Blok Stax 2G modular hi-fi rack
The primary job of a dedicated equipment rack is to provide a stable and isolated platform for our systems. This three-shelf design goes further in that it helps blend into modern living spaces while visually enhancing the equipment placed upon it. This rack has caught the eye of every visitor to my home during its stay. My wife commented on how the system sits within the rack rather than on it, drawing attention to the rack itself before one’s eyes browse the goodies housed within.
The Blok furniture brand is part of the Monitor Audio group of companies, which includes electronics manufacturer and turntable legend Roksan. This Essex based company has been manufacturing these attractive racks since 2003 and was acquired by the Monitor Audio group around five years ago. The Blok Stax 2G range was launched this summer and represents the first new designs from Blok Hifi since the change of ownership. The racks are designed and engineered at the brand’s facility in Rayleigh, although no mention is made of where it is manufactured.
Thoughtful design
The Blok Stax 2G is a modular design that can be tailored to suit system and customer requirements. For those who prioritise aesthetics over sound quality, there’s a black glass option, which does look rather snazzy. There’s also natural ash plywood with satin white or black ash plywood with natural walnut legs, which we opted for as, in my experience, a lightweight wooden support tends to produce a more natural sound than a glass one.
You will need to purchase the base, which retails for £275. If your system is made up of the slimmest of components, then choose the 120 base for £225; you will want the 170 to house components of more typical proportions, which costs £250 of which we chose two, to make up the three shelf rack reviewed here. The taller 220 shelf costs £275, and finally, the LP version, to house your cherished vinyl, will set you back £300. Blok’s website offers complete racks up to four shelves. It is recommended that your rack does not exceed 1.1m in height, so you’ll need a second rack if you need more shelves. Each shelf is capable of supporting up to 40kg, which should be plenty for most users. The usable shelf dimensions are listed as 48cm by 38.7cm for glass shelves and 48cm by 37.9cm for plywood.
The Blok Stax 2G rack arrived in three boxes, which shipped within a larger outer one. Naturally, I confused myself by opening one of the upper shelves before the base. Once I had found the base and worked out that each shelf had a helpful recess for cable management to be sited at the rear of the rack, I had the Blok Stax 2G fully built up within a few minutes. If I had watched the video on Blok’s website it does explain that the rack’s base will be at the bottom of the box, but I discovered the video too late.
Spiked feet screw onto the base, for which a helpful tool is provided to tighten them with. You can remove each spike if you prefer and rest the rack on the silicone rubber supports that otherwise house the spikes, I did this to protect my floor. Each support has a silicone isolation pad that goes between each shelf and there’s a plug within it that allows you to add your choice of mass-damping material should you feel the need. A second tool is provided for securing each of the four corner screws of each base. Some rather natty magnetic covers go over the screws on the top shelf and take this rack’s visual appeal up another notch.
Performance
I initially used the Blok Stax 2G to support a headphone-based setup based around a Wiim Ultra streamer, Denafrips Ares ii/Iris DAC/DDC, Heed Canalot III headphone amp and Oppo 103D disc spinner.
This system was previously placed upon an Ikea rack and it was clear to me that it deserved something better. It did not take more than a few bars of music for me to appreciate the Blok Stax 2G’s isolation capabilities. Having moved the system over to this rack and allowed it to warm through, the music sounded darker, more relaxed and spacious. Goat’s Goatbrain (16/44 Qobuz) now sounded cleaner and more rhythmic. As you would expect from a psychedelic rock band who hail from a commune somewhere in Sweden, this is a fairly lo-fi production but with the system now supported more effectively, the edges of the guitar notes were well punctuated but less piercing, as was the triangle, which previously sounded relatively flat and lacklustre.
As expected, the Oppo disc spinner’s performance was elevated when placed on this rack rather than the generic Scandinavian support. Scritti Politti’s The Word Girl, from their classic album on CD, Cupid And Psyche, now sounded punchier and cleaner. The vocals were given more space, and the studio reverb was better resolved. Playing this track again with the Oppo placed on the top shelf of my far more expensive Quadraspire SVT rack produced a slightly faster-paced sound with a little more focus, but the difference was pretty small. This confirmed my feelings that this rack contributed to a more relaxed and full-bodied sonic balance rather than one that goes for ultimate detail. Placing some RDC cones under the Oppo enhanced the soundstage and midrange clarity. Now, I could have the proverbial cake and eat it: the aesthetics of the Blok Stax 2G with a musical performance much closer to that of the Quadraspire rack.
Towards the end of the review period, a turntable-based system from Project Audio, called the Stereo SET E1, arrived for a future review to be featured in The Ear. This compact system comprises a turntable and an amplifier, the latter being small enough to sit next to the Wiim Ultra Streamer. The Blok Stax 2G rack proved to be a firm and stable support for the turntable, which was free to spin tunes without any apparent interference from footfall or other disturbances. I could lightly tap the lower shelves whilst the turntable was spinning a tune without apparent disturbance, so the silicone isolation between each shelf was clearly doing its job.
A solid recommendation
As you will have gathered, I love the look of the Blok Stax 2G rack, so I was relieved to find it allowed the system placed upon it to get on with producing enjoyable tunes. This rack represents decent value for money, and it is a design that enables you to house your system on a support that allows it to reach its performance potential without compromising your living environment. My wife tells me this is the only rack I have brought into the house that does not make her cringe. Whilst we don’t always agree on the aesthetics of the products that I review, at least we can both agree that the Blok Stax 2G is a genuinely attractive design. The Blok Stax 2G is available in a range of finishes, which should mean many music lovers and audiophiles will be giving it pride of place in their listening rooms. Equally, I can see dealers being keen to use this rack to display their stock to ensure visual impact. Thankfully, the Blok Stax 2G’s talents are more than skin deep, and it proved itself to be a great addition to this well-populated market sector.