We just got a new home theater system, and I think it's time for a new "rack" to hold it. I am looking for ideas. Some things I am pondering:
-Open back or slots to get at the components
-Wheels? Probably not practical, but would make installing the wires easier
-Older 26" televison should be on the top? (no budget for something new)
-need to hold receiver, Tivo, cable box, dvd, cd,
I welcome ideas and comments! Thanks!
One rack or two? Last summer I made a temporary component rack as we were trashing the old cabinet during a re-model of the family room. I'm stil using the "temp" unit and probably will forever. It sits next to the TV on a stand. I'll be making a new stand for the new TV. This suits my space best. YMMV.
YES, an open back or very big slots to get your hands in. Think about the future. My 30 year old Sansui receiver died. I replaced it with new technology and surround sound. It has 32 wires connecting to it, plus the power cord. (Surround sound 6.1 needs 13 conections alone (next technology is 7.1 and 9.1))
Wheels. YES. Making all the connections was far easier. Wheels are a must. They can be hidden with a skirt around the base just leaving 1/4" or so clearance. You will be back there more than you think until you get everything set up the way you want it. If you have to go to digital cable, you need AV inputs in place of the RF. The DVD will work best with component inputs (four wires, three videa plus one sound) The cable box will go direct to the receiver for audio but one cable to the TV for video. And on and on.
In my case, the TV sits aside the rack and subwoofer. Allow for a larger TV. I had no intention of buying a new TV and scoffed at paying the big bucks for HDTV. No way, not me. You'd have to be crazy to spend that much money on a TV. OK, so I'm crazy. It is a 34" and the cabinet is 36" wide. Your TV will eventually die and you will want a larger one. I chose the 34" because it is the largest you can go with a real tube, not projection and the associated picture quality loss.
I just visited a friends new home where the home theater system was built into/onto one wall making access to the rear impossible. The builder had a very clever solution. He put the components on a rack to the left side of the large projection TV. What made it unique was the component rack was sitting on top of a solid drawer full extension side that had a "lazy susan". To service the components, You slid out the rack and rotated it. It was a terrific idea.
I am drawing up plans to build one for my new addition.
The rack and surrounding enclosures and doors were beautifully made of Red Oak.
Dave
I made a sectional entertainment unit. It holds the HT receiver, CD/DVD player, VHS player and digital cable box. It has 6 adjustable cubbies. The sub-woofer takes up 2 cubbies. Very clean lines and oh so very easy to build. Plans can be found on Plansnow.com. There are optional glass doors which I made, but instead of clear glass, I used dark marbled glass.
I've always been told not to put a SW in a cabinet. Too restrictie and too many vibrations. Have you compared performance in and out of it?
I am not an audio engineer but I learned from experience that you should be concerned with heat build up. I built a rack with closed sides, and no fan, and had two components that were effected by heat. Luckily they both had quality thermal limiters but I did have to scrap the rack.
Wheels are a great idea and they can be hidden by the case. I would also use a mix of permanent and moveable shelves. At the speed technology is changing you might want to swap components in the future.
Good luck - Bob McBreen
I built a great stand that holds my 36" tv on top and has space for 8 components underneath (4 on each half). Having built it with adjustable shelves and having used it for some time now with lots of wire changeouts and upgrades I'd definitely can the adjustable shelf idea and go for pull out drawer slides for the shelves instead. Would have made my life so much easier and all the shelves are at the same height as I originally put them in (evenly spaced) so adjustability is unecessary.
Good luck, Mike
snipped-for-privacy@aol.com (ToolMiser) wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@mb-m01.aol.com:
Also needs to be open for cooling
If not wheels, then a smooth bottom so that it can slide easily over your floor. You will want to be getting at the backside frequently.
Build a separate stand for the TV -- you will likely be changing that for a larger one in the future.
Have a look at Bello stands. Some of them are really beautiful and functional. If you can obtain some cut glass, they wouldn't be too hard to duplicate (or just use wood!).
The last major product I made was a home theatre stand 72"L x 21"W x 60" High. Because I use a wheelchair, I knew that I'd have to make it moveable since I'd never be able to squeeze in behind it to play with connections. I used 10 pairs of castors. With all the electronics and television in it, I estimate it weighs about 700 lbs. With difficulty I can pull it out from the wall. I'd be up the creek without those castors. Of course, that's with a solid floor, no carpet.
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