Time flies when you're feeling sorry for yourself, I guess. I got my system installed two years ago, and stacked my components temporarily:
Bought some walnut, my planer/jointer broke, and while waiting for parts I got fired after giving 60-, 70-hr weeks for 14 months. I'll just jump ahead and tell you nothing's changed since then, and I've probably hurt my receiver's life not having it cooled better. Saw a relatively inexpensive pre-fab rack, picked it up, put it together last weekend, and after two-and-a-half hours had my system taken apart, dusted and wiped clean, and reassembled in the new rack! :banana-dance:
I remembered to measure the height of that window so it wouldn't interfere with my turntable, but I didn't realize I almost didn't have enough room width-wise! :shock: Fortunately it did fit and I was able to twist it a bit like I wanted. I envy you guys that have easy access to the rear of your systems; I had to set the rack down, load it, and wire it from the side with about a 12" gap, leaning over that &$*%^! stone hearth (ouch). Fired it up, got no sound from the TV, and was able to find the mistake fairly quickly; then pushed it back about 6". I was kind've disappointed with the rear vertical beam of the rack, it has holes up and down to allow you to snake all the wiring thru, but even if the back could've been opened up, there was no way all the wires would've fit; I snaked the wires from the higher components and just let the rest fall where they may. With the shadows it doesn't look too bad... The wood panels were a shade darker than my CD rack, and a shade lighter than my speakers, good enough.
Components, from top to bottom:
Yamaha TT-400U turntable with Shure V15 Type V cartridge
Audio-Technica AT-PEQ3 phono preamp (which I had purchased two years ago and had forgotten about!
)
Toshiba VHS-to-DVD converter (which will be removed when I finish copying all my tapes, about halfway done now)
Oppo BDP-83 Universal disk player
Yamaha RX-V 765 receiver
APC power conditioner
Comcast cable box
Vacuumed, cleaned the living room, and got a couple potted plants to tuck in under the TV:
One thing I still have to do is remove the center channel glass shelf, and have it trimmed down so its not sticking out beyond the speaker (which kinda makes the fact that its glass, moot...)
Surround speaker. Glad I spent the extra few dollars and had the wires buried in the wall, like the front speakers and the TV:
Tasks still remaining: Finish recording my VHS tapes to disk, so I can move all the blurays off my coffee table and into the now-empty VHS shelves in the other room; remove/sell the VHS/DVD recorder (already spoken for); build a second, matching CD case and mount it behind the right front speaker; buy another phono preamp with tube and USB Out; and get/install a Roku (still checking the Xmas sales).
I will eventually finish the component cabinet I've started, it'll be more compact and match the CD cases in styling. This pre-fab unit will then go into the basement and I'll probably set up my old Stereo system with my beloved Advent speakers (probably move the turntable back downstairs at that point).
Certainly looks a lot nicer up here now!bscene-drinkingcheers:
Bought some walnut, my planer/jointer broke, and while waiting for parts I got fired after giving 60-, 70-hr weeks for 14 months. I'll just jump ahead and tell you nothing's changed since then, and I've probably hurt my receiver's life not having it cooled better. Saw a relatively inexpensive pre-fab rack, picked it up, put it together last weekend, and after two-and-a-half hours had my system taken apart, dusted and wiped clean, and reassembled in the new rack! :banana-dance:
I remembered to measure the height of that window so it wouldn't interfere with my turntable, but I didn't realize I almost didn't have enough room width-wise! :shock: Fortunately it did fit and I was able to twist it a bit like I wanted. I envy you guys that have easy access to the rear of your systems; I had to set the rack down, load it, and wire it from the side with about a 12" gap, leaning over that &$*%^! stone hearth (ouch). Fired it up, got no sound from the TV, and was able to find the mistake fairly quickly; then pushed it back about 6". I was kind've disappointed with the rear vertical beam of the rack, it has holes up and down to allow you to snake all the wiring thru, but even if the back could've been opened up, there was no way all the wires would've fit; I snaked the wires from the higher components and just let the rest fall where they may. With the shadows it doesn't look too bad... The wood panels were a shade darker than my CD rack, and a shade lighter than my speakers, good enough.
Components, from top to bottom:
Yamaha TT-400U turntable with Shure V15 Type V cartridge
Audio-Technica AT-PEQ3 phono preamp (which I had purchased two years ago and had forgotten about!
)Toshiba VHS-to-DVD converter (which will be removed when I finish copying all my tapes, about halfway done now)
Oppo BDP-83 Universal disk player
Yamaha RX-V 765 receiver
APC power conditioner
Comcast cable box
Vacuumed, cleaned the living room, and got a couple potted plants to tuck in under the TV:
One thing I still have to do is remove the center channel glass shelf, and have it trimmed down so its not sticking out beyond the speaker (which kinda makes the fact that its glass, moot...)
Surround speaker. Glad I spent the extra few dollars and had the wires buried in the wall, like the front speakers and the TV:
Tasks still remaining: Finish recording my VHS tapes to disk, so I can move all the blurays off my coffee table and into the now-empty VHS shelves in the other room; remove/sell the VHS/DVD recorder (already spoken for); build a second, matching CD case and mount it behind the right front speaker; buy another phono preamp with tube and USB Out; and get/install a Roku (still checking the Xmas sales).
I will eventually finish the component cabinet I've started, it'll be more compact and match the CD cases in styling. This pre-fab unit will then go into the basement and I'll probably set up my old Stereo system with my beloved Advent speakers (probably move the turntable back downstairs at that point).
Certainly looks a lot nicer up here now!
bscene-drinkingcheers:
