The clarity, textural subtlety and effortless separation of the AcouPlex shelves breathes life and space into intimate recordings like Aimee Mann’s ‘Real Bad News’ (Lost in Space – MoFi UDSACD 2021), with its complex layered production, sampled static and intensely personal vocals. This was a shift of gear for Mann, moving on from the range, power and curled-lip snarl of ‘The Fall of the World’s Own Optimist’, via the simple, chanson style of ‘You Do’ (Bachelor No. 2 – Mofi UDSACD 2025), relying more on the lyrical message and less on her impressive vocal range. It’s a developmental path that is laid bare by the superior support offered by the AcouPlex, underlining their impact ion musical access. This is not simply a shift in sonic virtues. It’s all about the intelligibility of the performance and recording. That you hear more, more easily is kind of a given, but it’s not the goal of the exercise: That’s understanding the musical what, why and when, things that the Acouplex shelves unearth without apparent (or intrusive) effort.
The benefits of the AcouPlex shelves contribute directly to the both the foundation of the system and the foundation of the music. These are fundamental differences in terms of believability and intelligibility – the core performance areas for any serious audio system. For those familiar with the term Foundation Theory, these shelves incorporate its very essence.
When I started this listening process, I was using the R-shelf as a benchmark – a reference point against which to measure the performance of the AcouPlex offering. I wasn’t expecting it my benchmark to get trampled quite so obviously. The manner in which the AcouPlex despatched the R-Shelf wasn’t exactly brutal – it’s too well behaved for that – but it was emphatic. But when I started this listening process, I was also looking to set the AcouPlex shelves into a wider context. I chose the R-shelf as a reference point because of its performance, not because it’s ubiquitous in the market place. The interest here is not what the AcouPlex does for the HRS RXR rack (although that’s plenty interesting if you own any of the HRS racks): it’s what it can do in the context of the myriad basic racks that are out there. If you have a Target or similar, welded frame rack, Music Works can make shelves to fit. If you have a Quadraspire or similar clamped shelf construction rack, Music Works can make shelves to fit. And if you have a skeletal or fixed shelf rack system, Music Works can make platforms to fit.
The small scale production of the AcouPlex material actually lends itself to bespoke manufacturing, while the ability to combine custom footprint shelves with custom height spacers creates a truly versatile solution. But best of all, you don’t have to change all your shelves at once. Say that you have a five-shelf Quadraspire rack: There’s nothing to stop you swapping out two or three of the existing shelves for AcouPlex alternatives, strategically placed under the key system components. The shelves supplied for my RXR rack are priced at £900 each (including the required spacers). Given that these days the cheapest HRS platform starts at around $1,500, that places the AcouPlex shelves right in the ballpark. Given its performance, inherent simplicity, almost limitless versatility and ability to integrate seamlessly with an awful lot of the support systems already in use, this looks like a win-win proposition. For all those sceptical about the musical importance of racks and supports, this is an easy way to dig a little deeper. But be careful, you might be shocked by the results…
