Can an audio rack be that important?

Yes indeed, the Fleetwood Rack is hugely expensive. I am sure it meets my rack performance goals, but the reality is that folks buy it for the cool factor and the OMA/Fleetwood clientele consist of folks for whom money is not the main issue.

My Sound Anchors stand also meets my rack goals and while not cast iron, it is steel, can be sand filled for damping, and can use wood shelves with elastomers under them (like the Fleetwood) if the owner desires, at about one-third the cost. There are many examples of wood and/or metal stands at a wide range of prices that offer solidity, stability, mass, and damping.

I found racks with cross-bracing and fillable tubes sufficient for tubed equipment, but the turntable was better isolated by a tri-pod style rack with each section separated by needle point connections. This virtually eliminated all resonance and side to side sway.

You can really tell the difference by tapping the cross-brace style vs. the tri-pod.  

In audio with the best systems EVERYTHING matters. Micro vibrations matter. I put special feet under a DVD I used only as a CD drive and it was a completely different, better drive. There are lots of ways to isolate micro vibrations in a syste. A good rack designed for it is certainly one of these. Needless to say it would be ideal to try out any rack you are considering in your own system.

1-to begin with put your gear on the floor and invest your money in the best pair of speakers you can afford. that is the quickest path to the best sound. if your significant other wants the gear on some nice piece of furniture don’t worry about it too much.

Are you totally deranged? Ever heard of caring and sharing?

I believe it makes a difference.

I went from VTI stands to an SRA Scuttle and wow