This is a question for those presently using, or have previously used, Quadraspire Racks for their dCS components. Any info on pros and cons would be appreciated.
I am in the process of changing my Naim Fraim, which has (Ringing) glass shelves and very irritating cups and ball bearings!
System racks are a personal choice, sometimes dictated by a room and its furnishings.
I am looking at a maximum of three boxes for the rack. If it were three boxes it would be two mono blocks and the lovely BartĆ³k Apex. If it were just the two boxes it would probably be just a power amp, or an Integrated amp. I have learnt in the past couple of weeks that my BartĆ³k sounds better without a Preamp. So it will definitely be a two or three box system. At present I have a Naim 300DR power amp, plus its power supply. Keeping it is not yet off the table!
I have my eyes on a Quadraspire X-Reference rack. Trouble is, it would look a bit odd with such few shelves. it would only measure about 50cm from the floor. I appreciate that you can now get special amp stands, for very large amps, so the amp more or less sits on the floor. I kind of donāt mind that, but the Mrs is not impressed. (Yea I know, get rid of the Mrs!)
As an aside, I recently went from Fraim to Artesania (four shelf) but three (or two level) are available. A little pricier than Quadraspire but very good and totally adaptable shelf-height-wise.
I have a large Quadraspire rack system ( 2x5 shelf SVT). They sound better IMO than any previous used ( the last replaced were Townshend ). Mine have the bronze upgrades for the top shelves.
Repute has it that bamboo is the preferable shelf material . I think that x-Reference has this but it can also be specified if you decide to save some money and get an sVT. BTW the slots on the shelves are to counter resonances.
It may be worthwhile getting a 4 shelf as your intended layout has no provision for a source such as a specialised NAS which can improve both UPNP file replay and streamed services. Just a thought for future planning.
Aside from objections from your gatekeeper , putting the amps on their own stands means they can be placed near ( or behind) the speakers. You then enter an old debate: long interconnects with short speaker cables or vice versa?
Thanks Pete for your input.
Did you compare the SVT against the X-Reference?
I watched a couple of YouTube videos and was most impressed.
Basically, they did a demo with their DAC streamer on a glass rack, then put the DAC on the X-Reference rack. Although it was crappy TV sound, the difference was night and day!
They do acoustic pucs which go under components which gives 75% of the X-Reference.
With regards to the amount of shelves, the only other music related component that I have is a Roon Nucleus, which contains a SSD with my music files.
At present the Roon Nucleus is located on the other side of the room on a cheap cabinet.
I was told to keep this well away from the system?
At Ā£1300 per shelf, I didnāt want to pay for those selves I donāt really need.
I am afraid not. As I have mentioned before it is virtually impossible to arrange subjective comparisons of racks. In fact I purchased my SVT racks well before X-Reference was introduced.
As not only the rack itself but the surface it is placed on and the physical characteristics of the units it supports will vary the outcome we all end up buying blind to a great degree. Beyond saying that I have been satisfied for the past 10 years* with the SVT and have found Quadraspire a lovely company to deal with Iām afraid I can add nothing regarding the X-Reference series or the pucks to which you refer. BTW, I just saw that there is an X-Reference Signature model now.
and this precedes the introduction of bamboo shelves which all accounts I have come across say is superior to the pale oak that I have ( veneered MDF). However even if this is so I have no feeling that I am missing something and need to change.
I moved to Quadraspire SVT (black bamboo with the bronze upgrade shelves and their QX7 floor spike protectors) a few years ago, no regrets. As someone who box swaps/flips different kit in and out on a regular basis the flexibility of the various column lengths is an absolute boon. Iāve owned a fair few different makes over the decades but nothing ultra high end, the SVT is by far the best rack system at a decent cost.
Thereās a very useful build tool, you are probably aware of, itās country specific too.
When Iām designing a new layout I screen cap the racks and put them in an image doc side by side so I am able to work out ways to try and match heights or minimise the difference - I have 3 racks and little bit of OCD
The Reference is less flexible as far as shelf heights and adjustments go, I would like to swap my middle rack out for one but at present the shelf gaps/heights donāt work.
Last year we arranged a few long weekends in Edinburgh and tied in some amplifier dems, weād heard a Dan DāAgostino a couple times on a chunky top spec Solid Steel rack, the next visit the DāAg was on a Quadraspire Ref and we both commented on how much better it sounded that day - same demo room weāre used to listening in and same dCS/Logan models we own.
