The joy of small things

Hi-Fi Corner
25

Or even discreet!

One of the reasons for selling the Fraim was that the maple and silver jarred with the oak speakers on black stands. I even tried black uprights on the Fraim but it didn’t help. Five levels of Isoblue is a lot lower and just draws less attention to itself. It looked a little odd with a big look at me stand and pint sized speakers. I didn’t actually notice a drop in quality with the Isoblue. Maybe it’s a bit less clinical but it’s a very high quality rack, despite being a really simple construction.

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26

Yes, it usually reminds me of The Matrix

image

A lot of black and a bit shiny green.

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27

I get a lot of enjoyment out of my little UnitQute2 system as well.

Still basking in the enjoyment of the 500-level system but forever is a long time and I’ve commented many times that a much smaller footprint system is in my future at some point. I’m just a bit behind @anon4489532 on the timeline, having only come (back) to hi fi in my life for ten years running now. It’s a path that makes a lot of sense to me.

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28

Whatever floats your boat :relaxed:

P.S. English is my second language.

29

I would really liked to have seen a much darker coloured wooden shelf offering from Naim, for example using walnut :relaxed:

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30

In some settings, perhaps. It wouldn’t work at all well in our house.

31

Indeed. Fraim / Isoblue / Quadraspire (other racks are available :slightly_smiling_face:) all look good to me. It’s interesting to see how the various rack solutions can work in different decor rooms, yet still maintain domestic harmony.

32

I heard that as well Nigel. It was a stop and do nothing else moment!

33

NFTs :wink:

34

HH,

It is quite hard to categorize your system (especially with a $20k source) as ‘small’. Perhaps ‘shrinking’ would be a more proper term to describe it. Anyway, in my personal opinion, your U-turn was in the right direction.

35

I’m thinking more in size. The whole stand is under two feet tall, very different from the serried ranks of Fraim that send some into spasms of excitement. It’s all relative.

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36

I’ve always liked those Isoblue racks, never owned one though.

37

I went the other way from isoblue to fraim, I do miss it and I’m reminded here of that again!
Isoblue does always look more “fitting” in a lounge and is 100% easier to setup and live with.
I’ve stuck with a more condensed version of a similar system, the SN3 + NDX 2 hit a certain sweetspot in footprint/performance it’s hard not to like.

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38

And keeping with the theme of “The joy of small things” how are those Kanta 1’s working out?

39

Yes definitely for me.
Give me a ton of cash and a massive room. I would be more in favour of having some great simple systems fronted by high quality two way speakers tucked away in the corners rather than a massive system with massive speakers taking up the whole room.

40

Small system won’t work properly in a massive room. You are better off with a small system in a modest room.

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41

I just looked and it appears there are no Isoblue distributors in the states. Probably why I’ve never been able to try them.

42

You’re totally sure about that ? :grinning:

43

Yes, they are a small UK company with very limited overseas distribution. I doubt any have found their way across the pond.

44

I recall seeing them second hand on the big audio market site a few times in the last 20 years but that’s about it. Too bad, I’ve liked them from afar for years.