Salamander Designs A3/B Archetype Audio/Video Shelf, 3.0 - Black

While initially researching the purchase of an AV rack, I quickly noticed that the more "affordable" units had either vastly insufficient weight tolerances, or - worse - weight information was not even provided. The thought of placing my 75lb power amplifier - along with ~60lb of additional electronics components - on a rack of questionable stability was enough to lead me to these well-regarded component racks from Salamander. Due to budgetary restrictions, I was forced to take a gamble and purchase the black MDF version of the 5-shelf rack. If I had a second chance, I would admittedly probably buy the walnut or cherry, however recent purchases at the time (which incidentally necessitated the rack itself) led to some frugality. I was reassured with the weight rating for the black MDF rack being given as 250lb - the same as in the walnut and cherry models. The price, furthermore, was very attractive on Amazon. The box arrived free of damages, and everything inside was in order. Assembly of the unit was tedious yet extremely simple. Most importantly, the stand itself is extremely sturdy. It is satisfyingly heavy, it does not wobble, and there was absolutely no trepidation in placing a particularly heavy or sensitive component upon the rack. I did not purchase this AV component rack for looks, but rather utility, and in that regard it deserves an unequivocal 5-star rating. That being said, I must admit that I have - in the few months since I've had the unit - become quite fond of its sleek, utilitarian look. Please review the attached photograph to judge for yourself. I see no better value for the music-lover on a budget who requires additional shelving. The black, MDF, 5-shelf rack from Salamander gets my complete recommendation.

I bought this AV rack in black and assembled it this past weekend. It is beautifully made and very well designed. It is very sturdy and very flexible. The assembly is straightforward and I especially appreciate the great flexibility in shelf height. The look of the rack is very polished and professional and it is well worth the money. I saw someone describe the assembly as "tedious" because you have to spin bolts down to the proper shelf height. While I agree that it takes some time to do this, I so appreciate the supreme flexibility of the design that the assembly didn't seem tedious at all. I recommend this unit wholeheartedly. The only thing I wish I had is a factory option for lacing rails, to clean up wiring and contribute to a professional, functional look. That said, I can easily adapt other lacing rails to the unit, so it isn't a problem. If Salamander Designs had specific rails which would work out of the box with this unit that would be even better. All in all, this is a beautiful piece of equipment which will work with a wide variety of setups. Highly recommended!

The Salamander A5/M is an attractive and very solidly constructed piece of AV furniture. It's true that you need to level each of the shelves - but this requirement is more than offset by the infinitely adjustable nature of shelf height - meaning that equipment of nearly any size can be accommodated. The unit is quite stable - although I suspect that if someone has spent tens of thousands of dollars on a stereo setup, he or she will want to spend many thousands more on housing that equipment. For the rest of us, the Salamander will keep equipment steady, level, and relatively vibration free. I do feel as though this unit is as tall as I would want to go. It's a simple law of physics that the taller the structure, the less stable it will be. I'd guess that the three and four shelf units are even more stable than this one. Compared to the terribly expensive racks that dominate the high-end of this market, the Salamander is a terrific value, and a great addition to anyone's home.

I really like this rack. Its main advantage is that, thanks to a clever threaded rod arrangement, the shelves are completely adjustable, and can be added to if you need more; in fact, I just ordered a third one. It's also a bit smaller than the one I have, which to me is an advantage, since most audio equipment doesn't require that much space. I think it's good looking as well. Quibbles: My first unit came without the threaded rods, so after being told that it would be a week and a half before the factory could ship them, I had to return it and get a new one. Such things happen, I suppose. The MDF shelves on my second unit were really smelly with that smell that MDF has -- but curiously, not on the first. The shelves aren't as thick and heavy as the ones on my old rack. This isn't a problem for me -- in fact, it's an advantage -- but I can see it might be a disadvantage for those with turntables or vibration-sensitive equipment like tubes, or with really heavy amplifiers. Not that they're light or fragile or anything, they just may be less suitable for some uses. Also, casters aren't included and as I recall were pretty expensive. It would be nice if they came with the unit. It's also fairly time consuming to put together -- lots of nuts to thread and you have to get everything even -- but it's not exactly difficult, and the small extra effort is worth it since it buys you that adjustability. I should add that it doesn't have holes in the back for cables, not an issue for me but it may be for those who need it to be flush with the wall. All in all, I'm glad I bought it and wish I'd known about it when I bought my old rack (not that that one isn't nice). Since most things can be improved, I don't often award five stars, but there really isn't much to argue with here.

Amo este mueble.

I needed a solid A/V shelving unit that could support my heavy equipment and give the clearance needed (heat dissipation) for my setup. Given this, there are limited options (especially affordable ones) out there and I decided to purchase the Salamander. Below are just some thoughts: Pros: - very modular with lots of configuration options. - able to support the weight of my equipment (amp is 27 kg) - aesthetically looks beautiful when fully assembled...needed some finesse with cable management though Cons: - the cherry finish is not quite cherry...not even close to the cherry finish of my speakers - some of the shelves look like the "cherry stain" was barely applied (see image)...how did that pass QA??? - 2 of the steel rods have signs of corrosion on them (out of the box). One is significant and difficult to hide - lack of cable management. In the end, all the "cons" are aesthetics (excluding cable management which is a design consideration) and can be remedied during the construction of the shelves and rods. For the price that is being charged, a little more attention can be used. However, if you are looking for a unit with allows for flexible shelving configuration and need to support heavy A/V equipment, the Salamander will work