Another Fraim plug

Posted by: J.N. on 27 January 2002

I was over at a friend's place yesterday.

He has just put CDS2 - 52 - 135's into NBL's on Fraim.

The upgrade CANNOT be replicated for the cost in any other way. It's that simple and ergo, good v.f.m.

Strange but true.

Posted on: 27 January 2002 by kan man
What was the system on before? Are you saying it's a bigger difference than a box upgrade?

Steve

Posted on: 27 January 2002 by Clive B
Kan man's question has to be purely hypothetical - once you're using CDS2, NAC52, 2xNAP135, there's not much by way of box upgrade that can be bought for less than the price of a NAP500. That makes the shelving upgrade seem like quite a bargain.

Regards, CB

Posted on: 27 January 2002 by kan man
Hi Clive

Not so much hypothetical as trying to get a better handle on what sort of difference a Fraim would make in the context of my own system. It's upgrade time for me and I'm pondering over the most sensible next step. It's either max out the LP12 with better power supply and maybe an external phono stage, or a 52, or 135's or better stands for the electronics. The 52 v 135's is easy enough to dem, the other options less so. Opinions are welcome though I'll probably start my own thread nearer the time.

Regards
Steve

Posted on: 28 January 2002 by Martin Payne
quote:
Originally posted by kan man:
What was the system on before? Are you saying it's a bigger difference than a box upgrade?


Steve,

our common friend had the NAP500 on extended demo over the Christmas period (three weeks?) and reckons he'd take the Fraim over the NAP.

cheers, Martin

Posted on: 28 January 2002 by Willy
quote:
Originally posted by Daveyp:
"our common friend had the NAP500 on extended demo over the Christmas period (three weeks?) and reckons he'd take the Fraim over the NAP"

What does this actually mean? that he considered the Fraim as more of an upgrade than the NAP500...period (which I'd find hard to believe), )

Don't know about the NAP500 but I got a Fraim on Christmas Eve and reckon it to be significantly better upgrade than 250 to 135's.

Regards,

Willy.

Posted on: 28 January 2002 by kan man
"Don't know about the NAP500 but I got a Fraim on Christmas Eve and reckon it to be significantly better upgrade than 250 to 135's."

Thanks Willy. That's the sort qualified view I am seeking but it would be helpful to know what you were using before (at the risk of starting more stand wars if you have ditched someone's favourite). Confirms my suspicion that I'm now at the point where I should be considering (better) stands as well as boxes for the next logical step.

Regards
Steve

Posted on: 28 January 2002 by Willy
quote:
Originally posted by kan man:

Thanks Willy. That's the sort qualified view I am seeking but it would be helpful to know what you were using before.

Regards
Steve

Steve,

LP12 was on a sound org, into cross head screws in very firm wooden (1.25" Oregon Pine) floor. Everything else on custom wooden jobs. Never had any problems even with briks at full tilt and several large (drunk) people dancing. The Fraim seems a bit more succeptible to footfalls. Next party will reveal how much.
About a week prior to Fraim install a new supercap was installed and the sound, while showing promise, was less than ideal. Even in this state substituting the Fraim turned on tunes in spades. Near unbelievable.
A month later things are coming on very well!

Willy.

Posted on: 28 January 2002 by DAVOhorn
DEAR all

I visited michael for a listen to his system now that the 500 has gone home, and as he has had a mains spur and Fraim's added to his current system.

The system is a lot easier to listen to, the edginess and hardness has eased so the system is a lot more musical.
It now plays discs which could have been considered strident but are now enjoyable to listen to. so a wider repertoire of music can be played.
The system can now be played louder as the system is smoother and does not harden up at higher listening levels. There is better depth to the sound and the sound stage is larger, but i still feel that there is still a hole in between the speakers.
So in all a great improvement certainly michael feels that it is money well spent.
As he did both the Fraim and spur at the same time i wonder which was the more worthwhile regarding cost to improvement.

The £10,000 pound question is "is the 500 " still in with a chance ?

regards david

Posted on: 29 January 2002 by Martin Payne
quote:
Originally posted by DAVOhorn:

The £10,000 pound question is "is the 500 " still in with a chance ?


David,

delivery will be in March, apparently!!!

quote:
As he did both the Fraim and spur at the same time i wonder which was the more worthwhile regarding cost to improvement.

Fraim was installed on Tuesday, spur on Thursday, so he got to hear the Fraim-only improvement. Spur was almost a non-event, by comparison.

You heard it Saturday, I believe? The system would need another 3-5 days to perform to it's full potential. Note that J.N. had his system off recently, and says it didn't snap into place until a full two weeks of warming-up.

quote:
What does this actually mean? that he considered the Fraim as more of an upgrade than the NAP500...period (which I'd find hard to believe)

Just what I said:-

quote:
he'd take the Fraim over the NAP

(He was not expecting it either).

I'm not sure I'd go quite that far, but the NAP500 can only reproduce what the non-Fraim supported components are delivering.

You must bear in mind that the original "racking" was a few bits of MDF/chipboard screwed together with plastic blocks.

I have said in the past that decent racking is mandatory with a system of this calibre. I would say, though, that some of the hifi niceties were better with the NAP500.

cheers, Martin

Posted on: 30 January 2002 by Martin Payne
quote:
Originally posted by Paul Murray:

It will have a real wood veneer though to match the DBLs


Hmm, maybe it will be a "Je t'aime" (sp?). ;-)

cheers, Martin

(Edited the French. Still wrong probably)

[This message was edited by Martin Payne on THURSDAY 31 January 2002 at 01:44.]