Salamander Designs A5/M Archetype 5-Shelf Audio Stand (Maple)

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

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!

Once I got the hang of how to turn the nuts down the threaded rods (I would say about 30-40 minutes), and balance the shelves so they were level (the packaging comes with a level - the smallest one I’ve ever seen, maybe about an inch, but it does the job), it was actually fun to assemble it. I liked the challenge once I knew how to do it. The rack is solid and it looks great. I mean, really great. Minimalist and functional, can’t beat it. Aesthetically it frames the equipment like a picture frame, so in that sense the rack disappears and you get the pleasure of enjoying the look of your gear, and then you can switch your attention to the rack itself, because it is exceptionally stunning. Standard bookshelf racks just look like heavy and big blocks of wood that take up space. The Archetype is open and airy to let heat escape, yet it is obvious from the material and hardware - metal rods, nuts, and hardwood shelves - that the wind is not going to blow it away! It’s the only piece of furniture that I have ever assembled that is rock solid. And there is no doubt that the Archetype is indeed, as I think they must mean by the name, architectural. The structure itself, with the nuts, threaded rods, and the shelves, accentuate the strength of the rack, and no doubt about it, it is strong, and it is heavy. And with the equipment on it, it is virtually impossible to lift if your equipment is heavy, and the rubber feet on the bottom make it difficult to slide. But these are plusses, they speak to the stability of it. I haven’t done it, but I suspect that if you are in need of sliding it (maybe to plug in cables to the back of the equipment), then I suggest you try tilting it slightly so someone can slide a rag or something like that under the feet so that it will slide easier and not scratch the floor. This should work with wood floors, not sure about carpet. I guess you could try those felt round pads that have adhesive on one side to stick under sofa, bookshelves, etc., to protect the floor. That would work on floor, but I doubt on carpet. Anyway, this thing works great, makes your equipment look great, and it looks great on its own. You can’t possibly go wrong.