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Audio Racks, Just How beneficial? looking for guidance in upgrading

Greetings all. Looking for guidance and your experience in racks & shelves for the ’sweet spot’ and upgrading. Do you find that applying a percentage of your total system’s value of perhaps 5% or even 10% is a good metric? Do you folks find that some of the leading Audio Rack companies, like HRS, CMS for ex., which seem great but is it beneficial to warrant spending well over $15k , $10k + or $5K on vibration isolation for a mid level system. Racks are really hard to demo; I’m reaching out to Audiogon community.

I’m trying to get my arms around some of the price points and the cost/benefits.
Anyone find wood is sonically better?
Doesn’t seem to be that much between A/V furniture manufactures and the better companies. Prefer a Modular approach like Bassoconuinuo- (anyone have it? I haven’t priced it yet.) or adjustable shelves. (not that keen on Solid Steel).
I need 6 shelves including top for turntable.
Currently have a BDI with glass shelves; using still points, or BDR cones, maple butcher blocks. Yes, I know the glass shelves...have to go.
Thanks!

blue_strat

Showing 1 response by whart

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whart
2,972 posts
 

Here are some off-hand observations: the market developed for racks which provide isolation and those can get pricey. Not dissing them, it is one choice. 

The alternative is to use basic, substantial racks of some sort and do the isolation part with commercial or DIY products.

I've owned a lot of stuff over the years: Finite Elements, Adona, Billy Bags, Grand Prix Monaco (which requires you to replace the sorbothane pucks periodically) and others.  I've owned the Grand Prix stuff since the aughts, a rack for gear, with carbon fibre shelves and apex footers (also on my speakers), as well as a home made rack for the digital side (constrained layer damping) and a rack for the turntable made for Minus K, which is welded steel with a phenolic top. 

If I were starting from scratch, and on a budget, I would look for substantial racks that allow you to mass load them. And deal with isolation by experimenting. I use Stillpoints for some stuff and other stuff dependent on the Grand Prix stands/racks. 

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