What makes a good equipment rack?


I've outgrown where all my components live and planning on building a solution myself.

I get the need for air flow around components. No turntable in my future which I'm sure have special needs.

What should I be concerned about or need to address beyond just making a solid peice of furniture and cabling accessible?
128x128doitwithlife
@geoffkait 
didn’t those Zoethecus platforms originally use Sorbothane for the viscoelastic material
Search me Wally, I have never taken one apart.  I believe they are constrained layers and I know the top layer is aluminum.  They are of course no longer made but people seemed to like them.  I no longer have the rack but I have three of the z-slabs.  I found the following quote at the link below.  Who knows what they mean by "phenolic, viscous damping fluid" ....is that code for Sorbothane?  Now you have me interested.  Maybe I will go take one apart.  
The heart of the Zoethecus system is the Z Slab. The hand-laid composite core consists of 10 discrete sub-layers of phenolic, viscous damping fluid, aluminum and high density fiberboard to thoroughly dissipate component resonance. This top-of-the-line 15-pound slab is perfect for heavy amps, transports and turntables.
https://store.acousticsounds.com/d/13194/Zoethecus-Z_Slab-Equipment_Rack
Most likely someone straightened them out and they use some other material or fluid for the viscoelastic layer. If it wasn’t Sorbothane it looked like it. Whatever it was sounded remarkably unpleasant. When I took the Zoethecus apart at the show it was twenty years ago. My how time flies!
Speaking of racks and stands, and since you are good with underwater stuff, do you know much about the SRA folks and products?

I don’t have any experience with SRA products but you have to hand it to their marketing dept.

From their page for Virginia Class iso stand,

“Each jewel-like chassis features a custom-made nanocomposite housing. This creates the ideal coupling path between component footer and isoBASE, enabling it to drain and sink skin-effect vibration.

Under this nanocomposite skin are two of our enormously complex Raft Isolation Systems™. Each is encased in its own vacuum and calibrated to single-angstrom tolerances. It’s our most reactionary, most effective implementation ever.

Mechanically grounding this to your floor are build-specific leg assemblies. These are made of HY80 high-tensile steel, a material originally developed for the hulls of U.S. nuclear submarines.”


I just set up a brand new Sound Anchors 200 pound 5 shelf unit. I love this thing! Solid as a rock and I love the way it allows air to circulate all around my gear! It sounds terrific to boot! I still use my Iso Acoustics footers under all my gear in addition to the rack. Best rack I have ever used.