern from the standard oak. Each sheet of veneer can cover a batch of 11 shelves - my five are from the same batch so match very well. The other thing to be aware of is that the Special Branch has real wood edges and grooves, whereas the standard range uses polished MDF, stained to match the veneer, so it’s a plain smooth surface. The standard is simply an MDF sheet with veneer top and bottom, whereas the Special Branch uses solid wood edging and has two solid wood strips where the grooves are cut, so that no MDF is visible.
My advice to you is that you should not mix and match it. You would save a little bit but you could really spoil the look.
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thanks - I pulled the pin earlier and ordered base plus 3 shelves all in Pippy Oak.
How does it compare to the Fraim? Have you noticed any difference in sound quality?
I’ve certainly not felt that it sounds worse, and I may even prefer the sound. The guy who is Mr Isoblue said that he felt the rack was perhaps more organic than the Fraim, which I took to mean that it holds everything together. It certainly gives a very nice free flowing sound. The main thing to me is that it looks better in the room, which was the real objective. The fact that I don’t find it sounds worse is an unexpected bonus. It’s worth remembering that my hearing is severely challenged these days and I’d never suggest that Fraim isn’t better. Back in the day when my ears worked well I felt Fraim was better; that said the quality of Isoblue is better than the very early version I once owned.
All of which is a long winded way of saying that I’m really not sure.
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It sounds to me like you’re content with it. That’s all what counts.
Placed an order 6 weeks ago and still nothing. Retail has no answer on when. Are there production delays even in FraimLite?
Perhaps there is a shortage of wood chips:joy:
Chip shortage is affecting everything else‼️
CK
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I guess “chips is not chips”–sorry I could not resist.
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I ordered a Base a month ago and was told there might be a delay due to holidays. Does the factory close, or is it just the numbers away in August? Regardless, less than a week later a shelf arrived. Still waiting for the Base that I did order, current expectation is ‘sometime this week’ but we’ve been here before, and I’ve had a surplus shelf sitting here for the last 3 weeks that someone probably wants.
I might change mine soon, as hardly any of my gear fits on it these days.
The rear leg is the biggest problem for me and soon even my turntable won’t fit, so probably time to change, but what too?
Word reaches me that it’s in so I’ll drop in and pick it up tomorrow. That would be 3 weeks from the correct order date to delivery.
I waited longer than that a couple of years pre covid for a stack of 4. 3 weeks these days is not bad.
Happily supporting my gear these days. Very happy with it.
HRS… it looks so cool. Just don’t ask the price.
Dec.2020 I ordered two stacks (8 levels) + 2 base and received it mid-April 2021. Good things come those who wait!
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spent a very productive couple of hours yesterday on taking the whole system apart, good clean, put it back, cable dressing - thats is for another 12 months
to me not only does the FRAIM offer some of the best isolation to your system, cable dressing even with the burndies con 252/SC & 300 hand clear to me it’s another black box
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It took me a while to accept the price tag for a 5 layer black/silver Fraim. But 10 years on, it still sounds and looks like new. Love it.
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Looks great Antz. Hope the 505’s are continuing to delight you. I may be wrong and it’s a very minor point anyway, but looking at the pics, if the glass shelves are right back against the metal pins then it might be worth pulling the shelves forward a tiny fraction just so that they don’t touch the pins. Definitely obsessive behaviour and I don’t know if it will bring any obvious changes in sound quality, but takes only a few seconds to do anyway. 
thanks @KJC will try that - needed to just rebuild Fraim clean interconnects - massage burndies etc
will try pulling out from Pins, on the T505 they are a delight, wanted them since I heard them @Cymbiosis on demo
hoping to get deck back later today with Keel fitted and then pritty much finished (Yes I know!!)
just love the music at the moment - had FRAIM for a few years now and delighted I made the £££