Wire Management – Usually Mismanagement

Wire management is an essential and often overlooked consideration when putting together an A/V rack to furnish your system. I have seen far too many unpalatable systems offered from other manufacturers. I was pleasantly surprised with Audiav’s solution. It was simple, and practical. They offer two different size plastic molded cases that simply snap onto the rack columns as easy as pie. For the small version (about 1.25” wide), all you do is push your cables through the open end, then squeeze the case together while you snap it onto the rack column. The large version (about 1.5” wide x 2” deep) has an open back to route your cables through and a mating glide rail to slide onto the rack column. This is about the easiest and most practical cable management one could hope for in an A/V rack.

Conclusion

Overall, the Audiav Crystal C4 A/V rack was one of the easiest racks I have assembled and certainly the sturdiest. With respect to build quality, adjustment flexibility, and aesthetics, this rack is without peer in its price class. It is certainly constructed of “sterner stuff” (Optimus Prime would be proud of it), not typically found in any rack system I have encountered which will securely house the very best and consequently heaviest gear on the market. Its open design architecture allows you easy access to the components and cabling which is imperative for someone like me who changes out equipment more frequently than Paris Hilton gets busted by the law.

This rack will dress up your system nicely and likely serve as a conversation piece among your friends. I can tell you in the few weeks I have had it installed in my theater room, it instantly became the topic of conversation among people seeing it for the first time.

While this rack is by no means inexpensive, I can tell you that whoever claimed "it’s inexpensive to be hip and trendy" is, in fact, neither. If you have the funds and a virtually bullet proof, ergonomic, cost no object A/V rack is what you are looking for, then I suggest you strongly consider a rack system from Audiav.

For those with bigger budgets and even heavier equipment, consider the Diamond Series which are designed to hold the World's most brutally heavy (700lb) Krell Master Reference Series MRA amplifiers in a strong & infinitely adjustable system. For more budget oriented consumers with lighter equipment profiles, the Zirconia Series designs have a smaller footprint & a much lower price point with thinner uprights/framework able to support loads <150 lbs.

Be warned however, as the Crystal series rack may cause equipment envy for lesser-designed gear. Make sure your equipment is up for being housed in a structure of such extraordinary stature.

Audiav

http://www.audiav.com

Email:
contact@audiav.com

Sales:
sales@audiav.com

About Audiav

Audiav started as a "big idea" in 1995, when an audiophile stepped back and noticed something odd; listening rooms were filled with a/v components, sprawled throughout the floors, taking up massive amounts of space. When he asked why the floors were filled with equipment that should normally be in a rack, he was told that there were many reasons why a suitable "rack" didn't exist; the amps were so tall or heavy that they couldn't fit in standard racks, the components generate so much heat that the standard rack materials were inadequate, multiple types of interference between the components stacked closely together was wholly unacceptable, and finally, the high-end furniture manufacturers could not solve the issue of how to combine all of the above mentioned elements while maintaining aesthetic appeal. In a moment of clarity, the proverbial "light bulb" turned "on" and Audiav was formed. In their search to design the perfect a/v furniture system, Audiav scoured the globe pulling expertise from Defense, aeronautical and metallurgic engineering sectors while bonding with top designers in Germany, Italy, and the United States. Audiav set out to build the absolute, "no-hype needed" system that addressed every need of the true a/v enthusiast/aficionado. Thus, in 2000, Audiav utilized years of customer research to emerge as the quintessential reference audio furniture designer, by blending customizable art into a perfectly functional design. Audiav has since been designing unique reference a/v furniture for some of the world's most luxurious residences including homes in Paris, Aspen, LA, and New York, while also catering to the many suburbanite's underground "basement" audio shrines around the world.