put tube amp on to shelf of a rack

I’ve owned a Salamander Archetype rack they are pretty flexy it may hold 150lbs but I would personally be leery of putting a 105lb amp on the top shelf. The other rack might be a better idea.

Also if the rack you’re using is open architecture you should be fine putting the amp on the bottom if it has at least 6 inches clearance on the top.


Also to get the amp on the bottom shelf put it right in front of the rack lift the back of the amp onto the shelf then grab it by the front and carefully slide it onto the shelf.

Big tube amps were not designed for audio racks.  You will shorten their lifespan as well as that of the components above it.  A friend of mine had the same issue and I told him the same thing.  He eventually replaced the tube amp with solid state because the additional heat from the tubes made his listening room unbearable in the Florida summer.  The solid state amp lives very happily in the rack.

I keep my 120 lb ARC VT200 on the bottom shelf of a 5-tier VTI rack.  When I recently retubed it, my 22 year old son and I just disconnected the cables, slid it forward, and lifted it onto a table.  I did it once alone but wouldn't recommend it.  With 2 people it was quite manageable.

I agree with jnorris2005. Don’t put your tube amp on the bottom of a shelved rack unless there is plenty of space for it to breathe and dissipate heat. Plus, if the shelves are made of glass, the amp could melt the feet of the component above it. Put it on a separate stand or if possible, the top shelf of your rack and enjoy the glow.

Tube-amps need “fresh air”!!! It’s very important to put him away from other equipments.  The heat of the tubes can cause damage in this setup. Place the amp on a separate tray. You can find them on rubber wheels. ( like ebm and aewarren,..said)