Overview of the furniture market for audio and video equipment. Constructive solutions, materials and design, manufacturers and prices. Recommendations to customers.
(modelKV36FQ80)
From day to day, all new models of video and audio equipment appear on sale. The fox with the technique is although it may not be so quickly improved and the furniture intended for its placement.
Multifunctional racks and supports, which are equipped with special shelves, holders or tanks for storing various devices and items to be replaced by simplicable stands. Actually, designs and materials are becoming increasingly perfect and acquire new properties in favor of a person's desire to the full perception of sound and visual series. The salary of the choice and the specifics of the installation of home theater components and audio-video complexes was already in the articles of our magazine- "The cinema, where they sit in slippers" and "future will show." Assek, we want to affect only the "furniture" aspect of the placement of equipment.
Furniture Items and Constructive Solutions
Strictly speaking, if you have acquired only one subject (say, a small TV with a diagonal14 "), you can not buy any additional furniture. I put it on the bedside table, chest of drawers, a wardrobe, in the wall or just on a table of problems. However, this situation is typical not Call. After all, in our time, even the minimum set of video equipment consists of TV and a tape recorder, and the dimensions of the average TV size of 25-29 are not allowed to put it where it fell. What can we talk about multicomponent audio systems that combine 4-5 separate devices, and acoustic systems consisting of several columns!So, still stands and racks. High or low, narrow or wide, metal or wooden, you will have to choose to you. Amas, for their part, will try to help you navigate in the variety of models.
From the point of view of functional purpose, the furniture for audio and video equipment is divided into 4-line groups: for TV and video equipment, for audio components, for acoustic systems and carriers (CD, DVD and video cassettes). In addition, there are combined models that allow you to place unequal applications in different combinations.
The TV stand can be an open design with vertical supports and shelves attached to them. Shelves are usually one or two: for video recorder and / or DVD player. Another model of "television" furniture with side and rear walls plus-minus doors (they are most often disintegrating).
The choice of the case or open model depends not only on your aesthetic preferences, but also from the planned intensity of the operation of the equipment. Let us explain: in the process of work, the technique is very heated, and therefore it is necessary to ensure good ventilation. Solid side, closed cabinets and small cabinets allow you to hide the equipment "Slozhaz's Down", and even protect it from dust. Some models of supports and TUBU under TV are equipped with an additional tabletop that can be rotated together with the TV installed on it thanks to the built-in bearing. Such a mechanism is equipped with, for example, many models from Schroersschroers and Spectral (Germany).
Furniture for audio equipment, including HI-FI components, in most cases does not have a housing (for the same reason, which is indicated above) and it resembles the usual shelf. Just like the open stand under TV, it "stands" in high legs-supports with shelves attached to them. The shelves are usually located on each other in one or two rows (pay attention to the products of Aldenkamp, Holland, and Empire, Malaysia).
Despite the external impact, the stand for audio equipment is a rather complicated and technically saturated piece of furniture. This is due to the sensitivity of Hi-Fi-components, providing high sound quality, to extraneous noise. For breeding vibration, for example, from the steps, the feet of furniture are equipped with tips in the form of spikes. Staying the base of the rack can be a massive platform from multilayer plywood or laminated MDF.
On one small stand, several devices are usually located at once, from which the set of wires stretches. How to do that they do not get into the eyes? Manufacturers of specialized furniture for equipment offer different solutions to this problem. For example, a flexible spring tube can be located on the backside of the furniture (also called the helix), inside the cables pass. Another option is plastic holders fixed on legs-supports and collecting wires in bundles. Racks for columns of different manufacturers are very similar to each other and resemble an elegant pedestal: one or two vertical supports, down to a small platform at the top of the speaker. The height of the design and the size of its individual parts can vary.
As for the stands for sound carriers and images, their choice is amazingly great. For different parts of the room, it is developed, unlike shape and tank. It can be an outdoor column with a height of 160cm, which accommodates up to 300cd or 210dvd- depending on the layout of the shelves (such, for example, one of the glass models from Schroersschroers). Alpox cases are offered shelves attached to the wall, special desktop stands and many other items, which, however, can not always be called furniture (a variety of ideas on the subject of disk placement and cassettes offers the company IKEA, Sweden).
Many supports under the equipment are combined, that is, they serve to accommodate different types of equipment. At the same time, the shapes of furniture items are quite diverse. All devices, especially if there are few of them, can be vertically, one over the other. This option is offered by many Italian manufacturers, including Longhi (Collection of Sistema Vertical), Rizza, Maconi, Ponti Terenghi and others. Some models intended for a large number of video and audio components consist of two or three sections, each of which is a separate stand (options for their combinations are proposed, for example, in the Straight series from Spectral).
Materials and design
For the manufacture of furniture under audio video equipment, many materials are used: metal, glass, wood, MDF and chipboard in different combinations. Typical examples: Supports for TV and racks for Hi-Fi on a metal frame with glass or MDF shelves; Cabinet from chipboard, veneered wood veneer, with glass doors.
The choice of materials for individual parts of furniture depends on its functional purpose, as well as on the dimensions and weight of the technique, which is assumed to be accommodated with it. Judge for yourself: the TV with screen 21 "Weighs 19-23kg, and with a diagonal of 34" - about 80kg. Therefore, the first coasters and stands are suitable for almost any materials. As for the second, here you need a strong furniture, preferably on a metal or wooden frame. Yes, and the shelf or a countertop, which will stand TV, should be durable, able to withstand the desired weight without deformation (as a test, made of thick glass, wood, or again metal). Hi-fi components having a large total weight also need a rack on a solid frame.
