In this video I discuss my audio rack and why I think you might consider one. I designed my own rack and I explain my design choices. Music: www.bensound.com/royalty-free...
Great looking rack and totally agree, the rack is definately an important part of the total system. Nice to see that you put a lot of thought in the design as well. Can't wait to see how you handle cable management, since at the moment it's a complete chaos behind my rack :)
Thanks. I love my rack and I would invite anybody to experiment for themselves. There may even be a part two because I had much more to share but did not want the video to become even longer. A cable management video is in the making 😉
We all think about racks, and I appreciate your history and where you arrived, I've been doing the same thing for years and greatly appreciate the video.
I enjoyed the visual humor and the rack. I’m discovering a new system by using some Ikea cutting boards, I can only imagine a whole new rack’s effect on the sound.
In 1985, while out of work, I built my own hifi stand. I purchased 1X12" lumber and drew my own plans. I still use it today. It houses a Hitachi SR-804 receiver, Denon DRM-800A and Akai GX-f31 cassette decks, Teac X-3 open reel deck, ADC Sound Shaper Two IC equalizer, Pioneer RG-2 expander, PL-518 turntable and a Sony CDP-275CE cd player. Ain't the prettiest, nor a work-of-art but I think it's swell.
Great video. Many thanks. What is your opinion of using Redwood Pine to make a rack?. Sides and top would be 33mm thick. Shelves 24mm thick. I won't be using a turntable. Just an amp, cd player and streamer?.
I remember the day my friend sounds like you're getting your system worked out for sure well I hope it works out for you my friend we all need help when it comes to stereo equipment for sure have a good day and God bless🙏👍🎸
First off I would like to say WOW that was pretty impressive then at the end when you panned around the room, this was my first time watching one of your videos but if I'm not mistaking were the speakers custom and I really liked the tubed amps was thinking about getting one to mess around with away I enjoyed your video Thanks
bigjym2000 Thank you for your kind words 🙏 - I have videos on the speakers and the amp so I hope you will look at those videos too. - The speakers are hand built, however they were not custom made. It is a regular production model. The upgraded version is still in production and will set you back €12.000 for a pair. - The mono amps (it is an OTL design) are 35 years old and very, very hard to find. A new pair (the upgraded version is still in production) will set you back some €15.000. Plus another €15.000 if you want the matching pre-amp. - On two extremely lucky days I ended up with this whole set for just €4.000. I could never afford the new prices. - I did have to spend some serious money to get the amps (mono and pre) in pristine condition again but it still was a bargain. They were restored by the designer (and builder) of these amps himself. By some other stroke of luck this man lives nearby. - Don’t forget to subscribe 😉 (if you haven’t already) There is a lot more to come 😃
Excellent. I have it in mind to ask a carpenter to build a rack for me too. I was planning to use cast iron legs with wooden platforms mounted on spikes but I really like the composite MDF idea here and the bouncy balls in addition to obviously solving a major challenge look so fun! So is it really a bouncy rack now?
RK LMBD More like a wobbly rack 😀 But it’s working. I must admit the maple / MDF sandwich was also a cost consideration. I was planning to do a full maple rack but with the thickness I wanted it became a pretty expensive rack. I still enjoy looking at my rack every day so I can only encourage you to design a rack that is completely your design. You have to look at it for many years to come 😀. Share a picture or something when it’s ready please. I would appreciate it very much. Thanks for watching.
So I have a stand I love but I want to make a platform for the turntable like the butcher's block you are using. Question block of 2 1" thick MDF glued together work better than that butcher's block? Or say a piece of granite or better yet a 1" thick piece of plexiglass be even better?
Hi, thanks for watching. - Different turntables can react differently to their platform so it’s always difficult to give this type of advice. But from the options you described I would go for a maple butchers block or a 2 inch piece of plexiglass. - From experience I found out that MDF and granite did not work for me. But part of the fun of this hobby is experimenting of course. - What stand and what turntable are you using if I may ask?
One word... SolidSteel I've got maybe $100,000 worth of McIntosh and dCS equipment and wouldn't trust any other brand... made in Italy and of the highest quality I've ever seen.
