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View Full Version : Is this the sexiest/properly designed equipment support out there?



Marco
01-08-2009, 23:43
When I get a Technics SP10 with a 12" arm (Jelco, Thomas Schick or Ikeda) in suitable plinth, either at the end of this year or the beginning of next, and my T/T will no longer fit on the Mana racks, I will be looking at obtaining an alternative equipment support to house it (and the rest of my gear). At the moment, this range from Copulare is hitting the spot:


http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/7783/copularerack.png (http://img43.imageshack.us/i/copularerack.png/)


More info here: http://www.copulare.de/english/produkte/zonal_serie_a.htm


Or perhaps something from Stillpoint:


http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/8564/stillpointsupports.png (http://img8.imageshack.us/i/stillpointsupports.png/)


More info here: http://www.stereotimes.com/acc052506.shtml


Or maybe Grand Prix Audio:


http://www.grandprixaudio.com/prod_lemans.php


All, I believe, are modular and can be custom-made to your own specifications.

What do others think is the sexiest looking high-performance support out there? :)

No 'glorified furniture' suggestions (such as Isoblue, Naim Fraim, etc) please! It must be something 'serious' for high-end audio with properly thought-out design principles, such as the examples shown above. Budget is open for consideration.

Marco.

Mike
02-08-2009, 00:02
http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/7783/copularerack.png (http://img43.imageshack.us/i/copularerack.png/)



Truly vile!... It looks like a cake stand! Or Barbie's shoe rack!

Get something like this and stop pissing about: http://www.finite-elemente.de/en/racks/pagode_master_reference

Marco
02-08-2009, 00:07
LOL. Yer taste's in yer arse, Mikey! :eyebrows:

What about this then from the same manufacturer:


http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/9568/copulare2.png (http://img136.imageshack.us/i/copulare2.png/)


Finite Elemente - mmm... Possibly, but it's a bit too wood-orientated and thus 'glorified furniture'-like for me ;)

I prefer something that's more streamlined and 'sculptured' involving metal and/or glass somewhere in the design.

Marco.

Mike
02-08-2009, 00:14
Finite Elemente - mmm... Possibly, but it's a bit too wood-orientated and thus 'glorified furniture'-like for me ;)

Read up on em lad!

Try to ignore the price though! ;)

Marco
02-08-2009, 00:19
I know quite a bit about them, dude. I nearly bought one before I got into Mana six years ago :)

I'm looking for something truly radical and different...

Marco.

aquapiranha
02-08-2009, 00:44
Jesus Mary and Joseph! WTF is that pink thing? You jest surely??? :doh:

Isoblue is nice, simple and understated yet aesthetically pleasing.


But I fear you wouldnt fit your amps in there. If I were you I would go for a heavy duty wall bracket for the T/T.

:)

OR...

http://www.mapleshaderecords.com/audioproducts/samson2.php

OR..

http://www.musicdirect.com/product/74363

Marco
02-08-2009, 07:06
Jesus Mary and Joseph! WTF is that pink thing? You jest surely???


LOL. It comes in different colours, matey - the non-pink ones look pretty sexy to me :)

I quite like the Mapleshade and Solidsteel - I'll bear those in mind... Nice find!

I also like this from Cambre:


http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/1097/cambrerack.th.png (http://img7.imageshack.us/i/cambrerack.png/)


Info here: http://store.acousticsounds.com/browse_detail.cfm?Title_ID=36965


Or even better this from Aavik:


http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/1957/aaviksupports.png (http://img39.imageshack.us/i/aaviksupports.png/)


I'm only doing a bit of research at the moment, but when the time comes it'll be hard to choose!

Marco.

Ian Walker
02-08-2009, 08:08
Just get Dunc to knock you something up out of some of his scaffolding poles.....it'll probably sound better too.

DSJR
02-08-2009, 12:45
They all look the same to me Marco, pink shelves and all...:)

I always liked the Something Solid XR racks - light weight balsa shelving suspended on pre-tensioned sail-line. if you like musical sounds, you'll have a VERY hard job bettering these and they're not too pricey either..

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q8/DSJR_photos/xr4-1.jpg

The above shot courtesy of Signals Ipswich (hope you don't mind Alastair).

P.S. [edit] - the manufacturer (Mark Orr) does custom jobbies too and my old mate HiFi Dave and Noteworthy in Aylesbury sell them as well

http://www.noteworthyaudio.co.uk/Something_Solid.html

I have no idea if anyone north of Birmingham sells them though.

