Large center speaker with flat panel

[BobaBird]

My 5 year old Sony 34" CRT seems to have met an early death but, with the deal I can get now on a 50" Pioneer Elite Kuro I'm looking forward to bigger and better rather than trying to repair a set that to me still compares favorably to much of what is out there today.

My problem, and part of why I selected the CRT in the first place, is that my Paradigm CC450 center channel speaker is quite large at about 21w x 11-1/4d x 8-1/4h, (not sure of the weight but it feels substantial). It rests nicely on the Sony and my previous 4:3 tubes, and I could have gotten a shelf to use it on a rear-projection set but the flat panels just don't have the depth to support a shelf.

I've always preferred having the speaker above the TV. The current placement has the bottom of the center at just about the same level as the top of the 3-way tower mains, but will probably be too high with the new set, and I'm really trying to avoid a wall mount.

Can anyone recommend a TV stand that can hold that speaker and still have room for 2-4 video components? The TV is about 49" wide and with the constraints of my room I'd prefer not go wider than that. Bonus points awarded for finding it in wood tone along with a matcing 6-shelf audio tower.

[Hutchinshouse]

My 5 year old Sony 34" CRT seems to have met an early death but, with the deal I can get now on a 50" Pioneer Elite Kuro I'm looking forward to bigger and better rather than trying to repair a set that to me still compares favorably to much of what is out there today.

My problem, and part of why I selected the CRT in the first place, is that my Paradigm CC450 center channel speaker is quite large at about 21w x 11-1/4d x 8-1/4h, (not sure of the weight but it feels substantial). It rests nicely on the Sony and my previous 4:3 tubes, and I could have gotten a shelf to use it on a rear-projection set but the flat panels just don't have the depth to support a shelf.

I've always preferred having the speaker above the TV. The current placement has the bottom of the center at just about the same level as the top of the 3-way tower mains, but will probably be too high with the new set, and I'm really trying to avoid a wall mount.

Can anyone recommend a TV stand that can hold that speaker and still have room for 2-4 video components? The TV is about 49" wide and with the constraints of my room I'd prefer not go wider than that. Bonus points awarded for finding it in wood tone along with a matcing 6-shelf audio tower.


I had the same problem as you. My center channel (Definitive Technology C/L/R2500) is very large too.

Here's the stand I have: http://www.diamondcase.com/TT/TT_HTML_Files/TTSys3_Dims.HTML

[BobaBird]

Looks very nice. http://www.diamondcase.com/TT/TT.HTML Their Sys Two would do the trick and be a good fit for the room but it raises the base of the TV to 30" and the CC shelf is only 8"h.

[spartanstew]

Browse around racksandstands.com

[BobaBird]

Lots to look at there, also found www.audio-video-furniture.com . Looks like open shelf designs are going to work better. Might even be able to find something I can pick up locally at Best Buy.

[CCarncross]

I use this one, works great.

http://www.amazon.com/OmniMount-CCH1B-Center-Channel-Speaker/dp/B00067AIEU


It is supposed to work well even with flat panels. And its designed to hold up to 25 lbs or so. Same situation, 22lb Paradigm center channel, predecessor to the current CC470, the old CC300.

[BobaBird]

That's the kind of shelf I would have gotten, but the new set is only about 3" deep, also my speaker is around 30lbs (found a review that says the slightly larger CC470 is 34lbs).

There were several stands on display at Best Buy that would have been nice, though most are glass and metal, and their on-line selection of audio towers is down to 6 so there was almost no chance of getting matching pieces that met my needs. The company that makes the stand I liked best, Whalen, doesn't make audio towers at all.

Anyway, I'm going with a custom build. 50" wide TV stand, CC directly below the TV with large curio/EHD nooks on each side, and bottom shelf divided in 2 to stack 2 components on each side, with matching 60"h 20"d audio tower. Both in solid oak, no doors, partial back panels for easy access, in honey oak finish to match the CD shelves. Both for $850 including finish, tax and delivery.

The speakers are more of a regular darker oak. I haven't made my final selection of finish, and keep second-guessing whether to match the other shelves or the speakers. The salesman pointed out that I'm more likely to replace the speakers before the shelves.