Not only its physical characteristics, but also design depending on the materials and design features of the furniture. In order for the new item well fit into the room, he must match him in style and character. So, for the classic setting, supports and stands are suitable, made using wood (array or veneer) and wood slabs (chipboard and MDF). The modern interior, especially desposed in the style of High-Tech, is well supplemented with glass and metal furniture.
Practical recommendations
There are two ways to buy furniture for equipment. The first and easiest way to combine the acquisition of technology and support for it. Thus, you get rid of the flour of choice and get everything very quickly, "attending from the cashier." This wonderful way is especially appropriate when buying a TV. It's no secret that many manufacturers, somehow: Panasonic, Sony, LG, Philips, Samsung, Grundig , Toshiba and others, manufactures stands for their televisions. But only under your own. Alas, this furniture is not universal, and each stand is suitable only for a specific model TV specific manufacturer.If for some reason you could not or have not wanted to go along the path of least resistance, use the method number 2: Start with the purchase of equipment, and then think about what to put it. (Naturally, you must imagine, at least approximately, the ratio between the size of the room and the dimensions of the equipment together with the furniture.)
Suppose you already have equipment, now you need to go behind the stands. To not be mistaken when choosing furniture, you need to know the exact dimensions of each component of the AV complex (better write out all the data, sitting at home). For example, buying a stand under TV, it is important to operate its width and depth. Jobs for audio equipment should be determined with the number of shelves and distances between them, and for this you need to know the height of each component. You will also have to determine the place in the room where the equipment will be installed. Perhaps the semi will need to pave the Cable Channel, which will hide all the wires coming from the equipment. When buying furniture with glass shelves, pay attention to the quality of the treatment of ends and corners. To recognize the fake, it is enough just to spend your finger on the edge: if the surface is smooth, without roughness and jar, it means that the quality of the product is quite high.
The reliability and durability of furniture made with the use of glass is also dependent on the technology of its production. Incase models use only high-strength tempered glass (which is very expensive in itself). Fakes can be made from the usual beating mirror glass, although it happens as thick as tempered. Determine the quality of the material "Digid" is unlikely to succeed. We'll have to trust, on the predominant name of the manufacturer or the seller of furniture, while not forgetting the price of the product. Glass racks and low-quality stands are not by chance several times cheaper than their famous fellow. So if you want to buy a cheap thing ($ 50-100), it is better to choose a model of coniferous wood or at a thin end of the chipboard.
And of course, going into search of furniture - real or virtual- It is necessary to answer two simple questions yourself, which I want and how much is ready to pay for it.
Manufacturers and prices
Most of the furniture models for audio-video equipment presented in the middle price range, we are speaking speech outside our country. Hospital, while this segment of the market (accommodation, for example, from the market for kitchen or upholstered furniture) is not mastered by domestic manufacturers. In any case, enterprises specializing in such products, hardly begin to appear and have not yet stated themselves in their entire voice. Now the time of the cabinets and supports made by Russian manufacturers of cabinet furniture can hardly consider fully the relevant requirements of the rapidly developing market of audio video equipment. It is just enough for its cabinets that can be used with equal success both to accommodate certain types of equipment and for storage, for example, books, dishes and other items.
Among the firms involved in the manufacture of special furniture for equipment, German manufacturers are most widely represented on the Russian market (which, by the way, is also popular in Western Europe): Spectral, Schroersschroers. No less noticeable furniture of the Dutch company ALDENKAMP. To the same customers who are accustomed to counting every dollar, we advise you to draw your eyes to the south-east. Among Asian manufacturers are quite very solid, such as Empire from Malaysia. As always, extremely interesting and functional models can be found in the assortment of Italian factories Rizza, Longhi, Mirandola, Flyline, Maconi, Ponti Terenghi, Santarossa, Miniforms. Brackets and shelves for the placement of equipment on the walls produces Vogel's firm (Holland). A wide variety of all sorts of objects for installing the equipment and storage of discs and the cassette offers the Swedish IKEA.
The price of furniture for video and audio equipment, naturally, should be proportioned by the cost of technology. If we adopted the Axiom, it becomes clear why some stands and racks are relatively cheap, and others seemingly unreasonably roads. Let's try to explain. The cost of high-class audio equipment, as well as the newest models of TVs with huge screens, is very high (that is, it is expressed in thousands of dollars). However, paying these huge money, you get the opportunity to fully enjoy high-quality sound and a wonderful image. The same high demands must match the furniture for this technique, and therefore it cannot be cheap. Solid side, when buying TV for $ 500, no one comes to buy a stand for the same price as the TV. It is aware, you need to "meet" in the amount of $ 100-200.
Many Tumben under TVs of different sizes, as well as racks for the music center and even a TV cabinet are available in the range of IKEA (price range- $ 50-250). Stands and Economy class stands offer French manufacturer Berlioz. Cheap audio equipment racks ($ 170-400) and for columns ($ 70-130), as well as combined stands ($ 250) can be found among Empire products.
The higher price level is represented by the Furniture of Western European manufacturers Spectral, Schroersschroers, Aldenkamp and some others. The order of prices on the models of these firms is approximately the same. Racks for Hi-Fi components and stands for video equipment can be purchased for $ 400-700, racks for columns for $ 160-300. A large combined stand (for example, Italian or German production) for different types of equipment will cost the buyer by more than $ 1000.
The editors thanks the company "M.Video", "Russian game", IKEA, as well as the representation of Sony in Moscow for help in the preparation of the material.