In the second installment of our affordable upgrades feature we tackle support and isolation for your components and tell you how to clean up your dirty mains!

ISOLATION PLATFORMS AND RACKS - ARE THEY NECESSARY AND DO THEY WORK?

A  specialist hi-fi rack is for the audiophile who wishes to glean as many subtle nuances from their system as possible. Itís a well known fact that structural vibration can hold back the potential of any hi-fi equipment. Turntables, of course, require stable placement more than any other part of your system or theyíll simply sound rotten and pitch inaccurate. 

Itís not the same with amps or even CD players, but thereís no denying that a specialist designed equipment rack or isolation system, including support cones actually work and in certain instances can be an affordable, if subtle, upgrade. You can get hold of a half decent hi-fi rack for around £50. Most racks have a hollow metal frame with either glass or specialist material shelves for less vibrational absorption. 

Thereís no doubt having everything equally matched on a surface will tighten things up sonically, but reaching up to the far echelons of rackdom (£1000-£4000) wonít bring the sort of magic to many that the money suggests - if you want a change for this money get a new system! 

Isolation platforms can also be effective, although are more expensive than many think, starting at around £80 or so. These add a tad more attack and speed to the music, although again for budget buyers the outlay may not always be worth it.

On the plus side for the budget conscious, there are some pretty good value buys around when it comes to alternative support systems such as the Clear Light Audio RDC isolation cones. For £25 for a set of four they are best placed under your CD player and there should be slightly more focus to the sound, creating a seemingly faster response.

Also check out Tenderfeet from the venerable Michell Engineering, at £8.95 or £11.95 (depending on size) these are also a great buy and an ideal Xmas present for your audiophile mate, should you feel generous!

Itís a well known fact that the majority of peoplesí homes have bad mains supply. Cleaning up the source by a number of easy and cheap means can be an effective way of making your system sing. 

Radio frequency interference (RFI) is everywhere and can sometimes hold back the potential of your hi-fi, no matter how budget it is. There are a number of designs that claim to filter out unwanted RFI that start at around £20 or so. Audioquestís RF stoppers at around £40 for four are a good start.

Another way of improving the sound when dealing with mains is to use specialist high grade mains sockets and power cords. Again the differences are subtle but mains sockets of this sort are cheap (around £5 upwards) and can be bought from electrical stores as well as specialist audio catalogues/retailers.

Audio power cables and power blocks designed to clean up sound are often far more expensive but there are good ëbudgetí versions available from the likes of Kimber in the shape of their YellO power cable.

Lastly there is a whole bunch of mains conditioners and filters on the market that get to the root of the problem. Mains filters attempt to stabilise and clean up the electrical current, creating a ënewí electrical source from which to run your system. 

These can be very pricey, such as the £3000 or so that the Accuphase version will set you back but there are more humble versions around such as the excellent and highly effective Clearway. At £200 this isnít exactly cheap but it will suit any system, so as you upgrade your components the Clearway can stay. Slightly cheaper filters are available from FineFilter (£160) and the simple Hype 5 Pollution Eraser for £100.