Good TV stand for Home Theater Use?

Zarathustra[H]

Extremely [H]
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Oct 29, 2000
Messages
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Hey all,

What are you guys using?

I have an older Whalen TV stand with a built-in TV arm on the back.

Here is an old picture:

33846628650_0d33308bc8_b.jpg


And an updated picture with my current setup:

34938886116_490a238e49_b.jpg



There are things I like about it and things I don't.

Things I like:

1.) Built in TV arm (don't have to worry about wall mounting my heavy 65" plasma

2.) Semi-open space below for equipment

3.) Reasonably attractive design


Things I don't:

1.) Too tall. If I put the center channel speaker on top, I have to raise the screen too high. In its current position it is cramping the amp and is also too low, leaving the sound partially blocked by by coffee table, and Audyssey going nuts to compensate for that, reducing the sound quality.

2.) Shelf height: It came with a drawer right under the top shelf, which I removed to fit the center speaker where it currently sits. Before that it was hopeless. Nothing would fit. Now it is slightly less bad, but due tot he speaker position in the center of the top shelf, I can't use that shelf for anything else. The bottom shelf is only 6.75" tall, which is very restrictive.


The Problem:

I'm looking to invest in a new amp (maybe an Emotiva XPA-5 Gen3? or an Outlaw Model 7140) but most of what I am looking at just will not fit unless I do something about the furniture.

I've done some brief online shopping around looking for a replacement, but I'm not finding anything that meets my requirements, which are:

- Must have at least one shelf able to fir a minimum of 8" tall equipment
- A secondary smaller shelf would be nice, but not required
- Shelf/shelves must be open all the way across. No drawers, cabinets or center dividers
- Must be low enough that the center speaker can stand on top, without having to mount the TV too high
- An integrated TV arm like the Whalen unit has would be a plus, but this seems rare.

Can anyone recommend anything for me to look into?

Much obliged.
 
I built my own stand from 80/20 extruded aluminum. I had the same stand issue as you are having since I have a pair of monster amps in the Emotiva XPR-5 and XPA-7. I hung my TV on the wall using a Peerless articulating mount. The cost was around $800 but I achieved exactly what I wanted.P1000637.JPG P1000638.JPG P1000649.JPG
 
I built my own stand from 80/20 extruded aluminum. I had the same stand issue as you are having since I have a pair of monster amps in the Emotiva XPR-5 and XPA-7. I hung my TV on the wall using a Peerless articulating mount. The cost was around $800 but I achieved exactly what I wanted.View attachment 52607 View attachment 52608 View attachment 52609

That is very nice, I like it a lot.

Between my work and family obligations I no longer have the sort of time on my hands to take on that level of custom project though :(
 
That is very nice, I like it a lot.

Between my work and family obligations I no longer have the sort of time on my hands to take on that level of custom project though :(

It really wasn't that hard to do. I did it working 70-hour weeks. The most time-consuming part was making the wood panels since I used two sheets of plywood and bonded them together. The 80/20 are slotted, so I needed something thin enough to slide into the groove. I had all the 80/20 pre-cut since it is black anodized and ordered all the hardware to assemble it.
 
Hey all,


33846628650_0d33308bc8_b.jpg


And an updated picture with my current setup:

34938886116_490a238e49_b.jpg

Judging by some of your decor I'm going to assume that you have a wife. I'm honestly surprised she allowed placement of those floor standing speakers and the tv/stand around the fireplace, the fireplace should be the focal point of the room, not your entertainment set lol. The wood molding/trim everywhere looks pretty nice.
 
Judging by some of your decor I'm going to assume that you have a wife. I'm honestly surprised she allowed placement of those floor standing speakers and the tv/stand around the fireplace, the fireplace should be the focal point of the room, not your entertainment set lol. The wood molding/trim everywhere looks pretty nice.

The WAF (wife acceptance factor) is always important, but that fireplace is ugly exposed brick and not in active use. There has never been a fire in it as long as we have lived here, and there never will be. It would require chimney inspections, possible insurance rate adjustments, etc. etc. That fire place is just a waste of space. I wish it werent there.

If it were up to me, I'd tear it out and replace it with a good old fashioned wall.
 
Don't they sell those steel plates that cover the fireplace opening and hook on to the inside of the fireplace so that its completely covered and airtight sealed off? Maybe something like this would look better:

https://www.fireplacefashion.com/
 
My TV setup is a quite a bit more modest than Z's, but it's just for me. No wife or kids to spoil my fun. ;)

M9czCln.jpg


LG 55" B7A OLED 4K
Elac UniFi UB5 bookshelf speakers
SMSL AD18 dac/amp
Roku Ultra 4K

I control everything through my phone and tablet with a Logitech Harmony smart hub.
 
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