I have to agree with the Lovan assessment...
I believe I purchased the same rack Kal is speaking of(Pyramid). I use it for my fiance's system. It was bought at an unbelievable sale, way less than 50% of retail. It seemed that Lovan was doing that a lot last year.
I was astonished to see the poor construction, ala the AWFUL alignment of the legs. Plumb they are not. Nor even close. The rack IS usable, but I do expect a rack that retails for $650 - $700 to fit together. The spikes do not come close to lining up with the impressions they are supposed to fit into.
As mentioned, the flimsy board was also something to laugh at. To think, it's actually something they advertize. "(6 or 7?) mm New Zealand pine MDF" Huh??? There are 25.4 mm/inch, and most audiophiles consider 3/4 inch the minimum for a shelf.
I concur with Kal's assertion that a sheet of Dynamat would be worthwhile, which the Stereophile Recommended Components caption points out. Good advice there.
I could have gotten rid of it easily for at least what I paid for it(and bought a superior rack), but I would have a hard time selling such a piece of junk to another human being. And, besides, my fiance is not an audio neurotic, she thinks it's the highest of high end, and feels it greatly complements the family room. On the plus side, it holds her TV, Jadis, SACD player, DVD player, VCR, and satellite receiver. Then again, that's what a double wide rack is supposed to do.
My experience with VantagePoint racks is on the other extreme. GREAT product. Excellent design, quality, and rigidity. Also overpriced(though much cheaper than Lovan), but isn't every rack?
I believe I purchased the same rack Kal is speaking of(Pyramid). I use it for my fiance's system. It was bought at an unbelievable sale, way less than 50% of retail. It seemed that Lovan was doing that a lot last year.
I was astonished to see the poor construction, ala the AWFUL alignment of the legs. Plumb they are not. Nor even close. The rack IS usable, but I do expect a rack that retails for $650 - $700 to fit together. The spikes do not come close to lining up with the impressions they are supposed to fit into.
As mentioned, the flimsy board was also something to laugh at. To think, it's actually something they advertize. "(6 or 7?) mm New Zealand pine MDF" Huh??? There are 25.4 mm/inch, and most audiophiles consider 3/4 inch the minimum for a shelf.
I concur with Kal's assertion that a sheet of Dynamat would be worthwhile, which the Stereophile Recommended Components caption points out. Good advice there.
I could have gotten rid of it easily for at least what I paid for it(and bought a superior rack), but I would have a hard time selling such a piece of junk to another human being. And, besides, my fiance is not an audio neurotic, she thinks it's the highest of high end, and feels it greatly complements the family room. On the plus side, it holds her TV, Jadis, SACD player, DVD player, VCR, and satellite receiver. Then again, that's what a double wide rack is supposed to do.
My experience with VantagePoint racks is on the other extreme. GREAT product. Excellent design, quality, and rigidity. Also overpriced(though much cheaper than Lovan), but isn't every rack?