There was a thread on this 3 years ago, but I can’t see anything more recent.
Basic shelves from Rega, Target and Project seem to do a decent job - my LP12 is on a Target shelf and has been for about 25 years.
Most of the options that were regarded as sonically better are out of production and hard to find. Mana, anyone?
Has anyone tried comparing current options? Is, say, Quadraspire’s offering audibly better than the basic choices - or just prettier?
All help gratefully received.
Can’t compare sounds but I was able to get a quadraspire wall rack for my lp-12. Different color shelf from my quadraspire wall unit (black) and naim boxes (black) and lp-12 plinth (black). So a cherry shelf adds a splash of color. I had my dealer install the shelf and level it and has been trouble-free. It was a big improvement over the lp-12 on the quadraspire rack, which because of carpet over wood flooring was unapproachable without the tonearm bouncing.
I had a quadraspire bamboo shelf for many years which was a big improvement over a standard metal and acrylic shelf. I then bought a HRS Isolation platform after upgrading to a solid aluminium plynth on my LP12 - 33 kilos hanging on a wall was a bit of a worry - the HRS is a much better support and no bouncing tone arms
Perhaps there will be a Fraim wall shelf now that they make something to put on it???
Don’t know what the sonic impact is but many dealers sell Isoblue and they’ve been going about 20+ years now.
I recall an issue with the Quadraspire wall shelf and LP12s. It was reported on the Lejonklou forum several years ago, but can’t recall the specifics. Don’t think it was that bad though cos Fredrik Lejonklou carried on using his. Might have been related to picking up bass in the room.
No commercial links in the Hifi Corner please. Thanks.
Oops - sorry
I used a Quadraspire Reference for a while, with a Linn, and it was pretty awful. The huge back plate made it impossible to get the two arms perfectly level, and the arms themselves seemed very flimsy. My favourite shelf for the Linn was the AudioTech, which as you’ve found is long out of production. The Tiger Paw VulKan was a more modern remake, though I believe that’s bitten the dust too. Maybe an AudioTech or Mana will appear on eBay or another forum. I use a Rega shelf with my Planar 10 and it’s excellent. It’s really tiny and weighs virtually nothing, but it’s obviously not designed for a Linn.
A few threads recently mentioned that John Watson of Mana Acoustics has an IG account and apparently does commission based work. The account isn’t hard to find if you are interested.
I use 2 Quadraspire ones, which were OK as they came, but improved greatly by adding Naim Fraim ball bearings/cups and glass firstly, and then replacement Quadraspire brass spikes. Care though as you need special ones, due to the thickness of the wood. The extent of the improvement in SQ from the latter surprised me considerably, it was very tangible & significant & not too expensive.
Neil
This is something I’m interested in, having recently acquired an LP12 which needs a wall shelf.
I’m surprised no-one has stepped into the gap to make a wall bracket for the LP12 - Linn included.
Is Lurking on WAM and PFM my only option?
I think that we may have reached a consensus.
Target, Rega and Project wall shelves all work well, but are not designed for heavy or suspended turntables - hardly surprising.
Audiotech and TP Vulcan shelves are audibly better, though not necessarily vastly so, and are not made any more.
Mana are not simple, not (to most of us) good looking and take some work. In any case, they have not been made for years. JW may be available to produce a shelf as an individual commission, but that hardly sounds like a solution for most of the thousands of LP12 (or other suspended deck) users.
Quadraspire’s bamboo shelf has had good comments here and elsewhere but may not be ideal for an LP12 in standard form. If I have understood correctly, it can be made better than standard Quadraspire (or cheaper) options with their brass spikes and other changes, but that too seems less than ideal.
Solidsteel WS-5 shelf has several devotees, but many go on to say that they think it much improved by adding a heavy wooden block to it. This again does not suggest that it is as yet a perfect solution.
There are vast numbers of LP12s out there! And what about all the Michell, SME, Vertere and Roksans, plus all the US, French and German turntables?
It looks as if there is a big opening for a really good walk shelf. It will need to be audibly better than Target/ Rega/ Project offerings - at least with heavier or suspended turntables. Given that many on this site have £15K+ invested in their turntables, and given what Naim Fraim kit costs, spending £800 or more on a good shelf would not be a surprise.
Perhaps we should all stop asking Naim for a replacement for the NAC 272 or N-DAC or Core. From this thread, it looks as if what we really need urgently is a Fraim wall shelf for turntables. After all, as pointed out above, Naim now makes a rather fine turntable itself.
If it sounded great and looked good, how many of us would buy one?
I’m quite happy with my Quadraspire SVT (brass bits kit) but I’d love to see and hear what Naim could come up with. Plus it would be all matchy-matchy!
The Solidsteel WS-5 is an outstanding wall shelf, sturdy, solid and large enough for many TTs. I used it for many years with great success. Currently, I have my turntable on top of my Fraim, but once we move the system to our larger living room I plan to mount the Solidsteel again on a front wall that is plaster on brick. When I bought it 8-10 years ago it was about $500 in the U.S. Looks like Music Direct still sells it for that (they are the U.S. distributor, IIRC).
Thanks for the well-informed comment.
If there was a Fraim wall shelf that was at least as good as the Solidsteel product, would you consider it?
Well, no, for the simple reason I already have the Solidsteel. And no doubt a Fraim wall shelf would be considerably more expensive.
The Solidsteel is an attactive shelf anyway. I think it looks nicer than all the alternatives I’ve seen, definitely better than the ca. 1985 Target wall shelf I still have. The Quadraspire looks good but doesn’t match anything in my system esthetically. The Solidsteel works well with Fraim in that regard.
That sounds admirably clear.
Thanks,
N
Here’s an old picture before I took it down…my system has grown a bit since then.
Whether or not you will would use a block under the TT depends entirely on the what you have. Mine is a un-sprung Clearaudio Ovation which is very different from a Linn Sondek. The Solidsteel – with it’s sturdiness – is very flexible in that regard.
You have the Finite Elemente Pagode Signature shelf. Probably the best of the cited above. But 2k. Can support 40 kg.
As i have made a few Floor standing Racks (till i got a good design) with very few tools and not much skill. I wonder how difficult it would be to make your own say out of wood or design one from angle iron and get it knocked up for you.
It all sounds like fun and you can experiment with shelves. The Technical aspects of design should be less critical on a wall and 4 bolt/dome head screws will do for shelf support and leveling not that hard i think.
