Here's How I Make My Equipment Racks


In response to a previous thread, here's how I make my
equipment racks:
List of equipment: 3/4" thick MDF cut to desired shelf
size
(4) 3/4" diameter 6' threaded steel rods
3/4" nuts and washers (8 per shelf)
Drill a 3/4" hole in the corner of each shelf in exactly the
same place. I do this by scribing a line with a square 1 1/2" inch in and using a nail set to punch a hole where the lines intersect. A drill press works great to drill the holes so they are all straight and true. Now that you have
a hole drilled in each corner of each shelf, simply screw
the whole thing together, adjusting each shelf to fit your
gear. Use a square to make sure your first shelf is straight, and measure each one likewise. If you do this
correctly, your rack will sit straight and level. If you
need to level it further, buy (4) 3/4 rod connectors, which
are about 3" high, and screw these into the bottom of the
rod and use them to level it. I paint the steel rod using
Krylon Industrial enamel (flat black looks best), and paint
the shelves to match your decor. This makes a very solid,
heavy audio rack. Total cost is about $40 for the steel
rod, $15 for the nuts and washers (about $1.00 a pound)
$20 for the MDF, and $5.00 worth of paint for a total under
$100. I've made several racks this way and have used the
same method to make CD racks.
Dave
Ag insider logo xs@2xdave43
I had mine shipped to me, from Houston to Dallas. I am pretty sure I ordered it online, but can not remember for sure. I know I got all the info off their website, though.
At the risk of sounding incredibly naive (which I probably am), how does the expensive rack systems help the sound quality of one's setup? Please note that am excluding all front end (i.e. TT and CD units) from this question since the needs in this area seem obvious. How does it, rather, effect the performance of the amp, pre, phono stage, etc.? I would think that if the unit were rock solid and allows for adequate heat dissipation, that would be sufficient for most applications. I am not saying others are wrong (my intuitive sense has been wrong on many an occasion), I would just like to get some insights as to the benefits of the high priced rack systems over something more moderately priced, or even hand-built. At least when TT's are excluded from the equation and are assumed to be "mounted" separately. Thanks
I have an IKEA rack made with the coffee tables for my tube preamp and DD turntable. Awesome PRT...
I am not privy to the details of the physics, but vibrations are generated by amplifiers, and they have an effect on the electric signal. There are also other sources like sound waves and other components that introduce vibration to the amplifier. Higher quality electronics are typically more affected by vibrations and their sound can change considerably with the whatever is placed beneath them. A good rack, imo, will try to dissapate all the vibrations (just different forms of energy). Its just like spiking speakers and isolating sources, but on a bit of a different and usually less important level. There are lots of discussions about it on the various audiosites.