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19" Racks

MXT

MXT

Well-known member
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Joined
Aug 18, 2021
Messages
167
Location
Michigan
Hello all,

Do you have any recommendations for 19" equipment racks for A/V gear? Up till now I've always used a traditional (non-rackmount) A/V rack, like a Salamander Synergy, because the equipment has been in the theater room. But in my next home theater I'll have the equipment in a separate room and the rack doesn't need to be pretty. :)

For my IT gear I've always used a basic Middle Atlantic rack (like their ERK series). I could just get another one of those, unless there are some other options that I should consider.

Thanks!
 
I use a simple open fram rack in my theater since its a bat cave and in the back corner. Do not have to worry about air flow....did put some casters on it and made a top for it.

Amazon.com
 
If you don't need pretty or security, then I usually just go with an open 4-post Tripp Lite rack. The A/V equipment itself can usually get by with 2-post, but I like the flexibility of installing whatever I want and the extra support for enterprise-sized UPS options.

Bonus benefit: by being 45U instead 42U it allows for an extra DV700/M700 to fit, despite that none of us size our AV infrastructure that way.
 
With several of my components (including my Strato S) going inside a bar-height cabinet, I had a desire to get a rack that would allow easy access to my gear after it was installed. I ended up going with a Mid. Atlantic similar to this that has worked really well.

Here are a couple shots of the installed rack in varying states of swivel.

IMG_6376.jpg IMG_6377.jpg IMG_6378.jpg

Andy
 
MXT said:
For my IT gear I've always used a basic Middle Atlantic rack (like their ERK series). I could just get another one of those, unless there are some other options that I should consider.
Click to expand...
If you´re happy with the ERK, I´d just get another one.
There are tons of options for these and since the prices for the Strong-racks have gone up so much (these were our budget option), there´s not much reason anymore to move away from MA.
 
Thanks for all the recommendations. :) I'll definitely consider an open rack this time around, since I don't need to worry about ventilation, security, or appearance. That will save a lot of $ since I need two of them (not taking my existing IT rack to the new house).
 
MXT said:
Hello all,

Do you have any recommendations for 19" equipment racks for A/V gear? Up till now I've always used a traditional (non-rackmount) A/V rack, like a Salamander Synergy, because the equipment has been in the theater room. But in my next home theater I'll have the equipment in a separate room and the rack doesn't need to be pretty. :)

For my IT gear I've always used a basic Middle Atlantic rack (like their ERK series). I could just get another one of those, unless there are some other options that I should consider.

Thanks!
Click to expand...
Actually, Salamander sells 19” rack conversion kits. I am using them in my cabinets. These are Corsica 237 and 323.

They come in 10U and 15U options. For example, the Corsica 237 is 3x 10U and the Corsica 323 is 2x15U. They also sell air ventilation and LED light upgrades but I don’t recommend them. Their fans are made by AC Infinity (low end controllers) with a huge markup. For the LEDs, just get Philips Hue or similar. For the blank rack faces, I use Strong but any would do.

Chameleon Cabinet-Length Rack Rails - Salamander Designs

www.salamanderdesigns.com www.salamanderdesigns.com

AC Infinity

Your source to create smart growing systems with components including advance grow tents, inline fans, clip-on fans, LED grow lights, and UIS™ controllers.
acinfinity.com acinfinity.com

Strong™ Rack Blank Panels | Snap One

Rack Blank Panels
www.snapav.com www.snapav.com

The Premiere line equipment have their rack ears painted in grey. I painted my M300 and the rack kit in black.

Substance

Thread 'Premiere M300 Player Black Series'

I wasn’t very happy with the grey look of the standard Premiere M300 player and its rack mount in my all black equipment rack. I upgraded it to the Black Series. This pictures don’t do it much justice but it matches the matte black flash finish of the Strato C rack mount.C6A059CE-063C-4DC3-BFD8-381E43824FD0.jpeg97FDCAF8-489A-4B4F-902A-6D552B28292F.jpegF3C4B754-421F-476D-8CF7-A9549FC0DFB5.jpeg
  • Like


IMG_4293.jpeg

IMG_5815.jpegIMG_5817.jpeg
 
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Love those McIntosh amps with the analog meters. Most beautiful amps on the planet, IMO.

I do wonder why all the lights on the Kaleidescape gear is blue yet for some reason they decided to use white for the Terra Prime I have.
 
Mr.Poindexter said:
Love those McIntosh amps with the analog meters. Most beautiful amps on the planet, IMO.

I do wonder why all the lights on the Kaleidescape gear is blue yet for some reason they decided to use white for the Terra Prime I have.
Click to expand...
Thanks. The one I have, the MC207 is perhaps one of the most compromised amps they make but gets the job done in our living room.

The Strato pictured here is the C model. Towards the end of its lifecycle, they changed the front fascia to blue LEDs. I have another Strato C in the bedroom which is older and have the white LEDs. They should make it RGB so the user can decide :)
 
Mr.Poindexter said:
If you thought the Kaleidescape ecosystem was expensive, I cannot imagine the total cost of ownership on something else with 19" racks.
Click to expand...
Deer are cheap to feed but expensive when they hit your neighbors' cars, so could go either way.
DieZwei said:
I´d reconsider appearance - IMHO a well built rack is definitely something to consider. :cool:
Click to expand...
Well, it's not like any of us suggested some 2x4s with rack rails, so we have some sense of decor.
 
For sure, if the equipment rack would be visible to guests then I would prioritize looks. :)
 
I scored over 20 years ago when my company was getting rid of a number of datacenter racks. I grabbed the two that were least beat up, and I've used them ever since. When I built my current theater, the painters did a fresh coat of paint on them and I built them into a special enclosure in the concession area adjacent to the theater, with an access door out in the garage so that I can walk behind the racks to do whatever maintenance I need to do. I can't recommend this approach strongly enough, if you can make it work. I was inspired by a friend of my dad's who gave us a tour of his home theater when I was a kid. He had a 3-CRT projector, to give you a sense of how long ago this was... Anyway, my point is: don't be afraid of surplus.

IMG_5176.jpegIMG_3461.jpeg
 
MikeKobb said:
I scored over 20 years ago when my company was getting rid of a number of datacenter racks. I grabbed the two that were least beat up, and I've used them ever since. When I built my current theater, the painters did a fresh coat of paint on them and I built them into a special enclosure in the concession area adjacent to the theater, with an access door out in the garage so that I can walk behind the racks to do whatever maintenance I need to do. I can't recommend this approach strongly enough, if you can make it work. I was inspired by a friend of my dad's who gave us a tour of his home theater when I was a kid. He had a 3-CRT projector, to give you a sense of how long ago this was... Anyway, my point is: don't be afraid of surplus.

View attachment 7206View attachment 7207
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Pioneer Elite CLD-99, JVC HM DH30000U and Nakamichi RX 505…very impressive!
 
Substance said:
Pioneer Elite CLD-99, JVC HM DH30000U and Nakamichi RX 505…very impressive!
Click to expand...
They don't get a lot of use, but they do all still work, so... :-) I do still have some Laserdiscs that I care about. I was lucky to find a guy who used to be a Nakamichi service center to rebuild my 505 a few years ago. All the belts had deteriorated.
 
MikeKobb said:
They don't get a lot of use, but they do all still work, so... :-) I do still have some Laserdiscs that I care about. I was lucky to find a guy who used to be a Nakamichi service center to rebuild my 505 a few years ago. All the belts had deteriorated.
Click to expand...
I love the auto reverse mechanism on the 505. It is an underrated deck.
 
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