Enclosed cabinet for gear?

[jmy2469]

I am out of space under my Sony XBR1, Looking to place my gear in an enclosed cabinet. What is everyone using? My Arcam AVR 600 does get hot after awhile,so I am going to be looking for something that has fans to keep everything cool. Thanks for the info.

 

[Pyrrho]

If you have something that gets hot, it is not a good idea to put it in a small enclosed space. And depending on how small it is and how well it retains heat, a fan may do little good, as it may just blow the warm air around inside the enclosed space, heating up everything in it.

I personally use only things that are open, as I want my gear to last and not die a premature death due to excessive heat.

 

[jmy2469]

Ok Pyrrho,thanks for the info. I am not set on an enclosed cabinet yet, what open racks would you recommend? Something that has decent wire management. I am open to all suggestions

 

[Pyrrho]

Ok Pyrrho,thanks for the info. I am not set on an enclosed cabinet yet, what open racks would you recommend? Something that has decent wire management.

I don't have any specific recommendations. Find something sturdy and attractive (sturdy, though, is the most important part of this; do not sacrifice function for form). I personally like real, solid wood (not particleboard), but use a metal and glass thing for my home theater, as I got it cheap. For my living room system, I have a solid oak cabinet that is vented in the back, and is open in the front. That cost me more, but it has that "warm" look of real wood, and it is in my living room, instead of a room in which I tend to keep things dark and my eyes on a screen.

What exactly you should get depends on how much gear you have, its size and type, the space you have to put it in, your budget, and your opinion of what looks good (with possibly also the opinions of the other people living with you being important). Also, of course, it depends upon your specific opportunities. I used to live where I knew of a place that would custom make things at a reasonable price, and that is something to consider if you know of anyone in your area who is good with wood (if you like wood).

 

[jmy2469]

I do not have that much gear. My Arcam AVR 600,which is the biggest and heaviest at almost 70 pounds,so I know what you mean when you say something sturdy! PS Audio powerplay 8000, Verizon Fios box,Sony PS3 and a Xbox 360,that is all. Yep,I rather have wood than metal or glass. I have had a few stands from name brand companies,and they just seemed flimsy to me. Now that I finally upgraded my entire system,I want to make sure nothing happens to it. Thanks for the help.

 

[BMXTRIX]

Depending on your budget and setup, there are some options from Middle Atlantic which can be combined with other products to give you a very good solution. Depends on where your budget and thougts take you. I use one of these racks with Middle Atlantic rack rail inside to give me a well performing budget solution...

http://www.racksandstands.com/Wood-Technology-AR-43-E-WT0294.html

Solid oak is hard to beat for the cash.

Racks & Stands has a ton of options available...

http://www.racksandstands.com/csn-products-l7.html

 

[Pyrrho]

From a very quick search, I found this:

http://www.amazon.com/Salamander-Designs-A5-Archetype-5-Shelf/dp/tech-data/B0006VPUOY/ref=de_a_smtd

http://www.amazon.com/Salamander-Designs-A5-Archetype-Cherry/dp/B000M5HHEA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1301088539&sr=8-2

Please note, I have no experience with that brand. But they say solid wood for the shelves, with metal pillars, giving you very good ventilation. And they say you can put 250 pounds on it. (By the way, never trust maximum ratings for such things. It is a good idea to get something that is rated to hold substantially more than anything you will actually put on it. Probably about double is a good rule of thumb.)

I personally also like to see furniture before buying it, so looking for a local dealer might not be a bad idea.

Obviously, if you are good with wood, you could build something yourself. And if you are good with wood, you could make something better for less than anything you could normally buy.

The living room rack that I am using was made by Wood Technology, but after mine, I believe they started making them with particleboard sides, and now they only have the shelves and trim of solid wood. (If you like the style of theirs more, I would contact them to see about the sides. I personally would rather have metal pillars than particleboard sides, but you must decide for yourself how you feel about such things.)


