Audio rack suggestion
- Thread starter leyenda
- Start date
depending on budget, i went around to a few custom cabinet makers and had one made for a (small) fraction of the high-end stuff...the cabinet maker is a big-time audiophile. 3" solid birch ply, 1" solid slab of slate, etc...totally finished in piano gloss finish of african sapele dark black/brown.
Aesthetics is also a preference. Most audio racks have a "high-tech" appearance, I prefer a more sober approach. The new Finite Elemente pagode special edition with hard wood finish looks gorgeous, but very expensive.
I recently got a Zoethecus (as far as I know, it is not manufactured any more) for a second system at a discounted price.It looks solid and the wood and finishes are of high quality. Sometimes you can get them at audiogon for nice prices.
You may want to consider the Adona Racks. They have a fine collection of racks that can be made to order. They have many series from which to select and their best selling and more spartan series is the Signature Series which are the racks that I use. The signature series (as well as the others) include solid columns or stackable sections. The racks are available in different colors and as I say different series and costs; they all offer isolation for each shelf and offer the same isolation and sound reproduction.
Here is a link to their website:
http://www.adonacorporation.com/products.html
Rich
Here is a link to their website:
http://www.adonacorporation.com/products.html
Rich
Depending on your taste you may like the racks from pARTicular. They have a very modern design style, perform well and have won some design awards.
http://www.particular.com/
http://www.particular.com/
Steve williams
Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
It would help a lot if you could tell us more about your interior decor thematic. There are so many good looking racks that can still stick out like sore thumbs in the wrong setting. 
http://www.avisolation.com/
The SXR rack looks a bit industrial, but they really do improve the sound.
The MXR hold the same shelves as the SXR, but are beautiful to look at.
These racks are expensive, but well worth every penny IMHO.
The SXR rack looks a bit industrial, but they really do improve the sound.
The MXR hold the same shelves as the SXR, but are beautiful to look at.
These racks are expensive, but well worth every penny IMHO.
Steve williams
Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
I am going to have a local carpenter make me one similar to Box Furniture Company's.
They are really, really nice looking and functional.
They are really, really nice looking and functional.
Thanks for all the suggestions guys. I really like the Finite Element design and they look stunning in real life, but unfortunately the price is not friendly enough. My preference is to have some wood, preferably maple, incorporated in the design. Basically something like the Finite Element or Solid Tech.
Great idea. Would you be willing to share the plans the cabinet maker used when he built yours?
Sure...i PM'd them to Leyenda, but was not sure if people wanted to be bored by a buncha construction nums. So here goes. Pretty simple. It is a rack with bottom, top and sides...but open back and open front. It is 57" long by 38" tall and 24" deep. It has one shelf (permanent...its already fixed into the sides). The top, sides and shelf are all 2.5" thick (in retrospect 3"+ would have been even better). The bottom is a full 3.5" thick. Entirely made of birch ply. The entire rack sits (completely unattached, fixed or glued) to a 1.5" thick slab of slate that then rests directly on the floor. The slab is about 48" long by 20" deep. i used to have my DD18 velodyne 3 feet away...and no vibration on this shelf even when cranking rap or action movies.
The entire rack is then veneerd with African sapele (like a butterly) and piano-lacquered so as to show off the dark brown/black african sapele. It looks nice, very solid and if i ever go with HRS or something, i have a beautiful piece of furniture to display things, use in dining room, etc.
hope that's clear.
The entire rack is then veneerd with African sapele (like a butterly) and piano-lacquered so as to show off the dark brown/black african sapele. It looks nice, very solid and if i ever go with HRS or something, i have a beautiful piece of furniture to display things, use in dining room, etc.
hope that's clear.
oh...and all the wood was bolted together with 2 or 3 8"-10" steel rods per side...running through each of the sides, top and middle shelf. the steel rods were countersunk so the rack (after african sapele) is perfectly flush on all sides.
also, on the underside of the middle shelf, they installed 3/4" thick slanted "louvers" to draw the heat from my amp out from under the shelf. You cannot see it because the slant is gradual, unless you get down on your knees to look underneath...but it really works. I own a Gryphon Pure Class A SS 100w/channel amp...the thing is a furnace. the louvers help.
Warning: this rack weighs a ton and took 3-4 guys to carry it in.
also, on the underside of the middle shelf, they installed 3/4" thick slanted "louvers" to draw the heat from my amp out from under the shelf. You cannot see it because the slant is gradual, unless you get down on your knees to look underneath...but it really works. I own a Gryphon Pure Class A SS 100w/channel amp...the thing is a furnace. the louvers help.
Warning: this rack weighs a ton and took 3-4 guys to carry it in.
First let me say that I own Wave Kinetics. It is a company that makes isolation products.
Most of my customers have had top name extremely expensive racks like Grand Prix Audio, Silent Running Audio, etc. They replaced these racks with inexpensive good looking furniture that is both rigid and has mass and use our A10-U8s under their components. They are all much happier with the results.
The problem I have with companies like those mentioned is they charge a small fortune for their racks and then tell you that you need to by an expensive separate shelf or footers or in some case both for each component you own. I think this is ridiculous.
Sure, I would be happy to sell more of the A10-U8s, but the point of this post is not to limit yourself to the thought of a component rack. Whether you believe in the philosophy we have or that of another company, I think you should keep an open mind and look at some alternatives you might find better and more affordable at the same time.
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