Time for an initial assessment of my new Atacama Evoque 60-40 SE 2
Those familiar with it will know that there is a chart in the assembly instructions recommending placement of the 'tuning weights' on the stud which holds together the top cap, board, spacer washer, leg tube and bottom cap of each leg of this rack. I assume that the theory is that the stud will be in a certain amount of tension and will resonate, a bit like a very short, thick guitar spring, and that the weight is designed to damp such resonances. Either that or it's 'foo'. Whatever, with the new shorter leg tube and studs, and following Atacama's advice to 'follow the curve' re: placement of the weights.. I ended up with them only a few mm from the top of each stud. We'll see.
Otherwise the thing looks 'the business' to these eyes.. which.. if I'm honest, was just as much a consideration as any sonic benefit. I'm trying to finally settle my system (among other domestic stuff), as I rapidly approach my dotage.. I've had enough of 'faffing' and just want to listen to music.
The whole thing goes together easily and only needs to be hand tight. No tools required.
Building it up, as Wine Man says above, is just a levelling exercise. I tried to 'iron out' the initial levelling on the base unit, which has lockable adjustable spikes, but little adjustments were needed here and there.. these achieved by slight adjustments to the spikes under each leg. These nicely shaped brass spikes don't wobble, even if not fully home in their threaded sockets.
Since the rack is modular, it's quite easy to place a shelf, put the relevant kit on it, with leads etc., in place, then move up a level, etc.. Very helpful if like me, you have limited space around your rack.
However.. when it came to my Orbe.. I ran into issues. Certainly not Atacama's fault, or anyone else's for that matter...apart from maybe mine...
I'd sourced three 'tendercups' from Michell, to sit under the Orbe's spiked feet and protect the Bamboo Atacama shelves. They worked well, but I'd forgotten that they would raise the whole Orbe chassis so that it fouled the underneath of the flange on the motor unit. I temporarily raised the motor on a couple of coasters, but that's hardly a permanent fix. I'm talking to Michell about possible solutions and meantime I've put the glass from my redundant Target wall shelf on top of the Atacama and plonked the Orbe on that.
So.. the only music I've tried so far is via my Innuos, and even there I've made a change. I've taken my Benchmark DAC1 out of the system and I'm listening to the Innuos' built in DAC. So far it seems inoffensive, though maybe a little 'soft' sounding. Given the Benchmark's rep for detail, resolution and overall SQ etc.. and cost, which was approaching £1k back in 2006 when I got mine... i.e. pretty much the same as the whole Innuos much later.. it's maybe an unfair comparison. The internal DAC has never been used before and it did seem to open out and get a bit livelier after a couple of hours, but so far, the jury is out. There's room for the Benchmark on the new rack...
I should have the Orbe up and running soon.. which for me, will be the real test of the Atacama 'soundwise'... I'll be back...