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VTI audio rack, any good?

I would like to change my audio rack and I need a 6 shelf unit with a high WAF. Price is a major concern and I really can't go more than 500.00. Since I own 2 toploading cd players, I need sufficient space between shelfs. I would need 3 shelfs to have 9 inches between them, the other two could be from 5-7 inches.

Presently I am using a Sanus audio rack but some of my equipment is stacked on top of one another so I want to alleviate that. I have been looking at various racks and found a VTI rack that uses glass shelfs supported by 4 metal tubular columns. Each shelf is claimed to hold up to 200 pounds. It comes with floor spikes. The dimensions are 50" high, 23" wide and 21" deep. My question is, is this a decent rack or should I just keep what I have? Does anyone have any suggestions in my price range? Thanks for your help.

Bob
128x128stereo5

Showing 1 response by williewonka

williewonka
3,072 posts
 
I just purchased a 4 leg VTI rack and I am very happy with it.

But I did not think the little "dent" in the top of the leg, where the spike of the rack above "locks into", was deep enough - one good nudge might dislodge it, sending the whole system crashing to the floor. I also did not like a "Steel to steel" interface between racks
  • So I simply added installed 1" diameter plated copper Spike protector disks
  • held in place with double sided tape.

I previously had a 3 leg metal rack by Lovan, which performed extremely well over the years, but I had to tweak that somewhat, but in different ways

I definitely prefer the VTI 4-leg rack because it has better shelf support

Comparing the two racks.
  • The VTI is a little larger than the Lovan, which i like
  • both use steel construction, but the VTI comes with small foam pads for the shelf to rest on to reduce vibration - it works!
  • The shelf on the Lovan is thinner than the shelf of the VTI and the VTI shelf was veneered, where the Lovan was only painted
  • Lovan has three legs, which is good for leveling, but My Brston amp has the power IEC located dead center and when using a good power cable I had to locate the amp to one side because the leg at the back was in the center - hence the reason for purchasing the VTI 4 leg stand
  • I had to make thicker shelves for the Lovan rack to support my amp and heavy turntable, but the VTI shelves were more than adequate thickness and the support of a 4 leg stand is better
  • the legs of both racks can be filled with sand/shot, but I did not use this feature in either rack
  • 3 legs vs. 4 legs is generally viewed as an advantage from a leveling perspective, but the VTI was easy to adjust, so not an issue 
  • The Lovan was around $550 CDN (several years ago) and the VTI was $1000CDN for a rack of the same height and number of shelves
I prefer the look of the VTI - it is a little more elegant, with the wood veneer shelves and the access to the rear of the components to change cables is easier.

Unfortunately, if you live outside the US, getting the VTI can prove to be a bit of a challenge, but this may improve in future.

There are more "elegant" racks out there for a lot more $$$, but the VTI does what it is designed to - and look/sound pretty good while doing it

My VTI Tweaks
  • between the shelf and the component is a granite tile with drawer liner between them - on each shelf
  • added plated copper spike protectors between each individual rack to reduce vibration/rattles
  • added Carpet protectors in place of spikes for the base of the rack

Hope you find the info useful - Steve



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