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I Was Stunned

For years I have resisted a rack for the front end gear because of concerns of the effects of hard vertical surfaces at or near the same height as the tweeters and midrange drivers affecting the center image and the illusion of a soundstage.

My gear sat on the floor.

And then  I got an idea.

A few weeks ago I visited with a friend who is also a craftsman and artisan.

The rack I designed and he built is made from 1" square steel tubing.

All tubes are filled with sand before being welded together.

It has two shelves made from 1.5" butcher block. They are 18" deep and 48" wide.

The top shelf is 20" high.

The tweeters are 48" high, the midrange 40".

The shelves are isolated from the frame with silicone.

It is non-resonant, heavy, solid and gorgeous.

It sits on a wood floor, over a concrete slab.

I wasn't expecting what I heard. Amazing transformation. Greater clarity, cleaner highs, mids and lows. More natural timbres. Better dynamics. 

You get the picture. 

I was stunned.

tomcarr
asvjerry's avatar
asvjerry
4,288 posts
 

*mmm*  ...looks like a great way to consider tapping off the heat from those pesky tubes and into the hw heater....or the foot of the bed to warm those tweaky toes.... ;)

Insert a rubber diaphram driven by a sub voice coil to 'pump you up'.....

 

asvjerry's avatar
asvjerry
4,288 posts
 

Zoro Select 5P460 90 Street Elbow, Malleable Iron, 1/2 In ....sorry, Google ’street elbow’ and here’s one of way too many....

Either that, or it has to be a low-rent periscope...😏

Whatever....one could add some ground clamps and use ones' rack as an uncommon ground.....tie into the household plumbing and wonder what that 'gurgling sound' is all about....

agirard's avatar
agirard
15 posts
 

Took the family to Manhattan a few years ago to buy a secondhand rack made by Box Furniture Company. Made a weekend out of it.

Got home, set everything up, and had a listen.

Of all the upgrades, tweaking, and modifications over the years - many of which to me made noticeable improvements - my wife has said nothing.

Except for this one. This time, she said the system sounds "unleashed."

re-lar-kvothe's avatar
re-lar-kvothe
158 posts
 

@roxy54 

I never guessed the rack between my speakers would have an impact. I had a stack of 4 pieces of gear on a pangea rack. I spent hours getting the speakers just right. I sold a couple of the pieces and set the remaining gear up on a small table between the speakers leaving the speakers unmoved. When the amp warmed up and I started listening to music again the difference in imaging was obvious, an unexpected and marked improvement.

dinov's avatar
dinov
790 posts
 

I use a rack made by Mapleshade, Amish craftmen. Sort of a blend of untilitairian and elegant. Thick maple slabs, large poles holding the slabs that can be adjusted, spiked to the floor. It’s made to help drain micro vibrations from your components. I love it and it’ll last a lifetime. I’m with you on this!

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