Hi End rack really deliver?

For many (30 years) I never believed in vibration control or “high end” audio racks. But on advice from someone I trust I switched the rack for my mbl 6010D pre amp and mbl 1621A transport and 1611F DAC from a very functional Billy Bags to a Finite Elemente Master Pagoda rack. Immediately upon setting my system up, I could hear a very distinctive improvement in the sonic signature of my system. In a word everything became more natural sounding. A touch of harshness which characterized the sound of brass and strings disappeared. For me it was a meaningful change, and I am now a believer.

Regarding aesthetics and WAF, you are on your own…but you have our moral support

Semi forgot to mention the experiment we conducted at his house several years ago. He told me that he had tried at least 10 - 15 different amp stands under his BAT tube amp. He ended up with a piece of 300 lb slab of stone that he was using under smoe electromicroscope in his lab at work. He had been using that slab ever since I met him.

One day when bunch of us were over, he told us he just spent $$$$ on these new racks (Grand Prix) sitting in the back of the room. We helped him move the slab back and put the GP amp stand in front of the slab. I thought he was going crazy spending that kind of money for stands. Then I left the amp stand up (without the acrylic board) with 1 finger, and thought he was for sure a nut as I was a believer of more mass the better.

We then move the amp forward onto the Grand Prix stand for another round of listening. None of us had heard of this company before. But we definitely heard a big improvement in various areas. We then moved the amp back and forth several times just to confirm.

And it make sense. Several of the guys at that listening work for semiconductor companies, and we've all seen various types of vibration control devices used in labs for vibration sensitive equipment. So it make sense that any mechanical system (LP or CD playback) and tube equipment would benefit from vibration control devices such as a rack.

FrankC

From the point of view of any wife I ever met, even a Billy Bags rack ("ugly") is relatively expensive ($1200+) and a Finite Element is astronomically so ($4500). Once she hears the cost, the discussion may be academic...

Undoubtedly.I like Finite elemente a lot ,and used the Pagode ref for my main system,and the spider for the other 2..can't imagine living without them.The systems just sound so much better,the electronics seems so much more at peace sitting in racks..Certainly it helps that the Finite copme with resonance controll technology.

In short,a must for every system,IMHO

It's unfortunate that the Grand Prix racks are so expensive but they do sound great. I'd never want to be without mine. If you have a very nice system it will be richly rewarded by a top notch rack like the Grand Prix.