First off, I understand that MSB recommends not stacking the DD, Analog, and PSU chassis of the Cascade if space permits. My inference from this recommendation is that the Cascade sounds better when its chassis are separated. That being said, have any Cascade owners ascertained within their own systems whether stacking or unstacking generates a noticeable difference in sound quality? Further, have any owners experimented with whether stacking two chassis, while isolating the third, produced sound quality that was equivalent to unstacking them all? If so, which chassis were stacked and which was isolated? As my Cascade is in production, I’m considering my options re Cascade chassis placement, and hearing owner/dealer/manufacturer feedback regarding this question would really be helpful!
I asked if stacking should be avoided because of heat and @Daniel_Gullman told that heat would not be an issue for a stacked Cascade.
Also, in a video I can’t find right now, either @Daniel or @Jonathan_Gullman said they experimented with stacking and found the could measure a difference between a stacked and a shelved Cascade but that they could not hear a difference.
I’ve haven’t seen anywhere where MSB says that stacking should be avoided. MSB shows them stacked on the MSB website.
We always recommend separating the units if space and shelving permits. We specifically worked on the design of the Cascade to allow stacking. We originally could see stacking in the measurements but worked to eliminate the interference. That being said, we have not heard improvements one way or the other, but if space permits, it is easy to put on separate shelves. It also helps with the temperature, but again, it is not a necessary concern.
I guess it is one of those “can’t hurt” mentalities. Hahaha.
Stacking all 3 chassis of the Cascade definitely looks very elegant and neat, but for tropical countries (where air-conditioning is not constantly used) the heat from the stacked Powerbase may increase the temperature quite a lot. I installed the Powerbase on a separate platform, while stacking the DD and analog converter on another platform.
@Daniel_Gullman, do you think that stacking the 3 chassis with the Powerbase at the bottom in an ambient room temperature of 83-85 F will decrease the longevity of the Cascade or cause component failure?
The Powerbase do get very warm to quite hot in this installation.
Thanks.
@Easyglider , we have designed the system to operate at those temperatures so I would not expect component failure. If you wanted to be extra sure however, allow the system to come to temperature. Then, de-stack and measure the temperature on the center top of each chassis. This will give us the best idea of the internal operating temperature.
Then, if you give me the measurements of them operating normally side by side, I can give you an idea of how it will effect the longevity of the capacitors from the two setups. A custom in home experiment!
@Daniel_Gullman,
I will measure the top center surface temperatures for the 2 different installations and report to you.
What type of thermometer is suitable for measuring the surface temperature? A laser type thermometer?
Thank you for your suggestion.
