BASSOCONTINUO, “Hand made in Italy”
HiFi furniture is perhaps the most personal of all choices when building a world class system. Not only do customers aesthetic choices here vary hugely but people’s living spaces similarly can be very different from one to the next.
Bassocontinuo might just have an answer for almost all requests. Nestled at the foot of the Italian Alps in Bergamo northern Italy, they work with a close network of over 25 suppliers all within a 20 kilometer radius, handcrafting some of the world’s finest audio racks. They offer 5 different lines of varying technology and performance with dramatically different visual styles for each range. Leather, carbon fibre, colours and wood finishes, single double and triple wide units and even a bespoke Atelier customisation and personalisation service.
Crucially though, these handmade Italian products are all backed up by genuine technology and Bassocontinuo employ an industry leading consultancy firm to put every unit they design through a precise test protocol where the influences of vibration and resonances are carefully analysed and optimised. Equipment simply sounds better on a Bassocontinuo whether you opt for the price concious Classic Line or the full high octance carbon fibre Revolution X series.
Further Reading
CLASSIC LINE
The most affordable range in the Bassocontinuo line-up, the Classic Line is now in its 2nd generation with over 50% more stability than its predecessor. Praised by The Ear as an “excellent” component and investment for those starting their audio adventure. Price range £600-£1000 per shelf depending on specification.
The whole series are entirely modular and upgradeable aftermarket. This means that at any time after the first purchase, you can add one or more shelves or modify the height between them, simply by adding or removing the spacers that make up metal structure.
To make it possible, we have introduced corner pillars machined from solid (perhaps the only entry level in the world to have this feature) present in our top of the range.
The shelves are now increased in thickness and the load capacity is now comparable to first-class racks.
Decoupling takes place at two fundamental points: under each shelf and under the rack, to be able to optimally isolate it from the floor.
Further confirmation of the exceptional design work comes from the new accelerometer tests carried out in collaboration with Vicoter and Politecnico di Milano.
As extensively demonstrated in the comparative analysis between our racks and a normal commercial table, Classic Line is an absolute “must-have”, with performance that is just slightly lower than the most performing lines.
Cerbero Black it’s a deep, total matte black, who doesn’t reflect the light following the new trend and Iside White its total white opaque alter ego. They are combined with a dark gray coating for the structure, to offer a mix between sophistication and grit. Cerbero Black is now available also with stainless steel structure.
The shelves are decoupled by a Red PU ring (90 sh.) to highlight the “High Performance” and aggressive mood. Spikes discs are provided with any rack, included a rubber decoupling (SBR 70 sh.) on the back.
As always, the aesthetic factor goes hand in hand with technical progress: we have introduced the Walnut and Wenge open pore finishes to complement all owners of Sonus Faber speakers and the MC Edition finish for owners of McIntosh electronics.
REFERENCE LINE
They say imitation is the greatest form of flattery, and the Reference Line is Bassocontinuo’s most forged model. Also the line that started the company. Price range £1000-£1500 per shelf depending on specification.
The whole series are entirely modular and upgradeable aftermarket. This means that at any time after the first purchase, you can add one or more shelves or modify the height between them, simply by adding or removing the spacers that make up metal structure.
To make it possible, we have introduced corner pillars machined from solid (perhaps the only entry level in the world to have this feature) present in our top of the range.
The shelves are now increased in thickness and the load capacity is now comparable to first-class racks.
Decoupling takes place at two fundamental points: under each shelf and under the rack, to be able to optimally isolate it from the floor.
Further confirmation of the exceptional design work comes from the new accelerometer tests carried out in collaboration with Vicoter and Politecnico di Milano.
As extensively demonstrated in the comparative analysis between our racks and a normal commercial table, Classic Line is an absolute “must-have”, with performance that is just slightly lower than the most performing lines.
AEROLINE
Beauty or functionality? For Aeroline the answer is both in equal measure. Carbon fibre is used at every connection point between the supporting structure and shelves for superior dampening, and there is no shortage of elegant ceramic panel finishes. Price range £1690-£2295 per shelf depending on specification.
Beautiful or functional?
We have chosen both. For the first time in the HiFi / High-End world, we have introduced design, discovering that mixing ideas and materials from the most different fields and connect aesthetics with performance is possible. The F2 is so well-proportioned that it could be considered an object in itself, where materials and textures are perfectly matched, creating contrasts that enhance the shapes.
The design is by Marco Acerbis, an award-winning, internationally renowned architect who has worked with Foster+Partner and the architect Mario Bellini, as well as a prestigious client portfolio. Architect Marco Acerbis designed the entire Aeroline for Bassocontinuo, a series of objects with strong aesthetic connotations that do not disdain state-of-the-art technical solutions.
Elegance, innovation and boldness
The solid stainless steel structure with a diameter of 50 mm is joined to the shelves using special carbon fibre connectors that implement stability and at the same time act as dampers. Each shelf is then decoupled using the tried and tested system also found on the Reference and Revolution lines, guaranteeing first-class performance. As always, modularity is an integral part of the design, making the products expandable and upgradeable aftermarket. The point of contact with the floor is made using height-adjustable semi-spheres, which, associated with a stabilizer washer, guarantee extreme fine-tuning.
