Equipment Rack - How important in the grand scheme of things?

Good luck with that if you think it is better enjoy.Oh well i over spent by 15k but it is only money.Nice vintage system enjoy it in good health.

Thanks man. You too. Each to his own.

If you aren't or won't ever use a TT, don't go for a rack. Racks do have an inherent resonance, no matter which one you choose.
Go for floor mounted. Either individually or better all together spread out between your speakers.
A sub-platform supported by cones,  connected by springs to Maple platform.

I have Star Sound Sistrum racks that were cut by SS a few years ago so I had 2 shorter and more stable racks. The soundstage became much more pronounced and real after cutting and the bass was even better than before.   My racks were now about 26" H with the components on them, and they were 54" high before.  The lower the rack the better the sound.  It does take up twice the real estate however.

I originally bought a used 4 shelf Sistrum and added a larger turntable shelf to it. Upon placing the equipment on the Sistrums, the sound became much more involving, with greater detail, and more like live music. The science behind Sistrum racks is to drain the vibrations rather than damp them. All things vibrate and that is what music is. The racks take the vibration to the ground as quickly as possible. The racks look beautiful and I guarantee you they sound spectacular. The Sistrum used to be their top of the line, but are now in the middle. All the Star Sound racks will make a very noticeable improvement in the sound of real music. Yes, racks CAN make a real difference, and the Star Sound racks are among the best at doing this.   Star Sound has many racks with different price ranges.  I feel very fortunate that I was able to get mine used at a considerable savings.  They occasionally show up on the audio sites.

Bob

dorkwad

I have Star Sound Sistrum racks that were cut by SS a few years ago so I had 2 shorter and more stable racks. The soundstage became much more pronounced and real after cutting and the bass was even better than before. My racks were now about 26" H with the components on them, and they were 54" high before. The lower the rack the better the sound. It does take up twice the real estate however.

>>>>>That pretty much illustrates the problem with racks and stands in general. I.e.,,the shorter the better. That’s because taller structures amplify seismic vibrations. Since the Sistrum stands don’t isolate against seismic vibration they allow seismic type very low frequency vibration to be transmitted from the floor to the component. Draining alone doesn’t cut it. Same goes for almost any rack. It’s the same as for very tall buildings and skyscrapers - isolation techniques must be incorporated during construction of tall buildings to reduce the effects of seismic type vibration including wind and subways and normal earth crust motion and to prevent collapse due to earthquakes. It’s code in many if not most areas.

By contrast springs are two, two things in one! - they isolate the component from seismic type vibration AND they allow vibration of the component to be drained away. That is why spring based systems are so effective for speakers, for example, they prevent cabinets vibrations from reaching front end electronics AND reduce cabinet resonances.