I'm also a fan of the Kingston Media Stand from Crate & Barrel:
http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1155114328355

I like the one chosen but the problem for me is I still have a large very long older model (about 22" deep) and those won't work for me.

I have the Sussex low console (4 door), which I love, but it doesn't hold any components inside. I have the LCD sitting on top and hid my DVD player underneath on a rolling CPU stand. I can put alot of DVD's in the drawers though.

I am also on the search for this type of media console for our new home. However, on a tight budget, does anyone have some ideas for lower-cost options to hide all of our components?

I am so distressed by this move to "media consoles" with a place for your flat screen to hang above it. All I want is a smallish cabinet to close the doors and not see my TV. They don't make them anymore, apparently. At least not ones I like and at my price point.

I guess I am going to have to give up and buy a flat screen tv. boo!

Er...while my Yamaha A/V receiver was too large for the piece (something I cried about on openthread251), the Soorikian media console or bench is beautiful.

http://www.soorikian.com/storage.html

I considered the BDI cabinet as well as:
http://www.studiotech.com/
http://www.salamanderdesigns.com/

I chose the soorikian because it didn't have an overtly A/V look to it.

And, after some serious thought, I decided that the best way to resolve my situtation was to throw more money at it.

I've ordered a new AV receiver (there are very few receiver/amps on the market that will fit the Soorikian cabinet). My new receiver is a digital amplifier - I hope my analog soul will like the sound...

BTW - IKEA has a new MALM TV cabinet that has doors to hide the TV.

http://tinyurl.com/rzbte

We got the Room&Board Zen model because the lattice work doesn't interfere with the remote and components. Plus I liked introducing something different into my mostly 50's modern living room.

http://www.roomandboard.com/rnb/product.do?method=get&id=608542&coll=378079&cat=55

Avocado:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/07/technology/07tube.html

Yes, you're going to have to buy a flat screen. It will be your only option.

Don't you think that article is basically perpetuating the idea that you HAVE to have a flat-screen? I am finding electronics marketing particularly annoying recently. It's like, if you don't spend a grand a year updating your electronics, you might as well be Amish.

The whole move towards gigantic TVs is really annoying, too. I look at the flyers and oftentimes nothing is listed below 42". I don't want to stare at a 42" screen on my wall. It's like now TVs are even more of the center of existence, because you can't even get away from them. Now they are a *design feature.*

Irrational rant over.

What I might ask is why does a media cabinet have to take up so much space? If you've got a nice wall mounted lcd or plasma, why not go compact for your media?

My current idea is to pick up a set of modular steel cubes from the container store, stick em' on casters, and load my stuff in. The doors will hide everything, and buying xtra long cords and putting them into some flex tubing will allow me to roll it away from the wall when it's video game time :)

link in name

Avocado: I have a fabric "cozy" over my tv. I don't have to look at it all the time, and it doesn't take up all the extra room that a cabinet would.

JenPDX: My not-so-inner-audiophile is cringing that you replaced your reciever just to fit a specific piece of furniture. Shouldn't it be the other way around?

We were shopping for a media unit about 6 months ago. We both were most impressed with the selection at BoConcept and we really liked the Basic 3D-QR with the walnut verneer (I LOVE walnut). BUT it has a pricetag of $999 (plus delivery). Before we made the commitment we did an Ikea run and got a walnut-y open-front media unit on sale for $60. NO REGRETS.

the bludot strata is no longer being sold. but they have introduced the modulicious hi-fi ( http://www.velocityartanddesign.com/images/bludot_06/bd_mod_hifi.jpg ).

i'm having diffuculty finding a unit to accomodate my 9" high yamaha receiver, that is under $600 and doesn't look like something from best buy. any suggestions?

Though many of these are lovely, I decided that I needed something more custom to fit my audio visual needs. This is my media cabinet: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ctp1/199793062/

Soon, we will be getting a larger tv, to my dismay, but I think it will be nice to have a slim LCD screen instead of an old clunky cathode tube.

