In the world of HiFi, a good HiFi rack is an essential component for your system's overall performance. Just as noise can enter a system via the cables and power supply, vibrations are another unwanted symptom from the acoustics in your room, not just from the speakers but also from other equipment that can transmit harmful vibrations, which can affect the sound that you hear, from imaging to bass and to the overall fidelity and sound from your system.
Over the past year, I have been experimenting with Isolation products and trying them out on all my different components, from my speakers to amps and source equipment and noting all the benefits and writing reviews on the Montaudio products that I have used with all of the speakers and HiFi equipment that I have had here at The Speaker Shack. I am also using some IsoAcoustics products. Still, the most crucial upgrade was underway: replacing my HiFi rack and providing proper, complete isolation for all my HiFi components that sit on it.
For many years, I have followed Butcher Block Acoustics on social media and admired their products, from racks to Isolation platforms. They have been making and mastering these components for the high-end audio world. Social media has played a significant role in connecting with leading companies over the last couple of years, and I was in contact with Jim Whithmore, the owner of Butcher Block Acoustics. Jim is a passionate audiophile who built his business on his love of music. His family has a rich musical history, including his great-grandparents, who were renowned composers and pianists. With this excerpt from his website, I love learning about people's histories, and Jim's is fascinating!
Jim’s great-grandfather was Emerson Whithorne, a notable American composer and researcher into the history of music. Emerson Whithorne (1884-1958, born in Cleveland, OH, a distant relative of Ralph Waldo Emerson) fell into the classification of the "American Impressionists" group of composers, with Charles Tomlison Griffes and John Alden Carpenter. He had a reputation as an authority on the music of China. Whithorne lived for a period in London, staying until 1915.
And equally amazing, Jim’s great-grandmother was Ethel Leginska. Ethel was a British pianist, composer, conductor and music educator. She was a student of Theodor Leschetizky later studying composition with Rubin Goldmark and Ernest Bloch, and conducting with Eugene Goossens, Robert Heger and Gennaro Papi. Among her students were pianist and harpsichordist Gavin Williamson, James Henry Fields, Daniel Pollack and Bruce Sutherland. She was a pioneer of women's opportunity in music performance and conducting, being the first woman to conduct many of the world's leading orchestras.
Jim’s great-grandparents sat behind the piano and made great music. Whereas Jim earnestly sells the wood that makes a great piano.
The ordering process for the rigidrackPLUS HiFi rack was very straightforward. After reviewing all the options, I chose the rigidrackPLUS rack with four shelves and narrower dimensions, which would suit my system and the space at The Speaker Shack. The shelves are 24" x 18" and feature 1-½" thick solid Walnut shelves, 1 5/8" maple legs with extended shelf spacing, and the Snap Lock Levelling Feet. All of their racks and Isolation components are available in various sizes and shelf configurations, and can be custom-ordered upon request. This size gives me plenty of room for upgrades and will also allow for different HiFi components in upcoming reviews. All of Jim's products are produced in Bally, Pennsylvania, USA, and shipped directly to customers worldwide. It took approximately 1 week from order placement to delivery, and I was surprised by how quickly the rack arrived in the UK. The rack is shipped in five separate boxes: one rack, four shelves, and 1 box with the maple legs. UPS delivered 3 boxes on one day and 2 more the following day, which was slightly confusing. They arrived safe and sound. The rack components were extremely well packaged and protected during transit, and once all were unboxed, you were presented with the beautiful rack and all the parts needed to assemble it. Clear instructions and tools are included for making the rigidrackPLUS, and it took only a short time to construct and place it in my room. The build quality of every component is stunning, with a beautiful finish and fit once fully assembled, the rigidrack logo showing on the bottom shelf. I created a time-lapse video of myself making the rigidrackPLUS, as shown below. The Butcher Block Acoustics rack is one of the sturdiest I have had here at The Speaker Shack, thanks to its solid construction. The hardwood shelves provide excellent isolation and vibration control because the solid hardwood absorbs and dissipates energy from your electronics and equipment. Over the last few years, I have found that proper isolation of your HiFi is vital to achieving a superior sound quality.
For this review, I am using my Cyrus Audio 82 DAC Integrated amplifier and PSX-R, along with the Cyrus Audio CD8SE CD player, which sit nicely in the rack with plenty of space around them for good airflow. I am also using the Montaudio Rangitoto R1 Isolation feet under my amplifier and PSX-R, and the IsoAcoustics Pucks under the Cyrus CD8SE player for added vibration control. My Denon DP400 turntable sits on the top shelf, and I use the iFi Zen Phono 3 phonostage. I am once again using the IsoAcoustic pucks for added vibration control, which is especially important with vinyl playback, as the Denon DL-A110 cartridge picks up the tiniest vibrations, acting just like a microphone and amplifying them, so with the BBA rack, it really is a significant upgrade for my system, especially for vinyl playback. For streaming, I use my Bluesound Nano Node and Chord Electronics Mojo 2 as the DAC, which feeds into my Cyrus amplifier. I am using a mix of cables, but for the speaker cables, I am using the stunning Montaudio SH-1s, which connect to my ProAc D2R speakers. For the lower octaves, I am using the REL T5x subwoofer.
For music, I have been listening to a range of genres I know and love. But some recordings are better than others for evaluating HiFi and equipment. A prime example is Stockfisch Records' recordings and the Closer to the Music albums, which feature wonderful music from various artists. I own them in high resolution at a sample rate of 24bit 88kHz and use them when reviewing a lot of the different speakers and equipment that come through my doors for review, I even used them when I had the Manuka rack in for review and once it went I really did notice the difference in the recordings and all my music to be honest and in particular the midrange which sounded flatter and not as rich in its sound, I suppose this is down to the coloration of the sound and the profound affect that good isolation of my components had with such a high quality rack in place. This is what made me really start experimenting with isolating my components, such as my amps and source equipment. I always knew the ProAc D2R speakers could perform well. With each tweak, I achieved continuous improvements in bass definition and impact, and overall better imaging and clarity from my system's performance. However, that lush midrange and warmth that I had heard when the Manuka rack was in place were still eluding me.
