Icon Design Goals & Features

Having previously reviewed the BDI Axis line of furniture, we were curious as to how well the Icon line would compare, being made for a different type of display altogether. I isolated some important needs for a DLP/plasma display shelf system.

• Design features that blend well with a majority of current televisions
• Shelf system allowing for accurate placement of a center channel speaker directly below the display.
• Ability to support larger center channel speakers
• Cable management for A/V equipment
• Ability to act as a standalone entertainment unit, supporting at least 2 standard width A/V devices side by side.

Unlike my more difficult task of finding larger home theater furniture to handle my entire A/V equipment arsenal, there are quite a few companies offering solutions for small display devices like LCD, plasma and rear projection LCD or DLP TVs. The problem is these solutions range from the practical to the bizarre. One company I observed offers a questionable design that resembles a step ladder more than a home theater display stand... and the list goes on and on.

What Do You Look for in A/V Furniture?

Everyone has their preference, both for design and for ergonomics of use. I personally want a solution that favors both evenly. To me, having a beautiful but unusable piece of furniture is just as bad as having an ugly piece that functions well. The Icon line was designed by Bill Becker and Cristian Wicha, both of whom seem to have an excellent awareness of the importance of both form and function.

For holding a plasma or rear projection DLP I want something that blends in well with the unit, providing me with enough space to hold my equipment, yet narrow enough in depth to maintain the illusive shallow depth associated with the newer display technologies. The A/V furniture should be solidly constructed. Any glass present should be tempered and well-protected so that applied weight doesn't result in abrasion. The width of the available furniture should be able to accommodate a majority of today's shipping displays. However, for those of you wanting third party furniture to match Samsung's new 80" LCD announced at the 2004 CES - you're on your own!

First Impressions

This time I wasn't caught off guard when the BDI furniture arrived in flat boxes. I was well aware of BDI's ability to provide top-notch furniture that required some assembly. The Icon line is more than adequately packaged and out of the samples we've received to date, not a single significant defect has been found. Their furniture is easy to assemble and comes with all of the tools you will need to get the job done. I clocked myself this time and it took me 20 minutes from start to finish assembling the entire unit. Each of the BDI furniture lines is completely different from the next. This makes assembly an adventure each time, but in reality, it's a testimony to their commitment to make good furniture. This method invariably costs more than if they were to manipulate the manufacturing process to achieve more compatible pieces. Plus each line is unique, making the entire line more appealing - you're bound to find something that suits both your needs ad your tastes.

Steel and Glass - Fit and Finish

Most of the newer displays are "high tech" silver (almost gone are the black displays of 'old') and simply beg to be matched up with an equally high-tech stand, regardless of the nature of the rest of your furniture. For many people, the display and its corresponding stand should be a single entity. The trouble is many of the manufacturers' display stands are not up to par with the level of quality and craftsmanship found in third party solutions like those produced by BDI.

Let's talk about build quality. The Icon line uses square steel supports for dispersing the brunt of the weight of components placed onto the shelves (see inset photos). The main frame is a thin rectangular piece that essentially surrounds the inner shelf system and provides support for the top shelf, distributing its weight to the two rounded steel tubes at the bottom. The result is a glass top shelf with lots of open air and the strength to hold 120 lbs of TV.

While the Icon 9424 is specifically meant for plasma or LCD flat panel TVs, I am fully confident that it can also support a rear projection DLP TV like the Samsung 46" HLN467W, which comes in at just 75 lbs (indeed, lighter than many 42" plasma displays). I believe BDI recommends this model for flat screens only, largely because there is no support for the glass beyond the center line of the top shelf. Because of this, you'll want to keep the weight centered or towards the rear, not up front which would stress the glass anchor points. I spent a decent amount of time stressing the glass to see what it could hold - and though I stopped short of applying greater than 100 pounds, I think BDI is playing it safe with its recommendations and limits.

The Shelf System

Apart from the top glass, the Icon 9424 has two shelves. The middle shelf, which is adjustable to one of three positions - each 2" apart, can support up to 50 pounds. The Icon 9424's rather unique middle shelf essentially floats upon two L-shaped steel supports, which are centered to provide stability. This is ingenious and contributes to the Icon's modern look and feel. Since the shelf is glass, and there is nothing blocking any of the shelf edges, your equipment seems to float in space. I applied some pressure to the front and back of the center glass shelf to test it's stability and, while it is anything but rigid, it does feel capable of easily supporting a couple of hi-fi components with very little stress.

The lower shelf is built to set directly upon the bottom of the steel frame, providing a 75 pound rated capacity. Again, the balancing point of the shelf is the center line; exactly where the weight will be for most of your hi-fi components.