Holly - my frugal audiophile self is still cringing.

But with 95% of my audio input being digital these days, there is a decent argument that digital amps (housed in a thinner chassis) preserve the digital signal better than their fat-chassis analog forbears. So I'm going to give this a chance.

John - welcome to my world. RacksAndStands is a decent website where you can see the good/bad/ugly of AV furniture.
http://www.racksandstands.com/

Colleen— Your custom-made solution is great and fits in beautifully with the rest of the apartment. I'm a little nervous about how high your TV is though (especially if the TV gets bigger). Before our own Ikea solution (see previous comment), we used our vintage Steelcase credenza (probably a little lower than your solution). I noticed a HUGE improvement in comfort when the middle of the large screen was centered at eye-level with the new furniture. I'm glad your solution works well for you—I just want everyone to consider this when they make a purchase...

So glad this was posted! Been slowly puting together my living room and have couch and coffee table and have been shopping for something to put my 50" on.

I've been considering this from room and board:
http://www.roomandboard.com/rnb/collection.do?method=get&id=377484&cat=55

I'm struggling with possibly going with something sleeker though...

Ahhh, media furniture. Why must you be either ugly or too expensive? We looked around for months for a tv/media stand and finally settled on something under $300 from IKEA. We just didn't find anything we liked $1000 more at the schmancier shops.

Also, we're cheapskates.

I prefer to use buffets as TV stands, especially for the bedroom. They are higher, so the TV can be viewed easily from the bed ,and they also have more shelving and sometimes additional drawers for DVDs, remotes, etc. In addition, they are usually more handsome than the TV stands, and because they are not made specifically to hold TVs, you won't have to get rid of them once the huge-screen TV craze is over (or even-huger screen TVs are in).

I agree that buffets are good for smaller and lighter large units (flat screens). But I don't like the thought of having to cut holes for cords, even if they are in the back. I just don't like the thought of cutting up something nice.

Also, I'm not really into "hiding" the tv, like it's such a horrible, shameful, ugly thing. I'd much rather have a tv out in the open than in one of those gigantic "tv armoires."

A Word in Favor of the Flat Screen:

I use a low Danish teak sideboard with sliding doors, and perch an Aquos on top, and it looks great. Of course, the cable box has to sit on the sideboard, too, so it has a sightline to the remote.

I agree that the flat screen craze is irritating, and I don't watch sports so I don't care about high defnition and admiring every blade of grass on a golf course. The reason I got a thin flat screen TV is because it is LESS obtrusive than a fat old Sony trinitron sitting on a sideboard.

My big design dream is to hide the flat TV behind some art. This is the theory: mount the TV to the wall right above the low sideboard, and then get a good carpenter to built a sort of shallow box around the TV, with a sliding track mechanism. Mount a large painting to the track, so I can SLIDE the painting aside when I want to watch TV, and HIDE the TV when not watching it.

Any thoughts on a good carpenter in NYC who could accomplish such a thing?

Marm:

you're right, TV armoires are generally hideous. But a TV, even when turned off, tends to suck energy out of a room, I find. In fact, I read about an Italian study that found that couples with a TV in the bedroom have less sex...

Here's a nice-looking option from EQ3 that is priced under $300: BOSSA Plasma Bench. Lots of room for internal storage. http://eq3.com/cat-eq3/3090-110-2.html

Pelikan, after thinking about what you wrote, I actually agree about TVs "sucking energy," which is why I won't have one in the bedroom. If I lived in a studio, or were in a situation where I had to sleep near a TV, I'd probably drape something over it.

But I think most armoires bring a special suck all their own. I've seen a couple that aren't huge eyesores, but most of them are ick.

JenPDX -- The Soorikian media bench/console is gorgeous, so congratulations. (I think I've commented on its before, too.) Although it's clearly pricier than some of the options mentioned, did the Soorikian piece cost more than the R&B consoles, or the DWR Sussex? If not, it would seem an even better deal (being made of actual wood and all).

