Confusion about "high-end" racks

Apopira2, you are correct that there are substantial differences in basic concepts between the various racks. Basically your choice is tightly grounding to the earth or isolating your components. Isolation generally means making a choice about your lowest effect isolation frequency. Tight grounding seldom means driving a 10 inch I bar into the Earth twenty feet, but at best anything that shakes the Earth even locally will be transmitted into your system.

I have nothing to recommend other than trial and error to find what you like best. I must say that if I could afford to have Halcyonic isolation bases under all my components, I would. It removes motions from above as well as from below.

Yeah, im really confused now. Im just starting out and am getting some Mcintosh, 2-mc 275 which will go on the floor(amp stands???) c-220, and am going to get a nice turntable (2k range) not sure which yet? and I thought I was doing good picking out a BDI rack!!! Didn't order it yet! So now I'm looking at the racks you guys recommended and man they are nice, pretty costly though!!! I do like the Audiav racks.. I just dont want any interference to my turntable!!! hate that...

I use the Copulare racks hand made in Germany. I thought about all of the issues already mentioned here, vibration control, weight support, aesthetics etc. I realized that the only choice was that something that would at least dampen the electronics, mostly tube gear and be pleasant to look at as well. The Finite Element and SRA's were on my list. The sound of each rack combination would have certainly been different, the finite element with massive damped wood and braced, the SRA with mystery damping stuff made to order for the exact size equipment to be used and the Copulare made to order also with exact measurements, but a little more spare room to move other components. In the end, location and convenience led me to my choice, besides a personal visit to my house by Mr. Copulare himself. The effect over what I was using was night and day, made me realize that my cables were fine, it was my old rack sucking the life out of the equipment.

I think that the rack itself can be used as a tuned device just like cables and acoustic couplers. This makes the decision harder because you need something that will both sound right and integrate into your current household.
Ciao,
Audioquest4life

Chiroman, I had the good fortune to have been in audio since some cinderblocks and long pine boards was considered an adequate equipment rack. I remember how much my turntable improved when I put a jack on the rafters below the turntable. I remember taking tennis balls and slitting them along the seam in furniture casters with a marble shelf under my turntable which help with footfalls as I approached but ruined the bass. I remember being impressed with the first TipToes of aluminum.

I still retain the Mana stands that I bought 15 years ago, but I think their top shelf can be greatly improved, such as by adding a Neuance shelf or an Acapella base.

All that I can advise is that you will not keep whatever rack you buy indefinitely and that which you choose will interact with your turntable. I would seek an American made rack right now as the dollars value is vanishing, especially relative to the Euro and Pound.

Going on the assumption that very few people have done a/b comparisons...if I was gonna spend the dough we're talking here I would want it to support anything I threw at it, And, look good doing it, HRS ;http://www.avisolation.com/
Now if I aligned myself with Pbb, which is more likely the case, budgetary considerations, I like Adona; will support 300 pounds, looks good, modular construction provides infinite set up options, and even has the cache of granite/MDF laminate shelving at a very reasonable price, my 2 cents.