Hi-Fi Racks

What a Hi-Fi Rack Does

Quadraspire puts the case plainly: an equipment rack engineered to manage resonance can transform the performance of a whole system. Whether described as an audio rack, a hi-fi stand or a hi-fi rack, the job is the same: a rigid, level platform for each source and amplifier, with room around every unit and short, tidy cable runs.

For a system of separates, a hi-fi separates stand with a shelf for each component keeps the arrangement flexible. Unlike fixed hi-fi stands, the Quadraspire and Montaudio racks here are built shelf by shelf, so a system can grow without a new rack.

Quadraspire: Bamboo Shelves Made in Britain

The Quadraspire Q4 EVO is the modular rack of the Quadraspire range, with shelves of solid bamboo ply, which Quadraspire says suppresses vibration, edges chamfered to help dissipate energy, and curved columns that come in black or matt silver.

The Quadraspire SVT takes the Q4 EVO further, with machined shelf slots that lower mass and improve airflow and solid brass inserts between columns and shelves for further mechanical tuning; the SV2T and SV3T bring the same design to wider racks. At the top of the range, the Quadraspire X-Reference builds a rack within a rack, with the SV Bronze 30 and an SVT shelf on every level and thicker columns in black or raw aluminium.

Montaudio Manuka MR: Walnut on Stainless Steel

Montaudio, founded in Auckland, New Zealand, builds the Montaudio Manuka MR Reference rack from thick shelves that sandwich solid walnut and birch, on dampened solid stainless steel legs. A pattern of machined stepped-honeycomb pillars sits at the centre of each shelf, and feet ringed with elastomer damp the contact with the floor; Montaudio adds that the design also sheds airborne vibration from loud music.

Each Manuka MR tier comes in a separate package, with a choice of four leg heights, so the rack can be planned around the tallest component.

Choosing the Best Hi-Fi Racks for Your System

Count the components, add a shelf for the next one, and check the widest and heaviest piece against the shelf sizes and load ratings in the answers below. For a turntable, Quadraspire makes the SV Bronze 30 upgrade to isolate the deck further, and a high-end hi-fi rack such as the X-Reference brings that treatment to every level.

Pair the rack with speaker stands from the wider collection of hi-fi furniture, and ask Audio Lounge to plan a configuration around your sources and amplifiers.