Also, the MASH Studios LAX wall shelf might make a very nice media "console," if you've got a wall to anchor it to.
http://www.designpublic.com/shop/mash-studios/4686

Aaron, just for ideas - which style from IKEA was the open front stand that you chose?

Amy— not sure they still make it. (Looking at the Ikea site...) Ok so after looking I realize it was actually classified as a COFFEE TABLE. It's not on the site but it was somewhat similar to the Magiker that I've linked to (click my name). Ours is basically a hollow walnut rectangle and the interior of the rectangle is high-gloss white. When I get home I will attempt to find it in my records.

Just by calling it a coffee table its price is reduced by a lot...

JenPDX and Holly, I love you both. It's so refreshing to hear women speaking intelligently about audio!

I am more into the idea of hiding gear completely. So my "media cabinet" is actually a media closet with a 42U telecom rack in it!

Click my name for photos.

My concern with most of these units is they do not come with wheels/casters. When you need to access the cables in back you need to be able to roll it away from the wall a bit. Especially if its a big unit with several pieces of equipment. I think the BDI has some sort of hidden wheels although I've not seen it in person.

Oh, lord, please let no one interpret my rant as being in favor of TV armoires. I'm certainly not a fan. All I'm saying is that, in small NYC apartments, I don't like the TV being the focus.

Pelikan, your idea sounds interesting! Can't help with the carpenter, though. I will never, ever have a TV in the bedroom for the very reason you mentioned.

Max:
That is such an impressive set up. Where do you live to have space for this?

I just want something small, sleek and stylish that I can use in a corner.

I have a hideous corner cabinet right now, which I am thinking of covering with a nice fabric as it offends the eye ;-)

BTW: WHat is with the law.com link?

Colleen, I live in Brooklyn. It's been a hobby/side business of mine for some time. I'm a huge movie nerd.

When we bought our 42-inch plasma HDTV last fall we had a difficult time finding a media console that we really loved, but we did NOT want to mount the screen on the wall. After looking at so many of the higher end options that didn't really thrill us and not really wanting to wait 8-12 weeks to be able to enjoy it with the holidays right around the corner, we finally decided on what we thought would be a cop-out temporary option but it turns out we really are happy with it for the foreseeable future! We got the West Elm Rolling Media Unit: http://www.westelm.com/online/store/ProductDisplay~17001~17002~WE-PRODf207~E~-1~6580701~search-_-engine-_-natural-_-search and it looks great in our living room. Since we hadn't found an audio/stereo tower that we loved either, while we were there we got 4 of the Low Cubby side Tables (all in chocolate) http://www.westelm.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?partNumber=WE-PRODp014&storeId=17001&langId=-1&catalogId=17002&viewSetCode=E&parentId=WE-SH1FRNTBL&retainNav=true&cmsrc=WE-SH1FRNTBL and stacked them to create a stereo component tower. Almost a year later now and we still are quite pleased with both slections.

Ironically, when Pier One came out with their Loft series, I fell in love with the Loft 21 Electronic Entertainment Console, but it was a bit too long to use on the TV wall, so we bought it to use as a coffee table! it looks great and we're really happy with it.

Pilgrim -

The price of my Soorikian cabinet was about the same as the SUSSEX LOW CONSOLE at DWR.

(which makes the AV receiver issue all the more irritating...but I'm moving on, now...)

And, for now, I've still got a regular old TV. A flat-screen upgrade won't happen until next year at the earliest!

We got this piece from the Door Store for about $350 and are very happy with it:

http://www.doorstorefurniture.com/cha_cha_tv.html

Im using a slat bench with the tv and stereo components on top and I keep the media with my books etc. I dont really see why everyone insists on keeping their dvds, vhs, cds etc RIGHT next to the TV and stereo. Anyone who lives here in NYC couldnt possibly have a very far walk from one end of their apartment to the other. The slat bench is nice to look at, cheap, sturdy. The day I see a 'media center' that doesnt look like it wieghs 1000 pounds or is an outtake from NASA..