Solidsteel makes beautiful racks. I do think there are some other brands that are worth considering but I like Solidsteel. - Designing your own rack also provides a good level of satisfaction though 😀 - Thanks for sharing 👍 And I have to ask, would you consider doing a room tour of your system on my channel? - Check out my ‘subscriber room tour’ videos to understand what I am talking about. You can find me on theaudiophilebarista@gmail.com if you have any questions.
The rack is like the opposite of those speakers - heavy and rigid. In my situation, I'd prefer the most open rack possible and the least amount of rack possible, due to having a small room and needing to place a TV on top. Luckily, I only need an amp there as I'm a digital audio guy. Room is less than ideal but it works for me and I get decent sound to my ears. Some day I'll be able to have a bigger room for audio ;p
If you want keep that from happening stead of using toy balls i would put roller wheels if you want to move it or let it stay correctly ! Ur audiorack looks clean btw !
Hi, thanks for the compliment. I considered wheels of course, but the small ones are too hard and the big ones (air tubes) make the rack too high and it will look ugly AF 😁
HiZ RedShift Good luck with the TV stand. I have had a lot of DIY constructions throughout the years and that experience is how I knew what I wanted for my current rack 👍
Hi, good question. The reasons, for me, are: 1. It gives me an extra layer of seperation (from floor vibrations). Especially because of the turntable. 3. When I ordered it I also kept open the possibility of having seperate mono poweramps. I could use them for that. 3. I think it looks cool 😉
I played around with that idea for my rack for some time but in the end I opted for just a lot of space around the equipment. On top, on the side and no back wall. That is why it’s so big.
Nabeel Fareed Moosa Hi, I had a 50 kilo marble slab that was really good. I still use it in the other room, but I preferred this rack. Thanks for watching 👍
Hi, I paid some €1000,- for it. Labor, materials and shipping - Not peanuts, but remember, this is a one off in real maple. Weighing over 100 kilos. I think that was a good deal.
@@theaudiophilebarista2424I hope its worth it ! looks GREAT too , I dont like those futuristic /rocket design on ,,tens " of spikes and multi hundred dollars , , very special feet " !
I get what you mean 😃 My philosophy, get a rock solid base and experiment on that base. - A lightweight platform with expensive spikes 😉 may work very well for your CD player. On a rock solid foundation that platform can do what it was actually designed to do. Well, that is what I think anyways 😁 - Oh and great looks is also worth paying for. I have to look at it every day.
Not sure if I understand what your point is. What would be the joke? - Are you not convinced that vibrations can have an effect on the performance of a turntable?
@@theaudiophilebarista2424 I understand how vibrations generated from outside the TT can easily affect the micro movement of a needle so TTs need to be protected from the environmental vibrations. What I don't understand is what kind of vibrations are generated by the TT itself that require dissipation of their energy to protect the environment. The needle? Nope, its oscillation energy is minuscule. The motor? Well, if it is so noisy that the environment needs protection from it, then you won't be able to enjoy your records due to the motor rumble.
@@alexandermikhailov2481 Well, motor rumble is a thing of course. Vibration from the rack could transfer to the turntable. The turntable can pick up vibrations from the music in the room. Or from vibrating parts from the turntable itself (because of poor construction). So there are many possibilities. - You can’t protect the player from the music in the room (well, you can put it in another room of course) but you can protect it from vibrations from the rack. Or you could transfer vibrations from the turntable itself to the rack (that was the example). - The movement of the needle is so minuscule that you don’t want it to pick up vibrations other than what is in the groove. I guess that’s why the best turntables (well, most of them) are build like a tank.
Audio racks don’t really matter, audiophiles all over the world have their hifi systems and speakers on the floor without any problems, position of speakers, cables, power conditioners and quality of equipment matters the most.
Thanks for your comment 👍 - A lot of the equipment, mostly poweramps, that is placed on floors is build like a tank to counteract the vibration issue. So in that case a rack might not really matter. - From experience I am convinced that vibrations can influence the endresult. - Effects like microphony are well known and a rack can help to counteract this phenomenon. But it is a game of trial and error. The way the floor is constructed may also be just perfect for some equipment. - I think it is just another tool in our hobby like speaker placement, acoustic treatment or cables
Zeker geen Ikea lol, mooi hoor, zit zelf ook aan eigenbouw te denken, aangezien meeste hifi meubels gewoonweg ondiep of, zoals je zelf aangeeft in de video, absorbitant duur zijn..
