September 2017


Best Of 2017 Blue Note Equipment Awards

Codia Acoustic Design Stage 3000 BAB Component Rack
Price: $5260 as reviewed
Click here to read the complete review.

  Having reviewed numerous highly effective footers over the years, I have become a firm believer in them. They support my pet theory that the closer a tweak can be applied to the signal path, the more effective (and cost effective) it can be. It was with great reluctance that I accepted Bernard Li's invitation to review a $5260 Codia Acoustic Design rack with four shelves. In short, it was a myth-busting experience, taking my rig to the level of the best rooms I've heard at shows. With some components my footers became obsolete; with others, the use of footers provided only marginal benefits.

The Codia is thoroughly engineered to eliminate vibrations, thereby greatly improving resolution and bestowing all the benefits such clarity can bring to your music. While no mechanical interface seems to have been overlooked, special resonators mounted on the bottom of each shelf seem to be the greatest and most effective innovation of the 3000 BAB model.

Fit and finish are second to none. Aesthetically, different wood stains can be selected to go with either black or chrome solid aluminum corner pillars. Functionally, different length pillars are available to create different spacing between shelves. The same technology applies to their amplifier stands and some custom sizing is available by special order.

While seldom thought of as a component category, a rack of this caliber is priced in the same league as a very good amplifier, preamp or front end. The value the Codia brings to your system is the way it effectively upgrades each component placed upon it. Couple that with the realization that you will not suffer any loss by having to sell off your current equipment and buy new gear and the value begins to skyrocket. The elegance it brings to your room is visual icing on the cake.

Click here to read the complete review.

Previous Annual Blue Note Awards

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