Official Flat Panel furniture thread [ Found possibly perfect Plasma furniture]

[tahl]

Has anybody put a TV way off-center on top of a media console?

A designer in a furniture store suggested today that I get a long console (say 75") and put my yet-to-be-bought TV (which will be 50" wide) over well toward the right side, balancing it visually with a tall vase of something over on the left side. When we "drew" it on her computer screen, it looked nice. Anybody seen this approach in the flesh?

This would mean the center speaker wouldn't be centered under the screen, but I would think the small displacement (6" or so) wouldn't be a big deal....?

That would solve a bunch of other dilemmas for me -- putting the TV directly in front of the sofa, for one -- and let me get the BDI Novia 8429, which is 74" wide:
http://www.bdiusa.com/theater/novia_8429.shtml

[plhart]

If the center line of your center-channel speaker will only be 6" off the centerline of your 50" TV when your TV is positioned as suggested you can, in all likely hood, get away with this offset positioning.

Most folks are unaware of what the "optimum" positioning (recommended by Dolby) is for dialog (center channel) speakers for commercial movie theaters. That recommended positioning (shooting through a perforated screen) is for the C-C speaker to be exactly centered behind the screen from left-to-right and, up 60% to 75% from the bottom of the screen.

The reasoning is obvious; most critical on-screen dialog, such as in a conversation with two actors on the screen would emerge from the actors' mouths around this area.

Fortunately, our ears are probably the most adaptable, while at the same time, most easily fooled sense when our mind is comparing visual to auditory content. As a speaker designer myself I can tell you that, as long as you watch your TV while facing it (as opposed to watching while laying down and turning you head sideways) your two ears which will have almost identical direct path distances (to the C-C) and will send the corrective correlation info to your mind that what you're seeing and what you're hearing will be coming from the same place. In other words, for your your slightly skewed TV vs. C-C in a drawer set-up your mind will most likely be able to compensate.

The one caveat to a "C-C in a drawer" set-up is that you are, in effect putting your C-C in a trashcan-like chamber. And that simple action will radically alter the C-C's frequency response AWAY from the speaker designer's "as-designed, as-intended-to-sound response. A C-C placed in the open air on top of a cabinet but still below the TV has a much, much better chance of sounding more natural and accurate.

[tahl]

Thanks, plhart, that's very informative & helpful.

[mvp2005fan]

Originally Posted by plhart

The one caveat to a "C-C in a drawer" set-up is that you are, in effect putting your C-C in a trashcan-like chamber. And that simple action will radically alter the C-C's frequency response AWAY from the speaker designer's "as-designed, as-intended-to-sound response. A C-C placed in the open air on top of a cabinet but still below the TV has a much, much better of sounding more natural and accurate.

Hi plhart:

Does putting a center speaker in a somewhat open stand like this: http://www.bdiusa.com/theater/icon_9429.shtml still mess up the center channel as badly?

Thanks!

[comptr]

I am looking for a tv cabinet that holds 8 pieces of equipment and a center channel. The tv that is going to sit on top is the Pioneer elite 151. I can not find anything that can fit my needs. thanks in advance

[scottwayne]

Check out Standoutdesigns.com. Real wood furniture. Pilk has 2 pics 1 page back.

[d mck]

comptr,,,have you thought of having a stand custom made by a local furniture manufacture . You can design your own with your own needs in mind,,,the choice of real solid wood and finish,,you get what you want,and need,,and very often for no more,,or less then one from retail outfit,,,,that is often partical board and not fitting your needs. I just ordered mine to day.
d mck

[Tr1p1ng]

I got my stand the other day and my tv arrived today so I though I would share some pics. I went with the Whalen stand from Samsclub.
(I fixed the mount after the pic was taken.)




This is a GREAT stand for the price, very sturdy, good quality, looks great and its pretty easy to assemble. Plus, another thing I really like about it is the mount actually swivels, see?



I highly recommend this stand.

