Seemingly everyone makes an equipment rack of some form or another these days with varying degrees of success, however for best results you're better off going with a third party or specialty equipment rack. The problem with going with an esoteric rack manufacturer is that you often end up paying a lot of money for that esoteric status and not for performance. Well, the Samson V.1 from Mapleshade, is about as esoteric as they come yet unlike other brands their equipment racks actually work and work well.

You're probably thinking to yourself that the Samson uses some high end unnamed composite product or features a fully suspended or counter balanced design, which wouldn't be unfounded, however it utilizes none of those things, in fact, it relies on the power of maple. Who knew Mother Nature was such an audiophile. That's right the Samson V.1 is about as straightforward and low tech as they come, utilizing your choice of two or four-inch thick air-dried maple shelves, coupled to four threaded black or silver uprights (poles) with brass nuts and footers.

At first glance the rack, while nicely finished, does seem a bit like a DIY design but unlike DIY knockoffs you can tell where the professional know-how and expertise has come into play. The fit and finish is excellent and once assembled the Samson V.1 is about as solid as a slab of granite.

The Samson V.1's shelves are infinitely adjustable thanks to its threaded rod design, however the shelves themselves are rather standard in size at 23 and a half inches wide by 15 inches deep. For more vibration control you can choose a thicker slab of maple but the shelf dimensions remain the same. Fully assembled the Samson v.1 is 25 inches tall from the floor to the top shelf in the two-shelf version and can go as high as 49 inches in a four-shelf variety. Prices start at $535 for a two-shelf version and can go as high as $1,800 for a pimped out four-shelf version. All Samson V.1 racks are sold direct via Mapleshade's own website and come complete with a 30-day money back guarantee.

High Points
• The Samson V.1 rack from Mapleshade is one of the most rigid, vibration free and solidly built racks I've encountered in the audiophile and AV space.
• The fit and finish of the maple shelves is phenomenal and the hand rubbed lacquered finishes (extra cost) are even more impressive.
• The adjustability and customization of the Samson V.1 rack ensures its longevity in your system, allowing it to grow with you and your system's needs/changes versus hindering it.
• Adding additional shelves is easy with the Samson V.1 rack adding to its already stellar customization.
• Sonically the Samson V.1 works as advertised. The rack itself does a tremendous job decoupling components from unwanted vibrations giving high frequency transients a more airy, lifelike sound as well as firming up a bit of the bass and opening up the midrange. Of course we're talking in extremes here and incremental differences for the Samson rack, or any rack for that matter, cannot make a bright or dull system sound night and day different nor can it make up for a badly designed room or improper speaker setup.

Low Points
• Stylistically the Samson V.1 is not going to win any modern design awards for its about as low tech looking as they come, that being said there is an attention to detail here that while simple in appearance does appear very professional.
• Once assembled the Samson V.1 is very solid and rather heavy so moving it, especially with carpet piercing spikes, is not going to be an easy task.
• Racks, like most audiophile accessories, do have a bit of a "snake oil" reputation to overcome for no audiophile accessory can cure all of your system's ails. That being said, unlike cables or contact pastes etc. the Samson V.1 does have a practical application in that it can house and hold your gear first then provide sonic improvements second provided your system is tuned enough to take advantage of its vibration dampening and decoupling properties.

Conclusion
With a starting price of just over $500 the Samson V.1 is not the cheapest rack though it does lean more on the affordable side, even when fully loaded, compared to some so-called high-end equipment rack offerings. It's far from the prettiest rack I've seen nor is it the most technologically advanced, on paper, relying heavily on natural woods and brass. However, it's one of the few racks I've encountered and/or auditioned that did seem to impact and better a system's performance albeit on a very small, but still noticeable scale. Your eyes, ears and budget will have to be the final judge but if you're in the market for a solidly built, natural looking equipment rack for your growing system I highly recommend checking out the Samson V.1 from Mapleshade.