Is it bad to stack your equipment

There are many issues in play, but yes, it is bad to stack. Some pieces of gear are very sensetive to electrical fields, and some pieces of gear throw out a big electrical field.

Amplifiers can interfere with CDPs and pre-amps. Racks can be made cheaply (you get what you pay for though) but better racks (read: more expensive) do a better job of stabilizing and islolating/coupling gear.

Some people go to great lengths and costs to seperate gear, and the results are worth the effort IMO.

If you're able to do easy woodwork consider building a diy Salamander clone rack. They easy to build if you're handy at all. The beauty though is that you can design it anyway you need and the shelves are always adjustable as equipment changes. Also they're very strong.

What Nrchy said above is a good reason to avoid stacking. Also the better you can get rid of the heat the more reliable your electronics will be assuming you keep them for years which many of us don't.

The answer is a resounding yes. Not just from a sonic stand point but heat is a silicon killer. There are multiple threads on heat and what it does to equipment or to leave it on or not to leave it on that you can research.

Michael

One big issue with stacking involves components with torroidal transformers inside. Those are the round donought things. Picture this and you'll understand:

A torroidal projects through the hole in its middle. Kind of like a javeline top and bottom through the hole, for quite a good distance actually. If the torroidal is lying flat, then anything stacked above or below it has this javeline like electro-magnetic projectile shooting through it.

Shielding helps, but doesn't necessarily get rid of all of it.

Enjoy,
Bob