Your components are likely first-rate. DAC, preamp, power amp—maybe even from the same house, a trusted name like PS Audio or Pass or Luxman. The sound probably leans toward the transparent side. You’ve got clarity, air, and tone. But something feels like it moves. Bass could soften unexpectedly. The center image may wobble. One evening the highs seem crystalline—another, they present as dry or even brittle.
It hints at a system that sounds excellent—but might be interacting with itself.
What to Do
Take a look at your gear stack. If your DAC or preamp appears to sit directly above an amp or power supply, try shifting it. Place low-level gear—anything handling microvolt signals or clocking digital data—on its own shelf. Avoid stacking a source on top of a transformer. Where possible, slide a layer of non-magnetic, vibration-damping material between shelves: sorbothane pads, Herbie’s Fat Dots, even a soft maple cutting board can help. Don’t overthink it—just give each component space to breathe.
If you're working with a single rack, prioritize. The power amp likely won’t care what’s above it—but the phono stage or DAC certainly might care what's below.
Here’s Why That Works
Every audio component responds not just to what you feed it electrically, but physically. Heatsinks radiate. Transformers hum and pulse. Some digital boards appear to radiate RF noise outward, while others pick it up like an antenna. Vibrations from a heavy toroid can transmit through the chassis and modulate the analog stage above it—sometimes subtly, sometimes dramatically.
The effects aren’t random—they just don’t present in obvious ways. One day your image shifts. Another, the timing seems off. When components vibrate sympathetically with the music, they modulate the very signal they’re meant to preserve.
This isn’t about audiophile rack gear or exotic platforms. It’s about treating the rack as a partner in the playback chain. Once the gear stops interacting with each other, the performance can settle. Your image steadies. The tonal balance doesn’t just stay—it holds. And that’s when the system stops sounding excellent... and starts sounding whole.