Btw, in case anyone was wondering the tv is a 40", I was worried it wouldn't look right on a 52" stand but it looks PERFECT.. imo.

[|| Vitty ||]

Here is my BDI Avion stand with optional TV mount

[conroy9]

After searching for the Whalen XL-1 for several months, I finally gave up and found an acceptable stand on racksandstands.com, the Atlantic Stealth. This one has a metal frame with tempered glass shelves and a wood center cabinet. I think it's some kind of pressed wood, but I wasn't too concerned because I think it's not load bearing and I'm not putting anything heavy inside there, just some cables and a center speaker.

The top shelf is supposed to hold 100 lbs and the side shelves are supposed to hold 65 pounds each.

It weighs 86 pounds, double my Samsung ln46a750!

[Nathan S.]

Hey gents, the Boxing Week sales are on in Canada so I want to pull the trigger on a cabinet. I need it to hold at least six components. Ideally, it would house the CC speaker as well, but most units don't seem to accommodate larger sizes (I'm aiming for the Paradigm CC-590 which is about 9.5" tall).

My shortlist:

BDI Avion Noir (8539)




BDI Cassini (8629)



Salamander Synergy Quad




I love the way the Cassini looks, but it offers the least amount of space. On the other hand, the Synergy is the most spacious (albeit still not spacious enough for my future CC) but I'm not a big fan of its aesthetics. The Avion Noir ends up falling in the middle for form and function. Admittedly, the only one that I've been able to see in person was the Avion Noir. If anyone has any advice, I'm all ears!

[89MustangGX]

FYI for anyone who missed out or may be looking still, the Shemore is back in stock at Costco. I saw it, recognized it, and had to pick one up. Not sure if they all have them or not, but my local one had 11 of them in stock.

Adam

[pwjone1]

I am looking for a stand to hold all of these components:

1. Top Shelf to hold LCD 52" TV (51" wide, 110 pounds)
2. Middle shelf for Speaker (23.5" wide, 14" deep, 7.75" Inch high, 37 pounds)
3. Bottom Shelf that can hold Receiver (17.125" wide, 8.5" high, 18.1" deep, 54 pounds)

The receiver runs fairly hot, so the stand needs to be open, or there needs to be a cooling fan option of some sort (or a lot of space around the unit). The speaker is unfortunately also no lightweight, but the combination of the two heights is probably the biggest problem area. If possible, it would be nice if the unit was able to hold a 62" TV for somewhere down the road. Ideally, the unit would be wide enough that I could get other components in the unit, also have to deal with a SA 8300, PS3, DVD-recorder, etc. A matching audio rack would also be nice.

In terms of fairly open stands, I've been looking at:

Studio Tech PS-33



This, unfortunately, is not quite tall enough in the components (it's close), and not deep enough for the receiver. At least the speaker can be centered up. And it holds a lot of weight.

StudioTech HF-33



This one comes with optional leg sections to get it high enough, which is good, and has coolers as an option. However, the 19.5" spacing in the middle probably isn't big enough to clear the speaker (I need to check out where the speakers really are on the unit, it's at least close). But again, not deep enough, although I might be able to hang things out the back a bit. And the stand is able to support a lot of weight.

Salamander Synergy Triple 20 with Center Speaker Shelf



This is configurable, and if I skip the doors and sides, pretty much open. I looked at the Archetype TV65, but that doesn't look quite deep enough, and the center section is again, not 23.5" wide for the speaker. The Synergy line at least lets me open up that area, as it's customizable. What I cannot seem to find on the Salamanders is weight ratings on the bridge and shelves, to make sure they can support the weight. And they are a tad shallow, although I see they can be configured with extensions.

The only thing that I really seem to be finding that's pretty much got the right center speaker width, seems to be units in wood. The Wood Technology CMV-66 and the Design Standouts Horizon N702 are examples. Haven't found too much in the glass & steel type, mostly the weight weightings are not good enough. But I worry if the wood ones would get enough cooling to the receiver, which runs pretty hot, along with being big and heavy.

