AV Furniture Brand Recommendations Please

[JL8888]

I have been scouring the web for decent AV furniture/racks that are reasonably priced. I am in the USA. I am trying to accomodate my 65" TV, a very high center channel (9 inches), an AVR, and other equipment. I am hoping the community here can help make some recommendations. I have found the following brands thus far. I am trying primarily to fill in the Economical and Mid-tier options as that's more my budget. Thanks!

Economical (<200 USD):
Whalen (larger selection, average build quality)
Monoprice/Monolith (limited selection, but cheap and decent quality)

Mid-tier (200-500 USD):
Sanus (good quality, decent price, limited selection)
Pangea (good quality, decent price, very limited selection)
VTI Manfacturing (good quality, decent price, limited selection)

Mid-high (500-1,000 USD):
None so far

Higher-end (>1,000 USD):
Salamander Designs (very good quality, excellent selection, but not cheap by my standards. Everything is 1k USD and up. Basically they have exactly what I want but its more than I want to spend)

 

[Inner Space]

My go-to is the Salamander Synergy system. Mechanically it's everything it should be. Agreed, they're not exactly giving it away, but if you forgo doors and side panels etc and get the basic "core module" option, the price ain't terrible.

 

[JL8888]

The cheapest Salamander model that is bare bones and does meet my requirements is 850 USD here (same line you recommended): Salamander Synergy Triple 20
The 9 inch height requirement for my Center Channel eliminates many models from my list, including some of the Salamander models. Most are 8.0 or 8.5, very few models I can find of any brand have 9.0 or more inches available directly below the TV unfortunately.

 

[Ken1951]

I have a Salamander setup using Synergy components. It uses a 303 cabinet on each side with Bridges connecting them. This allows any height for a center channel. In my case it is a Paradigm Signature C3 and we have our TV sitting atop the unit - currently a 65". We purchased this setup in 2004 and have been very happy with it. High quality and easy to assemble. Might not be the least expensive option, but very flexible and worth the money IMHO. Good luck!

See my post #419 on:
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...-kit-we-bought-our-current-setups.564/page-21

 

[raistlin65]

Be sure to check BestBuy online. When I looked a couple of years ago, they had a lot of TV consoles designed to fit a center channel.

 

[JL8888]

Indeed I have been searching the usual suspects and other sites: Best Buy, B&H, Crutchfield, Amazon, Audiogon, etc. For some reason, it seems that I am missing something. There must be more brands out there, i hope!

 

[Fahzz]

Salamander is having a winter sale 15% off. FYI

 

[phoenixdogfan]

BDI. Expensive but beautiful Danish Modern. And it hides the gear, making itself the star.

 

[headshake]

bell'o?

 

[JL8888]

bell'o?

Oh right, I forgot to mention Bell'O and also Furnitech. Both seemed a bit overpriced.

 

[headshake]

Oh right, I forgot to mention Bell'O and also Furnitech. Both seemed a bit overpriced.

Well, isn't everything overpriced? They are all making a buck off of you. I own an old glass Bell'o av stand and it has held up in looks and structurally. It is not like cheap ikea things-much sturdier. The glass on my stand can hold 150lbs and is very thick. (Btw why isn't ikea on your list)

 

[JL8888]

Overpriced to me means, lower ROI for the quality you get. Monolith, Sanus, Pangea to me are high value for the investment and to me definitely not overpriced. It's always a personal decision, for sure, just stating my own impressions. Nothing wrong with them, just lower ROI compared to some other brands imho. I am not a fan of Ikea after having owned some of their stuff.

 

[headshake]

I thought of another low cost way- I just used these to make a speaker stand: pre-finished shelves.
https://www.menards.com/main/storag...758-c-5702.htm?tid=955101394500043332&ipos=19

I am sure your local hardware store has them. Just add some table legs and you are done.

 

[Alice of Old Vincennes]

Be careful fitting big center if monitor is 65 or above. I used tape measure for my 50 inch. I need monitor 5 inches higher to fit 65 inch.

 

[flyzipper]

Quadraspire!

Wait, wait... hear me out... make your own based on the simple Quadraspire design.

The rack pictured below is ridiculously overpriced for what it is, but imagine it with two smaller shelves on the top rather than a single shelf that spans the entire width (i.e. providing a gap in the middle that's wide enough and tall enough for your centre channel). Your TV's feet would just straddle the gap, leaving the centre channel in the clear beneath it.

Have a woodworking friend/neighbour/shop cut and finish four 3/4" plywood boards (two larger widths for the bottom and middle span, and two for the top). You can even have them CNC or route slots in the planks for better air flow if they have the tools.

Gas fitting pipe from Home Depot can serve as the metal uprights, or threaded rods with bolts would allow some adjustability for the shelf heights or leveling. I'd also suggest fitting wheels on the bottom to make moving it simpler when gear/wiring needs to be adjusted.

 

[Alice of Old Vincennes]

I renovate house flips as sideline. You can purchase real wood, buy router and build cheaply. Don't need CNC for this project.

 

[flyzipper]

I renovate house flips as sideline. You can purchase real wood, buy router and build cheaply. Don't need CNC for this project.

Nobody suggested a CNC machine is needed for this project, but if one is available there's no denying its utility.

As you point out, there is definitely a spectrum of DIY options for this, including "real wood". That said, plywood will be more dimensionally stable than solid wood, and premium grade sheets are within OPs budget, so there's little risk he'd lift OSB sub-floor or exterior sheathing from your job site.

 

[JL8888]

I am not really considering DIY at this point, looking more for a finished product, but the discussion is a good reference for anyone who reads this later.

I am not considering Ikea and other budget-type options because I have special requirements they can't meet:
1) the 9 inch high center channel
2) a 75 pound integrated amp that will be sitting inside the stand (along with a Denon AVR, a tube amp, and a Bluray player).

In terms of finished product, are there any brands worth considering that I have missed?

 

[flyzipper]

sitting inside the stand

That sounds like you want something enclosed, so I won't suggest wire shelving (it's robust enough for your gear, and available in enough sizes that you can assemble a configuration that meets your needs).

That said, be careful with enclosed racks in terms of cooling (it's often lacking, especially in budget offerings). You might need to cut an opening for exhaust fans so things don't overheat.

Example - https://www.acinfinity.com/quiet-cabinet-fans/

 

[JL8888]

Sorry, maybe I led you wrong there saying "within". I am primarily looking at open solutions, not enclosed. The integrated amp is class A for the first 50 watts so it throws some heat, and the tube amp obviously gets pretty warm as well. I am ok spending up to 500 bucks for the right solution, I am not looking for something uber cheap, just hard to swallow close to 1k.