SEEKING A NEW AUDIO RACK

I purchased a Core Audio Designs rack in 2017 for my new TT based system and could not be happier with the results. Beautifully built, great to look at and superb acoustic isolation for the TT. Here is a link to the manufacturers site (I have no affiliation with the manufacturer):

http://coreaudiodesigns.com/products/component-racks/

melbguyone
Be cautious with racks using glass shelves, as glass will notoriously ’ring’. The only high end manufacturer I know of who has managed to engineer around those issues is Artesania, though they use bonded glass shelves with complex bracing and supports - and not cheap!

>>>>>Mana iso stands use glass shelves, and the more glass shelves the better. Glass actually doesn’t ring under load and has some low frequency flexibility under load so it acts like a spring. Also, any shelf that rings can be easily dealt with by damping. So it’s not the end of the world.

Agree with geoffkait.  On any number of subjects, audiophiles have a built-in mind think that limits products from the marketplace.  Glass shelves are one, powered loudspeakers are another.  There was a time when integrated amps fell into this category.  So group mind think can change.

OK, I guess someone has to ask, since you brought it up, what is your own personal experience or research with glass shelves? Or glass windows. Or glass anything? Fair enough? 😛

I saw this new line of racks recently. 
https://www.sgrhifiracks.com/

Maybe they can float your boat. 🛶 😄

All the best,
Nonoise

melbguyone, I wasn’t expecting you to answer them. I was pretty sure you were bluffing anyway. No biggie. Never mind.

So some audiophiles make up their minds after extensive listening and ruthless self-examination, but they then get on the internet and state their preferences which are then repeated by those with much less experience.  We then end up with audiophile wisdom such as:  1) belt or idler drive is better than direct drive, 2) silver makes cables sound tipped up in the treble, 3) NOS tubes are better than new tubes, 4) discrete is better than ICs, 5) the less feedback, the better, 6) mono amps over stereo amps...

The wisdom goes on and on.  And I'm not saying that there isn't some truth in these observations, but I contend that in any specific application the group think can be wrong.  Which in this specific case means it is absolutely possible to make a good sounding rack using glass.

What I would like to know is can I get a 4 shelf System for less than $500 that won’t ruin the sound from my $5000 amplifiers and TT. I need a lot more than just the shelves.

 

Maybe Pangea, Salamander, or homemade with maple shelves. 

Look into Live-Vibe Audio

The Rack Design in the Link is cheaper to Purchase than the requested info about a Audio Equipment Rack relating to your budget.

A Rack of this design type is thought through better than some of the usual budhet designs looked at. The plus is that, it is already incorporating a methodology to manage Transferred energy and have better Isolation for Ambient Kinetic Energy. There are simple very affordable tweaks that can be incorporated that will improve the design even better for managing Kinetic Energy.

Where such a design really wins, is by the design and work already produced, it is very upgradable in relation to improving isolation, that extends beyond any simplistic tweaks utilised. Also due to the Modular Design, it is very easy to choose the shelve levels that are to be treated as a methodology to improve on the already supplied Isolation.

The latter methodology suggestion to further improve on Isolation will extend the Budget, but this additional cost does not need to be laid out immediately.

The latter methodology would produce a Rack that I would assume will be comparable to Racks that can cost multiple $$$$$.

The lower Link, shows a more expensive Rack option, that has composite support Columns, with a design to effectively manage Kinetic Energy by having Carbon Fibre utilised in the structure. The already mentioned further tweaks and design changes still remain for such a design of rack.  

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006664956919.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.13.191acPX8cPX83M&algo_pvid=c0823c25-6331-4e90-b724-f22bae6af930&algo_exp_id=c0823c25-6331-4e90-b724-f22bae6af930-6&pdp_npi=4%40dis%21GBP%21251.77%21226.59%21%21%21311.95%21280.75%21%402103892f17185191345335906ef4fd%2112000037961858803%21sea%21UK%210%21AB&curPageLogUid=OvIiDZ7owUbX&utparam-url=scene%3Asearch%7Cquery_from%3A

 

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003792445924.html?spm=a2g0o.detail.pcDetailTopMoreOtherSeller.3.56fa9Aau9AauI3&gps-id=pcDetailTopMoreOtherSeller&scm=1007.40000.327270.0&scm_id=1007.40000.327270.0&scm-url=1007.40000.327270.0&pvid=4308cdfb-33c3-4e03-86e5-4bf3f1d96ed2&_t=gps-id:pcDetailTopMoreOtherSeller,scm-url:1007.40000.327270.0,pvid:4308cdfb-33c3-4e03-86e5-4bf3f1d96ed2,tpp_buckets:668%232846%238108%231977&pdp_npi=4%40dis%21GBP%21810.05%21648.04%21%21%211003.66%21802.93%21%402103867617185202958965098e3971%2112000027181455574%21rec%21UK%21%21AB&utparam-url=scene%3ApcDetailTopMoreOtherSeller%7Cquery_from%3A

At that price range, You can get a McIntosh AV Rack It is taller. I don’t like racks less than 30” because of bending over and reach.

I am looking at this one because I want to throw a reel to reel and another turntable. 

You can't use glass for audio shelves, it sucks. Another falsehood started by the elite audio crowd! You can't use red oak for anything audio related, it has bad sound qualities, it's just the worst species, open grained,  has tannins.  So that material is out for a rack. I'm using red oak because it was free. I'm sure a denser species would be better, do you really think those who suggest not using red oak have compared racks using different species of wood? And can tell a difference? 

And that McIntosh rack you pictured is gorgeous, I like the walnut version myself. Gives me an idea on my next build. 

Butcher Block Acoustics Rigid Rack cheaper and better. Not a good idea to enclose equipment that emit heat like that. I prefer their open design better also configurable.

I will be blunt, it's hard to find a pleasant looking hifi rack. I would have it custom made.