Equipment Cabinet Design

**Sonnie** · **02-13-09, 12:05 AM**

I can't seem to come up with any kind of ideas for my equipment cabinet.

The cabinet is going to have to be about 40" wide to accommodate two racks of equipment. No way to get it all in one rack because of the limited height of 24".

I figure the cabinet will net me about 20" of space on each side without the shelving... if I figure on a about a 3" recessed base.

Not sure what can be done with something like this, but would welcome some ideas.

I may need to eliminate the stage idea and add 6 inches more to the cabinet to make sure I have enough room for everything.

The scheduled equipment...

Onkyo 876
Behringer EP2500 x 3
SVS EQ
DVD/Blu-ray Player
Panamax
Satellite Receiver (? Probably not initially)

If I ever decide to add an outboard amp and use the receiver as a prepro only... I can always move the pair of EP2500's and park them one on each sub box.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

**hjones4841** · **02-13-09, 05:10 AM**

Your sketch reminds me of some of Salamander's cabinets:
http://www.salamanderdesigns.com/products/av.jsp

I have always liked their stuff - great finish and hardware - but was never willing to pay the $$ price. Anyway, you might get some ideas from them if you are going to custom build.

**Sonnie** · **02-13-09, 08:52 AM**

Those do at least give me the idea to maybe have a top that wraps around the edges.

**salvasol** · **02-13-09, 02:25 PM**

What about this ...

Name: Sonnie.JPG
Views: 501
Size: 30.1 KB

You can incorporate the center speaker there and have adjustable shelves for the rest of the equipment (I don't know what size you're planning ...but you get the idea, Right???

**hjones4841** · **02-13-09, 06:53 PM**

There's always the concrete blocks covered in contact paper that we used in college

Yes, I actually did that; still had them in my first apartment after graduation. Long, long time ago...

**Sonnie** · **02-13-09, 07:50 PM**

Hey... coke crates on concrete blocks always worked well for us.

Center speaker is 30" wide... and I don't need the cabinet to be more than about 40" wide total.

**salvasol** · **02-13-09, 08:13 PM**

Quote:

Sonnie wrote:

Center speaker is 30" wide... and I don't need the cabinet to be more than about 40" wide total.

...You didn't say anything before

Wouldn't you get a clean look without the equipment rack/cabinet in the front??? ....maybe just the L+R+C speaker and the equipment on the side/back wall

....personally I prefer just the screen, I think that sometimes the lights on the equipment are distracting (specially AVR display, but I don't mind a couple of small lights)

**Sonnie** · **02-14-09, 08:28 AM**

Well... yeah, it would look cleaner no doubt, but there isn't really a good place otherwise. The lights never have bothered or distracted me... and no one else has ever complained. We can alway tint those anyway.

**tcarcio** · **02-14-09, 09:00 AM**

Sonnie, Have you thought about something in the modular contemporary style like this,http://www.racksandstands.com/Studio...-S-SO0077.html
You can buy different size shelves and legs and build just about anything you need. I recentley bought some at lowes and it is called real organized modular shelving and I put together a rack to the size I needed. Just a thought.

**Sonnie** · **02-14-09, 11:12 PM**

Yeah... I have looked, but it helps to have adjustable shelfs, which most don't. Plus finding the right size is difficult.

**Sonnie** · **03-31-09, 08:07 AM**

Any other possible ideas on this?

Thanks!

**filtor1** · **04-07-09, 03:38 PM**

Trying my best not to thred jack here.

I am basically looking to do the same thing. Something to hold a 50"-52" and a nice spot for the center incorperated into the design. I don't even know where to start though. I am a complete newb when it comes to wood working, but I have the tools needed and a decent head on my shoulders, and look forward to seeing what you come up with.

Chris

**Sonnie** · **04-07-09, 04:04 PM**

I have pretty much racked my brain about this Chris... I am still coming up short with only a couple of ideas that I am still not sure will work. I will have to physically layout my equipment in the room to see if it will work.

My current idea is to build something like the following...

The two outside sections will be fixed for DVD storage, which will only give me room for 3-4 adjustable shelves in the middle. Then I figured maybe building a smaller width cabinet behind this one that will not be seen, but I am worried about depth into the room.

I may have to go back to double wide... or maybe triple wide shelving and just make it shorter.

