Atacama Evoque Eco 60-40 review

Best equipment support, Awards 2014. Atacama’s done it again – a well-designed rack that allows your hi-fi system to sound its best

What Hi-Fi? Verdict

Best equipment support, Awards 2014. Atacama’s done it again – a well-designed rack that allows your hi-fi system to sound its best

Pros

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    Allows for a superbly detailed, dynamic and engaging performance

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    Excellent build quality

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    Stylish design

Cons

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    Rivals offer a bigger soundstage

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    Some may be put off by price

Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert team reviews products in dedicated test rooms, to help you make the best choice for your budget. Find out more about how we test.

It isn’t often that hi-fi racks get an appreciative ‘ooh’ out of us at first glance, but Atacama’s new Evoque range wins points on design alone.

The solid bamboo shelves, the glossy black legs and the shiny steel cone caps and spikes all add up to a rather gorgeous-looking rack that we want in our homes. Build and finish is excellent too.

MORE: Awards 2014 - Best accessories

Performance

Make sure to watch out for the spikes and make sure they’re screwed in tightly

Make sure to watch out for the spikes and make sure they’re screwed in tightly

It’s a modular design: you can add extra shelves for £150, and customise the height of each tier with a number of leg-length options.

Bamboo naturally darkens with age, but you have the choice of natural, medium and dark finishes for the 40mm thick shelves. The Atacama isn’t just a pretty piece of furniture.

With our Cyrus CDi/Roksan Caspian M2 reference system, the sound is confident, insightful and hugely enjoyable. There’s a satisfying rumble to the punchy baselines, a clear and open top end, and voices are presented with nuance.

Verdict

It might not initially sound quite as immediate as some rivals, but longer listening reveals plenty of attack.

It’s pricier than its rivals, but we think the Atacama Evoque is well worth it.

MORE: Awards 2014 - all the winners

What Hi-Fi?

What Hi-Fi?, founded in 1976, is the world's leading independent guide to buying and owning hi-fi and home entertainment products. Our comprehensive tests help you buy the very best for your money, with our advice sections giving you step-by-step information on how to get even more from your music and movies. Everything is tested by our dedicated team of in-house reviewers in our custom-built test rooms in London, Reading and Bath. Our coveted five-star rating and Awards are recognised all over the world as the ultimate seal of approval, so you can buy with absolute confidence.

Read more about how we test