New Equipment Cabinet Done!

[JKCashin]

UPDATE: Finished! Test install Canada Day/Independence Day weekend!

Going ahead with this after quite a few modifications. Will be a 3 shelf unit with the center speaker on top, no drawers, which incidentally is the option that received the greatest number of votes.

Poll results from 18 votes:

• 1st - 7 votes - 38.89% - Center on open top; No drawers - this is the one I chose
• 2nd - 3 votes (16.67%) - Center behind grill; No drawers
  

Both of the following got 2 votes (11.11%) each:

• Center on framed shelf; Cherrywood drawers
• Center behind grill; Cherrywood drawers

The following 4 got 1 vote (5.56%) each:

• Center on open top; Cherrywood drawers
• Center on framed shelf; No drawers
• Center on framed shelf; Black Leather faced drawers
• Other

Both of the following got 0 votes:

• Center behind grill; Black Leather faced drawers
• Center on open top; Black Leather faced drawers

So... I am designing a low, wide cabinet to support my audio gear, with room for my center channel speaker. One of my close friends will be building it.

I have two basic designs.. a design with the Center speaker on the top shelf, and a design with the center speaker occupying the top shelf, with some variables.

• Center may be on top of a 3 row cabinet, or on the top row of a 4 row cabinet
• If the center is in a row, it may be hidden behind acoustically transparent fabric
• Second row may be open, or have drawers, and if the row has drawers, they can be cherrywood, or faced with matte black laquer, matching the top. Note the poll says faux black leather, but it would be matte black laquer... you can't edit polls.

Here are some pictures to help show some of the combinations of the 4 row option:

No drawers, center behind acoustically transparent fabric


Cherrywood drawers, center behind acoustically transparent fabric


Matte black laquer faced drawers, center behind acoustically transparent fabric


Here's the cabinet with no grill, with cherrywood drawers


Here's the cabinet with no grill, and no drawers


Note I will provide the SketchUp file if there is sufficient interest

[JKCashin]

Here's the 3 row cabinet, no drawers.


I am not fond of this, since as you can see my center channel is an Emotiva C2, and that speaker, while awesome, is HUGE... and really dominates the cabinet. The 4 row design was born of this observation, and is the direction I am leaning in.

[JKCashin]

Placeholder 2

[creimes]

Like this

[DYohn]

3-row. The center should not be under a shelf for best results.

[JKCashin]

Jun 23, 2020 19:35:55 GMT -5 DYohn said:

3-row. The center should not be under a shelf for best results.

Even if it's completely flush with the front of the furniture? That way there would be no reflection upwards. The fabric will be thin, and flush with the front of the cabinet, with the speaker nearly touchin it (the speaker would be held in place by footwells so can be placed very accurately)

[DYohn]

It’s not about reflections it’s about dispersion. If the speaker system is enclosed in a cabinet it narrows the dispersion field. Many people do it and have no problems with the result but in theory it’s best to have the system out in the open.

[JKCashin]

Jun 23, 2020 20:47:46 GMT -5 DYohn said:

It’s not about reflections it’s about dispersion. If the speaker system is enclosed in a cabinet it narrows the dispersion field. Many people do it and have no problems with the result but in theory it’s best to have the system out in the open.

Hmm... interesting. I will read up on it some... not much point in buying good gear only to compromize the sound through placement, thanks!

[5channels]

If you can, the best option is to your place center speaker on a dedicated stand. Forgo the cabinet and all the cons that come with it...resonance...dispersion...cleaning...trinkets...etc.

Cheers
J

[JKCashin]

I know it's preferred, but a separate stand for the center is not possible with my arrangement.

And I don't think people are quite following the design... or maybe they are and I am not getting the point... the center would not be "enclosed" inside the cabinet... it would be flush with the front of the cabinet. The only difference I can see with this arrangement and placing it in the open on the top is that the rear facing ports would "see" the top shelf of the cabinet. Perhaps this helps:


And closer:


Maybe this is the same as "enclosed" even if it's placed flush with the front... I am not an audio engineer so I might just not be understanding the issue.

[gus4emo]

None of the above, keep working on it...

