Hifi Pig Advertising Promotion

Hifi Pig brings you a series of promotional articles about our Great British Brands exhibiting at High End Munich 2017. We let them tell you all about their philosophy and products.

In the early 1990’s there were very few companies producing audio equipment racks. When it came to selling or perish the thought, demonstrating one, it would be from limited choice. Cables were becoming a big thing and the effects that they had on a system were starting to be recognised but the humble rack was mainly overlooked. The designs on offer were very conservative and the products tended to be utilitarian. Most materials were steel for the construction and MDF for the shelves.

Other designs offered glass at a premium with suggestions of improving performance further. They were not very imaginative or modular and most designs had an off the peg look and feel. It seemed that little thought was given to using materials to increase the acoustic performance of the rack, to optimise the performance of the HI Fi equipment on it.

Audio equipment is affected by resonances and the componentry inside is microphonic. Just as a high quality cable will transfer the delicate signal information, a poor support or none at all, will allow a bad signal into the audio chain as the component cannot dissipate energy. The larger the system in terms of components the more cumulative the effect. A system will amplify and carry all signals both good or bad to the end (loudspeakers). The higher quality the support and its ability to deal with these issues leads to a more accurate musical reproduction. There is an old hifi expression of rubbish in, rubbish out. However no one mentioned throwing in more rubbish en route. This is why parts of the system that are often considered an afterthought such as stands and cables, should be part of the system heirarchy. Therefore making a well balanced and great sounding HiFi.

In 1995 Quadraspire launched a totally different Hi Fi rack called the Q4 . This was a rack that delivered acoustic performance with form and function. A modular design that was easily changeable to suit upgrades. By using non ferrous metals and curved shelves it both looked and sounded good. The design has had a few modifications but the original size and construction remains unchanged over 20 years later.  

In 2011 the Q4 was modified to the Q4 EVO. With the underside of the shelves engineered to enhance acoustic performance whilst keeping the same appearance. The newer Q4EVO has a more natural sound, by lowering the mass of the shelf further and breaking up the underside it was noticeably better than its predecessor.

In 2007 the SVT was launched. A rack designed for larger Hi Fi systems, using curved columns to reduce resonance and vented shelves to reduce standing waves and free access of airflow. This offered a greater level of performance over the Q4EVO for larger systems. A brass insert is pressed in under tension which ‘floats’ the shelf off the columns. Again using different non-ferrous metals together to achieve better performance. The Custom version of the SVT called the SV2T is a double width version for larger multi box systems.

While looking at developing a rack for the 20th anniversary Quadraspire looked at different options and started testing different more exotic materials and metals.

In 2015 the X reference was launched, a top of the range rack for acoustic performance. Again lots of research was done to find optimum materials and forms for acoustic excellence. The X was designed with the bronze upgrade using the knowledge of non ferrous metals, aluminium, brass and bronze which sound better and more natural. Quadraspire’s research has shown that softer metals sound less harsh and work well with wood such as bamboo. The X shelf is made from Laminated Bamboo coated in Nextel for damping without adding mass. Each X shelf is supporting by 44mm concave Aluminium columns. The Xreference uses a larger diameter column and thread to lock the X shelves together for increased rigidity. The curved shape of the column further improves performance by avoiding parallel lines and reducing standing waves and mass.

At the heart of the Xreference rack are the solid Bronze feet and spike locators. These two components have been specifically tuned to deliver the most natural performance on the Xreference. This results in a rack that makes equipment perform to a surprising level, offering a very low noise floor for greater definition of music and opening up the soundstage in all dimensions.

The next direction was to look at a solution for Hi-Fi users that don’t have the option or flexibility of a rack. The SOUNDSTAGE was launched earlier this year, a simple and cost effective solution that turns any piece of furniture into a rack. A thin single piece of bamboo with small bronze feet offer an improvement to turntable, CD players and streamers alike.

Originally most of the production was outsourced, but over the years it was easier to bring manufacturing in house as the product range started to grow to maintain control over quality. One of the advantages means, ideas and designs come to life very quickly. This makes R and D and testing a much faster process. All of the racks are designed, tested and made in house by skilled craftsmen.

Similar to cables, now twenty years on there are lots of manufacturers of Hi Fi racks. However Quadraspire has built a reputation for excellence and innovation in its market. Japan, America, Europe and Australia are some of the biggest markets, as well as being sold throughout the UK.  Quality control and customer satisfaction are incredibly important. Quadraspire is always striving to meet the Hi Fi lover’s needs and to increase their enjoyment of their system. 

As a small company of eight employees based in between Bath and Bristol, one advantage is the company is very approachable and as all the work is carried out in house they are able to offer flexibility in additional tiers, custom shelves, bronze upgrades and colour finishes.

Quadraspire now produce a range of Hi Fi supports from wall brackets to speaker stands. AV tables and media storage, accessories and upgrades for all your Hi Fi needs.

The Quadraspire range will be on display at Munich with a static display and a demonstration room too. A new product the company has spent over 2 years working on will be shown for the first time.

Still to come in our Great British Brands At Munich 2017 series are articles from The Funk Firm and The Chord Company.