Regards to the Rack


I've been a builder for a long time. I mostly work with stone, so call me a mason if you want to assign a name. As with any type of building, the foundation dertermines the performance and layout of each consecutive layer.

So I come to my point. Recently I have entertained purchasing an equipment rack that costs more than my CDP. The justification-the foundation plays a larger role in performance than I previously thought. Before I was content with an uneven antique credenza but now I have begun to believe that foundation is the answer to allowing components to perform to their potential even if the cost is significant.

The question is here, are there others who share similar opinions of the fundamentals of foundation or am I just off my rocker to think I'll get that much more noticable preformance from a rack? Well no need to answer the latter part really, I am an audio-nut so we already know the answer there.

Regards
Peter
mariasplunge
Peter,

Several months ago I sold my Zoethecus and bought a Harmonic Resolution Systems rack. It is VERY pricey. However it was one of the best purchases that I have ever made. It improved almost all aspects of my system including base, detail, and imaging. There is a used one for sale now at a very reasonable price.

Bob
Without a doubt. You should put the same effort in choosing the right stand for your system as you would any other component. Very nice system!
I have two different racks, a Polycrystal, and a Deluxe Room Tunes and I prefer the Room Tunes rack. I can't justify the price of the Finite Element rack but it was judged best by Hi Fi+. I'm considering a Mapleshade rack but will probably order an amp stand first to check the sonics with a couple different components and see what their cherry stain finish looks like in person. The Mapleshade looks like an extremely well built rack and the price is reasonable.
Another piece of audio insanity: what physical property is addressed by a rack? There is no known effect on transistor equipment of the vibrations in the room, either from footfalls or from the speakers. In room acoustics is a very important factor and, when it comes to racks, I feel that the size and location are the two things to look out for. If it wasn't for the religious aspect of high-end audio, and the fact the equipment rack has to be reminiscent of an altar, these crazily expensive racks wouldn’t exist. I think the equipment should be in another room, away from the speakers, on anything that will hold it up securely. Lack tables from Ikea are less than twenty bucks a piece. Buy records with the money you save.