@@theaudiophilebarista2424 Ik had al tekeningen gemaakt voor een lowboard van ca. 2.5 meter breed, 50 of 55 diep , maar hoogte zit ik nog even mee. Mijn Akai spullen groeien, en mijn Digitale spullen ook, ik heb 2x bandrecorder, 1x cassette deck en grote AA1200 ( dual mono ) receiver van akai, maar er komt dan wat bij en weer weg, maar wil mijn Analoog gescheiden hebben van digitaal. Dus beetje in dubio, aangezien ik ook aan heht denken ben aan het "modernere" Advance Acoustic als mijn Analoog system.. maar dat is nog moeilijk kiezen.. Dus al met al , alles wollig en zonder echt plan, het geheel moet ook nog is makkelijk verplaatsbaar zijn, dus op wielen zou heht moeten staan, die ik dan eigenlijk niet zichtbaar wil hebben... Tja ideeen, etc tekeningen etc... maar nu nog een echt plan maken waar ik langere tijd mee doorkan.
@@olafvh Hai, ik heb ook eeuwig lopen dubben voor ik het definitieve besluit nam 😉 - Als je het leuk vindt zou ik hier iets op mijn kanaal mee willen doen. Stuur me een mailtje als dat je wat lijkt (theaudiophilebarista@gmail.com)
Very informative, especially the scenes with the sand and the waterhose. And I notice you have a nice sense of humor too. Keep up the good work!
I really enjoyed this video - thanks for sharing.
I enjoy this video for all the research, meticulous work and sense of humor that can be seen behind. Thank you. Subscribed.
JUAN CARLOS LEÓN Thanks man, much appreciated 👍
Great looking rack and totally agree, the rack is definately an important part of the total system. Nice to see that you put a lot of thought in the design as well. Can't wait to see how you handle cable management, since at the moment it's a complete chaos behind my rack :)
Thanks. I love my rack and I would invite anybody to experiment for themselves.
There may even be a part two because I had much more to share but did not want the video to become even longer.
A cable management video is in the making 😉
Great video, I especially liked learning the history of rack design and what was popular back then
uncola Thank you 👍
We all think about racks, and I appreciate your history and where you arrived, I've been doing the same thing for years and greatly appreciate the video.
Dennis Miller Thank you 😀👍
Great rack! Worth all the effort. Well done!👍😊
Thanks 👍 Much appreciated 😀
A very enjoyable and informative video, thank you sir.👍
Brynybach My pleasure 👍
A little late to the party but I’m digging that rack. I going to try a similar system for myself. The ball idea is genius!
Very well made, ... both the rack and video!
Thank you. Much appreciated
Amazing idea and video
Expertly and humorously delivered info 👍🏾
Dunk O Thanks 😀
Enjoyed immensely, thank you
Thanks. Very informative and inspiring
DSupremeLounge Thanks. Much appreciated 👍
I enjoyed the visual humor and the rack. I’m discovering a new system by using some Ikea cutting boards, I can only imagine a whole new rack’s effect on the sound.
great advice!
Beautiful speakers as well .... phy are my favorite driver
I have someone building me a custom rack, can’t wait to receive it
Will be a game changer for sure.
Robin Alexander Congratulations 👍 What kind of rack is it? Did you design it?
Great video. Thanks man.
My pleasure
In 1985, while out of work, I built my own hifi stand. I purchased 1X12" lumber and drew my own plans. I still use it today. It houses a Hitachi SR-804 receiver, Denon DRM-800A and Akai GX-f31 cassette decks, Teac X-3 open reel deck, ADC Sound Shaper Two IC equalizer, Pioneer RG-2 expander, PL-518 turntable and a Sony CDP-275CE cd player. Ain't the prettiest, nor a work-of-art but I think it's swell.
Awesome video
Great video. Many thanks. What is your opinion of using Redwood Pine to make a rack?. Sides and top would be 33mm thick. Shelves 24mm thick. I won't be using a turntable. Just an amp, cd player and streamer?.
great idea, thanks for that video
TheRaywell My pleasure. Thanks for watching.
