Audio Racks

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chgolatin2

Audio Racks
« on: 16 Apr 2007, 08:00 am »
Hello, looking to upgrade my component rack.  I have a nice audio/video rack however it is not made for high end gear.  It looks nice but thats about it, too much glass and beautiful looks but it shakes like crazy and the rack is especially made for my huge tv.  I have looked into Usher wood rack and Salamander type racks.  My budget is between $200 and $500 not looking for an MDF type rack I would like to get something with good vibration isolation control, wood and something that will fit my decor.  So far I have a I have an integrated tube amp, tube cd player and a TT. 

My video components will be housed separately from my audio compononets.  Looking forward to some good recommendations.  Thanks in advance!


JLM

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Re: Audio Racks
« Reply #1 on: 16 Apr 2007, 08:49 am »
Seems like what you're looking for is an enclosed equipment cabinet, not a rack per se.  Tubes are probelmatic when it comes to vibrations.  They are particularly susceptible to airborne vibrations and microphonics.  An enclosed cabinet would help with airborne vibrations but keep the need for cooling in mind too.  Depending on your taste, that could make your budget tough to hold to.  What is your decor?


my 2 cents:

1.  Isolate yourself from the world as best you can, this will allow you to hear more at lower sound pressure levels (spls).  Lower spls mean less airborne and self induced vibrations.

2.  If you listen loud (BTW extended exposure to 85 dB or more will result in permanent hearing loss or possibly worse) consider enclosing your equipment or moving as many components as possible to another room.

3.  For soft (wooden) floors use soft supports (pillows, air bladders) or consider using brackets that are secured to the walls (if the walls are stiff).

4.  Use heavy/coupled supports on concrete slab floors.

5.  Devices that behave differently vertically than horizontally (like flexi-racks or roller balls) make no sense and removing covers is counterproductive in terms of vibration control.


Personally I keep the spls down and use a small $30 Ikea "Corras" nightstand for my simple system.  My well isolated dedicated listening room has a concrete slab, so I left the rollers off the bottom of my "rack" so that the posts that the rollers attach to are allowed to act to some degree like spikes.  I then use a 2nd matching nightstand as a side table at my listening chair that allows me to add a 4th shelf if needed in the future.  In total a $90 and one hour investment.  The "rack" elevates the controls for my convenience, permits short cable runs, and stays unobtrusive for imaging/soundstaging.

See my recent related post elsewhere. 

Bigfish

Re: Audio Racks
« Reply #2 on: 16 Apr 2007, 01:27 pm »
Take a look at the racks at www.corefurniture.com.  I purchased two of the amp stands and have two of the three shelf rack(stands) on order.  All of the furniture is produced from black walnut and Arnold is a first class guy to deal with.

Good Luck,

Ken

ohenry

Re: Audio Racks
« Reply #3 on: 16 Apr 2007, 02:02 pm »
Take a look at the racks at www.corefurniture.com.  I purchased two of the amp stands and have two of the three shelf rack(stands) on order.  All of the furniture is produced from black walnut and Arnold is a first class guy to deal with.

Good Luck,

Ken

Those LP racks look very nice as well. aa

TomS

Re: Audio Racks
« Reply #4 on: 16 Apr 2007, 02:06 pm »
Take a look at the racks at www.corefurniture.com.  I purchased two of the amp stands and have two of the three shelf rack(stands) on order.  All of the furniture is produced from black walnut and Arnold is a first class guy to deal with.

Good Luck,

Ken
Can you share the approx price range for the amp stands?

Bigfish

Re: Audio Racks
« Reply #5 on: 16 Apr 2007, 03:05 pm »
Tom,

The Core Furniture Amp Stands are $349.00.  I believe Arnold told me they will support up to 300lbs.

Ken

gooberdude

Re: Audio Racks
« Reply #6 on: 16 Apr 2007, 03:34 pm »
Try and get a separate floor mount for your Jolida tube amp.  Since its got a remote control, no need to have it by your other gear.  those huge transformers should not be on a rack shared with other equipment.

having your amp and your new TT on the same shelf would be audio suicide!

A decent $40 maple cutting board (flat grain) + a set of isoblocks would run about $65 for a fantastic amp stand.




chgolatin2

Re: Audio Racks
« Reply #7 on: 17 Apr 2007, 04:30 am »
Matt, your right.  I have been thinking of separating my amp for a while.  Possibly getting a floor amp stand for it should suffice, everything else needs to be on a rack especially my cd players and tt. 

dorokusai

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Re: Audio Racks
« Reply #8 on: 18 Apr 2007, 01:42 am »
www.adonacorporation.com

If you can describe it, he can build it.

Mark