Bassocontinuo Vanguard Sirius HiFi Rack

March 31, 2026

BASSOCONTINUO VANGUARD SIRIUS HiFi RACK REVIEW

Bassocontinuo Vanguard Sirius HiFi rack is the entry-level rack system from this well-known Italian manufacturer. Stuart Smith assembles it and takes a listen.

All Bassocontinuo products are designed, conceived and manufactured entirely in Italy, and that sense of where they come from is something the company clearly takes pride in and is well evident when you take a look at their website – note, the Bassocontinuo site is a separate site to the Essenza by Bassocontinuo site. Each rack is produced within a radius of twenty kilometres in the Lombardy region, an area that is internationally recognised for the excellence of its manufacturing. According to Bassocontinuo, this tight geographical focus allows them to maintain closer control over every stage of production while also drawing on the historical, cultural and industrial heritage that has developed in the region over decades. This makes good sense to me, and I do like the fact that these are made in the EU rather than the Far East.

The company also places strong emphasis on craftsmanship, and this is well-conceived and put together. Bassocontinuo describes its products as the result of the passion and know-how that have made “Made in Italy” recognised around the world. The refinement of the details, they say, comes from the experience and tradition of craftsmen whose skills play a huge role in the creation of what the brand considers “true masterpieces“. At the same time, this traditional approach is combined with modern manufacturing techniques, and Bassocontinuo uses the latest generation of CNC machinery alongside the work of its craftsmen.

That blend of traditional craft and modern engineering is kind of central to the company’s identity. Italian design and style are described as part of Bassocontinuo’s DNA, together with a drive for perfection and a focus on combining reliability of materials with practical performance. Basically, the aim is to strike a balance between elegance and functionality without compromise. I fully get this idea, and it is one that I’ve banged in about a fair old bit over the years. For me, it is essential that a product not only functions as it should, but it should also look good whilst getting on with that function. You can have the most wonderfully functioning product in the world, but if it looks like a piece of crap, no one will want it in their house!

There is also a strong focus on verification and development, and since the early days, the company has partnered with Vicoter, an Italian consulting firm based in Milan that carries out scientific analysis of Bassocontinuo racks using specialist equipment. Through this collaboration, the racks undergo static, structural and accelerometric testing, providing objective data about performance. This objective approach will be music to some readers’ ears, whilst I take a more subjective approach, recognising that measurements are a useful starting point for any product.

Alongside performance, Bassocontinuo also highlights sustainability and practical considerations such as transport. Packaging is made from recycled and recyclable materials in an effort to reduce environmental impact, while the boxes are also shock-proof tested to ensure the products can be transported safely around the world. The rack I got to play with was well packed with zero plastic other than sealable bags that contained the bolts to assemble it.

In terms of product structure, the company recently introduced Essenza by Bassocontinuo, positioned as its entry-level offering. Essenza is intended to broaden access to the brand’s approach to HiFi furniture, providing racks that aim to maintain the design and performance principles associated with Bassocontinuo while bringing them to a more accessible price point. The Essenza range currently consists of two product lines, the Genesis Line and the Vanguard Line. I’m going to be talking about the Vanguard line in this review.

There is one notable difference between the ranges when it comes to warranty. Bassocontinuo’s main product lines are covered by a five-year guarantee against manufacturing defects, while the Essenza range carries a two-year guarantee.

STRUCTURE

The rack I was sent to look at is the Vanguard Sirius, part of the Essenza range. The example here is the three-shelf version, which consists of two shelves and a top plate.

Each shelf is 22mm thick and made from HDF, finished in a grey stone effect coating that is actually rather pleasing to the eye. No other colourways are available. In terms of practical space, the rack offers 110mm from the floor to the first shelf if you are happy placing equipment directly on the floor level. Above that, there are gaps of 270mm and 230mm between the shelves. In practice, this should accommodate the majority of HiFi components. Each shelf is rated to support up to 45kg.

Structurally, the shelves are connected to the steel legs via outriggers. These are bolted to the shelves, with the legs passing through the outrigger structure to form the frame of the rack. Bassocontinuo also includes rubber decoupling washers that sit between the legs and the outriggers. The intention here is to help minimise vibrations travelling through the rack structure. This is a simple, elegant, and effective solution.

At the base of the rack, there are adjustable spikes which screw into the bottom of the legs. To protect flooring and provide additional isolation, Bassocontinuo also supplies floor-saving discs. These sit beneath the spikes and feature a rubber-like material on their underside. The debate between spikes and more obviously isolating products rages on HiFi groups on social media, and both methodologies have their fans.

Another feature I noticed is the presence of four Harmonic Resonators positioned beneath the top shelf. These appear as small metal discs mounted under the shelf structure.

Each shelf provides a usable surface area of 590mm by 450mm, which should be sufficient for most components. The Vanguard Sirius itself is available in both two and three-shelf configurations, and the range also includes a dedicated amplifier rack.

EASE OF ASSEMBLY

I am no DIY expert. At HiFi PiG Towers, that particular crown firmly belongs to Linette. Over the years, however, I have become reasonably competent at assembling IKEA flat-pack furniture. These days, such activities rarely involve raised voices, which is quite a contrast to the early days when putting together Swedish furniture could easily turn into a shouty vocal affair. Don’t ask about the floating glass shelf I once put up!