Listening to Christian Willisohn's track "Caruso" from Closer to the Music Vol 2, everything fell into place with my new Butcher Block Acoustics HiFi rack; the wonderful midrange textures and richness I had been missing were back. The ProAc D2R speakers sounded simply sublime with this track; the imaging and bass definition were also exceptional. Still, that missing midrange and its lush, rich sound were back once again in my system. Listening to it, I feel a great sense of satisfaction, as the rigidrackPLUS has lifted the veil that was colouring my speakers' sound, particularly the midrange. It's clear that without the isolation and vibration control of the rigidrackPLUS, unwanted vibrations from my components were masking the midrange clarity of my speakers. Caruso is such a beautiful piece of music, and one I love to hear, especially when it sounds this good through my system.
The next track from Volume 1, "Closer to the Music," features the beautiful vocals and music of Chris Jones. "No Sanctuary Here" once again highlights the wonderful textures and tones in the midrange and upper bass, blending perfectly and sounding harmoniously rich. The clarity of the vocals and guitar notes is stunning, as they hang in the air with ample space around them, showing excellent instrument separation and imaging projected into my room by the ProAc speakers. The bass is deep and taught, and each guitar pluck is felt and resonates with superb musicality.
I own all the Stockfisch recording volumes in high resolution. Still, Volumes 1 & 2 are my favourites, featuring great artists and music, which sounds simply stunning, and I highly recommend purchasing these albums from the Stockfisch website.
With
vinyl, a good HiFi rack is even more essential because vibrations are harmful
to sound quality and to how a turntable’s cartridge picks up music from your
record's grooves, with the tiniest of vibrations amplified by your cartridge
and phono stage, especially with MC (Moving Coil) cartridges, as they are much
more mechanically sensitive than the MM (Moving Magnet) type. With my previous rack, the slightest knock or bump
was transmitted to the turntables and, in some cases, distorted the sound you
heard. Since installing the Butcher Block Acoustics rigidrackPLUS, this has no
longer been a concern, as vibrations and knocks are minimised and my turntable
is extremely well isolated. I also use IsoAcoustic pucks under each foot of the
turntable.
Another album I know exceptionally well is Cerrone's latest, Disco Symphony, which features his distinctive disco sounds accompanied by a full orchestra and is one of my favourite albums from this legendary artist. The Denon MC cartridge is highly detailed and delivers a more dynamic performance than the MM cartridge I own. I love the sound from this deck and cartridge, but with the BBA ridgedrackPLUS, my vinyl sounds better than ever. The bass is tighter and has more power, with significant impact and definition, and the soundstage is more expansive, offering a more detailed image of the music. This is where I notice the most important improvements with my vinyl records, with the new BBA rack in place.
Two of my favourite tracks from this album are Supernature and Drum Symphony, which add an incredible symphonic touch to these classic disco dance-floor hits. Supernature is an 8-minute track with a beautiful intro featuring the whole symphony and big drum and string sections of the orchestra. The image presented has wonderful width and depth, with the entire room filled by the music and the orchestra, which fills my space, before the vocals are projected into my room and centre stage. My system already sounded good before the BBA rack was introduced. Still, with the rigidrackPLUS, everything is more dialled in, bass has more impact, the midrange is lush, and the top end just sparkles with so much detail, everything just comes together with all of the music presented in such a natural way that you cannot help but love the sound and the music with my feet tapping it really is one of those tunes that you just want to get up and dance, I never tire of listening to this track.
Drum Symphony demonstrates Cerrone's drumming talent. With this track, my ProAc and REL sub get a good workout. The front soundstage is filled with a masterful drum performance from this French artist; the drums make the music infectious, and sound impressive as they fill the soundstage from left to right with real impact and power while the orchestra plays in unison. I have listened to this track on many of the systems I have used here at The Speaker Shack, and with the BBA rigidrackPLUS now in place, it has improved the sound and clarity of everything I listen to, allowing my system to perform without any colouration. The ProAc speakers deliver excellent bass performance, while my REL sub fills in the lower bass notes, sounding clean with no overhang or bloat.
This whole album is superb, but these are two of my favourite tracks, even though I also own the high-resolution version. The vinyl edition has more energy and impact, making the music sound more natural. If you don't own it, pick up a copy to hear for yourself how good it is.
The Butcher Block Acoustics rigidrackPLUS has proven to be a worthy upgrade, improving the sound I hear from my system and allowing it to perform as intended, with no colouration. The midrange of my ProAc speakers is appreciated for the wonderful textures and tones the D2R speakers deliver, as well as for the improved imaging, clarity, and bass definition. With vinyl, bass, imaging, and the stunning detail retrieval, it provides exceptional clarity from every record, enhancing the natural timbre of every instrument in every piece of music I listen to.
Conclusions and Final Thoughts
I am so pleased with the results of adding the Butcher Block Acoustics rigidrackPLUS into The Speaker Shack's system. It has significantly improved the system's overall performance by providing proper, complete isolation from harmful vibrations from my components, which can degrade the sound you hear. It has once again proved how important it is to isolate your equipment correctly and how it can improve the overall sound of your HiFi system. It looks beautiful in my room, with gorgeous walnut shelving and light maple legs, and it also exudes quality with its solid build.
The Speaker Shack awards the Butcher Block Acoustics rigidrackPLUS the Reference award and stamp of approval.
No comments