AudioNervosa
Self Medicating => General DIY => Topic started by: mdconnelly on May 10, 2007, 08:57:19 AM
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I started down the path of wanting to design and build a component rack that would compete with the $1k racks on the market, hoping to build it for far less. I liked the fully adjustable concept of the Mapleshade Samson racks.
Unfortunately, as I compiled the cost of the shelves and related hardware, it became obvious that it wasn't going to be cheap - likely still well over $500 for a 4 shelf rack. Given that price, buying may be the better option.
The 3 racks I've investigated that are in the <$1k range include:
1) Mapleshade Samson: http://www.mapleshaderecords.com/audioproducts/samson1.php
2) Adona - modular or fixed: http://www.adonacorporation.com/products.html
3) Apollo Aria: modular http://www.apollohifi.co.uk/modular.htm
The Adona is an interesting and beautiful design - but at the top of my price range - 4 shelf version just over $1k.
Turns out the Apollo Aria is quite affordable (4 shelf around $600). I've also seen posts where they replaced the MDF shelves with Neuance shelves with the Aria (i.e. room to improve later).
So... I'm looking for advice and ideas. Cheap is good (more $$ for future component upgrades ;-). What's under your components?
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I'm using a couple of Salamader racks from Audio Advisor and love them. They're burly, incredibly configurable, nice to look at and within your range. Add them to the list of possibilities.
I got the maple finish with steel mesh side panels and doors. The mesh is very cool, as you can somewhat see the components through but they're not staring at you. Remotes can see threough the mesh too.
I got casters for the main rack and put some ceramic tiles on top of the carpet. I can roll the rack away from the wall to get to the guts, then roll it back tight for normal usage - it's a slick system.
Good luck!
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Although not as structurally rigid as a welded rack...I have made several DIY 'racks' for my audio system and HT systems.
If you have any wood working tools, or access to someone who does, then you can make yourself some racks very inexpensively.
Just make your choice of shelf material (wood of course)...plywood, mdf, solid, etc. Decide what dimensions that you need, then cut your shelves to size. Stop by your local hardware center and pick up 4 pieces of 3/4" threaded rod...in whatever height you want you rack(s) to be, also get a box of 3/4" nuts. Now just drill 3/4 " holes (or slightly larger) in each corner. Put whatever finish you want on your shelves, then assemble by putting a nut on each rod...one rod in each corner...place another nut to hold/clamp the shelf...repeat process for as my shelves as you have.
You should be able to build a reasonably sturdy rack for under $100...cheap enough :D !
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Have a look at the ZRACK from Decware. It appears to be available in a (5) shelf only..but has a 42" high option. Nice look and available with different wood tones. (can't link it; but go to www.decware.com and you will find it under 'tube gear' if you scroll down)
I use a SolidSteel 5.4 series which is available from MusicDirect. Click on Solid Steel under 'shop by brand'.
www.musicdirect.com
The Mapleshade is a real nice rack...
WEEZ
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I got one of these from Standout Designs (http://www.standoutdesigns.com/) for about $1k. It had to look good in the living room where my system used to be, and it is gorgeous in cinammon maple stain. It is also incredibly well built, solid maple wood and the service from this company was perfect. The interior space is 19" wide so if you have tall tubey kids of components they will fill up the inside bays quickly. Regular rectangular box components can fit about 6 inside. But the advantage is the big flat top is great for TT, tube amps, whatever.
I was in Circuit City this morning looking for a high end tube preamp, :wink: and saw a huge collection of audio racks there. I'm sure they are geared towards style over substance, I didn't even take another glance except to notice how much floor space the were devoting to racks. Most were typical steel/glass type, probably very cheap, but some of them might even be welded and decent build. They also had some salamander shaped ones, but probably nowhere near as well built as the true salamanders which have aluminum channel frame. Those are really nice, and they are big enough to hold anything, even 23 inch deep HT receivers.
Just to stoke your nervosa about racks while you are in this vulnerable state, check out Grand Prix Audio (http://www.grandprixaudio.com/idx_design_wp.php). :D
A zillion models of all prices viewable here: http://racksandstands.com/ but I never bought from them, so dunno....
Rich
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Also, check out www.skylanstands.com
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Although I have seen some people making their own racks, I bought a nice rack, all Aluminum with "X" framing from Audio Services Plus (the distributors of YBA and other in the US and Canada.) This rack was dirt cheap, about $150-170? I cannot remember clearly. The pillars are heavy aluminum and although not really rack spacing adjustable, they provide space for about 4 components.
This rack is really hi performance oriented and it does not really come with the "platforms." The components are supposed to sit on 4 ball bearings that are placed on each "X" support.
I ordered some custom cut 3/4" clear acrylic platforms and now have got a smashing rack for less than $300.
At $150-170? There is nothing out there that comes close to it. :-P
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Although I have seen some people making their own racks, I bought a nice rack, all Aluminum with "X" framing from Audio Services Plus (the distributors of YBA and other in the US and Canada.) This rack was dirt cheap, about $150-170? I cannot remember clearly. The pillars are heavy aluminum and although not really rack spacing adjustable, they provide space for about 4 components.
This rack is really hi performance oriented and it does not really come with the "platforms." The components are supposed to sit on 4 ball bearings that are placed on each "X" support.
I ordered some custom cut 3/4" clear acrylic platforms and now have got a smashing rack for less than $300.
At $150-170? There is nothing out there that comes close to it. :-P
This the one Paul ?......Link... (http://www.audioplusdirect.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=6&HS=1)..