[AudioHTIT]

I built this, center channel is open.

[novisnick]

Jun 23, 2020 22:11:47 GMT -5 AudioHTIT said:

I built this, center channel is open.

Looks so beautiful! Craftsmanship extraordinar!

[JKCashin]

Jun 23, 2020 21:52:06 GMT -5 gus4emo said:

None of the above, keep working on it...

Umm.. OK, care to share why none of the above designs are suitable? Or do you just not like the designs?

[markc]

For me, your preferred four layer cabinet is not good, unless you were going to stand a TV on the top.
As you are contemplating centre speakers on the top, you must be projecting or wall hanging your screen.

Making the cabinet as low as possible is ideal to avoid that "TV over the fireplace" look and neck craning (unless you have semi-reclining cinema seats, you are always looking up whereas our faces and eyes are designed to look straight ahead and lower)
It also brings the screen more in line with the front channel tweeters, assuming they are floor-standers
Instead of contemplating drawers or cubbies to simply store things, I'd try to put them somewhere else and shave a whole layer off.

If you have 500mm / 19" deep Emotiva Amps (plus cables) then that is one huge flat surface to either:
1) Sit there gathering dust
2) Advertise itself as just a huge flat surface with nothing on it
3) Demand that something (anything!) is placed on the top to distract from number 2
4) Be a possible source of reflections from the screen above
5) Raise your screen up by another inch or more
6) All of the above

Does your front L&R speaker separation allow for a wider, lower, 4x2 arrangement (losing only one component space) and with just a single central vertical strut/divider under the centre speaker? Every vertical strut you lose decreases width by more than an inch due to the loss of the strut itself and the components naturally sit closer together with only one gap between them, not two gaps and a strut.

Or, if you can manage a four component wide setup, then something like AudioHTIT's design, with a "cut-out" for the Centre to sit in, three tiered compartments left and right side, 2x2 tiered under the centre speaker. (number 2&5)

Or, number 1 in my diagram, a two/three tier high three component wide rack, with a level top for the centre to sit on with two tier's on the left and right section for 3RU amps/XMC-2 but with three central narrower spaces for the less heat generating shallower devices like Blu-ray, cable etc, giving seven component spaces, the same as your one with the drawers.

All these designs end up being a bit lower than yours, even the last one I added, if you do still decide to put a top tier over the centre speaker in the three component wide first two examples.
If you put a top tier to cover over the centre speaker, then you can have one cubby either side.
It all depends on how many deeper 3RU compartments you actually need, and what asymmetry you can tolerate.

Attachments:

[JKCashin]

Jun 24, 2020 0:50:45 GMT -5 markc said:

For me, your preferred four layer cabinet is not good, unless you were going to stand a TV on the top.
As you are contemplating centre speakers on the top, you must be projecting or wall hanging your screen.

Making the cabinet as low as possible is ideal to avoid that "TV over the fireplace" look and neck craning (unless you have semi-reclining cinema seats, you are always looking up whereas our faces and eyes are designed to look straight ahead and lower)
It also brings the screen more in line with the front channel tweeters, assuming they are floor-standers
Instead of contemplating drawers or cubbies to simply store things, I'd try to put them somewhere else and shave a whole layer off.

If you have 500mm / 19" deep Emotiva Amps (plus cables) then that is one huge flat surface to either:
1) Sit there gathering dust
2) Advertise itself as just a huge flat surface with nothing on it
3) Demand that something (anything!) is placed on the top to distract from number 2
4) Be a possible source of reflections from the screen above
5) Raise your screen up by another inch or more
6) All of the above

Does your front L&R speaker separation allow for a wider, lower, 4x2 arrangement (losing only one component space) and with just a single central vertical strut/divider under the centre speaker? Every vertical strut you lose decreases width by more than an inch due to the loss of the strut itself and the components naturally sit closer together with only one gap between them, not two gaps and a strut.

