What is the deal with expensive HiFi racks?

[cbojsa]

I tried my hand at starting a business building and selling audio racks about 15 years ago. I was at RMAF in a couple of rooms for two years. This was during the financial crisis caused by the collapse in subprime mortgages and never really took off. I felt they were reasonably priced. Anyone can build them for several hundred dollars using 80/20 aluminum extrusions and butcher blocks.
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Martin

Martin. Can you post where you bought the parts. And what parts are needed to reproduce similar racks. Thanks Jeffrey

 

[Martin]

Martin. Can you post where you bought the parts. And what parts are needed to reproduce similar racks. Thanks Jeffrey

The frames were built using 80/20 aluminum T-slot material. It can be purchased cut to size from one of their local distributors. Check their website for additional information: https://8020.net/

I purchased unfinished butcher block from a company in northern California not far from where I lived at the time. You simply need to find a local supplier. I used: https://www.perfectplank.com/

Martin

 

[akamatsu]

It's one thing to ask which equipment might be sensitive to vibration. Which hifi supports provide isolation is another question entirely. If you want something that really does the job then look to a manufacturer of laboratory equipment - theirs have to do the job properly otherwise it will show up in their customers' measurements.

One would think. However, years back I was helping a professor with their laboratory. They had purchased some special laboratory tables upon which lasers would be placed. Testing for movement on the table, we got the best results when the air was let out of the pneumatic suspension legs. No suspension worked better at protecting against footfall than with suspension.

 

[Mikig]

it's true that the material has become more expensive, it's true that labor is expensive, we all agree, but frankly the prices for these items are sometimes truly unacceptable. If it were written, low bookcase with 4 shelves in glass and metal, it would immediately lose a zero on the price list....

 

[akamatsu]

it's true that the material has become more expensive, it's true that labor is expensive, we all agree, but frankly the prices for these items are sometimes truly unacceptable. If it were written, low bookcase with 4 shelves in glass and metal, it would immediately lose a zero on the price list....

When I was in the market for a hifi rack, I found nothing out there at any price that I figured would perform based on the criteria of lightweight, rigid, and stable. I was willing to pay for performance. I just couldn't find it.

I did end up buying a NOKTable for my turntable for $995. I thought that to be high, but at least it performs.

 

[jsrtheta]

Can vibrations really impact electronics via the generation of tiny currents? Is microphony a thing or just a phony (!)

Just a phony.

 

[GD Fan]

Someone told me, the more expensive the surgeon the more hifi the rack.

 

[jsrtheta]

In the '90s, I invested much more than I should have in a Standesign rack that you could perform delicate surgery on. It had spikes and could be leveled to your heart's desire. My audio jewelry was proudly shelved on it.

At the same time, I had a '96 Jeep Grand Cherokee that I used for doing mountain photography. I lived in Breckenridge, Colorado, but went shooting all over the Rockies. I forded creeks, climbed mountains, slogged through mud, and many times "put that wheel on that rock". I spent more time on terrain bordering on vertical than I did in town, almost all of it in 4-wheel drive..

I also had, in the Jeep, a Pioneer 6-disc changer, with a power amp, head amp, Infinity speakers, and a JL subwoofer. The sound was pretty great. And no matter what I drove over or climbed over, no matter what creeks I forded, that Pioneer changer never skipped once. The quality of the music reproduction remained excellent.

So, to me, a rack is a place to put my gear and nothing else. Life is too short to worry over non-existent problems.

 

[dualazmak]

I don't use audio rack at all, I don't use similar rack for audio gears, but I do this way (ref. here).

The large heavy and physically slightly warm (around my body temp) ACCUPHASE E-460 (24.4 kg, directly driving midrange SP drivers) and DENON DCD-3500RG (22.0 kg, seldom powered-on nowadays) serve as very stable and rigid base for my TT DENON DP-57L in 1,430 mm above the floor for occasional (once in two months or less) vinyl LP ceremonies (ref. here); the position/height of the TT is very nice to "see and check" the stylus of the MC cartridge going down automatically to the surface of LP (I am 173 cm tall). YAMAHA A-S3000 (24.6 kg) is also large and heavy.

 

[Sal1950]

At the same time, I had a '96 Jeep Grand Cherokee that I used for doing mountain photography.

Jeeps Rule! Sounds like you had one hell of a time with that workhorse.

 

[egellings]

Just a phony.

Vacuum tubes can become microphonic. I had a PCB with SMT devices on it and flexing the board caused minor changes in resistance of resistors soldered to it due to strain gauge effect. Tapping the board (a phono preamp) produced an audible sound in the speaker if the volume was turned way up. I considered the effect too small to worry about.

 

[Sal1950]

I don't use audio rack at all, I don't use similar rack for audio gears, but I do this way

I know I've mentioned before how much I love that beautiful china cabinet !

 

[AdVis]

I’m perfectly happy with this one…..


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I was waiting for this one. You can also get the small ones and stack them, and you can cut the legs so that you can make it fit to your tastes. For the bottom shelf, just use a top without the legs, optionally use the legs as a plinth.

Also there are companies that sell little 3D printed corner pieces so that the stack stays in one place.

One happy "Lack" rack user here.

 

[pjn]

Too cheap and clunky looking
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I'd gladly pay more for:
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Well, I bought one the of the upper line - a

Monolith Double-Wide XL 3-Tier AV Stand​

- looks good, does the job, you can slide an acoustic panel into the lower shelf to hide the mess of power amp and other miscellaneous electronics. Very pleased after agonizing over assorted systems that just didn't do it dimension-wise. Or, really, esthetics-wise. Although I paid $250 and it is now about $430!