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I purchased my equipment racks, speaker stands and amp stands from Arnold Marr of Core Furniture. Arnold is an audiophile and he is a first class guy to deal with. All of the Core Furniture is produced from Black Walnut and it is really solid furniture. Check it out at www.corefurniture.com
Ken
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I purchased my equipment racks, speaker stands and amp stands from Arnold Marr of Core Furniture. Arnold is an audiophile and he is a first class guy to deal with. All of the Core Furniture is produced from Black Walnut and it is really solid furniture. Check it out at www.corefurniture.com
Ken
Thanks, Ken.
Very nice stuff.
Nick
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Although not as structurally rigid as a welded rack...I have made several DIY 'racks' for my audio system and HT systems.
If you have any wood working tools, or access to someone who does, then you can make yourself some racks very inexpensively.
Just make your choice of shelf material (wood of course)...plywood, mdf, solid, etc. Decide what dimensions that you need, then cut your shelves to size. Stop by your local hardware center and pick up 4 pieces of 3/4" threaded rod...in whatever height you want you rack(s) to be, also get a box of 3/4" nuts. Now just drill 3/4 " holes (or slightly larger) in each corner. Put whatever finish you want on your shelves, then assemble by putting a nut on each rod...one rod in each corner...place another nut to hold/clamp the shelf...repeat process for as my shelves as you have.
You should be able to build a reasonably sturdy rack for under $100...cheap enough :D !
I have built a couple of these.
They work fantastic, are adjustable, rigid, and heavy as hell.
Love 'em.
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i bought a VTI BL404 modular steel rack with welded construction. the MDF shelves are black as well as the frames . the round tube legs are welded to the rectangular steel tubing of the frames.each shelf has a set of four spikes on the bottom. the legs have matte silver nickel metal end caps top and bottom with divots on the tops to accept the adjustable spikes from the bottom of the legs. my rack was originaly a four shelf unit with one 9" and three 7" modular units stacked on top of each other. the modular design allowed me to buy a Additional 9" and 7" shelf and expand my rack capacity to six shelves. the legs can also be filled with sand or lead shot.
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Dave here did everything DIY. (http://www.audiocircle.com/gallery/albums/userpics/14205/2.JPG)He gave me the source for it but I forgot. I use Adona and he told me he borrowed the idea from Adona. I am sure he will be glad to give you his source if you contact him through AC -- I don't know if he signed up here yet.
BTW, I like my Adona racks fine and Paul is a pleasure to deal with -- I went to his home to save shipping and he had no problem with that.
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Dave here did everything DIY. (http://www.audiocircle.com/gallery/albums/userpics/14205/2.JPG)He gave me the source for it but I forgot. I use Adona and he told me he borrowed the idea from Adona. I am sure he will be glad to give you his source if you contact him through AC -- I don't know if he signed up here yet.
BTW, I like my Adona racks fine and Paul is a pleasure to deal with -- I went to his home to save shipping and he had no problem with that.
I logged into AC to see those photos... very nice looking racks! :)
So you know... AC does not allow posting of images from their gallery in other places... that's why it just shows up as a banner here.
-Carl
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Carl,
You don't see the image? :shock: I get the picture right in the posts -- both in mine and your quote of it.
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All I see is the AudioCircle banner.... strange.
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That's probably because your browser is (was ;) ) still logged into AC, so it can access the AC gallery even though you are browsing to another website. Internet explorer stays logged into any site it visits until you manually log off, or close the program.
Rich
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That's probably because your browser is (was ;) ) still logged into AC, so it can access the AC gallery even though you are browsing to another website. Internet explorer stays logged into any site it visits until you manually log off, or close the program.
Rich
I didn't know that. I tend to have both AC and AN on my Firefox just to keep a tab on both. :)
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I tried logging into AC but I still had the banner... Must be another feature of IE7. :roll: ;)
If you log out of AC, you'll see the banner image while browsing here...
-C
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Carl, same behavior from Firefox even when logged in to AC. If you right click the AC banner image in the AN post above, you do see the correct url on AC. But all you see in the AN post is the AC banner.
I'm sure there's some logic there but it is strange...(but, hey, it gave me an excuse to use this smiley) :wtf:
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I think that if you are the post creator then you can copy and paste locally - the image is cached and appears in the AN post preview because the source is your hard drive. If you are accessing the image through AN, you're denied because you do not have it cached and must access it from AC through AN. Apparently AC denies (some) submarine requests from other domains.
If you emptied your temporary internet files you should not be able to see your posted pic anymore. You would be in the same boat as us. If we looked at the picture on AC, then we would be able to see it on AN too if it had same URL.
Just my guess... no guarantees :-k
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If that is true, once Carl went to AC to check out the image, he should then be able to see it on AN post. I will go home and log on from a different PC and see if I still see the image or not tonight.
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It must be the cache on my Firefox at my work PC. I get the banner now at home even though I have another window open to AC at the same time.
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Correct... same experience here... I don't have much in cache... I use credit a lot. ;)
-C
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The rack, never could understand why we would want to put our components so close to each other. The magnetic fields of the components certainly interfere with each other. At least 2Ft. between components is required to dissapate the interference of fields.
If you have the room ,layout your components side by side on wood shelfs [ plinths ], say Spruce, Maple or Ebony . You can purchase speaker stands to support the wood plinthes. I use Target stands [metal] grounded to earth ground with sand boxes screwed to the top of the stand. The plinthes [wood] sit in the sand. I then use cones to drain the resonance to the plinth. I located the stands using a Guass meter and placed them according to lowest reading. I hear more music with no hardness, great clarity and natural detail.
However if space is a major factor, I will go along with LoneWolf's recco. Trully bang for the buck.
rollo