Naim Fraim - is it worth it really?

Another big fan of Quadraspire here.

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I love the Fraim look
Upgrade in sound quality without question
David

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Yeah, it’s a great looking rack and I enjoyed mine but if you’re looking for SQ improvement you’re likely better off upgrading a box or speakers.

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I would say that the sort of fundamental improvements brought about by Fraim are not available via any box upgrade. Get the fundamentals right first and this provides a solid foundation to maximise the performance of the system and any future upgrades. The same applies to mains cables and blocks, they bring about the sort of improvements not possible any other way.

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Mine has adapted through a number of system changes and I wouldn’t be without it as I find it so pleasing to look at as well as use

I don’t find it too obtrusive or offensive to have around (my wife is tolerant of my hobby and its presence), it is sturdy, reliable and pleasing to set up or use, the cost is not inconsiderable but is forgotten over time and the black/balck I have is, in my opinion, classically styled and non-dating

I didn’t have the chance to test it against the other racks I’ve owned in the past (Quadraspire & Custom Design Milan Reference) so can’t say if it sounds better or whether it offers any sonic benefits at all but it does certainly enhance the enjoyment I get from owning a hifi system


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Very happy with my Fraim too. When I auditioned & bought it some 12 years ago, the improvement in SQ over a Solidsteel rack I had was substantial (as was the price difference). It ages very well too, as in, not at all. It still looks the same as it did when brand new. Not cheap but a very solid high quality product imo.

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If you like the look of Fraim, then that’s a good enough reason to buy it. Although it might offer a visual upgrade relative to what you have currently, it certainly won’t offer the same degree of audio upgrade as you would enjoy by upgrading components. In an earlier post you say that you have “gone as far as [you] can with equipment and cables”, but given the high price of Fraim components and considering trade-in opportunities for your existing equipment, I would have thought a power supply (555PS) or amplifier upgrade would offer a far more substantial audio improvement.

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I think you’re correct, you’re not going to get the kind of SQ improvements from a Fraim that you will get from a box upgrade. The Fraim was one of the last things I added to my system and it certainly looks nice while you’re enjoying the music so I can see why people think it brings about “fundamental” improvements.

Sorry Elmarko but you’re post doesn’t make sense to me as you seem to be agreeing with something that’s actually the opposite of what I said!

The fraim is more off a final piece of the jigsaw rather than a main one.
Yes it obviously nice to have, but with a limited budget it certainly wouldn’t be on the list, first comes the boxes and to be fair you need to be getting higher up the tree before the fraim will even start to become valve for money and a worthwhile addition over say a better box.
Yes you could argue, you are maxing out what you have, but that doesn’t mean its the better way to go for sound quality or valve etc.

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Dunc,

Knowing what I now know about the effect on performance that Fraim brings I wouldn’t want to go beyond entry-level electronics without it. Put another way, if my budget only allowed the purchase of a Nait/CD 5 then my next purchase would be Fraim. Why? Because IMO it brings about an absolutely fundamental improvement in musicality that more expensive boxes simply will not. So even given that it is very expensive, to my mind it is still excellent value in the context of an entry-level system, even if one intended going no further.

I would argue that it is actually a very crucial part of the jigsaw if your aim is maximum musical enjoyment. If you have a couple of grand burning a hole in your pocket then it’s perhaps much more tempting to buy sexier boxes, but does that mean it’s a better option?

We all listen differently and prioritise differently and that’s fair enough, but I’m in no doubt about what I would do. Get the basics right first - it’s the foundation on which the whole performance rests.

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Naim?.. Sexy boxes?.. :joy:

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all that
! :grinning:

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Fully agree.

Maybe that’s what’s coming at Munich. Full fat Fraim with a Muso on top.

Naim ultimate one box system

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Maybe considered the final piece of the puzzle but


It’s also the foundations for you’re system.
So ultimately the best starting block and should be considered first in my opinion.

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Well pete you are certainly right on we are all different and see things differently, i said my bit and that just so happens to be against what you think, but its fine.
Other way to look at it is,
I would rather fit a race engine to my car to achieve better performance that is certain to be got, whereas you would rather keep the standard engine, but run it on race fuel, obviously the best and biggest gains are to have the race engine and fuel, as the much better race engine will get more from the race fuel.

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Dunc,

Each to his own - no sweat. Ultimately you have to do what you perceive gives you the biggest bang for your buck, and if that’s a box upgrade then so be it. :grinning:

It’s the same old ‘chicken or the egg’ argument - one could call it “best bang for rack” or “best rack for bang”.đŸ«ŁđŸ€Ł

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Sorry, you’re making qualitative statements about the sonics a Fraim provides in your system which is fine but to think those qualities are universal is a stretch at best. It’s a great looking piece of furniture and I liked mine but my system sounded great before I had a Fraim and it still sounded great after I got the Fraim. If SQ is the goal then you’d be better off spending your money on boxes, powerlines, network optimization, etc, for quantifiable improvements. I agree with those who say it’s a nice final piece. And it is.

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