excellent value. attractive (if you get the cherry finish). easy setup (1 hour). superb packing.

not expandable (but you really don't need to since there's 6 shelves). shelf height not adjustable (6" & 7" fixed). can't fill the legs w/sand. could be more stable but its height and my uneven carpeted floor may be the culprits. could have better vibration isolation.

i bought my studio tech rack @ soundcity for only $230 (i think the msrp for cherry finish is $380 or more). this was by far the least expensive rack which offers 6 shelves (most only go up to 4 or 5). the cherry mdf is also very attractive (i don't recommend the black...it looks too black).

legs and shelf frames are steel w/black matte finish which is quite resistant to scratches. shelf frames mount to legs via hex bolts @ each corner. shelf height is not adjustable. shelves simply lay on top of the frames. this "new" model does not have the individual shelf spikes but has foam feet stickers instead. adj floor spikes are provided.

stability is pretty good considering its height. vibration isolation is ok but you can still feel vibes on the shelves if you tap on the rack. isolation from floor vibes is better. you can probably fill the legs w/sand, but you may have to force the plastic caps off and possibly damage them (i didn't try yet).

some other racks i looked at were in the $300-$500 range.

the salamander archtype is really cheesy. it looks like you built it yourself (in a hurry). it was one of the most unstable racks i've seen, even when fully loaded w/equipment. a total rip off!

lovan was quite nice and stable, but they were much more expensive. also, the rear support leg may interfere with component cables.

if you have decent system (mine is about $3500) that does not have any very sensitive equipment and you need 5-6 shelves, then i highly recommend this rack.

Similar Products Used:

lovan. salamander. many others i forgot the names of.

Heavy gauge material used throughout, sturdy spot welds on the frames, good stability if you torque all bolts to 18 lbs.

The instruction booklet is totally useless, there are bags of extra parts that I have no idea what to do with.

I was looking for a rack that is more substantial than the salamander archetype, and I saw an advertisement from the audio advisor for a studio tech 4-shelf rack. It turned out that the hf-04 is their low price model and a demo at a local dealer convinced me that it is too unstable to handle my 50 lb power amp. After check out several internet sites, I came across the zr-06, which by the photos posted, looked much heavier than the hf-04. Ordered the rack sight unseen, and 1cache.com shipped the rack to me by ups (2 boxes and 80 lbs total) within one week. This may be a new version, and there were no smart spikes supporting each individual shelf. Assembling the rack took a little over one hour, and care taken to progressive torque each bolt on each corner of the support frame pays divident in the overall structural stability after assembly. Using the carpet spikes instead of the flat discs, I achieved stability that is unparalleled in any rack systems that I have looked at. I put my new turntable on the top shelf, and I can jump and stump my feet beside the rack, and no vibration can be heard through the stylus. A remarkable feat for a tall 6-shelf rack. I would rate this rack one of the best money can buy for structural strength. Some people may find the large round support too "industrial". There are better looking racks out there, but none sturdier.

Weakness has to do with the totally useless instruction booklet and many little bags of parts that are not needed to put the rack together. Studio tech need to invest some resources to fix this. Another improvement could be the filling of the support columns with expanging injection foam to further deaden sound conduction, but I am really being picky here.

Overall a great audio rack at a reasonable price, and I did not miss the spikes for the individual shelves.

Similar Products Used:

salamander, bell o'gotti

Excellent 6 shelf rack. Includes many features you normally pay much more to get. Metal uprights and frame pieces held by hex screws. Brass "smart spikes" that support satin finish wood shelves and brass floor spikes are included. Heavy duty construction, easy assembly, terrific value. Highly recommended. Great prices at Sound City (www.soundcity.com).

Good value, many leveling adjustements

Not quite a solid as some other stands

I picked up this 6 shelf rack from Audio Advisor at a very good price. My 4-shelf Justarack Jr. just wasn't big enough for all the gear I now have, so I was forced to upgrade.

The rack itself weighs about 70-75 pounds. Assembly is pretty straightforward if you're mechanically inclined, but the included instructions are totally useless.

The stand itself has brass spikes on the feet and four hollow round steel tubes for vertical support. Each of the 6 shelves has a square steel brace that attaches to the vertical supports via a hex bolt. When attaching the square braces, you'll need to level them, as there's quite a bit of "play" in them. The actual shelves are connected to the square steel braces via four spikes that screw into the braces.

All spikes have a locking nut that tightens them down. This includes the spikes that support the shelves. Ironically, they included a hex driver to attach the shelves to the verticals, but not a wrench to tighten down these locking nuts. So, you'll need a wrench.

Spacing between shelves varies. The lowest shelf is 9" (for amps), the one above it is 7", and the rest are 6".

I like the fact that not only can you level the whole rack, but you can also level each shelf individually via the adjustable shelf spikes. It makes setup a little easier, and is a feature that turntable owners will appreciate. However, it'll take quite a bit of time and patience to get everything perfectly leveled.

This rack isn't quite as solid as my Justarack, but it's also much taller, so that may be part of it. It may also be that my floor isn't 100% solid (still renting a place).

It's a good looking rack, and a really good value when on sale at Audio Advisor. It's well-constructed with good welds and fit/finish, and VERY well packaged.

Similar Products Used:

Roomtunes Justarack Jr.