The "Pagode" was an excellent rack thought up by the small-sized Sauerland-based company (stereoplay 2/99). And now finite elemente is spinning its web in the sector of modular rack systems with the "Spider". The centre is made up of a star of extruded aluminium, linking four solid beechwood struts in a cross-shape.

Trick No. 1: The angle of the struts can be freely adapted to suit the cabinet shape.

Trick No. 2: finite elemente offers the beechwood struts in three different lengths all for the same price. Large-scale hi-fi/TV solutions can be accommodated just as easily as the smallest components. Heavy-duty power amps can be catered for by ordering strengthened struts. Assembly is helped by the clear and concise instructions by finite elemente and the great design advantage means that each expansion, separation or new arrangement can be implemented without any loss. The initial assembly requires patience, and even the final adjustment should not be carried out under pressure. Because

Trick No. 3: The components do not stand on any sort of flat surface, but are supported with their component base directly onto four pods. The mixture of medium hard plastics proved to be ideal fine tuning in the auditory test: The problematic measure between coupling and decoupling achieves its perfection here in the interaction with the strut design. In the comparison test the CD player uncovered spatial details with clearly less effort; music with a tendency towards aggressive mixing (such as the stereo remastering of certain Beatles tapes) was pleasantly dealt with, but without the high degree of impulse fidelity being attenuated. The small version is available at a price even students can afford two Spider levels at a height of 30 cm for DM 750. The maximum price is restricted only by the wishes of the buyer. The catalogue describes only up to a magnificent Spider with ten levels at a design height of 150 centimetres for a price of DM 3,450.