Shida 01 Rack / 4 shelf

The Shida 01 Rack began with a simple idea: if the structure supporting an audio component influences what we hear, then the rack should be designed with the same care as the equipment itself.
Rather than treating the rack as a piece of furniture with isolation added to it, we developed the structure around the behaviour of vibration and the different materials used to control it.
 
Solid hardwood provides the main structure. Dense Keruing plywood forms the working surface, while Shida's S55 elastomer pucks isolate each top board from the structure beneath it. The materials and interfaces are chosen for their mechanical behaviour, with the aim of controlling unwanted energy without imposing a character of their own.
 
It's a process that has involved a lot of experimentation and listening. Different materials behave differently, and small changes in construction can produce surprisingly large differences in sound.
The result isn't about making the system sound different for its own sake. It's about allowing the equipment to sound more like itself, clearer, more articulate and more relaxed, with greater texture and a stronger sense of musical presence.
 
The rack is carefully made from natural materials and finished simply. But the appearance is a consequence of the design.
“It’s a lot clearer. Space between instruments is enhanced – there’s a clarity that wasn’t there before. Blue Monday is astonishing, as is Dexter Gordon.”
Andrew Nicoll