Max: that's amazing, really amazing stuff. I'd like to show my husband your pictures, but I'm also afraid to show him, especially because we've been able to avoid an Xbox thus far...but seriously, this would be an amazing gift for him, you're giving some really good ideas.

What about getting rid of the TV?

That's my vote for the best solution!

I have a laptop computer and my handy shortwave Grundig radio (which also has FM and AM). I wouldn't want anything more.

I second Matt's comments. I keep my DVDs and CDs in binders on my shelves and they blend in with my other books and binders.

If you like the idea of hiding your TV behind something, there are some nifty plasma tv cabinets at horchow.com:

http://www.horchow.com/store/catalog/prod.jhtml?cmCat=search&itemId=cprod20340134

http://www.horchow.com/store/catalog/prod.jhtml?cmCat=search&itemId=cprod18230067

http://www.horchow.com/store/catalog/prod.jhtml?cmCat=search&itemId=cprod22630097

Horchow generally is very traditional, but I can see these cabinets potentially working in a more modern space.

Enrique thanks so much for sharing that! I've been using an IKEA black LACK turned on its side with wheels underneath, but I'm not too happy with it. It's tough to find a black cabinet that isn't as insanely expensive as the BDI's (which I love).

They have a dealer in Brooklyn, I'll have to take a close look at it tomorrow hopefully. If it's under $300, sounds great!

Check out the Bonde from Ikea (we paid $395 but it is listed on website for $359) The remote works through the opaque glass doors.

Aaah... the TV problem. I was looking at some Danish modern buffets/ sideboards on ebay, then decided that as great as they'd look, I also couldn't bear cutting a hole in the back for cables, etc. So I started looking... everywhere, but anything nice (DWR, R&B, Bo Concept) is in the $1000 range, which I just can't do. I liked some Ikea stuff, but for one reason or another, there wasn't anything that did the job for us. Plus, I haven't upgraded to the flatscreen, and need something that'll fit my 32" tube jalopy. Then I saw this in the new West Elm catalogue: http://www.westelm.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?partNumber=WE-PRODf287&storeId=17001&langId=-1&catalogId=17002&viewSetCode=E&parentId=WE-SH1FRNSTO&retainNav=true&cmsrc=WE-SH1FRNSTO
Haven't been to the store yet to see it in person, but i'm hoping it's a winner!

I had a brainstorm one day when I had a bland holiday off, like Veteran's Day or similar, and spent it rearranging.

I moved out the ugly IKEA corner TV stand. Then, I put my semi-bulky TV on a long, white Parson's bench that I had previously gotten at Miss Pixie's (no relation), a vintage/used furniture store here in DC. The TV only takes up less than half the top and I have it on a turntable so I can spin it to where ever I am - on the couch, chair, at my desk, walking around getting ready to go out. There is plenty of room left on the top for books, pix, vases, and whatnot.

Underneath the bench are white shoe shelves (the kind that stack up and are flat on each level), probably from Target, a pair of which fit very nicely. These hold my one media-related box, the VCR, and a few white storage boxes, videotapes, my few CDs, plus some office supply storage in containers. I use my Mac Powerbook for playing CDs and keep other music in MP3 form in Itunes.

I was inspired by that show that uses stuff you already have in your home to improve it. This was a no cost way to get the ugly IKEA TV unit out. It's now residing in another room--still ugly. Maybe I'll just put it on Craig'slist and just get it out of here and then figure out what to do with the stuff that's on it.

Although I love flat screen TVs because they cut down on the bulk of TVs, I won't buy one until they come down more in price or until my TV dies and I can't get another reasonably priced one. If that happens and they still are outrageously priced, I'll first look into other options. At that point, I'll probably find something on Craigslist.

