[Strut]

I know there is probably already a thread dedicated to this subject, but as I am new to the group and as such unworthy of employing the search feature you'll have to bear with me.   I recently saw the light and took my electronic components out of the 2001 A Space Odyssey Monolith they had been living in and the expansion of the sound stage is amazing.  Now however, I have all the components sitting on the floor between my speakers and want to remedy the situation.  With the help of a friend who has a full machine shop I plan to build a new "low and wide" shelf over the summer, but for now I'd just like something temporary to get them off the floor.  I've looked at the Pangea Vulcan for $ 130.00 on Amazon which I'm sure is more of a compromise than many here would be willing to make.  Does anyone have a better suggestion for under $ 200.00?  I only really need three shelves and would like to keep the entire assemblage under 30" or so.

[TrungT]

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=27678


Easy customized.

[Doublej]

I don't know if it's better but it's another option.

https://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=SMA3

[Strut]

I don't know if it's better but it's another option.

https://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=SMA3

Thanks!  I found those as well and was trying to avoid spending the extra, but realized once I looked at the photos in the link you sent that I could upgrade the shelves with much thicker material down the road.  I'm not sold on the rubber feet, but perhaps my machinist friend can drill and tap the bottoms to make room for an aftermarket set of spikes!

[Doublej]

For ~$50 you can create a three shelf ivar rack from Ikea.

[Early B.]

The Pangea Vulcan is a great option.

[Bob Stark]

strut,

I have a Cambre rack with 3 shelves that I am no longer using.  It has spaces already custom made for the components.  It sounds very good compared to 2" thick maple or oak shelving.  There are grooves cut into the underside of each shelf that is supposed to make it sound better.  It has adjustable spikes on the bottom of each of the 4 support poles.  The poles are filled with silica sand.  There is some thought to the design.  If you were interested, you could see it.  Sorry, there are no boxes left.  It would have to be local pick-up in the SW suburbs of Chicago.  The price would be well under your needed price.

Bob

[Elizabeth]

Just to mention.. One other solution is the use a rack with cheap shelves.. and add on (later) butcher blocks on the shelves.
I have metal and glass shelving, I added butcher blocks under the equipment on all shelves. An improvement in tone followed.

[Letitroll98]

The cheapest temporary shelving, especially if you want a low boy eventually, is to go to HD or Lowe's and have them cut a piece of plywood whatever size you like and mount it on a couple of 2x4s cut to size.  Throw a tablecloth or sheet over it if you have waf issues.

[mhconley]

The Pangea Vulcan is a great option.

https://www.audioadvisor.com/mobile/prodinfo.asp?number=PGVULRK&variation=EC

[srs148]

Another option to explore is searching craigslist for the Salamander Archetype stand.  I found two online - one for $100 and another for $75.  Great, flexible, and easily rollable for access to the rear of components.

[mcgsxr]

The Flexi rack could be a good DIY option too.  I use 2 of them, 1 for nearly 30 years now.

[JLM]

Welcome to AC!

Glad you realize that anything between the main speakers will block the soundstage.  I always had small/simple systems and for years it all fit in/on a 20"w x 16"d x 21"h Ikea nightstand that had two shelves (no longer available) to just reduce the blockage impact.  But down scaled my system further so that it would fit on a single spiked shelf resting on the floor and it opened up the soundstage all the more.  Decades ago purists would use similar, called amp stands, one per component. 

Most suggest constructing the rack of high mass, acoustically dead material and many point to making racks from thick pieces of maple as being the ideal.  Timbernation is a source for such and can supply custom built racks of almost any configuration.  I'm a satisfied customer of theirs.

[rollo]

  If you have the floor space consider a solid core wood door [18"W] resting on spikes. Depending on distance to speakers speaker cable may need to be longer. You can still locate components on front wall [ floor] as they would be not much to interfere with sound.


charles

[xsb7244]

You should look at Husky or Gladiator garage storage shelves at Home Depot.  Big bang for the buck.

[sunnydaze]

Maybe you can buy 3 boards like this?







Then get some threaded rods and nuts and assemble a flexy rack.  Or if you prefer low, lay them out horizontally with bricks, cinder blocks, wood blocks (or whatever) underneath.

They are not traditional maple butcher block.  I believe it is rubber wood.

https://www.google.com/search?q=what+is+rubber+wood&rlz=1C1CHZL_enUS813US813&oq=what+is+rubber+wood&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l7.5499j0j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

I use it throughout my rig and am happy with it.  It is hard, heavy and dense and the quality is better than photos suggest -- sanded smooth with rounded edges and perfectly flat and square.  It takes stain and finishing coat well.

I bought the 18 x 24 by 1 3/4 here and with shipping paid under $50 each.

https://www.katom.com/080-WCB1824.html

Good thing about these is that when you do get your ultimate rack these do not go to waste.  You can use them under gear for mass and isolation / vibration control.