AV Racks. What difference does it make?

Slappy, your best bet would be to check out some white papers at StarSound.biz. They are the mfg'er of the leading performance-oriented rack called the Sistrum (and Audio Points). Reading some of those materials should be enlightening.

But in essence, there are two major philosophies toward the handling of air-borne vibrations and resonance: 1) Isolation and dampening and 2) mechanical transfer to ground.

1. Some to many believe that one can effectively isolate and dampen air-borne vibrations.

2. Some to many others believe one only alter the vibrations (for better or worse) via isolation and/or dampening but cannot effectively isolate air-borne vibrations. Therefore, these others believe one must provide an efficient exit path must be provided to allow for their escape. Hence, the mechanical transfer to ground priniple.

3. Then there are some to many mug-wamps with their mug on one side of the fence and their wamp on the other side who believe they can effectively merge to two diametrically opposed philosophies who somehow think they can obtain the best of both worlds.

My experience tells me that isolation and dampening is the worst methodology of the three. And that it's a crap-shoot if altering the vibrations makes sonics better or worse, that mechanical transfer to ground is the surest and best methodology, and the mug-wamp is the second best because it can still provide some mechanical transfer to ground if done correctly or incorrectly (depending on one's point-of-view).

And given the right system and environment, if one chooses the right method, the differences can be so much more than subtle.

-IMO

If you purchase an AV rack no matter which brand, make sure it is heavy, solid and has minimal vibration qualities.

Slappy,

If you can't hear a difference, it doesn't make any sense at all to get anything other than a heavy rack. Furthermore, it sounds like you're listening to digital equipment, so you have nothing to worry about. The difference comes when you are using turntables and cartridges, but I would not put speakers on the same rack as the rest of your equipment, regardless

A good solid support for the turntable, and perhaps the CD player is obviously a good idea. The notion that it needs to be "designed" in some exotic way, and cost more than any good piece of furniture is ridiculous.

Thanks for all the responses! Thats what i love about this place, if there is something i dont understand and ask about, i get some very educated and well put together responses.