I find that isolation and vibration control have a big impact on SQ particularly with tube gear. Having a solid base created through a quality rack provides a solid foundation to executing resonance control. Platforms and footers work so much better if integrated into a quality rack.
Can an audio rack be that important?
When we spend Tens of thousands on audio equipment are we losing sight on the importance of a good audio rack? I have seen many setups were ultra high end audio equipment is used sub-par equipment racks.
I have been grappling with buying a high end audio rack for sometime but have always put it off as less important.
What does a reference rack actually do for the sound of high quality components?
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- 53 posts total
I think it really depends on the room & more specifically the floor. If you have a cement slab floor it makes life much easier. Generally, you want to couple to that floor as directly & firmly as possible. Putting the equipment right on the floor should be fine or if preferred, any decent rack or even cinder blocks topped w/ a piece of granite or solid hardwood cutting board. Suspended wood floors are much more of a challenge & in my experience, often the opposite is best whereby you want to try to decouple the equipment from the floor it the vibrations & resonances it can create. This is especially true w/ speakers.. There’s a lot different theories on how to do this. I use 4” x 4” squares that are designed to mitigate vibrations for industrial equipment. They’re layered w/ relatively hard very grippy rubber w/ a core of pretty dense foam. They’re inexpensive & seem to work very well w/ my speakers . |
Solidity, stability, mass, and damping - you don’t need to spend a lot.
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- 53 posts total