With the Vanguard Sirius rack, the process was refreshingly straightforward. The instructions are clear and easy to follow, something that, if I am honest, IKEA could perhaps learn a thing or two from. Everything that should have been in the box was present and correct.

The assembly itself is fairly simple. The outriggers are first bolted to the underside of the shelves, after which the structure is built up by adding the legs through the outrigger sections. Tolerances are tight, and everything fits together neatly and tightly.

I did encounter one small hiccup. One of the bolts that passes through the outriggers and into the leg sections was a little tight going into the thread, which meant I had to resort to a pair of pliers to persuade it the rest of the way. Aside from that minor moment, the rest of the build was a doddle, and I had the rack assembled in around twenty minutes. Take a look at the time-lapse video.

Once everything is tightened up, the structure feels solid. The tolerances mean the parts lock together firmly and, importantly, there is no wobble once the rack is fully assembled.

OVERALL QUALITY AND USABILITY

I am not going to get too involved in the ritual of placing equipment on and off the rack for listening comparisons. The rack I normally use on a daily basis is significantly heavier and considerably more expensive than this Bassocontinuo model, so it would not really be a like-for-like comparison, though I did put our main record player on the rack, along with a DAC and pre-amplifier. Curiosity did get the better of me, and I gave the Bassocontinuo rack a few taps with my knuckles. Interestingly, it produced a slightly deeper note than our usual rack. Make of that what you will.

At this level, my expectations of a rack are fairly straightforward. I want it to look good, hold the equipment securely, and hopefully reduce vibrations travelling up from the floor into the equipment. I tend to think this is particularly important for turntables and CD players, though vibration control can have benefits for other components too. The turntable was suitably isolated and certainly no better or worse than our current rack in terms of providing isolation from footfall and bass travelling through the floorboards. I did not recognise any difference in motor noise from our turntable (Technics 1200G) getting into the music on the rack when compared to our usual rack.

For a quick and wholly unscientific test, I placed a glass of water on each shelf in turn and then hit the carpeted wooden floor with my fist. The rack did appear to stop a good deal of the vibration travelling up through the structure and onto the shelves. If you tap directly on the shelves themselves, you can get the water to wobble a fair bit, but in the real world, nobody is going to be tapping the shelves once a piece of equipment is sitting on them, and my conclusion is that this rack does what it is supposed to.

QUIBBLES

During assembly, I did encounter one minor issue. One of the bolts, or possibly the threaded hole in one of the legs, was a little tight, which meant I had to reach for the pliers to get it properly seated.

In terms of equipment compatibility, there was one piece of kit in our system that would not realistically be a candidate for this rack. Our Electrocompaniet power amplifiers weigh in at around 55kg each, which exceeds the rack’s 45kg per shelf rating. In any case, I would not have been able to fit both of them on the rack even if the weight limit allowed it. That said, this is something of a moot point. I suspect most people looking at a rack at this level are unlikely to be running extremely heavy reference amplifiers of the sort we happen to have here.

One colourway only – but it is rather nice.

CONCLUSION

The Vanguard Sirius is a good-looking rack that is straightforward to assemble and does exactly what you would expect it to do, all at a price that is fairly reasonable in the context of the HiFi world.

In use, the rack appears to do a respectable job of dealing with vibrations coming up from the floor, even on our suspended wooden floors with carpet.

The presence of the Harmonic Resonators beneath the top shelf is also intended to help counter vibrations generated by things such as turntable motors and CD mechanisms, which adds another element of vibration control to the design. In practice, I recognised no difference in going from our main (more expensive) rack with regard to the turntable – note the 1200G is a direct drive design.

In short, I would have no hesitation in recommending this rack to anyone looking for a relatively affordable and well-made support for their HiFi equipment.

I’m awarding this entry-level rack from Bassocontinuo our Five Hearts award as it looks good, is easy enough to assemble, and works as it should.

AT A GLANCE

Build Quality and Features:

Well put together and good looking

Easy enough to put together

Harmonic Resonators under the top shelf are designed to help reduce motor noise from turntables and CD players

Sound Quality:

Reduces vibrations from footfall and noise coming from music playing as effectively as our current rack

Value For Money:

Quality and well-made HiFi racks are not cheap, and whilst 1230 Euros is not a drop in the ocean, nor is it a huge amount of money to spend to house your precious audio equipment

We Loved:

Eco packaging, for the most part

Looks very nice

Isolation works no better, nor worse, than our reference rack

Simple enough to assemble, and all the tools you need are included

We Didn’t Love So Much:

Only available in one colourway

Won’t accommodate huge and heavy amps, though each shelf will handle 45kg, so you have to have HEAVY amps for this to create issues

Elevator Pitch Review: Bassocontinuo Vanguard Sirius HiFi rack is the entry-level rack system from this Italian brand and comes in an easy-to-assemble, eco-friendly package. The underside of the top rack has Harmonic Resonators to help reduce motor noise from turntables and CD drives. This is a good-looking rack that does what it is supposed to, and I recommend it to those looking for a stylish and practical solution for accommodating their gear. I look forward to trying the more sophisticated models from the brand in the coming months.

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