**filtor1** · **04-07-09, 04:55 PM**

I like it! I definitely need more storage for my collection of DVD's. Depth really isn't too much of an issue for me. I would personally need more slots for components. Fortunately my sub amp is on the back of the sub enclosure, so for now that isn't a oncern for me. Basically I have a 10 yr old pre-built cabinet made for my 32" tv I have now. I am trying to devise a way to get rid of it and accomodate a larger tv while locating my center channel, receiver, cd/dvd player, and gaming console. My front channels are currently on end tables and I would like to make some stands for them and the rears eventually.

One thing at a time I suppose.

**Jon F** · **04-07-09, 06:06 PM**

Sonnie, can you just build something out of wood and then putting rack rails in it? http://www.samedaymusic.com/product--RAXRKRL

You can use regular rack shelves for your non-rackmount equipment, and obviously the EP2500s will screw right to the rails. That way you could still have the DVD storage you want on the sides on traditional shelves with adjustable mounting for the equipment in the center. The EP2500s can be mounted right on top of each other since they vent only from the front and back.

**filtor1** · **04-07-09, 07:17 PM**

I found this in another thread. I like it a lot except I will need doors to close to cover all the components. The only thing I want to be visible is the center channel.

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/...-tv-stand.html

I REALLY like this design too. The price is a huge draw back though. If I could figure out how to built it I would be all over this one.

http://www.studiotech.com/products/c...22t/index.html

**Prof.** · **04-07-09, 07:56 PM**

Sonnie..You don't have room on the back wall somewhere for a vertical equipment rack.?
That's where I would be placing my equipment, if not in another room..
Don't forget also that you will need to have rear access to the rack, and unless you mount a front cabinet on castors, it's going to be a pain to get to the back of the equipment..

**Sonnie** · **04-07-09, 10:08 PM**

I plan to leave enough room behind the cabinet to get to all the wiring... similar to my last setup.

The only thing about mounting the EP2500's by screwing them to the rack mounts is they would be the only thing mounted in that way.

I still have not ruled out incorporating the center in the top shelf.

**filtor1** · **04-07-09, 10:44 PM**

Just as a side note. One of my neighbors can apparently get granite slabs very cheap locally. I think I want to venture out in this direction. Build a solid wooden base with appropriate shelving and hinged doors on the front with a quisi open back panel for access and venting.

I think it is time for me to find someone that can make suggestions about the kind of wood I need to get my desired results. This thread has given me so many ideas and forced me to think outside of my original "box". I will post up as soon as I start making some headway.

**Sonnie** · **04-07-09, 11:24 PM**

Uh-oh... and you are not far from me. My wife wants granite kitchen counters.

Just sketching something... maybe something similar to this...

**filtor1** · **04-08-09, 07:19 AM**

Quote:

Sonnie wrote:

Uh-oh... and you are not far from me. My wife wants granite kitchen counters.

Just sketching something... maybe something similar to this...

I will let you know what kind of cut prices I end up getting. It may end up being worth the drive, we shall see. My wife wants counter tops too, but unfortunately I don't graduate for another 3 weeks, and there is no guarantee I will get a job. So re-doing the kitchen at this stage seems to be a slightly larger task than we can take on. I have my fingers crossed though. Even a small income would enable us to do some pretty cool things.

I REALLY like what you sketched up. I think I am going to go get some prices on wood and materials this week and then plan something out within reason. I actually have a ton of MDF and am staying with the black theme, so that may end up saving me a ton of cash less the doors and hardware. I will keep looking around.

Have you made any headway in what you had in mind for your project?

Chris

**Sonnie** · **04-08-09, 08:42 AM**

Quote:

filtor1 wrote:

Have you made any headway in what you had in mind for your project?

Nothing yet... I plan to let my cabinet guy build this one for me.

**filtor1** · **04-08-09, 11:57 AM**

Quote:

Sonnie wrote:

Nothing yet... I plan to let my cabinet guy build this one for me.

I hope to have a cabinet guy one day.

I hope you post pics of this! I am always interested in seeing other peoples plans in dealing with common issues executed.

**Prof.** · **04-08-09, 07:42 PM**

Quote:

Sonnie wrote:

Just sketching something... maybe something similar to this...

Placing your centre speaker on a shelf in a cabinet is not a good idea and should be avoided if possible..
I'm sure others will allude to this..

**Sonnie** · **04-09-09, 07:47 AM**

That is a consideration, however, ML shows a pic in their gallery of this speaker being mounted up against a wall, with a good bit of cabinet top underneath it...

I would suspect if I went the cabinet route that I would need to make sure the plane of the speaker is in front of the cabinet walls... which I could recess the side walls on each side a few inches to help there.

Here is another pic of it on the wall...

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