Ikea Expedit as a Turntable Stand

trackball02 · « **on:** 5 Aug 2012, 08:32 pm »

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20135300/

From previous postings on AC, this unit looks great for LP storage. However, anyone have experience in using this as a turntable stand? How sturdy is this unit? I'm planning to have it sit on a carpeted floor, and not wall mount.

My turntable is a Harman Kardon T60, which sits on a 3" heavy solid maple cutting board.

TomS · « **Reply #1 on:** 5 Aug 2012, 09:07 pm »

It has virtually no mass since it is literally cardboard inside a VERY thin veneer shell.

I did use one as a wall mount with a 3" maple block on top and it works very well. There are many variables that would determine how it would work as a floor stand.

TONEPUB · « **Reply #2 on:** 5 Aug 2012, 09:15 pm »

I've used em in a pinch with some kind of platform between the tt and shelf. Not my first choice.

trackball02 · « **Reply #3 on:** 5 Aug 2012, 10:13 pm »

Thanks for the comments.
TomS, How hard is it to mount on the wall? Does it come with mounting hardware?

Photon46 · « **Reply #4 on:** 5 Aug 2012, 11:16 pm »

Quote from: trackball02 on 5 Aug 2012, 10:13 pm

How hard is it to mount on the wall? Does it come with mounting hardware?

\

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20135300/

Look half way down the page on the right for "download assembly instructions." They show you, with their annoying no-language instructions, how it's done.

TomS · « **Reply #5 on:** 5 Aug 2012, 11:47 pm »

Yes, very easy to mount, a 10 minute job. You end up with at best one in a stud, the other using a drywall anchor as it is not on 16" centers.

trackball02 · « **Reply #6 on:** 6 Aug 2012, 12:32 am »

I think I can do it. It's kind of scary that only 2 wall screws hold the unit in place. One of them definitely needs to be in a stud, I guess.

TomS, what do you have between the maple board and the top shelf in your picture? Is it helpful for vibration control? I'm currently using racket balls cut in half under my cutting board.

TomS · « **Reply #7 on:** 6 Aug 2012, 02:27 am »

Quote from: trackball02 on 6 Aug 2012, 12:32 am

I think I can do it. It's kind of scary that only 2 wall screws hold the unit in place. One of them definitely needs to be in a stud, I guess.

TomS, what do you have between the maple board and the top shelf in your picture? Is it helpful for vibration control? I'm currently using racket balls cut in half under my cutting board.

Those are just iso blocks sort of like the Mapleshade ones. One of these days I'll try a few squash balls which is what is suggested by Trans-Fi.

andyr · « **Reply #8 on:** 10 Aug 2012, 09:16 am »

Quote from: trackball02 on 6 Aug 2012, 12:32 am

I'm currently using racket balls cut in half under my cutting board.

I'm not a fan of squash/racquet balls cut in half (as you've let the air out!

)

Why don't you try whole racquet balls? (You need to anchor them in place ... neoprene pipe washers bought from a plumbing supplies shop are what you need - they "cup" the underside of the ball and stop it moving on the bench/shelf.)

Regards,

Andy

Marius · « **Reply #9 on:** 10 Aug 2012, 09:30 am »

HI Tom,

What brand is the nice looking rack to the right? Or is it Custom build?

Marius

Quote from: TomS on 5 Aug 2012, 09:07 pm

It has virtually no mass since it is literally cardboard inside a VERY thin veneer shell.

I did use one as a wall mount with a 3" maple block on top and it works very well. There are many variables that would determine how it would work as a floor stand.

trackball02 · « **Reply #10 on:** 10 Aug 2012, 02:16 pm »

Andy, Great idea about the washers to anchor a whole ball. I'm going to try it.

I think I'm going to have to back off mounting the Expedit on the wall. The top shelf is too narrow, and I will not have enough clearance for the rear RCA cables and the hinged dust cover.

TomS · « **Reply #11 on:** 10 Aug 2012, 06:36 pm »

Quote from: Marius on 10 Aug 2012, 09:30 am

HI Tom,

What brand is the nice looking rack to the right? Or is it Custom build?

Marius

Marius,

I have several of these from www.hhgstands.com. Mine are walnut/maple and bubinga/maple with granite inset shelves.

Andy does a great job on them and I'd highly recommend him.

Tom

Marius · « **Reply #12 on:** 13 Aug 2012, 09:10 am »

beautiful indeed, thanks for the link!
Marius

Quote from: TomS on 10 Aug 2012, 06:36 pm

Marius,

I have several of these from www.hhgstands.com. Mine are walnut/maple and bubinga/maple with granite inset shelves.

