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

Hello, all you rack enthusiasts out there in Audioland. it has come to my attention, in pursuing ISOLATION devices, a rack can either add or detract from the sound one's gear is capable of producing... Wow!

I recently changed mine and went with something more esthetically pleasing, not knowing or even considering how it could affect the Sonics of a system! I found out the hard way. Things got worse. A lot worse! I imagined all sorts of issues and addressed them all, save the rack. .. and only by accident did I find it to be the source of the negative swing in sound quality to my system.

Being convinced, now, a good rack is an important & integral part of the 'system', I would like to prevail upon those of you who have found good quality racks, at affordable prices....

Should they have stone shelves, absorbant, wood, isolated, etc... Coupled or uncoupled?

I think several are in my future... one for preamp & amp. One for the sources, (3, no phono though), and another for proc & multi amp.... it would seem ..or some combination that supports those items. Access, cooling, and ease of assembly unless it/they come put together, are noteworthy too.

Sure would appreciate some other experiences here, if you please. Many thanks.
blindjim
osgorth
109 posts
 
Yeah, I think you're right.. Many people neglect this aspect, which is a big mistake in my opinion. A good rack/support makes a BIG difference.

On a budget, I would strongly recommend trying to find a heavy and well-balanced platform of some sort to put at least your CD player on (I've found the CD to be most sensitive to vibrations, but that may differ between brands obviously). You may want to experiment with a self-made wooden block, a granite block or something similar. All materials will make a difference, it's up to your ears if it's for the better or not though.

After that, you could play around with some of the various equipment feet and support tweaks that are around. You can go a long way with a careful setup and not too much money. :)
mbacinello
54 posts
 
check out the cambre core rack...its wood and metal, not super expensive and is supposed to work really well....though per haps not at the level of the pagode...but its one fifth the price.
yoby
539 posts
 
Check out the Adona racks. You already have an excellent system, and these racks are quite excellent for the money. You can get a nice starter one for @ $700. Happy listening, Jeff
jclnv
26 posts
 
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.
audphile1's avatar
audphile1
4,919 posts
 
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.
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