Whoever noted that TV media doesn't need to be right next to the TV, you're right and I am contemplating where else I might put that stuff to reduce visual clutter.

JenPDX wrote "But with 95% of my audio input being digital these days, there is a decent argument that digital amps (housed in a thinner chassis) preserve the digital signal better than their fat-chassis analog forbears."

Not to be an ass (and off topic), but "digital" (class D and it's variations) amplifiers do not have sonic benefits over conventional (class A/B) amplifiers. Class D designs are popular due to their small size and (energy/heat) efficiency; with a small sacrifice in sound quality.
Parasound makes a compact chassis series of components called "Z-Custom" that work extremely well.... Their Z-Amp fits perfectly under my iMac too! ;)

glennQ

Mounting a PDP (plasma display panel) or LCD to a wall involves running wires through the wall... So why not consider remotely installing the components in a nearby closet or cabinet? Infa-red repeaters can relay your remote's signal, so that is not a problem either.

I'm another woman who's super-interested in audio and video - so much so that when I first bought an apartment over four years ago, I spent more on my home theater setup than all the new furniture I bought combined!

At the time, I put my 42" plasma on a vintage Knoll console (the one with the leather tab handles and chrome legs). It was way too shallow/narrow to hold most of my components however (not to mention the fact that I'd have to leave the doors slid back) so I neatly stacked them on a steel and glass bookshelf placed next to it. I filled the console with DVDs instead.

That's the setup I still have in my new place, although I've upgraded to a 50-inch plasma. ALthough true cinemaphiles would blanch, having a silver TV and components helps things blend into the surrounding white wall and avoids the super-techy look seen in Max's setup.

Wire management remains a huge challenge, unfortunately, which is a nice reason to go with a purpose-designed media solution. If you're going to improvise with someone else, remember you'll need a mesh or glass door for using your remotes, and having ventilation can also be important since equipment can run hot.

Some more thoughts: Max, I'm blown away by your screening room/media closet combo. I think I just drooled...

Weighing in on big-screens in general, luckily I've got my 42" plasma in a room that's of a large-enough scale to accomodate it without being dwarfed by its presence. And, I also have a 27" lcd flatscreen in my bedroom; and don't think it sucks the life out of the room or kills the romance. In fact, it's great for those lazy Saturday mornings when you want to put off doing chores for a couple of hours and watch a good movie. The bedroom TV isn't hooked up to a satellite dish, just a region-free DVD player. I love watching movies, esp import DVDs of foreign films that don't always get picked up for US distribution; so, having widescreen TV's with good picture quality is a priority for me. A small laptop screen wouldn't be good enough to feed my movie jones...

dc, I think the IKEA's Lack unit with casters is a cool unit. If you like that, I think you'll really like either EQ3's Bossa Plasma Bench or their TV Unit. Both come in an espresso veneer with smoked-glass doors. Obviously for the price, it's probably particleboard with veneer. But it's an nice option for getting a higher-end look for a fraction of the price...

flip, I love IKEA's Bonde line; and that's what I've used to accomodate my home electronics and CDs! I have 3 of the shelving units assembled as follows (going left to right): 1st cabinet with 8-drawer kit (used for CD storage); 2nd cabinet with glass shelves, 2 3"-diameter drill holes in the back, and a glass door that's been customized with "frosted glass" (for all my home electronics--including a huge-ass power strip on the bottom shelf--and extra accessory storage; remotes work through the frosted glass film); 3rd cabinet with another 8-drawer kit (more CD storage). Placed flush, side-to-side and measuring around 14-feet wide, it mimics the look of a simple built-in, but came in at a price of around $700 (plus the sweat equity of assembly) since IKEA closed out this particular Bonde shelving unit a couple of years ago. And because the 3 units weren't as wide as the room, I had 14.5" on left side where I was able to place a small subwoofer. Here's a pic: http://www.flickr.com/photos/83851528@N00/83511283/in/photostream/

"frosted glass" vinyl film... is what I meant to type.

