I call the Enjoyyourshelf© rack "the world's first piece of furniture with a fully independent suspension." Each shelf on the rack features an independently floating platform designed to isolate the audio or video component it supports from externally generated vibrations.
How does it work? The best explanation I've found follows. What I can say is that whether or not this describes what is happening, placing my gear on the rack had multiple positive and quite obvious effects on how the system performed. The theory is that seismic vibrations entering an audio or video component interfere with its ability to perform at its best. These disturbances are generally very low in frequency and amplitude but are sufficient to generate spurious voltages in the sensitive circuitry inside components. The result is music that can often sound bright, harsh, and dull at the same time. There is a loss of dynamic energy leaving music sounding flat and lifeless. Other consequences are a loss of bass speed and power, loss of airiness and fine detail, and a collapse of the stereo soundstage. Video components suffer as well, with increased video noise, graininess, and diminished contrast.
The path these vibrations take to enter components is generally via flooring and through whatever the components sit on. By acting as a block for these vibrations, the Enjoyyourshelf© rack allows components to perform at their best. One of the first things that results is an appreciable expansion of the stereo soundstage with more solid imaging. There is an all-around ease in the listener's ability to distinguish different parts of a musical ensemble. Airiness and fine detail, as well as bass extension and articulation, are much improved. Dynamic gradations are much easier to perceive, and even the picture from a Blu-ray or DVD player shows increased clarity.
The Enjoyyourshelf© rack is custom made by a woodworking artisan. The legs and rails are solid maple, polished to a glass-like smoothness. The shelves and platforms are 1" maple ply. Shelves are mortised into the superstructure and biscuit joints further add to the rack's rigidity. This is a piece of fine audio furniture that can take pride of place in any music room, providing function as well as beauty.
The Enjoyyourshelf© is comprised of the superstructure of the rack with an inflatable air bearing and a floating platform for each shelf. Each air bearing acts as a vibration block, preventing damaging vibrations from passing through to the platforms and components.
Periodic adjustments in bearing inflation can be achieved without having to first disconnect the gear, remove the gear, remove the platform, change the inflation, replace the platform, replace the gear and finally, reconnect the gear. This allows bearing inflation to be set while the gear is in place and while the music is playing.
Optionally, a set of Hip Joints© can be added to each shelf to provide isolation in the horizontal and rotational planes, making for true multiaxis isolation of the gear on the Enjoyyourshelf.
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A floating platform supports each component |
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A platform augmented with Hip Joints© |
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Enjoyyourshelf© rack with components |
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Another view |
Click here for rack set up.