Any suggestions, other options I should consider?

[pwjone1]

Originally Posted by Nathan S.

Hey gents, the Boxing Week sales are on in Canada so I want to pull the trigger on a cabinet. I need it to hold at least six components. Ideally, it would house the CC speaker as well, but most units don't seem to accommodate larger sizes (I'm aiming for the Paradigm CC-590 which is about 9.5" tall).

My shortlist:

BDI Avion Noir (8539)




BDI Cassini (8629)



Salamander Synergy Quad




I love the way the Cassini looks, but it offers the least amount of space. On the other hand, the Synergy is the most spacious (albeit still not spacious enough for my future CC) but I'm not a big fan of its aesthetics. The Avion Noir ends up falling in the middle for form and function. Admittedly, the only one that I've been able to see in person was the Avion Noir. If anyone has any advice, I'm all ears!

Well, as someone that is also looking for a TV stand that can hold a tall (& wide) speaker (+ a big receiver), you have my deepest sympathies. Hopefully you'll find something. The Paradigm CC-590 is 26.5" wide, 9-7/16" high, and 45 pounds in weight. You need something with either an open middle shelf, assuming you're going to try and position it nearest the TV, and something that can support a fair amount of weight. I'm not sure the Salamander Synergy goes much above 8.5" shelf height, without getting fancy. The BDI Avion Noir is only 7" in the upper middle shelf. The Cassini is 8" high in the middle shelf, again too narrow for the Paradigm.

So I think you're somewhat stuck, probably either have to move the TV up on a stand mount, to clear enough room for the speaker, or go more custom on the Synergy. I think the Synergy can be had with 8.5, 10, 11, and 12" risers. That would also raise the unit up, I suppose. Might be worth a call to Salamander or down to your local dealer, to see if they can make things fit.

Good luck!

[yankee14]

Hi:

I am installing a 52" Flat screen and a 58" cabinet that it will sit on top of.

I am putting in an area that has a recess for the old style rear projection units.

The reset is 28" deep.

I want to have an additional security in making sure that the screen does not tip over.
Reason: two dogs that do not jump on my current TV BUT as they say it only takes one time.

I was thinking of mounting a flat screen bracket to the cabinet.
This would just be a back up to a tip over as the unit will sitting on the stand on top of the cabinet.

I thought of creating side wall to side wall wooden bar across behind the unit and attaching the bracket BUT all the electric, cable, OTA and telephone connections are behind on the back wall and about 3-31/2 feet up on the wall.

Therefore if I use the permanent wooden bar I would not easily be able to move the Tv without taking it off the mount and if its a plasma i would have to be extra careful to get behind and check connections if needed.
With the bracket attached to the cabinet if I roll out the cabinet the screen is attached and not an issue.

The cabinet is a wooden furniture type.

How I attach it to the cabinet I will determine, I am just concerned that it may tip over from a balancing issue.

Anyone do this type of install or think that it would not be a good idea.
Any special type of bracket out there to handle this ?

Greg
Sorry for the long explanation.

[Nathan S.]

Originally Posted by pwjone1

Well, as someone that is also looking for a TV stand that can hold a tall (& wide) speaker (+ a big receiver), you have my deepest sympathies. Hopefully you'll find something. The Paradigm CC-590 is 26.5" wide, 9-7/16" high, and 45 pounds in weight. You need something with either an open middle shelf, assuming you're going to try and position it nearest the TV, and something that can support a fair amount of weight. I'm not sure the Salamander Synergy goes much above 8.5" shelf height, without getting fancy. The BDI Avion Noir is only 7" in the upper middle shelf. The Cassini is 8" high in the middle shelf, again too narrow for the Paradigm.

So I think you're somewhat stuck, probably either have to move the TV up on a stand mount, to clear enough room for the speaker, or go more custom on the Synergy. I think the Synergy can be had with 8.5, 10, 11, and 12" risers. That would also raise the unit up, I suppose. Might be worth a call to Salamander or down to your local dealer, to see if they can make things fit.