Andy does a great job on them and I'd highly recommend him.

Tom

SteveRB · « **Reply #13 on:** 13 Aug 2012, 04:11 pm »

not my first choice for records.

http://community.klipsch.com/forums/storage/4/1203802/timberrr.jpg

andyr · « **Reply #14 on:** 13 Aug 2012, 08:28 pm »

Quote from: astronaut_glen on 13 Aug 2012, 04:11 pm

not my first choice for records.

http://community.klipsch.com/forums/storage/4/1203802/timberrr.jpg

You can see by the way the shelves collapsed that he had the Expedit on its side. One of my 4x2 Expedits is chock full of LPs, with no problem.

Regards,

Andy

Letitroll98 · « **Reply #15 on:** 14 Aug 2012, 03:35 am »

Well the OP was asking about use as a turntable stand, but reference the lp storage issue and the picture linked, it appears like the poor fellow was using one of the larger units and stuffing it full of lps. Do I see 5 levels of shelves in the pic? I think they used to have a 5 shelf model. This goes against any common sense. The 4x2 and 2x2 units have been used by numerous people for lp storage to no ill effect, but it's always advised to not stack more than two 2x2's and always use the wall mounting braces that come with it, even if on the floor.

Back to the OP, the go to Ikea turntable mount has always been the Lack side table. The Lack's are 21 5/8" in depth and are much more suitable as turntable stands than the Expedit, which is only 15 3//8" in depth. It was expressly the light weight that made them desirable, think Rega. I suppose the Lack side table on casters (solid sides and a bottom shelf) might be a replacement for some of the ideas you had with the Expedit line.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/series/09063/

SteveRB · « **Reply #16 on:** 14 Aug 2012, 05:01 am »

sorry, didn't mean to de-rail the OP. just thought it was a good example of ikea furniture being used in a way that it wasn't designed for.

trackball02 · « **Reply #17 on:** 14 Aug 2012, 05:10 am »

Letitroll98, Thanks for mentioning the Lack Side Table on Casters. It looks interesting. Is the shelf space tall enough so the LPs can be stored upright?

I'm worried about the construction "Particleboard, Paper, Fiberboard, ABS plastic, Printed and embossed acrylic paint" according to their website. Very lightweight, as you mentioned. How will that help or detract from turntable performance? I'm a complete novice about turntable stands in general.

Not to worry astronaut_glen. Really fun picture. This stuff is not very sturdy.

bogiedr · « **Reply #18 on:** 25 Aug 2012, 10:43 pm »

Trackball02, my Ikea unit is the taller version, 8 slots. Instead of standing it up, I layed it on its side, the shelves are perfect for records, exact size!!!! I have seven slots getting filled with vinyl, one slot has my APC power conditioner / surge protector along with my record cleaning supply's, (the old Discwasher system, incluiding the gun), my enzyme and clear rinse bottles of fluids for the VPI 16.5. On the top shelf I have my vintage stuff, Sansui AU 717, TU 717, Teac open reel, (stacked on top of the Sansui's), then to one side I have the Luxman PX 100 table and on the other side of the Sui stack I have a Technics SL 1500 ... Looks great and works wonderfully well ... for not a lot of money, and wasy to put together!!!!!!!

Letitroll98 · « **Reply #19 on:** 26 Aug 2012, 01:14 am »

Quote from: trackball02 on 14 Aug 2012, 05:10 am

Letitroll98, Thanks for mentioning the Lack Side Table on Casters. It looks interesting. Is the shelf space tall enough so the LPs can be stored upright?

I'm worried about the construction "Particleboard, Paper, Fiberboard, ABS plastic, Printed and embossed acrylic paint" according to their website. Very lightweight, as you mentioned. How will that help or detract from turntable performance? I'm a complete novice about turntable stands in general.

Looking at the pics I wouldn't think the castor model would be tall enough for lp's, not at least without trying it at the store. The total height is 17 3/4" from which you need to subtract the top, bottom and castors. It could work, but it's pretty tight, and with lp's 1mm short is too short. I've seen several projects using stacked standard Lack tables, most cut the legs off to size to their needs.

The whole idea with the standard Lack table for turntables is light weight, the lighter the better. You want to take any resonances way up in the audio band, delivering a fast and light sound with a lot of PRaT. Naysayers claims the bass is lightweight and the midrange unfocused, pretty much exactly what they say about the less expensive Rega tables, which operate on the same principal.

After all that I have to admit I'm not the best guy to ask. I like big, honkin' heavy bases for tables with constrained damping layer mounts on top of them. But you were asking about the Ikea products and that's why they're suppose to work.