Even before the arrival of the Reference PSU I’d upgraded the spikes on the RXR with Grand Prix Audio’s special Levellers and Apex cones. Not only did the stainless-steel Levellers, with their beautifully cut threads, spanner flats and locking rings solve both the adjustment and the stability/consistency issues, the improvement in sound quality suggested that this is a change that every HRS owner should consider, given that most of the racks share the same spike arrangement as the RXR. The sheer number of feet on the HRS racks mean that this isn’t a cheap option, but it sure as shootin’ is effective, both in terms of the sonic/musical results and the resulting value.
Having gone ‘half-way’ with the Grand Prix mods for the RXR and appreciated the results, it finally convinced me to go the whole hog and invest in Grand Prix’s latest Monza modular rack. Not only would it let me extend out to three bays and set the shelf spacing to suit, it would add consistency, visually and in terms of approach, given that the GPA Monaco turntable sits on its own Monaco Classic three-legged rack.
Why wait until now to swap out the existing rack, if I’m already using a Grand Prix rack under the ‘table? Because it’s not just the system that has changed and evolved. The new Monza rack offers a number of important advantages over the previous (and still current) Monaco Classic, not the least of which is price: it’s way cheaper. It is also far more versatile, with adjustable intervals between shelves, more stable in its taller configurations and it’s four-leg format makes it both much more practical and more space efficient – with no third leg sticking way out back. Not only is the Monza extendable, with a far shallower footprint, the absence of that central post, right in the middle of the rear of the shelf can seriously interfere with cable access and dressing. Ohh – and just to cap it off, the Monza sounds better than the Monaco too!
In its standard form the Monza is delivered with bamboo shelves, which might seem low-tech, but work extremely well. Those who choose to can upgrade from ‘nature’s carbon-fibre’ to the real thing, specifying GPA’s Formula shelves. But for me, another driver to finally swap out the RXR was discovering the sonic and musical benefits of Acouplex (https://gy8.eu/review/levelling-up/) an acrylic/PEEK matrix that works wonders under equipment. I could have simply specified six Acouplex shelves for the RXR, but that would have locked me in still further, without solving my space problems. But in a happy coincidence, shelves dimensioned to fit the RXR will also work on the Monza frames. They’re a tadge wider and a little shorter front to back than the GPA bamboo shelves, but otherwise they work perfectly and certainly look the part. So I opted to order a dozen Acouplex shelves that I can use through out the Monza/Monaco Classic racks: shelves that I can also use in the RXR if I feel the need.
