Salamander Designs A2/W Archetype Series Stand

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!

The Salamander A5/M is an attractive and very solidly constructed piece of AV furniture. It's true that you need to level each of the shelves - but this requirement is more than offset by the infinitely adjustable nature of shelf height - meaning that equipment of nearly any size can be accommodated. The unit is quite stable - although I suspect that if someone has spent tens of thousands of dollars on a stereo setup, he or she will want to spend many thousands more on housing that equipment. For the rest of us, the Salamander will keep equipment steady, level, and relatively vibration free. I do feel as though this unit is as tall as I would want to go. It's a simple law of physics that the taller the structure, the less stable it will be. I'd guess that the three and four shelf units are even more stable than this one. Compared to the terribly expensive racks that dominate the high-end of this market, the Salamander is a terrific value, and a great addition to anyone's home.

I really like this rack. Its main advantage is that, thanks to a clever threaded rod arrangement, the shelves are completely adjustable, and can be added to if you need more; in fact, I just ordered a third one. It's also a bit smaller than the one I have, which to me is an advantage, since most audio equipment doesn't require that much space. I think it's good looking as well. Quibbles: My first unit came without the threaded rods, so after being told that it would be a week and a half before the factory could ship them, I had to return it and get a new one. Such things happen, I suppose. The MDF shelves on my second unit were really smelly with that smell that MDF has -- but curiously, not on the first. The shelves aren't as thick and heavy as the ones on my old rack. This isn't a problem for me -- in fact, it's an advantage -- but I can see it might be a disadvantage for those with turntables or vibration-sensitive equipment like tubes, or with really heavy amplifiers. Not that they're light or fragile or anything, they just may be less suitable for some uses. Also, casters aren't included and as I recall were pretty expensive. It would be nice if they came with the unit. It's also fairly time consuming to put together -- lots of nuts to thread and you have to get everything even -- but it's not exactly difficult, and the small extra effort is worth it since it buys you that adjustability. I should add that it doesn't have holes in the back for cables, not an issue for me but it may be for those who need it to be flush with the wall. All in all, I'm glad I bought it and wish I'd known about it when I bought my old rack (not that that one isn't nice). Since most things can be improved, I don't often award five stars, but there really isn't much to argue with here.

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.

So I had been searching far and wide for a good quality home theatre rack for my AV Receiver and Amplifiers. I have two Emotiva products (XPA-3 and UPA-700) and an Onkyo Receiver(TX-NR1009). Previously I was using a home theatre entertainment center that I had built with my dad and am still using it for all my other components but was looking for something that I could use that was not enclosed and with adequate airflow. I didn't want to spend and arm and a leg and also wanted something that was heavy duty and nice looking. I accidentally stumbled upon the Salamander website and found EXACTLY what I was looking for. As soon as I found which rack I wanted I went straight to Amazon to search for it and I found it. The build is exceptional. Heavy duty indeed. Like some other reviewers mentioned, the rods are threaded and takes sometime to screw the bolts and washers on so be prepared to spend at least an hour to assemble. You WILL need a tape measure and a level to make sure the screws are all on the same level and that your shelves are not uneven. You may have to do a little trial and error. The threaded rods are tedious but don't really take that long if you know how to screw them. It comes with a wrench for the bolts. I would suggest using your hand to screw the bolts and use the wrench to tighten them once they are in place with the shelves. All in all, this unit is sturdy, high end and works perfectly shelving my home theatre equipment. Highly recommend.

Nice if very expensive product. Did not come with enough spare parts to properly assemble it. So now I have to either mail back a VERY heavy product, or contact the company, or go to a hardware store. All for a 5 cent washer and some bolts. Caveat Emptor

I set this up in my office for a headphone rig and it works great. I needed fully adjustable shelves and this delivers. It's a bit time consuming to assemble due to having to spin all those nuts down each rod/post and then to level each shelf, but it's worth the effort. I gave 4 stars for ease of assembly only because the rods could have been graduated to make it easier to get the shelves level. Not a big deal by any means if you have a measuring tape. Beyond that, the shelf does exactly what it is intended to do. It is VERY sturdy and looks nice. It fits my needs perfectly. Most audio shelving systems are not adjustable, which makes no sense and are clearly for people who plan to place only one item on each shelf. That just won't work for most headphone rigs. This was recommended by a friend also in the hobby and I'm glad it was!