Excellent design
Thank you 👍☕
Well done. Really good video
Thank you 👍
I remember the day my friend sounds like you're getting your system worked out for sure well I hope it works out for you my friend we all need help when it comes to stereo equipment for sure have a good day and God bless🙏👍🎸
Nice video!
First off I would like to say WOW that was pretty impressive then at the end when you panned around the room, this was my first time watching one of your videos but if I'm not mistaking were the speakers custom and I really liked the tubed amps was thinking about getting one to mess around with away I enjoyed your video Thanks
bigjym2000 Thank you for your kind words 🙏
- I have videos on the speakers and the amp so I hope you will look at those videos too.
- The speakers are hand built, however they were not custom made. It is a regular production model. The upgraded version is still in production and will set you back €12.000 for a pair.
- The mono amps (it is an OTL design) are 35 years old and very, very hard to find. A new pair (the upgraded version is still in production) will set you back some €15.000. Plus another €15.000 if you want the matching pre-amp.
- On two extremely lucky days I ended up with this whole set for just €4.000. I could never afford the new prices.
- I did have to spend some serious money to get the amps (mono and pre) in pristine condition again but it still was a bargain. They were restored by the designer (and builder) of these amps himself. By some other stroke of luck this man lives nearby.
- Don’t forget to subscribe 😉 (if you haven’t already) There is a lot more to come 😃
thanks I look forward to your videos have a great weekend
Excellent. I have it in mind to ask a carpenter to build a rack for me too. I was planning to use cast iron legs with wooden platforms mounted on spikes but I really like the composite MDF idea here and the bouncy balls in addition to obviously solving a major challenge look so fun! So is it really a bouncy rack now?
RK LMBD More like a wobbly rack 😀 But it’s working. I must admit the maple / MDF sandwich was also a cost consideration. I was planning to do a full maple rack but with the thickness I wanted it became a pretty expensive rack. I still enjoy looking at my rack every day so I can only encourage you to design a rack that is completely your design. You have to look at it for many years to come 😀. Share a picture or something when it’s ready please. I would appreciate it very much. Thanks for watching.
Sweet !!!
you sound a little like Vangelis Pappathanasiou , the famous composer...very very calming voice. thank you.
very interesting
Slick !
Don't know if I'll need it in the future, it's just that what you did is cool.
Thank you 👍
So I have a stand I love but I want to make a platform for the turntable like the butcher's block you are using. Question block of 2 1" thick MDF glued together work better than that butcher's block? Or say a piece of granite or better yet a 1" thick piece of plexiglass be even better?
Hi, thanks for watching.
- Different turntables can react differently to their platform so it’s always difficult to give this type of advice. But from the options you described I would go for a maple butchers block or a 2 inch piece of plexiglass.
- From experience I found out that MDF and granite did not work for me. But part of the fun of this hobby is experimenting of course.
- What stand and what turntable are you using if I may ask?
One word... SolidSteel I've got maybe $100,000 worth of McIntosh and dCS equipment and wouldn't trust any other brand... made in Italy and of the highest quality I've ever seen.
Solidsteel makes beautiful racks. I do think there are some other brands that are worth considering but I like Solidsteel.
- Designing your own rack also provides a good level of satisfaction though 😀
- Thanks for sharing 👍 And I have to ask, would you consider doing a room tour of your system on my channel?
- Check out my ‘subscriber room tour’ videos to understand what I am talking about. You can find me on theaudiophilebarista@gmail.com if you have any questions.
I wouldn’t put steel anywhere near my system.
The steel is in the frame structure itself so please explain why that is such a bad thing!
Good stuff, just shows you don't need to spend big bucks on fancy racks.
Thank you for this video
though u didnt talked about the last wood and the between of the top
Hi, thanks for watching. You can find that info here: 7:20 😉
The rack is like the opposite of those speakers - heavy and rigid.
In my situation, I'd prefer the most open rack possible and the least amount of rack possible, due to having a small room and needing to place a TV on top. Luckily, I only need an amp there as I'm a digital audio guy. Room is less than ideal but it works for me and I get decent sound to my ears. Some day I'll be able to have a bigger room for audio ;p
Yes, I had the rack long before the loudspeakers. There are many ways towards audio nirvana 😉 Glad you are paying attention to your setup 👍
If you want keep that from happening stead of using toy balls i would put roller wheels if you want to move it or let it stay correctly ! Ur audiorack looks clean btw !