PS With a shelf-unit height of 30.5", the viewing height of the plasma is actually perfect for me.

Enrique,
That looks gorgeous.

Damn, I just called the closest retailer in Brooklyn, NY and they don't work with EQ3 anymore. Next closest area is Boston or Maryland...

Thanks Enrique, it took a lot of work but it's worth it! I have 2" conduit buried in the wall so I can hide all the cables leading to the "speaker credenza" at the front. Future projectors with lens shift will sit in that projector port seeing on the rear wall.

The screening room doubles as a guest bedroom (the couch slides out to be a queen sized bed), and due to the color on the walls remains nice and cool (with the help of a ceiling fan). I've been told it's very comfortable.

I'm with you on the region free players. I significant portion of my movie collection comes from Europe and Asia.

One thing I think more people should consider is IR distribution. It's so cheap these days there's no reason not to. Have a perfect spot for your TV but not for your cable box and dvd player? Stick them somewhere else and just run the wires to the TV! Use an IR distributor like one from Xantech (what I use) or Buffalo to be able to control hidden components. Use an X10, Insteon, or GraphikEye system to tie your lights in as well. There's nothing like having the "house lights" slowly dim down as the movie starts (or glow softly during intermission so you can get another drink!).

Max, your place rocks!

I've always struggled to find simply designed yet well made furniture upon which to set my audio and video equipment.

Most of the media cabinets from the furniture stores are "too much furniture" while most of the high end audio furniture makers focus too much on making a shrine out of audio equipment.

My solution? Audio equipment inside a built in book case so I can hide it by closing the doors.

As for the TV (sorry, I do have a flat planel), I found two nice options that I thought I would share.

For smaller TVs, consider the New Era line at Crate and Barrel. It's well made, reasonably priced and quite clean. TV just sits on top and it sits in the corner like a nice side table. The upside is that you can also get nice accent tables that match--all reasonably priced. Here is the link: http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=989&f=1366&q=era+console+tables&fromLocation=Search&DIMID=400001&SearchPage=1

Unfortunately, we have a 45 inch flat panel and the Crate and Barrel line was not stable enough to hold the TV at about 75 pounds. I did find a company called Boltz (www.boltz.com) that makes a very similiar product to the Crate anbd Barrel line--clean and simple--but made to hold a bit heavier weight. While some of the products are too much metal, the TV tables in stainless are very nice. And with the glass, they keep the room light and airy.

Hope that helps some folks who were in the same quandry that I was in.

I like the look of the sideboard style consoles, but I'm committed to armoires because I like to close the door on the screen (and I have a flat screen.)

Everything is routed through the stereo for sound and the stereo is an amp/receiver and cd player, + there is a cable box and a DVD player.

Where do people with wall-mounted televisions put all of this stuff? I wouldn't want a separate stereo component stack - too 80's.

I have a 55" R&B Zurich. I bought it at R&B's weekend outlet for an obvious discount. It's the right size for my living room - both width and height - fits a tube TV (Samsung SlimFit 30" HDTV), well made with solid wood and plywood core construction, and works with the color scheme of my older home.

My A/V system are fairly modest with a 13 year old $200 receiver/amplifier, the aforementioned TV, an iPod, an old pair of B&W bookshelf speakers (V201s), and an even older pair of Allison floor standing speakers. My laptop does double duty as a DVD player until the whole HD DVD format debacle is over and prices come down, but by then we could be watching movies streamed over the Internet.

If anyone is wondering why on earth I bought a tube TV in the last year, my understading is that flat panels currently do not have as good picture quality for anywhere near the price of tube TVs. Though, flat panels continue to improve in the price/performance area while tube TVs are mature and really aren't improving significantly. (See the NYTimes article mentioned by JenPDX.) A Samsung SlimFit was a good compromise between size, price, and image quality considering the relatively low amount of TV watching I do.

First of all, I'm stealing your PDX moniker, hope you don't mind, Jen!

