'Racks'. Important? Best bang for $$?

I strongly recommend either building your own or getting a local carpenter to make you one to your design.

IMO Finite Element are probably the only racks worth spending a large amount on. If you're not willing to spend that kind of cash then I wouldn't bother with the cheaper common welded steel and glass racks. They always add an aggressive edge and reduce detail. Metal, glass, various minerals, MDF etc all have poor damping characteristics and won't remove micro vibration from the rack. Wood is a much better choice of material as the varying density of the grain structure allows differing frequencies to be absorbed. Better still, and this is where it gets really good for your bank balance is ply. The lattice grain structure of ply is almost taylor made for damping varied resonances from components and it's cheap. Ideally make the whole rack out of ply and if you have to use spikes for leveling purposes, sit the whole rack on a large, at least 40mm thick ply plinth.

PM me if you'd like any contruction advice.

I am using SolidSteel 5.4 component rack. I highly recommend it as a good value and an excellent performer.
It has cones under each shelf(standard) and provides excellent isolation. To a point that the isolation devices that worked good on my previous rack have absolutely no effect on this one. This rack actually improved the sound of my system, which cought me by surprise....well sort of.....because prior to this rack I bought a VTI rack and this thing made my system sound like crap, so I knew if one rack can ruin the sound, the other one may improve it. I too found out the hard way. Good thing I was able to send the VTI back for a refund.

Depending on how many components you have, the SolidSTeel retails for about $600 for a 4 shelf unit.

Mbacinello thank you very much... I did a search online for Cambre and found a review that had it and several others in sort of a shootout. Still Points, Symposium Isis, and others I don't recall. Here's the link for the HTML version:

http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:L9iPilhxZSgJ:www.stillpoints.us/PDF/90-99.pdf+cambre+core&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=4

It is also in a pdf with pics... a google of cambre core will provide it for those who can or want to dig the pics.

the Still points as was reviewed, interested me most. Primarily as it is or can be a bit at a time type thing, if you want ready rolled appliances. Pay as ya go, ground up or otherwise. That path for me makes sense. That or taking a stab at it myself. though some aspects would need be done by someone with a good drill press.

Jclnv
"I strongly recommend either building your own or getting a local carpenter to make you one to your design."

My thoughts too.

"Better still, and this is where it gets really good for your bank balance is ply. The lattice grain structure of ply is almost taylor made for damping varied resonances from components and it's cheap. Ideally make the whole rack out of ply and if you have to use spikes for leveling purposes, sit the whole rack on a large, at least 40mm thick ply plinth."


I don't know if this is appropriate here, but having had several different wood blocks recently sent me in varying kinds of wood I found that some types were complimentary with my exsisting rack and some were not. going on the basis of which wood footers did best, both ebony and mahogany were both to my liking.

Going with that, I thought to 'sanndwhich' or 'ply these two types together as shelving for three levels... pre, and 2 sources. the amp would comprise the bottom most level. Either supportive or stand alone... I haven't decided which... making it a 'both' application would be, I think, the best approach.

Figuring to put the ebony on top and bottom with the Hahogany in the middle of each shelf. Past that as to the uprights, I'm pretty clueless. I did think to drill (if wooden) the uprights and use say some 'all thread' to run the length of the supports with silicone filling up the gaps of the all thread... some copper or brass 'coins' or rounds as inserts and spike each support. This fashion could make each 'shelf' actually a base or stand alone unit. then stack them if desired ...and I would.

I did not give any thought to having a plinth for a foundation. I've also not quite figured out how best to attach the shelving to the uprights either. Perhaps a tang or bracket of sorts. whichever, it'll need be done all the same for simplicities sake and so each base can be cut out and made as the one previous, sort of a cookie cutting approach. this path is difficult enough at this point for me to do anyway. Probably too much actually. But I'm game, and a table saw is something I've used in the past.

That's the best I can come up with presently and won't take a NASA engineer to do it.

Good discussion here.

I often wonder with regard to this topic whether materials like those from Soundown would have some use.

http://www.soundown.com/AI.htm

I've used it in boats to deaden sound from engines.

Hey Blindjim,

From what you've said I think you're well on your way to making a rack that would give 90% of what's available off the shelf (pardon the pun) a run for it's money. The wood you've already got, are they component sized blocks or just small footers ? If you've got component sized butchers block type pieces then all you need are uprights and some joining hardware. Basically three legs of some description, two on one side and one in the centre of the other side. I've experimented with independently spiked ply shelves (in comparison to one piece leg supports) that are then stacked on top of each other and there was a slight difference but I'm not convinced it was positive. Don't forget a spike is omnidirectional so it's pretty good at moving resonances up as well as down the rack. Like I said, I would get some solid wood or ply (if you haven't guessed I like ply) for the legs and then some screw-in (usually with a 5 or 6mm allen key) inserts that have a internal 6mm thread. Mount these into the sides of the wooden shelves/blocks you have, two holes per leg/per shelf. Then drill through the legs to align with the holes, leaving at least 10cm clearence on top of each component. Countersink the holes in the legs and use coresponding sized countersunk allen headed screws to attach the legs to the inserts. The only difficulty I see you having if your using solid wood for the shelves is when you have to drill into the end grain to mount the inserts. I usually make a clampable template for the drill when doing this as there is no way you will be able to drill consistantly straight holes into end grain with a hand drill. Like I previously said, I would then suggest putting the whole rack on a think ply plinth. The plinth only needs to be slightly larger than the outer legs of the rack. In my experience a plinth beats spiking hands down unless your making speaker stands which obviously need to be ridgid to allow the piston drivers to work effectively.

Anyway hope that helps and remember, measure twice, cut/drill once !