Good luck!

After reading some negative things about the fit and finish of the Salamander Synergy, I'm leaning towards the Avion. With that said, the CC speaker will end up sitting on top of the cabinet. What kills me is that all the sales are ending at the end of the year and Paradigm may be releasing the Studio v5 specs next week. I'd really like to know if they will have a smaller CC.

Have you looked at the Standout Designs Horizon N702? It has a number of customization options that may work for your system.

[Nathan S.]

Originally Posted by yankee14

Hi:

I am installing a 52" Flat screen and a 58" cabinet that it will sit on top of.

I am putting in an area that has a recess for the old style rear projection units.

The reset is 28" deep.

I want to have an additional security in making sure that the screen does not tip over.
Reason: two dogs that do not jump on my current TV BUT as they say it only takes one time.

I was thinking of mounting a flat screen bracket to the cabinet.
This would just be a back up to a tip over as the unit will sitting on the stand on top of the cabinet.

I thought of creating side wall to side wall wooden bar across behind the unit and attaching the bracket BUT all the electric, cable, OTA and telephone connections are behind on the back wall and about 3-31/2 feet up on the wall.

Therefore if I use the permanent wooden bar I would not easily be able to move the Tv without taking it off the mount and if its a plasma i would have to be extra careful to get behind and check connections if needed.
With the bracket attached to the cabinet if I roll out the cabinet the screen is attached and not an issue.

The cabinet is a wooden furniture type.

How I attach it to the cabinet I will determine, I am just concerned that it may tip over from a balancing issue.

Anyone do this type of install or think that it would not be a good idea.
Any special type of bracket out there to handle this ?

Greg
Sorry for the long explanation.

Hi Greg, have you considered a bracket that extends out from the wall? Something like this. Or you can build bracket support posts onto your cabinet like this, but your dogs could end up tipping over the entire setup.

The things we do for our dogs...

[pwjone1]

Originally Posted by Nathan S.

After reading some negative things about the fit and finish of the Salamander Synergy, I'm leaning towards the Avion. With that said, the CC speaker will end up sitting on top of the cabinet. What kills me is that all the sales are ending at the end of the year and Paradigm may be releasing the Studio v5 specs next week. I'd really like to know if they will have a smaller CC.

Have you looked at the Standout Designs Horizon N702? It has a number of customization options that may work for your system.

I have seen the Salamander Synergy in person, and I'd say the fit and finish is somewhere in between. Definitely not what I'd term top-of-the-line, but also quite a ways from the bottom. And mostly, I'd be configuring the unit pretty open. I'm not saying that moots fit and finish concerns, but it goes a ways. What I'd probably have to do is go with an open back, or one of their back extenders (with fans). The base unit is 18", and my Receiver is 18.07". Close enough in an open setup, but with the wiring on the back, I really need another inch or two. I think Salamander must have added the extended back, as really high-end electronics these days can get into the 20" range pretty easily. The main thing is that I just cannot seem to find weight support specifications. I have to run by a dealer for something else, so I'll talk with them again, see if they can come up with a spec.

I did have a look at the Design Standouts Horizon N702 on their web site. I have not seen one in person:



Dimensionally, it's about perfect as it gets. I guess where I have some reservations is the enclosed design. I am really worried about whether the receiver would get enough air. I see they sell a fan option, and I certainly could go that way, but it wasn't clear where the fans would be mounted. And the 18.75" depth is a tad on the narrow side. Fits, but as I said, not much room for wiring. RCA plugs plus bends, and Banana plugs, could with bend radius add another inch or two to the Receiver's 18.07". The whole back of the receiver is filled with plugs and such. The receiver runs very hot, even in open air. It does look like the fan option is fairly well thought out, although 120-140mm fans might be quieter, and it looks like it would mount near the top of the back, from what I can make out:



http://www.standoutdesigns.com/store...eepThis=true&#

The fans will of course pull first through the holes for the wiring, but I think those would be pretty well stuffed with wiring, and where they were not, I could probably block up pretty easily. I see some slots on the bottom front of the unit, probably draws through those and the doors. Pretty close to an ideal cooling column there, I would think, probably still need to give the receiver 3-4" on top, but otherwise very nicely laid out. So someone has spent some time engineering this out, the piece does in that way look pretty impressive.

