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Redwiki - About racks, shelves...

Reading your Neuance thread peaked my interst with racks, shelves and footers and if you don't mind I would like your opinion on my setup. RACK> Lovan (lead-filled) triangle rack
with custom 1/2" glass shelves supported on hard rubber footers on rack. TOP SHELF> 3cm polished granite rests o (3) aluminum TipToes with rubber (on flat bottom) between cones & granite. Cone points sit into dimples of each rack post. Another 3cm granite shelf - with (5) Vibrapods between - sits on top of the first granite shelf. VAC TRIODE AMP> Rests on top of top shelf. Stock footers have been replaced with Vibrapods screwed into the amp, Vibrapods sit on B.D.R. "ThoseThings" bases (only). DDS.PRO TRANSPORT> Bright Star Audio Big Rock platform sits on glass shelf, another 1/2" glass base rest on the Big Rock with Vibrapods between. Transport rests on glass base w/stock footers. M.P.S. (power supply) / DAC> M.P.S. rests on 1/2" glass shelf with Vibrapod footers. Dac sits on M.P.S. with down-pointed B.D.R. cones between. 10 lb. lead bar rest on dac. PASSIVE LINE ATTENUATOR> Sits atop 150 lb. concrete Inoic column. Vibrapods between column & Bubinga 2" (hardwood) base. Down-pointed B.D.R. cones between wood & passive. VPI brick sits on top. SILVERLINE SONATINA SPEAKERS> Rests on 24x12x4"
polished granite platforms. Stock footers replaced by up-pointed Poly Crystal cones which sit on 3x3x1/2" Ebony. SHUNYATA HYDRA PLC> Rests on 15x13x6" polished granite with down-pointed B.D.R. cones. R. Crump suggested i dump the "kitty box" and replce w/Maple platform. The Neuance bases look intersting an alternative. While still evaluating the Hydra's contribution (burn-in process) - I'm looking for a more open, neutral sound with less additive devices to color the presentation., thus considering re-evaluating my set-up.
Whats ya think? Thanks in advance. Reference system: http://
cgi.AudioAsylum.com/systems/436.html.

mwalsdor
redkiwi
1,092 posts
 
Gregm, I have tried the suspemded shelf idea and found it promising but eventually abandoned it. My main concern was that the wire used has a resonance like a guitar string and gets through to the shelf unless you do something to decouple it. Nylon coated wire was, in fact, the worst sounding that I tried (sorry). Solid nylon fishing wire of high strength is OK, and so is nylon rope. But their colorations were still quite evident. I even tried suspending the Neuance shelves but they definitely worked better sitting on top of point contacts. Therefore I conclude that the suspension idea would probably work best if you used a shelf like Corian or Perspex, where you decoupled the wire from the shelf by some form of rubber, polymer etc (which happens to be what the Arcici does using Navcom and Perspex), or with a more damped shelf like the Neuance if you found some way of ensuring the Neuance was suspended in a way that it sat on top of point contacts. I suspect there is merit in suspending racks rather than sitting them on steel racks, but that just as with a steel rack you cannot just let the shelf rest on the rack (ie. you need a soft pad or hard spike between them), then the same applies to not letting the shelf connect directly to the wire.
gregm
3,411 posts
 
Thank you, Redkiwi, for offering yr invaluable insight. I can easily get solid fishing wire and nylon. Assuming that the resonance frequency of the whole thing is the tricky part, the metal wire probably vibrates like an instrument string, making things worse. I ordered Corian shelves as per yr experience; I'll get a couple of Perspex 12mm, too.

And give it all a go... If anyone is interested in the experience, I'll be happy to report. BUT this will take time; if you wish, do mail me directly.

Regards
gregm
3,411 posts
 
Oh, yes: the components. All on the heavy side (12-25 kgs) each, one comp. per shelf. Power supplies (3) not on rack.
Sorry.
redkiwi
1,092 posts
 
Gregm. Because neither the Corian or Perspex are totally neutral, you may get the best result using Corian on the source (and maybe also preamp) and perhaps Perspex on amp. Mixing different shelf materials together will hopefully avoid any too obvious resonances. I found Corian everywhere to be something of a problem. By the way I did find Maple Butchers Block to be OK too - it sounded slow and murky, but not nearly as much as MDF did. It was able to be improved with cones. I mention it because it may be OK with the very heavy stuff and provide still more variety to your tuning of resonances. I believe you have got my point on the steel wire - it sounded very much like there was a steel stringed guitar playing along with the music.
gregm
3,411 posts
 
G'day, Redkiwi, mate -- & thanks again for your help.
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