[cloudbaseracer]

I need or at least desire to find a good way to hide my equipment between my speakers and below my large plasma.  Currently, the electronics are on the floor but I am not really happy with this look.  I wonder if I am hurting the acoustics if I put in a wooden media cabinet with a glass front so I can hide the gear?

I have not really found a unit I like at this time but would like to hear you guys' thoughts.

Cheers,

James

[srb]

I would personally avoid the glass doors and go with perforated metal doors (wood framed with perforated metal inserts) for less sound reflection and better equipment ventilation.
 
Steve

[cloudbaseracer]

Steve,

The reason I opted for the glass is to hide the components but to still be able to use my remotes.  I would have the back completely open for ventilation.

What about the cabinet side? Are those a bigger concern than the glass?

Cheers,

James

[srb]

The dark perforated metal will hide the components as well as medium tinted glass (unless you're talking about super-dark tinted glass) and also allow for remote use as well as not reflecting room light or sound back to the listener/viewer.
 
As long as the speakers are forward of the rack, I don't think the cabinet sides are too much of a concern.  They could always be clad with an acoustic panel if sound reflection was a problem, and you could first experiment with draping a thick blanket or rug over the sides for comparison.
 
Steve

[cloudbaseracer]

Sweet! Do you have a particular unit you have seen/used before so I can get an idea of how it looks with the material you are talking about?

So the metal is not reflective?

Cheers,

James

[srb]

Well, the metal is less sonically reflective than glass, and the perforated metal less so than solid metal, and they are designed to work well with IR remotes.
 
Although I'm sure there are other manufacturers who use the perf metal, the ones I have seen are from Salamander.  They come in any configuration, from single, double and triple wide as well as 2, 3, and 4 shelf high in a variety of furniture styles.
http://www.salamanderdesigns.com/products/av.jsp
 
Steve
 
Salamander Synergy cabinet with perforated metal insert doors:
 

 
Perforated metal door to frosted glass door comparison:
 

[nwboater]

As long as the speakers are forward of the rack, I don't think the cabinet sides are too much of a concern.  They could always be clad with an acoustic panel if sound reflection was a problem, and you could first experiment with draping a thick blanket or rug over the sides for comparison.
 
Steve

So how far typically do the speaker fronts need to be towards the listener from obstacles such as a media center? And I take it this is related to imaging?

Thanks,
Rod

[Ethan Winer]

So how far typically do the speaker fronts need to be towards the listener from obstacles such as a media center?

Right, this is the key question. A cabinet that's under the TV is fine if the speakers are level with the TV front or forward. In a typical surround setup the center would be directly under the TV, and the left and right mains would be slightly forward of the center. So in that case a cabinet under the TV should be fine. The important reflection points - where absorbing panels should be placed - are on the side walls and ceiling about halfway between the listener's ears and the front of the speakers. Much more here:

How to set up a room
Early Reflections

Also, glass is not necessarily evil. Yes, it reflects the very highest frequencies a little more than drywall or wood. But the difference is irrelevant in practice because none of those surface types should be at reflection points anyway.

--Ethan

[nwboater]

Thanks Ethan for the info and great links. I'd seen them before but hadn't read them thoroughly enough.

At a later date I'll probably start a thread about room treatment with our old Klipschorns. I believe they are a bit of a different animal re room treatments - but maybe not.

Rod