TV stand/cabinet

[acacia987]

wanted to get some input from everyone on this tv stand from tech-craft. this is definitely the upper limit of what i would want to spend (so no studio tech furniture). right now there will be a 42" plasma on it but eventually be upgrading to something between 50-60. i need doors to keep out little fingers, and i think the compartment for the center channel is neat (not sure how good it works though, any one use something like that before?). also looking for feedback on the site.

Tech-Craft

Anyone using other stands like this that they like? all input welcome!

 

[aberkowitz]

wanted to get some input from everyone on this tv stand from tech-craft. this is definitely the upper limit of what i would want to spend (so no studio tech furniture). right now there will be a 42" plasma on it but eventually be upgrading to something between 50-60. i need doors to keep out little fingers, and i think the compartment for the center channel is neat (not sure how good it works though, any one use something like that before?). also looking for feedback on the site.

Tech-Craft

Anyone using other stands like this that they like? all input welcome!

first off, racks and stands is an AWESOME site. They have some of the best furniture deals I've ever seen- mainly around free shipping, no taxes, and sometimes no interest deals. I have 3 different pieces in my apartment that were ordered from them- TV Stand, "Wine Bar" (for lack of a better word), and a large DVD rack, and I also managed to find cheap speaker stands for my surround satellites there- and each one of them is of very good quality and was easy to assemble.

Also regarding the site- READ USER FEEDBACK. This saved me lots of headaches. People commented on the actual color of the unit (what you see is not always what you get) as well as the ease of assembly and other smart notes.

As for this particular unit, it looks just fine to me. I would recommend, depending on your equipment, not putting the back on so you make sure that you have enough ventilation for your components. I have an Onkyo 805 as well as a PS3 (both have a reputation for running hot), so I left the back off of mine and since it's up against a wall you cannot even tell.

I would also recommend looking at the Bush furniture line- they make great TV stands.

 

[MDS]

I would recommend you ask for more detail on just how wide each compartment is. The total width is just under 60" but you have to take into account the inside 'stiles' (vertical supports) and the size of the left and rightmost pillars. Most components are 17 1/8" wide so at a bare minimum you need the compartments to be 18" wide.

Also take into account that you will be limited as to the size of the center channel speaker if you want to place it inside the cabinet. I had the same issue and had my stand custom built. My center compartment is 20.5" wide which is ok because there are a lot of center speakers in the 20" wide size. If the compartment on the Tech-craft stand isn't as wide you will be limited in what brand center channel you can use.

Other than that...it does look pretty nice.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

I too am pretty impressed with "racks and stands". The only issue I see with it is the amount of room for the center. I was only able to find one credenza that would house my center and I found it at "racks and stands".

 

[mazersteven]

IMO I would choose speakers including a center channel first. Then select a television stand if you want the center channel inside. I would much rather be flexible, and make sacrifices with the stand then my speakers.

www.standsandmounts.com

Salamander Designs

http://www.salamanderdesigns.com/

 

[aberkowitz]

Personally I have a space for a center channel, but since my center channel is wider I just put it on top. Since it is not bulky it works perfectly sitting "below" the tv. One of these days I'll finally post pictures....

 

[armaraas]

I was scared away by the 'doors' for the center channel, plus the fact my current center speaker is over 25" wide. I also wanted room for all of my components plus future upgrades. I ended up going with this-
http://www.dynamichomedecor.com/Elite-EL-906.html

I like the open space for the center speaker, plus I have receiver next to it, 360 and dvd players behind the glass. Once I am able to upgrade I plan on getting a narrower center and put an amp to the other side of it.
There's no handles for the glass doors so hopefully really young children will not be a problem. The biggest problem is the opening for the center speaker is only 7" high, not real tall. However if the speaker is a little bigger, you can set the speaker in there before putting on the top shelf, and as long as the support above the speaker isn't blocking the speaker itself it should be fine. I would also suggest getting a stand at least around 65" if possible. I like to have the compartments be over 20" wide for components. Good luck, it took me months to find the stand I wanted.

I did have a friend who saw mine and really liked it. If you have further questions about this stand or places to get it let me know, it was not easy for me, but I got it for a couple hundred cheaper than that site has it.

 

[MDS]

The stand I had custom built looks very much like the Salamander above (without the glass doors) but is built entirely of solid Oak and cost half as much.

It's difficult to buy or build the perfect stand with so many size constraints working against you. I was limited to 66" wide which required the compromise of a space no larger than 20.5" for the center. If you build one similar to the glass stand pictured above the center width restriction goes away but now the stand is too high for the TV. Ugh..

 

[acacia987]

thank you everyone for your input. the salamander looks nice! but sadly out of my price range. my center speaker is 17" wide(i feel it would fit in that space on the tech-craft). i could build a cabinet but don't have the time. i guess i will probably go with that, although i am going to take a look at the bush furniture line first.

 

[aberkowitz]

thank you everyone for your input. the salamander looks nice! but sadly out of my price range. my center speaker is 17" wide(i feel it would fit in that space on the tech-craft). i could build a cabinet but don't have the time. i guess i will probably go with that, although i am going to take a look at the bush furniture line first.

One thing to check out on Racks & Stands is that they have a "return option" that works like insurance. If you get the product and it doesn't look like what you want or you quickly determine that something won't fit, the return protection will cover the following:

1. A full refund of all outbound, non-expedited shipping charges.
2. All restocking fees are waived.
3. We arrange and pay for return shipping.

On a $500 product the protection option tends to be about $30, so it's not a terrible deal if you want a way to cover your a$$.

 

[acacia987]

so i got compartment measurements on the SWP60 from tech craft, kinda on the small side and my center channel doesn't fit either(its 17"). so i have started to look in to this one from bush instead(thanks for the recommendation), i know my center channel doesn't fit but the cabinets are bigger for my components(HD-dvd player, Yamaha rxv-2500...)

SWP60 measurements:
left/right/center cabinet: 14 1/4"H x 16 7/8"W x 15 7/8"D
the adjustable shelf is 3/4" thick. If it is placed on the center holes, you have 5 1/2"H on top and 8" on bottom.

 

[aberkowitz]

so i got compartment measurements on the SWP60 from tech craft, kinda on the small side and my center channel doesn't fit either(its 17"). so i have started to look in to this one from bush instead(thanks for the recommendation), i know my center channel doesn't fit but the cabinets are bigger for my components(HD-dvd player, Yamaha rxv-2500...)

SWP60 measurements:
left/right/center cabinet: 14 1/4"H x 16 7/8"W x 15 7/8"D
the adjustable shelf is 3/4" thick. If it is placed on the center holes, you have 5 1/2"H on top and 8" on bottom.

That's a nice one... pretty sure that's one of the ones that I looked at. Here's the one that I bought. It's actually a bit lighter than the picture but it works great. Again, I highly recommend not putting on the back if you can.