On the other hand, if you like the look of something enclosed, you might be able to find something with an open back that would let out the heat.

Obviously, you don't want to set anything on top of something that gets warm, and you want plenty of room above it for the heat to escape, particularly if it is in an enclosed or partially enclosed space.

If there is a Cost Plus/World Market in your area, you might also go take a look at:

http://www.worldmarket.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3909374

You could put any gear that gets very warm on top, though you might be okay putting it inside, depending on how well it holds in the heat. The price is quite attractive, considering that it is supposed to be made of solid wood.



Obviously, you will want to make sure anything you buy is deep enough to hold your gear with the wires attached.

 

[strube]

I don't know why the write your own review section doesn't show my review anymore, but you can look at the Sanus rack I have. Here is a link to my review:

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=71042

 

[jostenmeat]

I don't know why the write your own review section doesn't show my review anymore, but you can look at the Sanus rack I have. Here is a link to my review:

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=71042

See the box titled Display Options on the bottom left when you're in that subforum? Change "From The" from "last month" to something like "last year".

I wonder if I can copy/paste it.

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&f=36&page=1&pp=25&sort=lastpost&order=desc&daysprune=365


EDIT: ok nm I see you figured it out hahaha.

 

[strube]

See the box titled Display Options on the bottom left when you're in that subforum? Change "From The" from "last month" to something like "last year".

I wonder if I can copy/paste it.

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&f=36&page=1&pp=25&sort=lastpost&order=desc&daysprune=365


EDIT: ok nm I see you figured it out hahaha.

You would think someone with my geekish prowess would know how to run a forum...but no. Too bad I didn't (couldn't) delete my posts so nobody would know.

 

[sholling]

I prefer open racks myself but what I did for the cabinet in my bedroom is 1) left 3" between the receiver and the shelf above it. 2) Cut holes - one in the back of the cabinet and one in the shelf above my receiver for fans, one below my receiver for air flow. 3) Installed 2 Scythe 120mm 9db 34cfm computer case fans. 4) Installed a temperature controlled fan controller. The setup in that room isn't fancy but with a bit of planning and common sense it's possible. I just consider it a last resort.

This is my parts list but there are more deluxe solutions here.

2-fan, fan controller, there is also a fixed temp 4-fan version, and adjustable solutions as well.
SFF21D fan
Misc fan extension cables.

 

[BMXTRIX]

I prefer open racks myself but what I did for the cabinet in my bedroom is 1) left 3" between the receiver and the shelf above it. 2) Cut holes - one in the back of the cabinet and one in the shelf above my receiver for fans, one below my receiver for air flow. 3) Installed 2 Scythe 120mm 9db 34cfm computer case fans. 4) Installed a temperature controlled fan controller. The setup in that room isn't fancy but with a bit of planning and common sense it's possible. I just consider it a last resort.

This is my parts list but there are more deluxe solutions here.

2-fan, fan controller, there is also a fixed temp 4-fan version, and adjustable solutions as well.
SFF21D fan
Misc fan extension cables.

That's not at all a last resort. In the trade, putting in fans with a directed air path that goes from bottom to top is proper and standard practice. Kudos for the thought and good process.

Generally speaking, in an enclosed system, you want a single point of air entry from the bottom of the rack. Either from straight under, or from the sides. The rest of the air cavity should be sealed tight, and it should lead like a chimney to a single point of exit. Put fans on the EXIT not on the intake location. This pulls air through the system and will help avoid any backpressure on the system and should avoid any air dams.

I would recommend against Salamander at this point. While I like their concept, their racks aren't actually deep enough to properly accomodate standard sized A/V receivers without touching the back of their racks. As well, they give very little thought to proper wire management.

It seems like companies that are often good with furniture are often lousy with racks, while companies that are good with racks are often lousy with furniture.

A company which is halfway decent at both...
http://www.mrpodium.com

Still, not a ton of elegance there.

 

[diaolosh]

Open closed is the best way to go IMHO .. Easier to manage everything at anytime.. because things break down some times..