Do glass shelves affect sound Quality?

The answer is yes, but exactly how much and whether it's bad is debatable. Glass has a bad reputation among some audiophiles. You'll find comments about ringing and glass adding a hardness to the sound of components. In the past I've used glass and didn't have any problems, but I was using fairly thick 1/2 inch slabs. If you want to experiment I would suggest starting with rubber or cork type footers to see if you notice an improvements in sound quality.

Agree with Onhwy61. I've always avoided glass but how much it deteriorates the sound would be hard to judge.

Thanks for your responses.

I inquired about Herbies Audio Lab and they suggest using a set of tenderfoot under each component plus a supersonic stabilizer on each component. Has anyone used these products and will they be effective on glass?

Herbie's stuff is very effective. Tenderfeet under my TT, various ISP-cups and blls under my amp & phono stage and a way excellent mat on my TT. I've been using Steve's isolation stuff for years.

MT10425, Thanks for your reply. I'll give the tenderfeet a try.

Does anyone have a response on the supersonic stabilizers?

yes glass is a very difficult substance to work with. I don' like po;ished rock slabs for the same reflective difraction prone properties.
Wood.Rubber and dense metals seem to work great for me

For my Sound Organisation rack with glass shelves I used two strips of 1" x 8" Black Hole Pad adhesive dampening material on the surface of the glass beneath each shelf. This helps to dampen any ringing.

If the glass sits on a supporting frame the use of a relatively soft supporting material can also help. Herbie's Audio Lab Grungebuster Dots would be a good choice for this application.

The Tenderfeet recommended is a good choice to interface between the equipment and glass shelf. I've had very good results with these and the Iso-Cups and balls noted above. The Supersonic Stabilizers are usually used for chassis vibration. I don't have enough experience with them to make a firm recommendation but they may be helpful to you.

I'd give Steve's recommendations a try. Fortunately Herbie's Audio Lab has a 90-day Trial Period on all products for full refund or exchange for a different product so you'll will not be stuck with something that does not provide a satisfying solution.

Just say no to glass. Less expensive and better sound management shelves are available. If you have glass, a very inexpensive tweak is to line the bottoms of the shelve surface with heavy felt, which is available in many colors, including black, the audiophile choice.

Based on your responses, I ordered Herbies tenderfeet and supersonic stabilizers for all my equipment. As Rbrowne stated, Herbie's come with a 90 day trial so that's a no brainer. Thanks again, Ron

Let us no how it works out Ron.

What exactly is Steve's isolation stuff?

Mechans,

Here is the link to Steve's stuff.

http://herbiesaudiolab.net/

Tmsorosk, I installed the herbie components and my first impressions are favorable. I listened to Fourplay and the bass sounded a little tighter and cleaner. I intend to listen to a variety of music and keep you posted.

like some of the other members I use a bit of glass under my CDP & have not had any issues with the sound for the last 10 years.
I tried granite & marble - both made the sound harsh. I know why. I also tried a teak wooden shelf & that made the sound too rich (bass heavy). So, glass was the most neutral believe it or not!
And, the glass is sitting on rollerballs & is not damped on the underside at all. Howzzat, eh?? Goes against the grain of thought......

Glass is the worst for sound and wood is soft i use Symposium under all my components. 

The Mana employs glass shelves and the more shelves the better the sound. There is some guy somewhere with an 8 shelf Mana. Say, isn’t glass a liquid?

Old automotive engineers used to bury engine blocks to "cure" them. When asked why, they said metal is just a slow moving liquid.

Nice catch geoffkait, Mana was once a very well respected isolation platform. I have two and have never noticed the glass shelves to be a detriment. Though I did prefer a Neuance platform the best under my Sondek Lp12 on Mana’s reference rack, the glass was better than the commonly excepted standard maple block cutting board. So, go figure.

People love to parrot simple ideas/answers like "glass rings" that the real audio world continually proves to those who listen that there just are are no absolutes. 

I use a Bell O' rack w/ glass shelves. I have not noticed any decrease in sound quality. It is heavy, probably not super "heavy" like some of the other racks out in the marketplace.