Sand Dancin Donkey Walker
02-08-2009, 13:26
Marco

Have you seen these before, Star Sound Technologies, Sistrum Stands. A mate of mine used the amp stands for a long time and liked them, well made and sounded better than the previous platforms he had used.

http://www.starsoundtechnologies.com/sistrum.html (http://www.starsoundtechnologies.com/sistrum.html)

http://www.starsoundtechnologies.com/multiplatforms.HTML (http://www.starsoundtechnologies.com/multiplatforms.HTML)

I liked the Musical Note in the centre of the design.

They do a nice range of stuff, to suit all needs. I liked the adjustable spikes attached to the platform shelves.

Andy - SDDW

HighFidelityGuy
02-08-2009, 16:12
How about THESE (http://www.hifiracks.co.uk/page2.htm) or any others from that manufacturer.
They can be custom made to any height you want.

I'm hoping to get the Podium XL to use as a TV/Hi-Fi stand unless I find the same sort of thing cheaper somewhere else.

twelvebears
03-08-2009, 06:47
I have to say that I was always very, very pleased with my Townshend seismic sink stand, I had to be, it cost enough and I'm not one for 'snake oil' tweaks without sound engineering principles behind them.

Unfortunately back then, it was pretty Heath Robinson, but it's come on a lot these days....

twelvebears
03-08-2009, 07:13
Copulare.... Oh dear lord! Are you blind! Utterly horrible!

Stillpoints... Ah now that's more like it. Yes, very cool. I like it.

Grandpix... No now that's just boring and looks like other glass and chrome stuff.

Personally I'm planning to build my own rack using shelves made of solid block wood Birch Ikea worktops.

Uprights will be of 16mm stainless steel studding, with stainless nuts and washers holding the shelves.

Shelves will be decoupled from the rods using polyeurothene O-rings between the washers and shelves.

Top and bottom of the threaded rob will be finished with stainless dome nuts.

Equipment will sit on DIY islolation platforms consisting of two beatifully finished layers of slate from John at Slate Age, each of which a number have 20mm radius indentations in one face so that they are separated by a number of squash balls, the number and type of which allow you to adjust for kit of different weights....

keeper
30-08-2009, 18:40
How about one of these?

Marco
30-08-2009, 21:25
Yep, the ReVo is also in the equation :)

Although I hate how it looks...

Marco.

Steve Toy
03-09-2009, 02:54
The Revo is probably the best performance stand there is. It unlocks rhythmic interplay between musicians and harmonic detail you never knew even existed.

The Techie will leap into orbit on one of those.

Johnboy
14-09-2009, 08:01
Hi Marco
I had the same idea this summer and just finished this rack , I needed space for my SP10
what do you think of it?
thanks for looking
John

Johnhttp://i686.photobucket.com/albums/vv226/Aussieone122/DSC04687.jpg
http://i686.photobucket.com/albums/vv226/Aussieone122/DSC04685.jpg
http://i686.photobucket.com/albums/vv226/Aussieone122/DSC04698.jpg
http://i686.photobucket.com/albums/vv226/Aussieone122/DSC04708.jpg

Marco
14-09-2009, 08:21
Looking good, John - very nice indeed :)

What wood did you use? Let's see the SP10, too! :gig:

Marco.

Johnboy
14-09-2009, 08:58
the wood I used is castagno it's common in Toscany as you may know,

I have just finished last week this plinth for my NOS from the Box Technics SP10 MkII for
which I'am very happy on how it turned out, I have many pic's of the making but I don't want to show off to much about it. I would like if someone can give me a tip for some cart's that work well with the arms I have SME 312 & SME 3012 II bent at 18° just like the Thomas Schick arms, at the moment I have 2 DL103 on both for testing ,
thanks again
John

http://i686.photobucket.com/albums/vv226/Aussieone122/DSC05455.jpg

http://i686.photobucket.com/albums/vv226/Aussieone122/DSC05456.jpg

http://i686.photobucket.com/albums/vv226/Aussieone122/DSC05459.jpg
http://i686.photobucket.com/albums/vv226/Aussieone122/DSC05460.jpg

Marco
14-09-2009, 09:15
I am lost for words, John - simply awesome!! :wow:

That's also about the nicest plinth I've seen for an SP10. What is it made from, and did you do it yourself? :)

Marco.