Cable Management
Cable management is a revolutionary and outstanding tool, made by carbon fiber, to keep your cables perfectly neat. Everybody knows how could be bothersome a cable’s jungle. This could also be damaging in terms of performance: with our cable management you can move away power cords from signal cables.
REVOLUTION X
Arguably the most innovative product on the market, the Revolution X is the F1 car of high-end audio racks, and in fact uses the same monocoque technology as F1 safety cells. 100% hand-crafted carbon fibre shelves for unprecendented performance. Price range £2990-£4550 per shelf depending on specification.
A visionary project started in 2020: improve a series of objects that have been a benchmark for almost seven years in the world of premium racks.
The evolution of composite materials technology, the creative genius of Christoph Nussbaumer, a team of experienced technicians and engineers and our long-time experience in the fight against vibration, made it possible to create products that were unthinkable until a few years ago.
After almost two years of research and hard work we are proud to present a new benchmark: REVOLUTION X.
Revolution Line becomes Revolution X
We like to explore different worlds and ways of thinking. We think that rooting your work on outdated concepts limits the evolution and prevents new discoveries from being made. Since ever we go against the tide, from the begining we have been innovators and architects of our destiny. Leaving the tracks traced by preconceptions it’s often risky but we love challenges. Revolution X represents the best we have been able to create until today. A totally inert rack over 114 Hz with elevated muffling peaks already at 7 Hz. All measured and measurable, all certified by a totally independent analysis laboratory
Christoph Nussbaumer
Inspired by technology
Austrian-born with roots in a artisans family he graduated at Scuola Politecnica di Design. He collected experiences in international design-agencies in Salzburg, Milan and Boston. In 1997 he founds and directs one of most successful innovation driven italian ID-agencies. His team of designers and engineers wins over 200 international design and industry awards. Currently he leads a small and flexible, highly specialized design & engineering team, offering innovative design-solutions. His studio has a prestigious client portfolio such as Scarpa, Atomic and Smeg. Specialist in applied ergonomics, sports biomechanics and brand strategy, Christoph’s work is inspired by technology.
CARBON IS CLEARED TO TAKE OFF
Monocoque technology
Back in 2015 we were the first to introduce on the market a rack in structural carbon: to this day no one was able to imitate it. In 2022 we launch on the market an object that demolishes and revolutionizes completely everything that shocked us at the time. The apparent stiffness of the monocoque frame actually hides a flexible soul which makes of AEON X the new benchmark on the market. We use the same monocoque technology of the F1 safety cells. The structural overlap in the lamination process ensures reduction of peripheral torsion, resistance to static load, low frequency vibration damping. Everything is summed up in a performance never measured before in only 1,7 mm of carbon fibre.
Le Mans
A new sophisticated finish
To celebrate 15 years of Bassocontinuo, we created the new edition of theLe Mans finish. A very much appreciated finishing in the years before when the former Revolution 2.0 represented our best of the best in terms of technology applied at rack’s industry. Le Mans development it’t absolutely easy and the first macroscopic difference is in the shelf structure: into the first edition wooden made, nowadays with a very high percentage of composite materials, to keep unchanged technical and sonic features of the main Racing Black edition (full carbon). Final result is more than we expected and we proudly affirm that LE MANS is one of our most refined, classy, sofisticated finishing ever made during these hard and long 15 years.
Carbon fibre structure was coupled with a frame wrapped with genuine leather, handmade sewed. To complete material’s mix, centre panel is fully matte black (0 gloss), fancy matched, for a simply stunning result.
ULTIMATE LINE
This is the heavyweight of audio racks, with the Golia model pictured weighing an impressive 156kg. Built for pure, uncompromising performance with the very best high-tech materials. Subject to our most rigorous testing and fit for the highest level systems.
It was not simple: we wanted to go even further! After Revolution Line there was a need to show off our strong will to win every challenge. The Ultimate Line today represents our headiner, the one that crosses the limits, the one that fights with Giants and smashes records.
A scientific approach to a first-class result. A serious project, no bells and whistles, made of numbers and graphs. A project born from the desire to overcome what seemed unsurpassed.
No compromise, like its name – The most extreme line of Bassocontinuo
The use of materials with a high technology content, such as Valchromat®, Delrin®, or Fenix NTA® (which mixes to the aesthetic impact a surface with nanotechnology particles that self-repair with heat), combined with a series of technical features that raise performance to levels unthinkable until today (such as the addition of a mass damper and a floating shelf to house your precious source) make the ULTIMATE, the new benchmark to which all others will have to adapt.
Any idea what you’re looking at? The Golia model (three shelves) weighs 156 kg, has four decoupling steps, it’s fully modular and upgradeable also aftermarket and is tested with three-dimensional accelerometers.
STEALTH
Shelves: sandwich Valchromat and Alluminio
Upper center panel made by HDF and FENIX NTA®Legs: solid stainless steel CNC machined
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