Hi Fi Racks Limited

[The Attorney]

A bit late to the party, but I own a HiFi Racks Podium Reference, so I'll give my impressions.

Plus points:

* The solid (blocks of) wood is very nicely finished. Proper thick wood that looks like furniture, the opposite of the skeletal "student" look - I chose Walnut to match my darker furniture.

* You can have it configured to any variation of width/depth/height/number of shelves. This is a very, very useful option. I had to fit mine in a tight corner, and so each dimension was measured to the millimetre.

* It gets 5* reviews for SQ (for the price) at What HiFi - although TBH, I don't give that magazine much attention on what they say. More of a confirmation that the SQ is at least OK.

* The company seems to be a smallish, family-run outfit, and my limited dealings with them reinforces that personal approach.

Minus Points:

* There is no clever technology in the way the legs screw into the base. The tightest fit doesn't necessarily result in the correct alignment.

* The natural wood, waxed, finish is easily scratched by unprotected spikes. Make sure your spike shoes are in place.

Overall, I'm very pleased with it.

To those that say that you could easily do it yourself, well, I'm not so sure. Yes, anyone can saw up some wood and drill in some spikes. But in this case there are large numbers of small solid blocks, at 2 layers. A bit like 2 chopping blocks glued together, which presumably is done to reduce resonances. Just like, say, cables, you could try it yourself and you may strike it lucky, but more likely it won't be quite as good as the professional version. As in a lot of hifi, attention to detail matters as much as the basic concept.