Hi, thanks for the compliment.
I considered wheels of course, but the small ones are too hard and the big ones (air tubes) make the rack too high and it will look ugly AF 😁
@@theaudiophilebarista2424 you make a good point
Thank you for the informative video - It’s not easy to find a good quality rack that’s the right size and doesn’t cost thousand(s) of dollars.
HiZ RedShift You’re welcome 👍 Did you make your own rack?
Was just about to rent a table saw actually - but I’m gonna start with a small TV stand and see how I do with that first :)
HiZ RedShift Good luck with the TV stand. I have had a lot of DIY constructions throughout the years and that experience is how I knew what I wanted for my current rack 👍
Thanks a lot - got the mdf cut properly so on my way
Gevonden. Zou die man er eentje voor een Belg maken denk je? En als ik zo benieuwd mag zijn, wat heb je hiervoor betaald?
Hai Michael. Stuur me even een mailtje op theaudiophilebarista@gmail.com
i think tiefenbrun put the linn into another room away from the speakers and noticed it sounded much better that way
Could be. I know him from the Ikea story. Maybe he did both?
Why do you use separate wood tops for your players? Is that necessary?
Hi, good question. The reasons, for me, are:
1. It gives me an extra layer of seperation (from floor vibrations). Especially because of the turntable.
3. When I ordered it I also kept open the possibility of having seperate mono poweramps. I could use them for that.
3. I think it looks cool 😉
wish i can made the audio rack to my self too, but i don't have equipment for that...
I understand. I had it made because I also don’t have the equipment.
- Thanks for watching 👍🔊☕️
MDF is a real music killer (in speakers, in racks etc.) Love the design of your rack though
Thanks, because of the sandwich construction the damage is not too bad 😀. Thanks for watching.
Very nice rack
Thanks 👍
I do wonder why many racks don't seem to have ventilation slots or holes in the shelves? I thought people with those Class A amps would like that XD
I played around with that idea for my rack for some time but in the end I opted for just a lot of space around the equipment. On top, on the side and no back wall. That is why it’s so big.
Good stuff. Strange that when you go to live shows, they do absolutely nothing to control vibration. And why would they lol
I'll have to look up if nobody does that in life shows, but maybe it's because they play so loud that subtlety is not a thing anymore 😉
@@dystopia2386 that would be awesome to see
Audio companies will soon make hifi sofa’s with spikes & shoes.
Marble and granite. The Solid slabs are the best.
Nabeel Fareed Moosa Hi, I had a 50 kilo marble slab that was really good. I still use it in the other room, but I preferred this rack. Thanks for watching 👍
Первый раз смотрю, полезная информация.
Thank you 👍
Ja
Well , quite a RACK ! if its not a secret , how much it costs ,appox , in US$ or in Pound s or in Euro?
Hi, I paid some €1000,- for it. Labor, materials and shipping
- Not peanuts, but remember, this is a one off in real maple. Weighing over 100 kilos. I think that was a good deal.
@@theaudiophilebarista2424I hope its worth it ! looks GREAT too , I dont like those futuristic /rocket design on ,,tens " of spikes and multi hundred dollars , , very special feet " !
I get what you mean 😃 My philosophy, get a rock solid base and experiment on that base.
- A lightweight platform with expensive spikes 😉 may work very well for your CD player. On a rock solid foundation that platform can do what it was actually designed to do. Well, that is what I think anyways 😁
- Oh and great looks is also worth paying for. I have to look at it every day.
@@theaudiophilebarista2424 I would trust your rack over light weight wood with heavy amps!
Brian Garside Me too 😉
Why not ALL solid Maple bros!
Gaetan Delorme If it wasn’t for the money I would have gone all maple, but that was too much for me
In that concrete column example: what is the nature of vibrations from a turntable that need to dissipate into the rack? Sounds like a joke.
Not sure if I understand what your point is. What would be the joke?
- Are you not convinced that vibrations can have an effect on the performance of a turntable?