Yes, Iāve used the Quadraspire tool about a dozen times over the weekend. Very useful.
Like most, I have a terrible habit of buying the wrong thing. āI didnāt need to spend that much, the cheaper one would have done the jobā. Or, āWhat if Iād gone for the X-Reference, would it have sounded so mush betterā? At Ā£1400 a level, Iāve got to get this one right!
My last piece of my Naim Fraim (The Base Level) is on eBay as I speak! (Hint, hint ) So, before I decide on which Quadraspire, my saviour has come to the rescue again! My āTargetā rack from 1990. The bloody thing just wonāt die! At the moment in houses my router, the Mrs Birthday cards and a vase of flowers!
So, itās recalled back from retirement until I make a decision.
Just to confirm: My only source, and always will be, is the BartĆ³k Apex. My Naim 300DR amp is all that is left from a Naim six box system. The absolute maximum shelves (Levels) I will need is Three. And thatās if I go for two mono block amps. My money is on a Vitus or Dan DāAgostino, which means two shelves. Trouble with that, two shelves looks a bit too low and a tad insignificant.
Of course, a year or two down the line, a Rossini Clock may enter the arena?
Last Friday, I spoke to Eddie from Quadraspire, regarding his YouTube video, doing an A-B comparison of a DAC on a glass rack and the X-Reference. Even through my crappy TV sound bar, it was night and day! No idea what the results would have been had he used the SVT?
Iāve added a couple of photos from when I had the original BartĆ³k in 2020, and one taken in Feb 2025 with the Fraim.
Thanks
David
I have Target TT5 and TT4 swapped from a TT2 rack from the 80ās in storage, also a couple of Sound Org metal/glass 5 shelf racks from the 90ās still being used in office and bedroom systems - canāt give them away these days cos they are unfashionable. I went out to buy the holy grail LP12 1983 I guess and ended up with a Pink Triangle PT1, when I had it upgraded to PT Too (birthday present from my then girlfriend) it added an external psu so the TT4 stand was ideal as a replacement for my TT2 (Ariston RD80).
My absolute fave Naim combo is the 282/DualTeddyCap/300. I went all the way up the Naim Classic range 100 to 500 series, ended up with a 14 box system, the 500 power was a big let down, ended up selling the lot after a few months trying to make it sing as nicely as the 300.
Iāve had demoās using various Quadraspire racks, mainly the Ref and have owned SVT quite a while - diminishing returns apply imho, if there was a massive jump Iād have gone Ref ages ago. Ref looks better than almost any other rack Iāve seen, itās wider than SVT hence me only looking at the centre rack swap or going down to two racks. Thereās an Edinburgh/Glasgow dealer with an ex dem Ref rack on offer, likely youāve seen it advertised.
As far as adding Rossini clock to your Bartok, personally Iād save like mad and trade in the Bartok for Rossini Apex, would be an easier decision if you had a normal Bartok rather than your Apex one. I had at home for extended periods all combos of Bartok/Rossini/Clock, I owned an original Bartok. My own vfm gauge ruled out the Bartok Apex upgrade I thought it made more sense to go for a Rossini which was a good lift in SQ over may Barlok and about the same as Bartok Apex and then get it upgraded to Apex as and when, that was until I had the Rossini Apex here, decided after a weekend with it to trade my Bartok for a brand new Rossini Apex, significant lift in SQ.
Iāve had mixed results with clocks, most added zero improvement, the Auralic Leo at Ā£8K plus was a complete waste of money (I had a set of G2 before the Bartok). I find with the Rossini clock itās not possible to A B or say whatās different/better with it in circuit, I do miss it when itās not in the system which is how I choose kit - not what is added but what is removed/missed after a period of time. I was lucky on the day we picked up the new Rossini a customer was trading his Rossini/Clock in, assume for a Vivaldi, I was offered his clock 50% off the rrp so snapped the dealers hand off.
Blimey Gus, 14 boxes is pretty serious!
Iāve only had the BartĆ³k a couple of months, so Iāll be hanging on to it for a few years. Plus, Iām still paying for it!
That YouTube video that I mentioned, also covered the Q Plus Supports. Quadraspire claim that if you add them to your component, directly under the components feet, theyāll give you 75% of what a Reference would give you? I personally donāt like the look of them?
Are the QX7 floor protectors worth it? The reason I ask, is that I have four (I baught another one) of the Naim chips that were under the Fraim, but now under the Target rack.
