As already mentioned, the Assos Woodworking rack was delivered in a high-quality wooden crate that included everything necessary. We assembled it ourselves for the purposes of this review, but the company’s team can also set it up and adjust it for the end customer so they don’t have to deal with anything.
Assembly was, in any case, a straightforward process. The only point requiring particular attention is the proper and thorough tightening of the spacers, which directly affects the rack’s rigidity. During an initial period of a few weeks, re-tightening was necessary.
Leveling is done in the standard way: you adjust the position of each spike so that the shelves are horizontal and that there’s no vertical play, lock them with the featured mechanism, and that’s it. All that remains is to place the plinths and your equipment, and you’re good to go.
The Model 1 served as our main testing rack for about a year, and the first conclusion one can draw is that it truly is of very high build quality and durability. A rack in a test environment lives a tough life, constantly handling equipment that is being swapped in and out, often daily, many of which weigh well over ten kilos. I didn't manage to leave so much as a scratch on it! It's a durability beast—and if that's not an important criterion for some, then its high aesthetics, clean lines, and excellent finish should be. I wouldn't say no to a Pro version with top-tier quality castors, but that's probably just my professional bias talking.
How does a rack “sound”? That’s a good question—but one that has already been answered in general: a rack should not sound like anything at all. It should not affect the behavior of the equipment placed on it or add anything of its own. That said, the more well-designed a component is, the less influence its support should theoretically have. However, these axioms become less clear-cut in practice: tube circuits, sensitive inputs (such as phono), and mechanical systems (mainly turntables) demand effective support and vibration control. Also, many devices generate their own mechanical noise and may impact other sensitive components sharing the same space.

So, over the past year, a wide variety of equipment has passed through the Model 1, giving us ample time to form a well-rounded impression. I had the opportunity to compare equipment performance when placed on one of the usual racks I have—namely a ten-shelf and a five-shelf custom model from Exelixis by George Tziafis.
The overall impression is that a system placed on the Model 1 gains in physical presence in the room. It sounds more transparent and exhibits better clarity. We're not talking about massive, exciting differences, but rather changes that are audible if you pay attention, and in high-performance systems, they should be considered significant.
The first thing you notice is improved discipline in the stereo image. The soundstage gains clearer boundaries and less fuzziness in imaging, especially when using a turntable/arm/cartridge setup. You get a better sense of depth and more defined detail projection. If your equipment already performs well in those areas, even minor improvements can seem dramatic. I didn’t really expect it, to be honest. Timing improves, and the system feels like it rolls along more fluidly—it’s cleaner, faster, and offers more precise rendering of volume and impulse delivery. I also noticed, depending on the case, improvements in dynamics: lower noise and absence of vibrations create a more suitable backdrop for subtle details to emerge from the silence. Overall, you get the sense that the system operates more effortlessly, under less stress, and the final result has better air and a clearer presence.
All these factors contribute to a result that sounds quick and dynamic, with a sense that the system performs better in the high-frequency range. Personally, I doubt that the Model 1 alters the tonal balance of a component (unless we’re talking about a truly poorly designed device). I do believe, however, that it liberates it in terms of temporal performance by minimizing vibrations that could otherwise blur the end result or create a sense of constraint. The big picture is that the Assos rack will enhance some of the system’s most important characteristics in a way that is genuinely impressive.

Conclusion

We already knew it, of course: component support affects final performance, especially in high-resolution systems that can highlight even the smallest of details. On this front, Assos Woodworking—with its unwavering focus on quality—has a recipe for success: Model 1 incorporates a long list of positive features, from high aesthetics and build quality to customization options, and it doesn’t shy away from addressing acoustic performance in a product category that’s often somewhat taboo. It’s highly recommended if you're looking to support a truly high-performance system. Chapeau!

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