mlgold wrote:

So here's a fairly simple question. Is there any harm to stacking audio components directly on top of one another? Is it a reasonable assumption to think that the chassis of audio pieces are sturdy enough to support the weight of other units? And does stacking components affect performance at all?

I've been building my audio system for the past year now and the individual pieces are exceeding my shelf space. (Rogue Sphinx Amplifier, NAD CD Player, Cambridge Audio DAC Magic, Vincent PHO 8 Phono Preamp, Sota Comet turntable). Given limited space, some pieces are sitting directly on top of one another. At the moment, the DAC is resting on top of the CD Player, and the Vincent is on top of the Rogue.

The only pieces I can think of that may be most affected would be the Vincent and the Rogue. The Vincent I've read is susceptible to external noise. The Rogue has tubes, that I worry may have the potential to overheat if not properly ventilated.

I'm sure some have given this question some thought, so I'm curious to learn if I'm affecting performance, or harming components at all.

thanks!

You should NEVER put anything on top of an amplifier, especially a tube amplifier!

The unit on top will get cooked, and the ventilation for the tubes may be limited. One thing that can help is if you can put spacers two inches thick between them (3 or 4 wood cubes perhaps).

A turntable should never be put on top of another component, because hum and other vibration can be picked up by the cartridge. A turntable needs to be on the most inert surface possible, and another component is certainly not.

The DAC and CD player are probably not much of an issue.

The phono preamp should be connected to the turntable by cables that are no more than 18 inches long to minimize cartridge loading due to cable capacitance. The phono preamp should also be away from the power amp to avoid hum pickup.

I have most of my components on a oak finish cabinet that is around 40 inches tall and 24 inches wide and has four shelves for gear and storage for LP records in the bottom space. That works out well. It sits to the left of the left tower speaker.

I also have my preamp and power amp below the TV on its 60-inch wide metal/glass stand.

Lots of ventilation....at least 6" of ventilation is required for a traditional tube amp. That being said, the Rogue Sphinx is not a traditional tube amp, it is a hybrid class D and those tubes are input tubes, not output tubes. Also, the Vincent Pho 8 is tiny and if it is sitting on top, it shouldn't create a heat issue. Put your hand on the top of the Sphinx after it has been running for an hour and it should be room temperature. With my Rogue amp, no matter how long I play it and how hard I drive it the temperature never seems to rise above room temperature. If you can leave the top clear I am sure it would be better but I doubt that Pho 8 sitting on top will create a heat issue. Now, as far as interference goes, I have no POV on that. I have a Rogue Hydra (which is a higher end rogue class D) and the Pho 8 but they are several feet apart.

mlgold wrote:

So here's a fairly simple question. Is there any harm to stacking audio components directly on top of one another? Is it a reasonable assumption to think that the chassis of audio pieces are sturdy enough to support the weight of other units? And does stacking components affect performance at all?

I've been building my audio system for the past year now and the individual pieces are exceeding my shelf space. (Rogue Sphinx Amplifier, NAD CD Player, Cambridge Audio DAC Magic, Vincent PHO 8 Phono Preamp, Sota Comet turntable). Given limited space, some pieces are sitting directly on top of one another. At the moment, the DAC is resting on top of the CD Player, and the Vincent is on top of the Rogue.

The only pieces I can think of that may be most affected would be the Vincent and the Rogue. The Vincent I've read is susceptible to external noise. The Rogue has tubes, that I worry may have the potential to overheat if not properly ventilated.

I'm sure some have given this question some thought, so I'm curious to learn if I'm affecting performance, or harming components at all.

thanks!

You should get a new rack or you can get those feet isolators and stuff in order to prevent or avoid mechanical vibrations and interferences and further isolate mechanical vibrations.
But your turntable has to be on its own and installing Q Feet from Audioquest or those SQ ISOL Pads right below the feet will do wonders for your gears especially the cd player and the turntable.
You can look into buying the SQ ISOL Pads through Audiogon. Just spotted them recently under accessories category on Audiogon. They are only $25 for a set of four pads. Place them directly below the feet.

There are some cheap affordable tweaks and upgrades like that that will potentially improve the performances of your gears.

friends do not let friends stack audio equipment.

As you have seen from everyones comments, it is not recommended to stack components. If you have out grown your current enclosure, and want to make sure your equipment is kept in a cool environment with room to space out your equipment evenly, take a look at our state of the art towers at www.aegisav.com . Since you have a turntable, I would recommend the Athena Professional Series AV / AV-A tower. We manufacture the finest and most advanced towers on the market, and would love to help you come up with a solution. Feel free to contact me on our web site if you have any questions. Mike Kelley, Owner Aegis AV Cabinets