Audio Rack

silvermesa · « **on:** 17 Jan 2011, 04:59 pm »

Hello!

I am considering having a wooden audio rack built to house my recently orderd ava components. I have been reading on the net about resonance. Is this anything to be concerned about when building with wood?

Why are amplifiers in some systems placed on their own stands on the floor? Do they need to be kept away from the other components in the rack?

Feel free to post a photo of your rack of choice.

Thank You!

kgturner · « **Reply #1 on:** 17 Jan 2011, 05:08 pm »

I'm a fan of Core Audio Designs racks, but they can be a little pricey. Most people place mono blocks and amplifiers on their owns stands on the floor for several reasons. Primarily it is for keeping speaker wires runs short, for improved heat dissipation, and sometimes just for aesthetics.

Kevin T

jtwrace · « **Reply #2 on:** 17 Jan 2011, 05:13 pm »

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=89986.0

rcag_ils · « **Reply #3 on:** 17 Jan 2011, 05:34 pm »

After the move, I am also considering a new rack to house all my audio components. Since I am not a big fan of paying high dollars for fancy audio rack that claim will make your equipment sound better. I'll just get a pro audio rack that has an angled frame on top for my reel to reel, then mount my other amp, and preamp below it. My turntable will stay on the Arcici Lead balloon. It'll be cool looking and space saving.

Expensive audio racks won't make your equipment sound any better, with the exception of maybe turntable rack.

Wayner · « **Reply #4 on:** 17 Jan 2011, 05:59 pm »

rcag_ils's points are all valid. There are many claims that certain audio racks reduce unwanted vibrations and there cousins, harmonics. I think that a good equipment rack must meet a few requirements. First, that it actaully hold your equipment securely. That means no warble when the rack is loaded. Also to rcag's point, if you are going to spin vinyl, (usually on the very top shelf), you want the rack to be really warble proof. Next, I like the backs of the racks to be covered, with wireways, so that the rack looks neat and hides all of the interconnects and power cords. It would also be nice if the rack separated the interconnects from the power cords. By the time you load the rack up with equipment, I think it's fair to say that the weight is somewhat of a resonance killer all by it's lonesome.

Leave lots of room for the amp to breath.

Wayner

silvermesa · « **Reply #5 on:** 17 Jan 2011, 10:01 pm »

I am new to audio and at present just have 6 items to place in or on top of a rack (amp, pre amp, dac, cd player, turn table). Do others who have been at this awhile have additional items in your rack? How many spaces should a rack have to handle future expansion if necessary?

Wayner · « **Reply #6 on:** 17 Jan 2011, 10:15 pm »

I have a Sanus rack with 6 shelves. They are all full. Each shelf can accept any 2 components that has a 2U height.

Wayner

rcag_ils · « **Reply #7 on:** 17 Jan 2011, 11:32 pm »

I had a rack with four shelves that I bought at Target store for $100.00. I ended up stacking my preamp, dac, and cd player together on the same shelf. Worked just fine. Tube tuner on it's own shelf because it doesn't have a cover.

Now all my gear are sitting on top of my lp crates that I bought at Ikea for $10.00 a piece. No difference in sound.

I am looking forward to getting my pro rack, I'll post pic then.

I.Greyhound Fan · « **Reply #8 on:** 18 Jan 2011, 12:35 am »

Check this site out for audio racks. I own a six shelf RGR in black with frosted glass. The glass sits on rubber gromets and the metal pillars can be filled with sand. Its a great rack with a decent wire management system. The top and bottom shelfs can hold 150lbs each while the middle shelfs hold 60#'s each. I paid $275 from an online store with free shipping.

http://www.audio-video-furniture.com/Audio-Racks--C31.htm

JLM · « **Reply #9 on:** 18 Jan 2011, 12:38 am »

Resonance is only a concern if the music gets really, really loud.

Increased pressure of the feet onto the floor (small points/feet, increased weight) helps couple the rack to the floor. This is good if the floor is solid (like a concrete slab) and bad if its bouncy or has a resonant space underneath. With solid floors I recommend trying pointy footers under components. With bouncy/resonant floors I recommend trying to float the components (or cantilevering shelves off the walls).

That's the theory. The only problems I've ever had have been with turntables on bouncy floors. To avoid the high cost of audio racks, I use Ikea. For my small system the nightstand I use cost $30.

