[jondkaufman]

Morning all,

For the past umpteen years, I have been using a seriously non-quality stand to hold my equipment...actually, it was an aquarium tank stand. However, as I migrated up to chain into Shindo Labs and DeVore speakers, etc., I knew that I was more than compromising the result. I have spent $ on cables, on electric outlets, on peripheral items, but not on the one item holding it all up or together. It was past time...

Coming from a Shindo perspective, reading everything related from Jules Coleman, Art Dudley, Jack Roberts, Jeff Day, and from conversations with Matt/Pitch Perfect Audio, I knew what the basic parameters needed to be, but I still wanted something a bit more, without selling a body part. I knew that the rack had to organic in nature, wood, multilayered, and fit the eye. From reading show reports, I came across Audio Strata. As a statement, I am not associated and/or affiliated with anyone mentioned herein...But, I am a serious fan...

Audio Strata and I struck up a dialogue and over many months, Dave and his Audio Strata team tested different designs, different wood species, different subparts, etc. The design and build approach was to construct a rack that was sympathetic to Shindo, yet be flexible for other elements. Therefore, what was crafted was a blend: two shelves are thick, 2-layers of sapele plywood and the top shelf is a composite/ply blend. Vibration drains are incorporated for each shelf plus each level of the rack. If the picture are anything, it is gorgeous, works fantastically in tie things together organically, and fits my arts/craft decor. Dimensionally, the three shelf unit is 44" wide, 20" deep, and 36" tall. Being modular, if i ever want to add another shelf, it would no problem for Audio Strata. Btw, the shipping box was a work of art in and of itself! Also, giving credit, I worked from the financial side with Dan at Blackbird Audio, who kept in the loop as much as possible.

The process and the result has been excellent! Truly, we are all fortunate that we, as consumers, work on our passions with such great and like minded persons, such as Dave, Matt, Dan, John, Jonathan, and the list goes on...

Best, jdk