September 2019


Best Of 2019 Blue Note Equipment Awards

Codia Acoustic Design Stage 3000 Diagon Equipment Rack
Price: $5260
Click here to read the complete review.

  It may raise some eyebrows to acknowledge Codia Acoustic Design with a second Blue Note Award for what appears to be essentially the same design that earned the previous kudos. I was skeptical about even reviewing it for that same reason. How much better could it possibly be, especially considering the price increase was so incremental? Bernard Li is certainly not an aggressive businessman. He seeks out quality brands to sell and import, but he doesn't battle other distributors for high profile products. He's very much the gentleman, much like my father. So when he assured me that the Diagon was an improvement over the 3000 BAB, I requested one for review.

The pillars of the Diagon angle outward from the corners of the shelves giving the chrome or black or titanium gold finish more visual prominence and create a slightly larger footprint. Like the 3000 BAB, you get to special order various metal and wood finishes as well as the number of shelves and the distances between them. The big difference is the use of resonators in the center of each shelf that protrude slightly from both the top and bottom. This upgrade has been extended to the 3000 BAB which previously had resonators that were exposed only on the underside of the shelves. When the shelves are loaded with gear the resonators are hardly noticeable unless you're looking for them. What is noticeable, in direct comparison, is the improvement in resolution that the new resonators bring to the entire rig. It was significant enough for me to make the change, given the benefit it brought to the components in my system.

The other factor that carries even more weight after seeing the wide variety of competing racks at AXPONA last spring, is the unique styling of the Codia design. There is nothing else out there that presents as much elegance as the Diagon. And with the flexibility of metal and wood finishes, you can tone it down or dial it up to full-bling mode. It has the ability to make even mundane gear look attractive and more expensive. For those with spouses who are reluctant to allow audio equipment to be seen, the Diagon could be a real deal-maker. And for those who need a super-sturdy, highly-functional and acoustically effective rack to hold tens of thousands of dollars' worth of equipment, the Diagon gets the job done. Win-win.

Click here to read the complete review.

Previous Annual Blue Note Awards

Product of the Year Awards 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, and 2001.