Marco
14-09-2009, 09:25
Meanwhile, back to the subject of stands, here are Anthony TD's Soul amplifiers on Stillpoint supports:

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/7884/stand02.jpg (http://img6.imageshack.us/i/stand02.jpg/)

I have heard these amps and they sound awesome!

Marco.

Johnboy
14-09-2009, 09:26
Just a few shots of my SP10 comming out of the box for the first time after many years .
They are boxed without wall plugs, but as soon a I gave her 220v she fired up and was spot on.
It's nice to know that I'am the first to play with her, and only death will do us apart,
Like I say NOS from the BOX great stuff.

great to see in this forum others that are crazy for Hi end just like me.
John

PS Maco , maybe I'am posting in the wrong place ?
this is the first time I'am in a forum ,

http://i686.photobucket.com/albums/vv226/Aussieone122/DSC03374.jpg
http://i686.photobucket.com/albums/vv226/Aussieone122/DSC03387.jpg

http://i686.photobucket.com/albums/vv226/Aussieone122/DSC03397.jpg

Marco
14-09-2009, 09:29
Hi John,

Great pictures - I may move them to a separate thread in our Gallery section, as that's where they deserve to be :)

So, what is the plinth for your SP10 made from?

Marco.

The Grand Wazoo
14-09-2009, 09:42
The Castano wood that John refers to is, I think what we call Sweet (or Spanish) Chestnut - Castanea sativa.

It's properties are broadly similar to Oak, but far nicer to look at & work with in my opinion.

Johnboy
14-09-2009, 09:46
Yes I did it myself , it's built from 7 layers of marine ply wood with a lead sheet in-between the 3rd and 4th layer , I veneered the the bottom half with wall nut and then
treated the top half I'mean the black part with an epoxy resin base and much rubbing down and scale sanding to 1500 grit paper shine then 3 coats of black and 7 clear coats of top magic shine transparent, these products are expensive because used for painting cars ,but are a must to get this type of finish the plinth was sprayed and dried in a both at 60° ,

believe me the surface is hard and shinny like glass ,

John

Marco
14-09-2009, 09:47
Hi Chris,

Yep, 'castagna' is chestnut in Italian. In Tuscany, we roast them over the fire and wash them down with lots of lovely red wine! :cheers:

Or maybe make a sauce from them for a risotto...

Marco.

Marco
14-09-2009, 09:53
Yes I did it myself , it's built from 7 layers of marine ply wood with a lead sheet in-between the 3rd and 4th layer , I veneered the the bottom half with wall nut and then
treated the top half I'mean the black part with an epoxy resin base and much rubbing down and scale sanding to 1500 grit paper shine then 3 coats of black and 7 clear coats of top magic shine transparent, these products are expensive because used for painting cars ,but are a must to get this type of finish the plinth was sprayed and dried in a both at 60° ,

believe me the surface is hard and shinny like glass ,


Oh don't worry, John, I believe you! As they say over here "quality!" :smoking:

I'll ask you a cheeky question... When I get my SP10 (sometime next year), would you build a similar plinth for me? If you're up for it then I would pay whatever you would consider is a fair price, and of course all the shipping charges, etc, to get the turntable over to you. It's very hard to obtain this sort of thing in Britain.

I could come to Lucca to collect it when it's finished, too! ;)

What do you think? :)

Marco.

Johnboy
14-09-2009, 10:17
Hi Chris
yes that right, Chestnut , but in this case it's only on the outside , if you look at the first pic you can see the grain doesn't match up on the corner,
they are 4 sheets of marine ply and then I venneered over them the cheastnut grain,
this because solid wood will move specially indoors with heating systems in winter .
as you know racks must stay flat and level.
John

The Grand Wazoo
14-09-2009, 10:20
Yes, I spotted that the figure in the veneers wasn't consistent with a single slab of timber. It's very nice work, all the same!

Johnboy
14-09-2009, 10:28
Oh don't worry, John, I believe you! As they say over here "quality!" :smoking:

I'll ask you a cheeky question... When I get my SP10 (sometime next year), would you build a similar plinth for me? If you're up for it then I would pay whatever you would consider is a fair price, and of course all the shipping charges, etc, to get the turntable over to you. It's very hard to obtain this sort of thing in Britain.