Or, if you can manage a four component wide setup, then something like AudioHTIT's design, with a "cut-out" for the Centre to sit in, three tiered compartments left and right side, 2x2 tiered under the centre speaker. (number 2&5)

Or, number 1 in my diagram, a two/three tier high three component wide rack, with a level top for the centre to sit on with two tier's on the left and right section for 3RU amps/XMC-2 but with three central narrower spaces for the less heat generating shallower devices like Blu-ray, cable etc, giving seven component spaces, the same as your one with the drawers.

All these designs end up being a bit lower than yours, even the last one I added, if you do still decide to put a top tier over the centre speaker in the three component wide first two examples.
If you put a top tier to cover over the centre speaker, then you can have one cubby either side.
It all depends on how many deeper 3RU compartments you actually need, and what asymmetry you can tolerate.

AAARGH,.. spend 40 minutes writing a point by point reply to respond to your measured response and and nuked it.....

Sigh.... bottom line is I don't have the width to go any wider wide, and that would put the center in the wrong place for me anyway. The design I have proposed is basically exactly the same as what I already have, except I am using Ikea LACK tables, and everything is exactly where it needs to be. Well, except the center, which is actually a little too low.

Flat surfaces would not bother me at all, and the top would be matte black, just like what's there now, which I have never seen glare at all.

I'll write something more comprehensive tomorrow, but suffice it to say, the dimensions I have chosen were actually chosen for a reason. I've actually put probably 20 hours into the design so far, in consultation with the builder, so it is ery purpose built.  It is what fits in my space, and places the center where it needs to be, at ear level. The TV is already wall mounted, and is fine where it is... in fact we had planned to move it up a few more inches.

My goal in asking the questions I have asked was not to get a re-design of the cabinet, but to solicit opinions on boxing in the center (and it's not really boxed in.... the space is completely open, and the center is run up against the front edge covered in sheer acoustically transparent fabric), and opinions on the drawers. I don't like or need drawers, but the builder suggested it and I thought I would include the option to see if consensus was favourable on the drawers.

So I do appreciate your input on the design, but none of the issues your proposals address are issues I face, and create new issues for me (lack of width, not enough height, etc.)

[gus4emo]

Jun 23, 2020 22:45:05 GMT -5 JKCashin said:

Jun 23, 2020 21:52:06 GMT -5 gus4emo said:

None of the above, keep working on it...

Umm.. OK, care to share why none of the above designs are suitable? Or do you just not like the designs?

I just don't like the looks....honest opinion...

[JKCashin]

Jun 24, 2020 7:13:33 GMT -5 gus4emo said:

Jun 23, 2020 22:45:05 GMT -5 JKCashin said:

Umm.. OK, care to share why none of the above designs are suitable? Or do you just not like the designs?

I just don't like the looks....honest opinion...

That makes more sense LOL. Wanna pick the least ugly one anyway? Or are they all equally bad?

[AudioHTIT]

They’re growing on me, I don’t know if I missed the dimensions, but from the amp size I assume each compartments width is about 18” for a total width just under 60”? Depth appears about 20”, but hard to tell. Just some questions and comments before I vote.

* Emotiva amps are deep, and XLRs make them deeper, large speaker cables require sweep clearance too, 20” is absolute minimum (I went 24”)
* Do you have a plan for cable management / power delivery, cables can mess up an open design (my management is within the 24” depth)
* Related, open back designs in front of light walls emphasize cables (the one part of mine I haven’t finish is back panels with magnetic standoffs)
* 18” width is good for most home gear, but some products only come with 19” rack faces (VTL amps currently for me but many over the years)
* What will be in the drawers? Nice to have a place to keep stuff, but they seem tall, maybe on the shorter bottom row?
* Since there’s a center on top option I assume the TV doesn’t sit there, will it be wall mounted? Keep it as close to the center as possible
* How will you ‘tinker’? Plug cables, add/remove gear, troubleshoot, try different connections. Open shelves help, still not easy (mine rolls).

Just some things to consider.

[gus4emo]

Jun 24, 2020 8:03:09 GMT -5 JKCashin said:

Jun 24, 2020 7:13:33 GMT -5 gus4emo said:

I just don't like the looks....honest opinion...

That makes more sense LOL. Wanna pick the least ugly one anyway? Or are they all equally bad?

I actually hate the color, that might be it...lol...