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AV Racks. What difference does it make?

Im not sure i understand what difference your rack could possibly have.

I understand everybody here seems to feel that reducing all sorts of vibrations is important as well.

How is that? its not like 1's and 0's get rattled off the circuit board by vibrations

Whats the point in a better rack? What is a better rack? And how does a $1,500.00 rack make anything sound better? I mean, technically, in depth, can anybody explain this phenominon?

Sounds like a buncha horse pucky to me. Kinda like the kinds new clothing.

Does anybody have a theory of how one AV rack can sound different than another? And dont give me any of that room accoustics stuff, i dont see people talking about which sitting chair is best for sound!!!! :)

"I found that wearing wingtips and khaki shorts really opened the soundstage compared to my nikes and TH bluejeans."

I have a good understanding of electronics and accoustics, but i cannot imagine any way a rack could make a difference.
What is the theory of how a Maplewood rack might sound better than an oak for example?

Do you all use racks and isolation pods at the same time?
slappy
gunbei
2,327 posts
 
Hey Slappy, I know exactly where you're coming from. When I first heard about the effect isolation or vibration control could have on a system, I was pretty skeptical. But the more I read posts on Audiogon and the more I talked to audiophiles about mechanical vibrations and their potential detriments it really started to make sense.

Over the years I've tried different types of platforms and cones, and have found some that worked very well for me. And I'm still experimenting.

I'll reiterate what many have said here already. Start with a good solid rack. Once that is taken care of, turn your attention to optimizing what's under your source.
flex
292 posts
 
Slappy, vibrations affect sound by smearing it. With turntables the relationship is intuitively obvious, but the fact is that vibration affects transformers, which are present in all audio components, motorized devices (like cd platters), wires (mechanical resonances), and likely many other subsystems.

If you have never heard the effect of vibration, you have simply never tried, as vibration can easily be experienced with cheap gear as well as expensive gear. The smearing effect becomes more noticeable and more intolerable as the resolution of your system goes up.

There is a basic article called "Bad Vibes", by Shannon Dickson (Nov., 1995), in the Stereophile archives at www.stereophile.com. You might read this for a basic discussion on the construction of resonance-damping platforms. I would certainly do this before accepting any particular design philosophy of audio racks.

Also, you might check Alvin Lloyd's discussions on vibration control in other fields as well as in audio itself at his website for Grand Prix Audio (www.grandprixaudio.com).
eldartford
4,262 posts
 
Twl...Cool it! Those who disagree with you may be just as experienced and knowledgable as you. You can't prove a technical point by personal insults.
ohlala
1,234 posts
 
I hear Gunbei, all these little things that supposedly make a difference do seem far out. Just keep an open mind and observe the sonic effect of these quirky variables before fighting for a rationalization.
flex
292 posts
 
To add to the list of vibration effects including the ones I mentioned above, vibration produces microphonics in susceptible devices (wires, tubes) and also produces chassis ring if the chassis is flimsy. These effects manage to superimpose on the audio signal.
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