Second, I thought I'd share my tv/component cabinet for anyone to get ideas. I bought an Lack IKEA bookshelf to use temporarily until I found the perfect vintage credenza. Well, I never could find one that was perfect, so I just modified my Lack and now really love it. Here's a pic: Ikea Worked-over

I had to build it without all the uprights because it wasn't wide enough with them to fit my receiver... but now there's much more space. I only installed the center upright and had to install it about 3/4" back to clear the door channel. I then bought some 1/4" channel at the hardware store and had Tap Plastics cut some doors out of a pearl-ish white plexi. They had tons of sweet colors and textures. I picked the white because it was almost opaque, but not completely, so my remotes work through the closed doors. Parts cost about $30 for the plexi, $12 for the channel + whatever for the LACK and casters from IKEA.

My Href tags didn't work...

http://static.flickr.com/85/214324684_23cd43b650.jpg

http://www.tapplastics.com/

MattPDX-that cabinet looks fantastic. Thanks for the Tap link too. I've been wanting to get some plexi, so I hope I can shop online there.

MattPDX, thanks for posting your project up. I'm using a black LACK and took out one of the uprights so I could fit some equipment in. I might go ahead and take one more upright out to give my equipment some more breathing room since it looks like I'll be living with it for a while longer.

I have been looking at media cabinets for a long time myself. I found this (http://www.directions86.com/v2.2/photos.cfm?i=107-Carte-Blanche-low-media_TOP.jpg&t=CARTE%20BLANCHE%20MEDIA%20CABINET)
at an affordable price and is long and wide enough. Is it difficult to find the right piece or what?

krl - How did you find that? It's gorgeous. I'm trying to get to the information page, but nothing will load past the home page.

Unfortunately, the website is all in flash so I am not able to get the URL. Go to directions86.com click on Amanda Pays and then find the carte blanche collection. You may have to search around a little for it.

How I found the website? There is a company here in GA that is called direct from the source/warehouse that Vern Yip recommended. Went there, found out that Directions86 was the manufacturer. So there you go. Nice stuff at a very affordable price. Good Luck.

That worked, thanks!

Unless I am not counting correctly, I do not see a list of 10 media cabinets. Anybody have the same problem?

Oi, for those of you trying to get EQ3 products in the NYC area, they just sent me an email that Straight from the Crate on 96th Street carries their products.

I called up Straight from the Crate inquiring about the Bossa Plasma Bench. They told me it was discontinued. %@)$@*#)(@

dc. I believe that Bossa series from EQ3 is still in production. They're still in the EQ3 showrooms and still featured in the catalog and on the website. I know that doesn't help you in the NY area...

I've been looking for a good media cabinet for months so this post is perfect timing. I'd downloaded Pete's DIY media cabinet plans but wasn't convinced it's the one for me so I've been stalling. While we're at it, I'd also like to see what others have done to mask/hide their subwoofers.

I like the occa cabinets from BoConcept. They have several different sizes and designs but I bought the occa 97. it's just the right size and right price (about $500). It hides all the wires and has a frosted glass front that works with a remote. The other options I looked at were out of my range

Thanks Enrique, I gave them another call and finally figured out what was going on. They dropped the name "Plasma bench" so when I inquired about the TV bench using it's SKU number it magically turned up.

Price quoted was $375, 6-8 weeks. $45 for delivery and assembly but I think I'm going to save my $45 and just go pick it up when it finally arrives.

I love all of these suggestions, but I have a fairly unique problem. My wife and I keep our tv etc. in a recessed nook in our living room that the former owner used as a hideous closet. The space is 6 feet long by 8 feet high by 17 inches deep, with doors that can close and cover the space.
All of these media consoles that I love are too deep! How frustrating!

crate and barrel
Ascend Mahogany 55" Open Bookcase

works great w/ deep av receivers.

corner cabinet

krl - How did you find that? It's gorgeous. I'm trying to get to the information page, but nothing will load past the home page.