[tgferg67]

Here is the Whalen TV stand that is sold at Costco

[pwjone1]

Has anyone seen or puchased a Wood Technology CMV-66:



http://www.wood-tech.com/catalog/14/...omponent_stand

It looks somewhat similar to the Design Standouts Horizon N702 recommended just a bit previously. I don't imagine it's all solid wood, doors are extra, etc. It is just a tad deeper than the Horizon unit, which may come in handy, but there's not much, detail-wise, to see how the air-flow, etc. are likely to be on the unit. One thing I do notice about the doors is that they are all glass, so the remotes have at least a clear shot at the equipment.

[plhart]

In this stand your center channel should sound very close to "as-designed". Make sure to keep your C-c as far forward on the glass shelf as shown in your photo and you'll be okay. the only C-C positional improvement I might suggest would be to try a small wedge under your C-c's base so that it points up directly as your ear level when seated.

[plhart]

Originally Posted by mvp2005fan

Hi plhart:

Does putting a center speaker in a somewhat open stand like this: http://www.bdiusa.com/theater/icon_9429.shtml still mess up the center channel as badly?

Thanks!

In this stand your center channel should sound very close to "as-designed". Make sure to keep your C-c as far forward on the glass shelf as shown in your photo and you'll be okay. the only C-C positional improvement I might suggest would be to try a small wedge under your C-c's base so that it points up directly as your ear level when seated.

[teiresias]

Originally Posted by tgferg67

Here is the Whalen TV stand that is sold at Costco

I just bought this stand this weekend. I liked the way it looked and the wood finish and curvature in the design work well with some design influence in the living room. I haven't set it up yet, for two reasons: 1) moving on Feb. 7th, 2) no TV to put on it yet.

Once I'm closer to my moving date I'll be getting a television - hoping to see some better prices at that point (the particular set I'm looking at seems to be a bit "inflated" at the moment - at least relative to where I've seen it before).

[DGNeo]

Init TV Stand, purchased from Best Buy.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1165609791259

With employee discount, got it for ~$65.

Debating about going with a different stand already though, something wooden I'm hoping for.

[Nathan S.]

pwjone1, admittedly, I have not seen the Salamander Synergy in person. From what I have read, the fit and finish issues are mainly to do with the wood panels. They sometimes arrive scratched and dented. Something else that I noticed in pictures is that when the doors are closed, there are noticeable gaps between the doors and the posts. In your case, these are non-issues.

About the Horizon N702, something else to consider is that it's made from solid wood. Some people want the strength and luxury of solid wood and others prefer MDF since it is less prone to warping.

I ended up ordering the Avion Noir 8539. Here's hoping everything goes well!

[Jeff_DML]

Originally Posted by DGNeo

Init TV Stand, purchased from Best Buy.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1165609791259

With employee discount, got it for ~$65.

Debating about going with a different stand already though, something wooden I'm hoping for.

good job on hiding the cables

that is my usual complaint on the open setups

[pwjone1]

Originally Posted by Nathan S.

pwjone1, admittedly, I have not seen the Salamander Synergy in person. From what I have read, the fit and finish issues are mainly to do with the wood panels. They sometimes arrive scratched and dented. Something else that I noticed in pictures is that when the doors are closed, there are noticeable gaps between the doors and the posts. In your case, these are non-issues.

About the Horizon N702, something else to consider is that it's made from solid wood. Some people want the strength and luxury of solid wood and others prefer MDF since it is less prone to warping.

I ended up ordering the Avion Noir 8539. Here's hoping everything goes well!

