tmars78
100+ Head-Fier
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I have seen arguments on the audibility of lots of different things. From cables, power cords, DACs, amps, etc. I wanna know if anyone here believes in the type of rack you use making things sound better. I mentioned this in a locked thread, but it never really went too far. I want to get some more info on what people here think(believe/know)
Here is an excerpt from a review of a component rack:
[size=medium] Sound[/size]
[size=medium] The 3-Shelf Extra-Wide Equipment Rack brought clarity and definition to the upper registers. The decays of cymbal and piano notes sounded more realistic. I could hear this, for example, with Count Basie’s "One O’Clock Jump," an instrumental that appears on Sinatra at the Sands [DVD-A, Reprise R9 73777]. These instruments had never sounded so "right" and natural.[/size]
[size=medium] [/size]
[size=medium] Similarly, bass was tighter and more defined with the Blinn. It seemed as if my system was delivering more low-level information. The bass notes became spongy. This was aptly demonstrated by Yes’sFragile [DVD-A, Elektra/Rhino R9 78249]. One track, "The Fish (Schindleria praematurus)," is a showcase for the very substantial talents of bassist Chris Squire. Previously, his prodigious bass notes had sounded somewhat blurred through my system. With the Blinn rack, however, those same notes had sonically visible contours, nooks, and crannies that reminded me of a sponge.[/size]
[size=medium] [/size]
[size=medium] But even as detail improved, I also heard more low-level slam. The DTS soundtrack of Toy Story 2 is fantastic. Particularly noteworthy is chapter 2, the film’s first scene, which takes place inside an animated video game being played by the movies’ animated characters. When the game’s Buzz Lightyear battles the alien robots, there are plenty of low-frequency explosions. With the Blinn, these explosions were bigger, had more impact, and were definitely crisper than before.[/size]
[size=medium] Soundstages were now more three-dimensional, and the music sounded more relaxed and effortless. Because the notes themselves now had more integrity, the silences between them were also more defined. I heard some improvements in the midrange, though not nearly as dramatic as the improvements in the bass and highs.[/size]
[size=medium] [/size]
[size=medium] I’d experienced similar sorts of isolation-based improvements in the past, when I added to my system Black Diamond Racing’s pucks and cones, as well as various isolation bases and mass-loading Rocks from Bright Star Audio. With the Blinn rack, however, I was noticing them again, and further improving my system’s already heightened performance. It occurred to me that getting a good rack should have been the first step I took toward the promised land of resonance-free sound, not the last.[/size]
[size=medium] But while I’ve experienced substantial sonic gains by using isolation devices in my system, at least one audiophile friend has not shared this experience. His system is in the basement of his suburban house; I live on a high floor of a tall city building. He believes that buildings such as mine vibrate like giant tuning forks, and thus are far more compromised by resonances; in short, an isolating rack such as the Blinn has a lot of material to work with. This may be something to bear in mind, though I suspect that virtually everyone can benefit, to at least some degree, from reducing resonances in their audio/video systems.[/size]
[size=medium] [/size]
[size=medium] The Blinn rack bettered my DIY rack by a wide margin, which didn’t surprise me. While at one point IKEA’s tables may have been made of solid wood, they are now hollow and made of particleboard. I suppose that, with a little effort and rudimentary carpentry skills, they could be filled with sand and/or lead shot to improve their resonance-absorbing qualities. But while I feel that a DIY rack remains a good choice for someone on a limited budget, mine never stood a fighting chance against a rack of such superior materials, craftsmanship, and design as the Blinn.[/size]
[size=medium] [/size]
[size=medium] http://www.hometheatersound.com/equipment/steve_blinn_designs_3_shelf.htm[/size]
Here is an excerpt from a review of a component rack:
[size=medium] Sound[/size]
[size=medium] The 3-Shelf Extra-Wide Equipment Rack brought clarity and definition to the upper registers. The decays of cymbal and piano notes sounded more realistic. I could hear this, for example, with Count Basie’s "One O’Clock Jump," an instrumental that appears on Sinatra at the Sands [DVD-A, Reprise R9 73777]. These instruments had never sounded so "right" and natural.[/size]
[size=medium] [/size]
[size=medium] Similarly, bass was tighter and more defined with the Blinn. It seemed as if my system was delivering more low-level information. The bass notes became spongy. This was aptly demonstrated by Yes’sFragile [DVD-A, Elektra/Rhino R9 78249]. One track, "The Fish (Schindleria praematurus)," is a showcase for the very substantial talents of bassist Chris Squire. Previously, his prodigious bass notes had sounded somewhat blurred through my system. With the Blinn rack, however, those same notes had sonically visible contours, nooks, and crannies that reminded me of a sponge.[/size]
[size=medium] [/size]
[size=medium] But even as detail improved, I also heard more low-level slam. The DTS soundtrack of Toy Story 2 is fantastic. Particularly noteworthy is chapter 2, the film’s first scene, which takes place inside an animated video game being played by the movies’ animated characters. When the game’s Buzz Lightyear battles the alien robots, there are plenty of low-frequency explosions. With the Blinn, these explosions were bigger, had more impact, and were definitely crisper than before.[/size]
[size=medium] Soundstages were now more three-dimensional, and the music sounded more relaxed and effortless. Because the notes themselves now had more integrity, the silences between them were also more defined. I heard some improvements in the midrange, though not nearly as dramatic as the improvements in the bass and highs.[/size]
[size=medium] [/size]
[size=medium] I’d experienced similar sorts of isolation-based improvements in the past, when I added to my system Black Diamond Racing’s pucks and cones, as well as various isolation bases and mass-loading Rocks from Bright Star Audio. With the Blinn rack, however, I was noticing them again, and further improving my system’s already heightened performance. It occurred to me that getting a good rack should have been the first step I took toward the promised land of resonance-free sound, not the last.[/size]
[size=medium] But while I’ve experienced substantial sonic gains by using isolation devices in my system, at least one audiophile friend has not shared this experience. His system is in the basement of his suburban house; I live on a high floor of a tall city building. He believes that buildings such as mine vibrate like giant tuning forks, and thus are far more compromised by resonances; in short, an isolating rack such as the Blinn has a lot of material to work with. This may be something to bear in mind, though I suspect that virtually everyone can benefit, to at least some degree, from reducing resonances in their audio/video systems.[/size]
[size=medium] [/size]
[size=medium] The Blinn rack bettered my DIY rack by a wide margin, which didn’t surprise me. While at one point IKEA’s tables may have been made of solid wood, they are now hollow and made of particleboard. I suppose that, with a little effort and rudimentary carpentry skills, they could be filled with sand and/or lead shot to improve their resonance-absorbing qualities. But while I feel that a DIY rack remains a good choice for someone on a limited budget, mine never stood a fighting chance against a rack of such superior materials, craftsmanship, and design as the Blinn.[/size]
[size=medium] [/size]
[size=medium] http://www.hometheatersound.com/equipment/steve_blinn_designs_3_shelf.htm[/size]
