Which rack do you use with your components?

tjwm338

Well-Known Member
Mar 16, 2014
29
3
298
Hi everyone,

Am looking at equipment racks and I must say that there is a lot in terms of selection.

Just wanted to ask what do you guys use that is worth considering?

Also, do you place your component racks right up at the front or to your left or right side? Will there be a difference between front placement and side placements?

The largest component that I currently have is the Esoteric P-0 - which requires a whopping 53cm depth (including cable depth).

Do you know of any that will fit the bill? Or what would you recommend in terms of placement of the P-0?

Thanks in advance!

tj
 

Barry2013

VIP/Donor
Oct 12, 2013
2,305
487
418
Essex UK
I've been using Naim Fraim since my earlier days with Naim amplification.
I'll probably change them before too long as they are not deep enough but they do look nice.
I'm looking at the Entreq Athena and I'll be receiving some shortly. Their shelves are 50cms deep so probably not as deep as you would ideally like, but you may like to look at them at Entreq.com.
You need to make some allowances for the English but I certainly find them interesting
 

microstrip

VIP/Donor
May 30, 2010
20,806
4,698
2,790
Portugal
I switched to Critical Mass Systems this year and have been very happy with the sonic benefits

Although I have no experience with Critical Mass Systems, I appreciate their literature and concepts. CMS clearly assume they are not isolation systems, but that their systems manage the flow of vibration INTO and OUT the component. Surely complete isolation makes a component sound different, but does it make it sound better or as the designer intended it to sound?

What type of CMS rack are you using?
 

JackD201

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
12,308
1,425
1,820
Manila, Philippines
CMS here too. Black Diamond for the amplifiers and Black Platinum for everything else.
 

microstrip

VIP/Donor
May 30, 2010
20,806
4,698
2,790
Portugal
I am using the Finite-Elemente Pagode Master Reference HD07 for the electronics, although I sit the power amplifiers directly on the floor (or on a non-audiophile approved rubber wheeled platform if they are very heavy or just for a quick listening). At the time I selected it I found it made a significant improvement with my cj equipment compared to the very robust Zoethecus rack I am still using for the turntable system.
 

spazmatron

Banned
Dec 4, 2015
190
0
0
Somerset, uk
i use the Audiophile Base QuattraBase with their top level platforms, i have swapped the spikes out though for oyaide carbon things. dont like spikes. i also have it sat on a giant bamboo plinth that has black ravioli pads underneath it.
 

tjwm338

Well-Known Member
Mar 16, 2014
29
3
298
Wow. Thanks for all your input! Will definitely check all your suggestions out.

By the way, how do you all feel about having a component rack that is wheeled? I thought of this idea as there are times (very seldom) when I may have to shift the entire rack, and it makes it all the more easier to move it when its wheeled.

But I also realise that most component racks are not wheeled. Is there a particular reason why? Thanks!

TJ
 

Steve Williams

Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
Although I have no experience with Critical Mass Systems, I appreciate their literature and concepts. CMS clearly assume they are not isolation systems, but that their systems manage the flow of vibration INTO and OUT the component. Surely complete isolation makes a component sound different, but does it make it sound better or as the designer intended it to sound?

What type of CMS rack are you using?

CMS here too. Black Diamond for the amplifiers and Black Platinum for everything else.

Thanks to my good friend JackD201 who turned me onto these racks. Like Jack I use Black Diamond for my turntable and amps and Black Platinum for everything else. I believe Joe has a lot of science behind his racks and he has a double patent on the technology. He doesn't call them shelves but rather each one he calls an instrument
 

bonzo75

Member Sponsor
Feb 26, 2014
22,442
13,471
2,710
London
Best is to use a normal wooden rack and put shun mook diamond resonators under the components.
 

treitz3

Super Moderator
Staff member
Dec 25, 2011
5,459
961
1,290
The tube lair in beautiful Rock Hill, SC
Hello, tjwm338 and please allow me to offer you a warm welcome to the What's Best Forum if I haven't done so already. I use an Empire rack but I'll be honest, it's more for looks than sound. It did improve the sound a bit due to the openness (sound reflecting off) compared to my previous rack but I really need to get it out from in between the speakers and get a serious rack.