Fair enough. I've seen the BDI Avion Noir's, and they're a very nice TV stand. You'll be happy, I would think.

The Salamander Synergy's are kind of a some-assembly-required affair, and mostly the door alignment is then a function of how well put together they are. There's quite a bit of adjustment in the hinges:

http://www.salamanderdesigns.com/syn...nstr_sd_v2.pdf

The instructions could be better, but provided the door is reasonably flat, you should be able to zero out the gaps, etc., or at least make them optimal. Where I've seen Synergies a lot is in high end AV dealers, they sell a lot there, use them, probably not surprising they get dinged. Anything wood would. And shipping, is, well, I received one box with a tire track on it, I try not to think about what happens there. At dealers, slso not a surprise that the doors get pulled out of alignment (if they ever were assembled that way originally). You see kind of the same sort of retail damage at an accelerated pace at a Best Buy or similar. Stores are an accelerated proving ground for this sort of thing, unfortunately. I do feel sorry for the dealers, never could figure out why people were so rough on the units.

I should note that Salamander has some stands that are closer to the BDI Avions, the Berlin and Madrid models. Those are much harder to find in person, but I've seen one, it was also very nice. I guess the things that keep me from going with a BDI are that it won't fit my center speaker (the one AV system I went and did what you're supposed to do, i.e. buy the speakers first, then work backwards, the center is however reasonably big), and the receiver is probably just a tad too hot for the BDI anyway. The Salamanders and Design Standouts and some of the others have provisions for fans to help out. At least BDI has the slots for somewhat passive cooling. So my search continues...

[pwjone1]

Originally Posted by Jeff_DML

good job on hiding the cables

that is my usual complaint on the open setups

I don't know, I guess it's all personal choice and preference, our sense style is kind of something we inherit a lot from our society and environment, but I have to say, sometimes, it seems like we forget fundamentally what a stand is truly about. It's to hold stuff, so that we see the picture at an optimal height, sound seems to come from as close as possible to the screen, and in a fashion where the components can breath so they don't burn up (and we don't hear noise in the form of cooling fans). I don't know why everyone gets so wound up about hiding the cables (and some, I know, don't want to see the components). Well, fine, build it all in a closet. But for me, I'd just as soon keep it simple. I'd like to be able to see what sound mode the AVR/Amps have selected, like to see which input, and the stand setup there gets that done. But I'm an engineer, maybe seeing the components (and an occasional cable) is just the way it should be.

[DilutedReform]

I just picked up a new 46" Sony LCD and am looking around at stands. It's been about a month now and I've been searching for the Whalen Furniture XL1 with no luck and have no Costco near me. I did however find another similar stand at an American Signature Furniture store near me. I was just hoping someone either has it or knows someone with one as I'd like to know the quality, moreso the quality of the mount. I don't want to be mounting my LCD on a mount that's going to come crashing down. Any info is appreciated.

Edit: Whoops, forgot link.. Stand

[batman2002]

Originally Posted by sbwtwo

I had almost forgotten to think of forum sponsors for furniture as well as AV equipment. Won't make that oversight again. John Marty at AxxisDurango is the real deal.

I've been looking for where to buy the BDI 8527 for the longest time now to start my home theater upgrade. Local dealers were more expensive than online dealers. I've never bought anything this expensive online before, so I wanted to be sure that I would be taken care of if any problems ever came up. Thanks to sbwtwo for highlighting that one of the forum sponsors, John Marty, also sells AV furniture. He has excellent reviews in this forum, which made me very comfortable purchasing from him. I hope I have better luck with my next purchase though.

It took about five weeks before I finally got to enjoy my stand. The first stand was stolen before delivery. The replacement stand was broken in various places that I didn't see when doing a quick inspection while the delivery guy was still around. BDI wouldn't take the stand back, but fortunately, the stand could be disassembled pretty easily in order to replace the pieces. John Marty was very professional in helping me with my problems. I'm not sure if I would've received this amazing customer service if I had bought from somewhere else that wasn't recommended through avsforum!