Best Componet rack for large Tube Amps


I just took delivery of my new VAC 140's......and they are heavy...95lbs ea. These amps have me reconfiguring my listening area....so i need a new amp rack that will hold 4 amps. Total weight will be about 350lbs and the shelf size must be at least 18x18. The one concern I have is heat and space for adequate ventilation as well as build quality and sonic performance. I have looked at several racks and right now I'm leaning to a Mapleshade Samson V2 with 4" shelves. I'm sure there are others and my budget is a 1800+ or minus. I need recomendations as this is the only thing from me and some great sound.
wavetrader
If your worry is ventilation, have you considered open designs such as "Spider" by Finite Elemente or "Rack Of Silence" by Solid Tech?

Whereas I don't know the Rack Of Silence from my own experience, I have come to appreciate greatly the Spider's incredible versatility with regard to height and depth, not to mention the ease to work with cables in these racks. You'll find a configurator tool on their website. 95 lb per platform is not remotely an issue. If your gear does not allow to position it on the resonance dampers or Ceraballs directly, shelves are offered in all measures (or you can use another brand or custom made shelves, of course; as a matter of fact, I'm even using an SRA Ohio platform in combination with the Spider). Sonically, the basic equipment performs impeccably, airy and neutral, very much the way it looks actually. The Ceraballs offer more subtle detail, quietness and a better overall image, but lighter gear may show a tendency of shifting around on their small, smoother surface (not an issue at lb 95 I'd think)
http://www.finite-elemente.de/en/products/spider

One caveat, whereas you'd be alright with your budget in Europe, I don't know how much these racks cost in the USA, sorry about that.

Good luck!
Contact Valleyplastic (Audiogon member) and have him build you a custom acrylic rack. He use to have some advertised on this site however I don’t know if the ads expired.
Boltz sells modular component racks that are built like a tank. I think they are rated for at least 350 lbs. Just get the 14" spacing between shelves to provided adequate breathing room for your tube amps.

Another option is Michael Green Justarack. It's built with 1.5" MDF and 3/4" metal allthreads.

Michael