On October 3, Música & Som published an article by Fernando Marques on the Skyanalog Simplexity R-25, the hi-fi rack we carry at my HI-FI HOUSE. The headline sums up the thesis: a good hi-fi rack can improve the sound of your system (in Portuguese). It is worth reading in full. Here is what we found most useful, and where the rack fits in.
What the article says
The starting point is simple: a high fidelity system does not end with the components. The furniture they sit on picks up vibration from footsteps, traffic, household appliances and the speakers themselves, and that vibration climbs through the feet into the equipment. The turntable suffers most, because the stylus reads tiny movements and cannot tell what comes from the record from what comes from the furniture. Tube amplifiers come next, because tubes are microphonic. DACs and streamers, with no sensitive mechanical parts, are the least affected.
Marques then explains the two schools of vibration control, rigid coupling to the floor and decoupling through compliant interfaces, and notes that some stands combine both. This is where the Simplexity comes in: Skyanalog is known for its moving coil cartridges, where vibration control is everything, and brought that experience to the furniture. Rigid pillars, birch plywood shelves hanging from CNC machined aluminum supports, and a torque wrench in the box to fine-tune the tightness of the suspension points and, with it, the degree of damping.
The most practical part is how to lay out the components on the rack. Turntable on top, far from the floor and with the tonearm free. Amplifier at the bottom, especially if it is heavy or tube based. Phono stage away from power transformers. DAC and streamer on the middle levels. And every component on a stable, level surface with proper ventilation.
A reading without mysticism
What we appreciated most was the honesty of the conclusion. The article says a stand does not change the character of an amplifier, a DAC or a speaker, and that its influence depends on the system: large with turntables and tubes, subtle in an all-digital setup. That is what we tell everyone who visits our listening room, and it is why the Simplexity convinced us before we put it on sale. In the author's words, "more than a matter of aesthetics, the stand is a part of the installation that determines the mechanical stability of the components."
The four Simplexity versions
Every model shares the same 631 by 541 mm footprint and the system is modular: start with one or two levels and add more later, up to four.
| Model | What for | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Simplexity R-25/1 | 1 level, 108 mm, up to 60 kg. A platform for a turntable or a heavy amplifier | €479 |
| Simplexity R-25/2 | 2 levels, 385 mm, 50 kg per shelf. Turntable and integrated | €699 |
| Simplexity R-25/3 | 3 levels, 662 mm, 35 kg per shelf. Turntable, phono stage or streamer, and amplifier | €1,099 |
| Simplexity R-25/4 | 4 levels, 939 mm, 35 kg per shelf. Several sources plus amplification | €1,499 |
Further reading
To understand where vibration comes from and how many levels make sense for your system, our guide The rack plays too: Skyanalog Simplexity and Cold Ray hi-fi racks goes into that detail and includes the two ex-display Cold Ray pieces we have at opportunity prices. For the cartridges that made the brand's name, see Skyanalog: which MC cartridge to choose, from the P-1M to the REF.
The Simplexity is set up in our listening room on Av. 5 de Outubro, in Lisbon. Bring a record you know well and hear the same turntable with and without the rack. Our thanks to Música & Som for paying attention to a part of the system that rarely gets talked about.