I could come to Lucca to collect it when it's finished, too! ;)

What do you think? :)

Marco.

yes a bit cheeky ,

I have been asked the same question 3 or 4 times in last 10 days since I finished it , believe me not to be snob but It is expensive for only the materials needed specially the paint , without considering my time, but never
say never and if so important to take it on the long shot slowly slowly to do a good job ,no need to send the turntable I have plans for the cut out's.
J

Johnboy
14-09-2009, 10:33
You guys are lucky in the UK , getting your hands on some really nice stuff , also the
english vintage valve amps , If lived in the UK my house would be full of vintage Hi-end
UK made ,

do you still find some good things at markets on sundays ?

John

Marco
14-09-2009, 12:34
yes a bit cheeky ,

I have been asked the same question 3 or 4 times in last 10 days since I finished it , believe me not to be snob but It is expensive for only the materials needed specially the paint , without considering my time, but never
say never and if so important to take it on the long shot slowly slowly to do a good job ,no need to send the turntable I have plans for the cut out's.


Hi John,

I'll pay whatever you consider is a fair price for your time and the materials. I'm not the sort of person who expects something for nothing - I will gladly pay good money for something that's worth it, so you have no worries on that score. In any case, I'd give you half the amount in advance. Good idea about the cut-outs.

I also usually drive over to Italy, so I'd bring the SP10 with me, we can fit the plinth, and then I'd bring the finished deck home in the car :)

PM me and we can chat about it.

Marco.

Johnboy
14-09-2009, 13:00
Hi Marco

I'am sure we can work it out in some way, for me time is more important than money,
we have time to talk about it, I'am very happy that you like my plinth , and I understand your passion this will drive me to find a solution to please you.
I can post you more pic's if you like, plus this is big 67 x57cm to take 2 12" arms ,
It has spike feet , I like to work on the feet to see what changes they may bring , high , low, spike, flat, rubber,wood and rubber , I have many ideas .
John

John

Marco
14-09-2009, 16:39
Hi John,

Yes, some more pics would be nice :)

There's no rush to do the plinth - I need to get an SP10 first! That probably won't happen until next year, as I have other priorities. I'm just putting some 'feelers' out so that when the time comes I know who to use :smoking:

In the UK, I've not seen anyone offering the type of plinth that you've made. It's mostly slate, and I'm not sure this, on its own, is the ideal material. I like the idea of having various materials 'sandwiched' together like you've got, with the predominant one being solid wood. I have a feeling that the sound will be better that way...

Size-wise, I might go for something that can house two tonearms - probably a 9" and a 12", as both have their good points and different presentations.

What I would like is a rough 'ball-park' figure of the cost, so I can budget for it in advance, so if you could have a think about that and PM me, that would be much appreciated :smoking:

Marco.

Johnboy
14-09-2009, 18:57
Marco

ok I will think about it , then PM to you, give me some time , but I'am also working on other ideas same style but with some small changes , I agree with you that all slate is not good (my idea ) I'am near to trying slate and wood, but to try this I need to fork out 400euro for the 5cm slate and cuts exspensive tests ah,
I like to buy a Caiman DAC can you help me on this ?
John

Marco
14-09-2009, 19:27
Hi John,

For a Caiman DAC, just send StanleyB a PM requesting one and you'll get an AOS discount :)

No problem about the plinth. Take your time to work things out, but I'm very interested.

Slate and wood could be good. Pity it wasn't marble, eh? There's tons of that on quarries near where you live! :eyebrows:

Marco.

Johnboy
14-09-2009, 22:41
Hi John,

For a Caiman DAC, just send StanleyB a PM requesting one and you'll get an AOS discount :)

No problem about the plinth. Take your time to work things out, but I'm very interested.

Slate and wood could be good. Pity it wasn't marble, eh? There's tons of that on quarries near where you live! :eyebrows:

Marco.

Yes pietra di matraia look it up it is only found in this area it's between marble and stone , it should be good for a plinth, I understand that mable is to hard and tends to make the sp10 play like a CD you don't want that I Guess ,

thanks for the tip on the dac,

john

Marco
15-09-2009, 08:48
Hi John,


Yes pietra di matraia look it up it is only found in this area it's between marble and stone...


Yes I know. Do you know the road to Arni from Barga, which eventually leads to Viareggio? There are loads of quarries along the road there where you can pick as many bits as you like! It's another matter though, refining it into a usable shape for a turntable plinth... :)


I understand that mable is to hard and tends to make the sp10 play like a CD you don't want that I Guess ,


Yes I suspect that too, and there may be a good case also to say the same about solid slate, although there are many variables, including the fact that there are different types of slate - all with their own individual sonic properties. It's a complete minefield!