Knowing what you know now, and also taking in to account your dCS components, would you go SVT or X-reference?
The Naim box count soon goes up with all the extra power supplies in a fully Naim multi source system. I didnāt like the QPlus range better than the IsoAcoustics I was already using - have a large amount of their gear. There is a dealer demo suitcase they can loan customers with samples of the various isolators, or at least there used to be.
I decided on the QX7 as they were brand matched and the freebies a dealer threw in were naff cheapo. As an Xmas pressie years back Mrs Gus got me a bunch of Naim Fraim chips which are now used under my Gyro Iso cover and Gyro SE and under the Sound Orgs with a few spare.
I needed 12 floor protectors in total so the QX7 seemed best option and they look neat, they have stood the test of time too, some heavy kit has been in play - 40/50/100Kg per rack. One day I may well replace them with Townshend corners (a mate has these) or Neo Ceradiscs which a dealer demoād last year, when I finally stabilise the system - am close but struggling with the final amplifier choice.
Taking your system into account the SVT seems to make most sense Ā£ wise if buying new. Buying used if a Ref appeared with the right number and height shelves Iād go for it bearing in mind youāre not intending any system changes. SVT is more flexible as far as fitting gear into the shelf heights efficiently with 100/140/180/216/256/326mm options. Buying new Iād spec the bigger columns as a just in case, should be no price difference, the 100/140 are around used in good numbers cheap.
SVT stuff comes up on eBay regularly, Ref stuff is pretty rare especially columns/shelves as individual items. Iāve been on the look out for used Ref racks for years but shipping is hardly ever offered and being in rural Scotland never seen any local.
Iāve never seen an X-Reference that squat - but can certainly vouch for the quality, the performance, the flexibility and the looks. Also the price (!) ā¦but I decided - having grown very weary of the Naim Fraim myself - that it was time to buy my last rack, and keep it as a single tower.
ā¦Iām currently just about holding on to that commitment to myself and my wife, and while the design has the flexibility to allow me to split it in two and add another tower by buying an additional base level, I havenāt needed to yet.
As a man who enjoys black HiFi - you might like thisā¦
ā¦went for the black shelves. Very classy finish - much nicer than the ubiquitous natural bamboo in my view - and the black has just a hint of wood grain visible though the colour, which really makes it.
Ignore the Accuphase gold clearly (!) ā¦although it does work very well with the Brass fittings on the rack
I also use the Quadraspire Floor Protectors - very good - super quality.
I got them from the start - Iāve always used floor protectors, and used the Track Audio ones underneath the Naim Fraim, as I was encouraged to buy them by Derek Gilligan of Kudos, as they were designed as a collaboration for their speakers - Track make all the metal work for their Speakers apparently - and at that time I had 808s.
When I switched the Quadraspire I wanted to stay āon brandā so sold the Track Audio Cups.
Hereās how my Naim system used to look when I had Kudos Speakers. I do NOT miss the Fraim, or Naim generally
Indeed Dunc - I recognised your profile pic immediately, and between you and @glevethan and a couple of others have had a warm welcome into the dCS community of recovering Naimies!
If you needed a reminder, here was (actually IS - I still have a Mu-So so still go there from time to time, until i inevitably roll my eyesā¦usually at the moderationā¦) my profile pic thereā¦
ā¦Louis is still a fool of course. No tail now, and various other near death experiences, but still here and living his best life but now with the crown of the worldās most expensive cat.
About the same as me Matt, just own a muso gen 1, for the TV, plus I run a wiim ultra into it, to get over the crap streamer/wifi it has.
I did buy a new N50 at the much reduced price Ā£1199, was going to run the wiim into it with amphion argon speakers, but my mate ended up with the speakers, and I never even opened the N50, I gave it back instead. As I couldnāt be bothered with it all in the end just for the family room.
Hey @MattC
I think Iām finally putting 2 and 2 together.
Are you a customer of Peterās?
Heās been coming stateside to visit me since 2010. When Derek introduced the first 5 pairs of Titan T88 in 2010 I flew over to meet him at Peterās and purchased 2 of the 5 pairs. One was for me and one was for my friend Mark (Varyat on the Naim forum). Peter kept one pair for himself, my friend Joe Silva in Hong Kong, purchased one, and John Nobbs the other. All original forum members from back in the day.
, putting the amps on their own stands means they can be placed near ( or behind) the speakers. You then enter an old debate: long interconnects with short speaker cables or vice versa?
