Lovan audio racks....and other racks.....

Solid Tech Radius or Solid Steel are IMO the best budget racks available and are NOT made in China.

There was a time years ago when the owner of Timbernation went through a personal crisis with the death of his daughter (I believe it was at the hands of a drunk driver) and he had a tough time dealing with it. Orders fell behind but that is now no longer a problem.

All the best,
Nonoise

I'm a big believer in credit where credit is due, Chris at Timbernation is a TRUE craftsman. I talked to him slightly over a week ago about a custom rack built from scratch and now ten days later its in my room and its just gorgeous. I have never seen a better fit and finish, simply top notch work! Talk about sturdy this thing could easily support 500lbs. I even think my rig sounds better.

Thanks for your answer; I'm impressed by Timbernation's stuff...while I also like the look of the Steve Blinn racks, too. Timbernation is more affordable.

Do racks really matter that much? Before you seasoned audiophiles throw me out of the room....do you really hear the difference?

I'm about to spend a chunk of change here, which on my modest budget, is considerable. I'm diving with both feet back into a hobby I loved as a kid, and while most of my system would be mid-fi, it also has some high-end flourishes, too. Just trying to make it sound the best....

I appreciate everyone's insight.

Jeff

That's a tough call as components can be well isolated with proper footings on many kinds of racks but from what I've read and feel, myself, wood is a very good foundation to use, especially maple.

I remember TTs skipping when walking by so it stands to reason that CDPs can be affected as well. Vibrations are just another kind of physical jitter that can be introduced and are not welcome.

The more solid the rack is, the less likely it's going to transmit vibrations to a component and when properly footed, can quickly and efficiently drain and decouple a component. That, and I feel that Timbernation stands are great to look at as well.

I guess it all boils down to what you want and what you're willing to part with.
I know they're not cheap but I've seen racks going for lots more and am not quite convinced they're doing a better job. I've also seen IKEA tables that Srajan uses over at 6moons and they seem to work as well. It all boils down to what you're willing to settle for.

Good luck in your choice.

All the best,
Nonoise