I wouldn't recommend a wheeled rack. They are great for convenience but that's about it. ;)

Tom
 

sbo6

VIP/Donor
May 18, 2014
1,660
593
480
Round Rock, TX
I have the Esoteric D-03 which is also quite deep. I ended up with a DIY rack made of 1 1/2" Baltic Birch (high grade) plywood. Also 2x WRT a rack on wheels being a no-no..
 

rockitman

Member Sponsor
Sep 20, 2011
7,097
412
1,210
Northern NY
So what is the most rigid rack from a horizontal torsion standpoint ? In other words which rack cannot sway a bit from side to side when you push on it ? I have yet to see an audio rack pass that test. I am looking for one.
 

MadFloyd

Member Sponsor
May 30, 2010
3,076
774
1,700
Mass
Best is to use a normal wooden rack and put shun mook diamond resonators under the components.

What do they do to the sound, Ked?
 

LL21

Well-Known Member
Dec 26, 2010
14,411
2,509
1,448
So what is the most rigid rack from a horizontal torsion standpoint ? In other words which rack cannot sway a bit from side to side when you push on it ? I have yet to see an audio rack pass that test. I am looking for one.

Well, i am sure many criteria are required, but my own rack was built by a cabinet maker who is a also an avid audiophile. 3-4 thick birch ply for all shelves (and sides) with 12 inch steel bolts that run through the pieces...400lbs in weight and then it sits on top of a 1" thick slab of slate...he veneered the whole thing to a piano gloss finish with African Sapele, book matched. It definitely does not sway! With a towel on top, we've had a few contractors standing on top to affix mouldings and paint while we're under renovation!

nevertheless, every component on there is in its own isolation sandwich anyway...HRS M3X racks or Stillpoints Ultra 5s underneath...and on top a combination of HRS and Artesania plates, sometimes with additional weight on top.

nothing sways and i like the sound (or lack thereof)
 

Steve Williams

Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
So what is the most rigid rack from a horizontal torsion standpoint ? In other words which rack cannot sway a bit from side to side when you push on it ? I have yet to see an audio rack pass that test. I am looking for one.

Mine doesn't and its a 4 level. But certainly that is what I see as I bet even mine would benefit from a Herzan to correct motion we can't see
 

bonzo75

Member Sponsor
Feb 26, 2014
22,442
13,471
2,710
London
What do they do to the sound, Ked?

Hi Ian, best to get a demo set of giant diamond resonators from cable co and try them out. Or ask Greg baron, whose UHA tape deck us customized in a big way with shun mooks, he even gets spatial things made for them. Even guys.like ddk who don't believe in tweaks and cables totally respect the mooks. Audiophile Bill, BruceD, Harlequin, Audiocrack and adyc are using them. Get one set foot demo and try it on your pre or dac first, and your phono.

I don't want to describe what they sound like because that wouldn't do it justice. They are my favorite thing in hifi. There are options for all other things, some pluses and minuses, at different price points. This is one thing that ain't changing in my system
 

About us

  • What’s Best Forum is THE forum for high end audio, product reviews, advice and sharing experiences on the best of everything else. This is THE place where audiophiles and audio companies discuss vintage, contemporary and new audio products, music servers, music streamers, computer audio, digital-to-analog converters, turntables, phono stages, cartridges, reel-to-reel tape machines, speakers, headphones and tube and solid-state amplification. Founded in 2010 What’s Best Forum invites intelligent and courteous people of all interests and backgrounds to describe and discuss the best of everything. From beginners to life-long hobbyists to industry professionals, we enjoy learning about new things and meeting new people, and participating in spirited debates.

Quick Navigation

User Menu

Steve Williams
Site Founder | Site Owner | Administrator
Ron Resnick
Site Co-Owner | Administrator
Julian (The Fixer)
Website Build | Marketing Managersing