I am all for getting a good rack to isolate the components from the environment and to provide the right structure for the shelves that go under the components.
However, I have found that, with respect to the shelves themselves, there is no easy answer as to what it best. It is not simply the case that the shelf that does the best job of draining/dissipating energy from the component is the best. Some experimentation is required to find what is sonically the best for a particular system and taste. There can be cases where LESS vibration dampening sounds better. This is often the case with source components, such as turntables and CD players.
I heard a demonstration using Symposium shelves under a CD player (Aero Capitole) where one could clearly hear differences between the thinner (cheaper) platforms and the better dampening platforms. It was not always the case that "more" was better.
However, I have found that, with respect to the shelves themselves, there is no easy answer as to what it best. It is not simply the case that the shelf that does the best job of draining/dissipating energy from the component is the best. Some experimentation is required to find what is sonically the best for a particular system and taste. There can be cases where LESS vibration dampening sounds better. This is often the case with source components, such as turntables and CD players.
I heard a demonstration using Symposium shelves under a CD player (Aero Capitole) where one could clearly hear differences between the thinner (cheaper) platforms and the better dampening platforms. It was not always the case that "more" was better.