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AV Racks. What difference does it make?

Im not sure i understand what difference your rack could possibly have.

I understand everybody here seems to feel that reducing all sorts of vibrations is important as well.

How is that? its not like 1's and 0's get rattled off the circuit board by vibrations

Whats the point in a better rack? What is a better rack? And how does a $1,500.00 rack make anything sound better? I mean, technically, in depth, can anybody explain this phenominon?

Sounds like a buncha horse pucky to me. Kinda like the kinds new clothing.

Does anybody have a theory of how one AV rack can sound different than another? And dont give me any of that room accoustics stuff, i dont see people talking about which sitting chair is best for sound!!!! :)

"I found that wearing wingtips and khaki shorts really opened the soundstage compared to my nikes and TH bluejeans."

I have a good understanding of electronics and accoustics, but i cannot imagine any way a rack could make a difference.
What is the theory of how a Maplewood rack might sound better than an oak for example?

Do you all use racks and isolation pods at the same time?
slappy
eldartford
4,262 posts
 
A good solid support for the turntable, and perhaps the CD player is obviously a good idea. The notion that it needs to be "designed" in some exotic way, and cost more than any good piece of furniture is ridiculous.
slappy OP
903 posts
 
Thanks for all the responses! Thats what i love about this place, if there is something i dont understand and ask about, i get some very educated and well put together responses.
vectorman67
42 posts
 
Also keep in mind that while 1's and 0's may not get rattled off the circuit board as you jested above, unwanted vibrations can increase the number of 1's and 0's that are missed, or inaccurately read, either by a transport's laser, or a DAC's processors. Now, of course, with today's technology, many of those missed 1's and 0's may be reinterpolated, and compensated with 'error correction' algorithms... but in the end, these are only substitutes. The more you can keep to the original information on the CD (or LP for that matter), the better. Ultimately, isn't that what we're all striving for?
eldartford
4,262 posts
 
Vectorman67....A slight correction...Error "correction" does not interpolate data points. It recovers the original data values through processing of the redundancy in the data stream. Hence, error correction is not undesirable. In fact, to transmit a maximum amount of information the hardware should be operated at so high a frequency that correctable errors do occur. The error correction process permits this...if the hardware had to operate without any errors it would have to be run much slower.

Of course, at some point errors occur so frequently that the original data values cannot be recovered. When that happens, interpolation is used. If things get really bad, the machine gives up and quits.
twl
3,251 posts
 
The vibrations do affect the quality of the sound you hear. How your gear and the stand it's on handle these vibrations will affect how your ultimate sound comes out. You may not realize or even hear this in your system, but I assure you that some people do hear it in their more revealing systems.

Wire is wire, racks are racks, nothing makes any difference, and other nonsense is pervading this site, and making a mockery of this entire hobby. Perhaps you should ask yourself why every top level system on this website has a performance audio rack or stand system, and why these well-respected and knowledgable audiophiles would waste their money on something that they think doesn't work. I think you are a little too green in this hobby to be doing alot of implying that the experienced people don't know what they are doing. You want an answer, do some research.
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