Listens2tubes · « **Reply #10 on:** 18 Jan 2011, 01:02 am »

Quote from: I.Greyhound Fan on 18 Jan 2011, 12:35 am

Check this site out for audio racks. I own a six shelf RGR in black with frosted glass. The glass sits on rubber gromets and the metal pillars can be filled with sand. Its a great rack with a decent wire management system. The top and bottom shelfs can hold 150lbs each while the middle shelfs hold 60#'s each. I paid $275 from an online store with free shipping.

http://www.audio-video-furniture.com/Audio-Racks--C31.htm

This is a topic that comes up fairly often in my audio club. I will share this link with the membership. Thanks G Fan

Wayner · « **Reply #11 on:** 18 Jan 2011, 01:18 pm »

I can recommend Sanus. They are well built and a great value (fit and finish). Here is mine.

Wayner

rcag_ils · « **Reply #12 on:** 18 Jan 2011, 06:39 pm »

Frank's Ultra550 amp is going to be a problem for rack mounting for me, it's 7 1/2 in height, and I only have a U3 rack shelf which is 5 1/4" in height.

I.Greyhound Fan · « **Reply #13 on:** 18 Jan 2011, 07:07 pm »

Quote from: Listens2tubes on 18 Jan 2011, 01:02 am

This is a topic that comes up fairly often in my audio club. I will share this link with the membership. Thanks G Fan

Here's the main manufacturer link for the VTI racks that I meant to post-

http://www.vtimanufacturing.com/Audio%20racks%20&%20AV%20stands.htm

There are quite a few more racks on this site. You can get these racks with wheels it you like to be able to move them around for cleaning.

They also sell reasonably priced speaker stands and TV stands.

rcag_ils · « **Reply #14 on:** 18 Jan 2011, 10:40 pm »

Those racks at the website are too wide, they may actually interfere with speakers placement. These are my personal rules for audio rack.

1. I don't like audio components to be placed between the speakers, even they offer the shortest speaker cable length, because I don't like the look, and I want to be able to walk right up to the wall and look at whatever cool paintings that are hanged there.

2. I don't like a big TV between speakers, it's too distracting for one to enjoy the music. If I want good loud sound in a movie, I'd go watch it in a movie theatre.

3. I want my gear to be tugged away from the room, so it won't take away the look of the room. All room configurations are different, so it's hard to make it work sometime.

martyo · « **Reply #15 on:** 18 Jan 2011, 11:37 pm »

Quote from: rcag_ils on 18 Jan 2011, 10:40 pm

Those racks at the website are too wide, they may actually interfere with speakers placement. These are my personal rules for audio rack.

1. I don't like audio components to be placed between the speakers, even they offer the shortest speaker cable length, because I don't like the look, and I want to be able to walk right up to the wall and look at whatever cool painting that are hanged there.

2. I don't like a big TV between speakers, it to distracting for one to enjoy the music.

3. I want my gear to be tugged away from the room, so it won't take away the look of the room. All room configurations are different, so it's hard to make it work.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words sooooo here is my perfect example of what you don't care for:

It sounded as if you were describing my set-up except our TV isn't that big.

My wife is way cool, this is our family room.

rcag_ils · « **Reply #16 on:** 19 Jan 2011, 12:10 am »

Sometimes you can judge the sound from the look of the system placement. I have never been to your house, of course. But from the way it looks in the picture, if your sofa, or chair is right in front of that rug, then the sound would have a hole in the middle. You are wasting the potential of that Salk speakers.

martyo · « **Reply #17 on:** 19 Jan 2011, 12:53 am »

No. The rug is not in the center of the room. Speakers are 8-1/2' apart, I'm sitting 12' back. No hole.

Art_Chicago · « **Reply #18 on:** 19 Jan 2011, 04:06 am »

Quote from: rcag_ils on 19 Jan 2011, 12:10 am

Sometimes you can judge the sound from the look of the system placement. I have never been to your house, of course. But from the way it looks in the picture, if your sofa, or chair is right in front of that rug, then the sound would have a hole in the middle. You are wasting the potential of that Salk speakers.

rcag_ils, you are incredible! You do not have any idea what the dimensions of the room are, and yet you come up with a conclusion that martyo is "wasting the potential of the Salk speakers".

Wayner · « **Reply #19 on:** 19 Jan 2011, 12:57 pm »

Careful placement of speakers in relationship to rack and TV in Marty and my case results in a totally un-broken left to right sound stage. Nothing in-between the speakers goes past the front of them, therefore, there is no interference. Speakers project almost all of their energy outward, not at 90° to the drivers, where most speakers have poor off-axis response.

Wayner