@@theaudiophilebarista2424 I understand how vibrations generated from outside the TT can easily affect the micro movement of a needle so TTs need to be protected from the environmental vibrations. What I don't understand is what kind of vibrations are generated by the TT itself that require dissipation of their energy to protect the environment. The needle? Nope, its oscillation energy is minuscule. The motor? Well, if it is so noisy that the environment needs protection from it, then you won't be able to enjoy your records due to the motor rumble.
@@alexandermikhailov2481 Well, motor rumble is a thing of course. Vibration from the rack could transfer to the turntable. The turntable can pick up vibrations from the music in the room. Or from vibrating parts from the turntable itself (because of poor construction). So there are many possibilities.
- You can’t protect the player from the music in the room (well, you can put it in another room of course) but you can protect it from vibrations from the rack. Or you could transfer vibrations from the turntable itself to the rack (that was the example).
- The movement of the needle is so minuscule that you don’t want it to pick up vibrations other than what is in the groove. I guess that’s why the best turntables (well, most of them) are build like a tank.
Audio racks don’t really matter, audiophiles all over the world have their hifi systems and speakers on the floor without any problems, position of speakers, cables, power conditioners and quality of equipment matters the most.
Thanks for your comment 👍
- A lot of the equipment, mostly poweramps, that is placed on floors is build like a tank to counteract the vibration issue. So in that case a rack might not really matter.
- From experience I am convinced that vibrations can influence the endresult.
- Effects like microphony are well known and a rack can help to counteract this phenomenon. But it is a game of trial and error. The way the floor is constructed may also be just perfect for some equipment.
- I think it is just another tool in our hobby like speaker placement, acoustic treatment or cables
Zeker geen Ikea lol, mooi hoor, zit zelf ook aan eigenbouw te denken, aangezien meeste hifi meubels gewoonweg ondiep of, zoals je zelf aangeeft in de video, absorbitant duur zijn..
Hai, dank voor het kijken 👍 Zelf maken heeft veel voordelen. Waar zit je aan te denken als ik vragen mag?
@@theaudiophilebarista2424 Ik had al tekeningen gemaakt voor een lowboard van ca. 2.5 meter breed, 50 of 55 diep , maar hoogte zit ik nog even mee.
Mijn Akai spullen groeien, en mijn Digitale spullen ook, ik heb 2x bandrecorder, 1x cassette deck en grote AA1200 ( dual mono ) receiver van akai, maar er komt dan wat bij en weer weg, maar wil mijn Analoog gescheiden hebben van digitaal.
Dus beetje in dubio, aangezien ik ook aan heht denken ben aan het "modernere" Advance Acoustic als mijn Analoog system.. maar dat is nog moeilijk kiezen..
Dus al met al , alles wollig en zonder echt plan, het geheel moet ook nog is makkelijk verplaatsbaar zijn, dus op wielen zou heht moeten staan, die ik dan eigenlijk niet zichtbaar wil hebben... Tja ideeen, etc tekeningen etc... maar nu nog een echt plan maken waar ik langere tijd mee doorkan.
@@olafvh Hai, ik heb ook eeuwig lopen dubben voor ik het definitieve besluit nam 😉
- Als je het leuk vindt zou ik hier iets op mijn kanaal mee willen doen. Stuur me een mailtje als dat je wat lijkt (theaudiophilebarista@gmail.com)
@@theaudiophilebarista2424 Ik hou het in mijn achterhoofd, voor nu nog aan het denken etc.. dat kan wel even duren :) maar komt zeker goed . thnx
You pronounce "wreck" instead of "rack"...
Could be. English is not my native language
The problem these days is finding a good carpenter.
Well, I guess there are enough good carpenters (in my city). Finding an affordable one is a bigger challenge 😃
@@theaudiophilebarista2424 I don't mind expensive. I just want quality workmanship.
@@jeremytravis360 Well, you are a lucky man. My wallet has some limitations 😀
@@theaudiophilebarista2424 So does mine. I'm not a millionaire 😀
@@jeremytravis360 😀 So do you have any plans for a DIY audiorack?
This video is a complete FAIl! Please ignore this youtuber.
That’s not an argument. Please ignore this 'commenter'
@Jesus Acuna So is there going to be an actual argument from you or are you just another basement, keyboard coward?
Nice video!
Thanks 👍