For someone like me, without the D.I.Y skills to build my own plinths and experiment, I have to go with my gut instinct and with what I consider is 'right'. For me, your multi-layer plinth using a variety of quality materials ticks all the right boxes.

Marco.

Johnboy
15-09-2009, 09:37
Hi Marco

yes I know that road my sister lives in Viareggio ,
plinths the stone doesn't cost much but then for a turntable you need to find the right slab without marks or pin holes and then all cuts and shaving then shining is a killer for the price, without knowing results , I'am in for the wood and you see the results , I can tell you the sound is tops , the plinth is big and high , also the sp10 has very little rumble not like idler wheel tables Garrards,
I used the same methods for both plinths as you see I have them side by side with the same arm SME 3012II & Denon dl103 becasue I wanted to compare them both on my system.
My Garrard 401 sounds really good like the Garrards do, I must say that for me they are 2 different tables but both are wonderful.

John

Marco
15-09-2009, 10:11
Hi John,

I bet it sounds really good. I agree with you about the SP10 and Garrards - both are very different, but great in their own right.

I'd rather own a 'well-sorted' example of one of those than almost any turntable made today. When you've heard those it brings home rather shockingly how little progress has been made in T/T technology in the last 30-odd years!

One thing you should do though is buy a Denon DL-103SA. The stock one, especially the way you've got it set-up, sounds great, but the 'SA' is another thing entirely, especially through an Auditorium 23 step-up transformer and high quality valve MM phono stage. I'd say that the stock 103 only approaches 70% of what the 'SA' is capable of... I also think that the 103 is liable to suit your 3012 more than the 312, especially in a high-mass headshell.

Viareggio? I like it, as it's nowhere near as 'touristy' as Rimini or Cattolica, and there are some fabulous seafood restaurants there.

Do you know the Tito del Molo? See link below:

http://www.titodelmolo.com/menu.htm

It's simply awesome! The spaghetti alle vongole is to die for!! :)

However, deep down I'm more of a countryside person and love it up in the mountains in Tuscany around Barga and the surrounding area. When we fancy a treat or if it's a special occasion we sometimes go to the (world-famous) 'Il Ciocco' for an overnight stay and dinner:

http://www.ciocco.it/flash_site/index.html

My uncle knows the management there and we get in at slightly reduced rates! ;)

Otherwise, we prefer eating out at all the lovely family-run restaurants in tiny little hilltop villages in the middle of nowhere where you can eat superbly for next to nothing. I can recommend quite a few of those! :cool:

Marco.

Snoopdog
16-09-2009, 09:18
Another vote for Stillpoints!

Here is my system which is pretty much Stillpointed to the max!

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y76/crystalref/036.jpg

Marco
16-09-2009, 09:28
Hi Snoops (what's your proper first name?),

Thanks for posting that! :)

I'd been looking for a picture of one of the Stillpoint racks but couldn't find any... It's quite difficult to get info on their products.

Do you know if you can you get the racks custom-made, or perhaps in a wider, more horizontal shape rather than a tall vertical one like yours?

The reason I ask is that it would be to accommodate a twin-tonearm SP10 in a huge plinth (similar to what John posted pics of earlier), which I suspect would not fit where your T/T is (as it would be much wider).

Is there anywhere you can obtain a brochure on the full Stillpoint product range or view it on-line? Did you get yours from Blade Audio - perhaps they're the ones to ask?

Also, how much was your rack?

Cheers! :smoking:

Marco.

Snoopdog
16-09-2009, 21:05
You can get different models, wider with less shelves etc.

Look here:-http://stillpoints.us/Stillpoints/ess_rack.html

Mine is an ESS 405 rack, 40" high with five shelves. RRP is about £3K.

I would think something like the ESS 263L (wider with three shelves would suit your purposes.

Give the UK importer/distributor, Dave Rapoport (Blade Audio) a ring on 01252 737374

Marco
16-09-2009, 21:36
Hi Steve,

Noted - thanks for the info :)

Marco.

Steve Toy
16-09-2009, 22:26
If you go to Blade you will be able to do a direct comparison with the Revo.

Marco
17-09-2009, 06:18
That'll probably be the plan :)

I'd need a home demo of both, though, before I could make a decision. Then I'll be doing the same with other racks on my 'wanted' list! Gotta be thorough ;)

Marco.