Naim Fraim - is it worth it really?

The same for me… however the primary component that was improved was my CDX2… and I don’t have that on the rack at the moment.

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Can the damping ratio be measured for Hifi racks?

and if not, why not? :rofl:

I haven’t read this thread, and I know very little about Fraim.

Do you think the thread would contain any information about whether Fraim improves sound quality more than Quadraspire?

And if so, can anyone point me towards the bit that is relevant to that question?

I see no reason why not - certainly if resonance can I would expect critical damping to be able to be…but mechanical engineering is not my forté :slight_smile:

Also worth bearing in mind that even on a 10p bulk capacitor or inductor, the spec sheet will contain two statements, which vary in level of detail, which warn of the following:

  • When current is applied, this capacitor generates microphonics which may alter the performance of the circuit.
  • This capacitor’s performance may be changed in the presence of microphonics and may tend to leak high frequency noise.

Both the above are from Panasonic caps on product sheets but there is similar on Wurth or Rubycon or anything. And those warnings are for components likely to be used in mass produced goods, not hifi. This is why mitigating that energy is important. But I would assume that means how well that is done is measurable.

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interesting - I had not seen that before - so I looked up the spec sheets on bulk ceramic capacitors from a few manufacturers. These are bulk design capacitors for decoupling, resonant circuits and temperature compensation - and did not see these statements. Saw lots of definition of flame retard, tolerance, dielectric types, temperature stability, climatic stability, insulation resistance etc but not about microphonic - I can’t help such a statement would be used for more specialist devices intended to operate at audio frequencies.
But audio in the industry is generally considered general purpose, along with AV equipment, telecommunications equipment, home appliances, amusement equipment, computer equipment, personal equipment, office equipment, measurement equipment, industrial robots.

Specialist usually applies to where they are used in systems where malfunction could cause a danger to life or society.
But microphonics and vibration indeed do exist for most passive components and even for fibre optics.

These were on the surface mount elecrolytic and polymer hybrid cap and inductor sheets purchased to recap old computers and control boards in a optical mech. Nothing fancy at all.

I’ll be in front of my computer with the sheets on it on Monday if you want a copy. Just to tickle your interest.

Support… I.e isolation, preventing micro phonics, along with cables and dressing to avoid RFI are critical aspects of making Naim kit perform at its best. Generally the higher up the range the more important this gets.
Racks make a difference, but I do think Fraim is a bit costly for what it is. Long-standing user of Quadraspire Acrylic Reference here (20 years). Much better than Q4 Evo and at the time I tried it (202/200 NDAC/XPS2) no difference with Fraim.
Certainly worth trying other racks, but stacking stuff and sticking things on resonant furniture is a very bad idea……

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Bought a used rack a few years ago. Powder-coated heavy steel rack where the top shelf rest on adjustable spikes. Exactly the look I’m looking for for a few quid.

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Nice rack.

DG…

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To my eyes, the Fraim is the best looking audio rack ever. Yes, it was expensive, but it is worth it for the beautiful look. I got mine in tinted cherry with black accents. I would never part with it.

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I’m in the market for a hifi rack. I’m happy to spend a decent chunk on it. But they are universally very ugly. Struggling to find one I think is aesthetically pleasing, most of them fall into two styles: the only machine the manufacturer owns is a lathe, or a teenage woodworking project. But the worst offender is definitely the Naim Fraim; I think it’s dated really badly, looks far cheaper than the pricetag.

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As the saying goes “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” :sunglasses:

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In fairness that look is timeless! Best combo.

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I wouldn’t disagree, SimRacks from Simon Price are nice I think - check them out online

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When I was contemplating my first (and likely only) rack purchase, I showed Mrs Ebor pictures of Isoblue, Torlyte, HiFiRacks (of blessed memory) and Fraim. Didn’t tell her prices, just wanted to know which she preferred the look of.

She chose Fraim without hesitation… the most expensive!

Mark

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Hadn’t come across these. They’re definitely better than most. Pricing reasonable too. Will drop them a mail. Thanks!

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I don’t think there is a recent comparison on the forum but I personally went from Bamboo Quadraspire to Fraim with 135’s and 52. It took me a while and a couple of attempts to understand what makes the Fraim work and for a while I actually preferred the Quadraspire. I still think it has a very organic and musical sound. The Fraim will ultimately resolve more detail, sound faster and give you a bit more PRAT but the Quadraspire is not far behind. I did try to improve the Quadraspire with glass, ball bearings and nuts but all this did was destroy the inherent musicality, so I’d leave well alone. Oh…the bamboo shelves definitely sound better than their laminated MDF ones.

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Thanks Geko.

A concern with Fraim is that it’s more complicated than Quadraspire - so more parts to get wrong or go wrong on Fraim.

And there seem to be problems with the central rear leg making cable dressing difficult.

And balls popping out from under sheets of glass.

These are just a few issues I’ve seen mentioned.

But if it sounds significantly better than Quadraspire bamboo with glass on balls bearings then it’s worth serious consideration.

How often does it need to be rebuilt?