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View Full Version : Does a 340c fit into a Salamander Synergy cabinet ?



BGHD
05-21-2005, 07:30 PM
Anyone have a 340 center in the center cube of the Salamander Synergy cabinet (looking at Triple 20)? Although they don't list the inside measurements, looks like depth should be ok, but not sure about ht & width. I could always check it w/ a tape measure, but wanna know if others have done it with success.

340 C (h x w x d) 7.5" x 21" x 10.5"

here's link to Salamander site:

http://www.salamanderdesigns.com/syn/singles.jsp

BradJudy
05-21-2005, 07:52 PM
No, it won't. The Salamander Synergy sections are just under 20" wide IIRC.

BradJudy
05-21-2005, 07:53 PM
They do list internal dimensions - (ID= 19.75" W x 18" D)

BGHD
05-21-2005, 08:15 PM
Darn, back to the drawing board or just place on top, I guess. Saved me a trip to GG. Thanks to this forum as always.

lmm
05-22-2005, 01:19 PM
I have an old beat-up particle-board cabinet which holds my 340C, 42" plasma, 4 components (receiver, cable, dvd/vcr, htpc). Now that I'm upgrading the equipment, the boss would like to upgrade the cabinet.

Besides DIY, custom and Salamander, what other (affordable) choices are there which will hold a 340C?

jimsiff
05-23-2005, 12:26 AM
BGHD,

If you have the time and tools, build your own Salamander. :D I did, and I like my stand better than theirs. There are pictures in these threads:

http://forum.ascendacoustics.com/showthread.php?t=998
http://forum.ascendacoustics.com/showthread.php?t=939&page=1&pp=10

If you don't mind raising your TV higher than a Triple 20, you can always add a Triple Riser which will give you enough space below the TV for a 340C.

BGHD
05-23-2005, 02:23 PM
Jimsiff,
That's impressive! I'll have to investigate the DIY route now, since yours looks so pro-like. Yeah, the Salamander is a little overpriced, so maybe it'll be worth the time/effort.

Another brand I saw (learned from "Show us pictures of your plasma" thread in AVS) was from diamondcase.com. I actually went to their showroom in Yorba Linda, CA (yup, birthplace of Nixon) & was pretty impressed with the quality (heavy casters, good ventilation in back, wood throughout I believe, rounded corners). I liked the Theater Tech 400, which has a wide center section that should fit the 340c, but it'll probably run about $2000+ or so. During the 15 minutes I was there, a couple contractors bought that exact credenza without even blinking, so they probably had success with their stuff. Definitely on the pricey side for me, but it was the closest to a piece of furniture I've seen, rather than just an A/V cabinet. Darn, $2000 is more than I spent on the Ascends! Should've taken wood shop instead of metal in high school.

BGHD
05-23-2005, 02:35 PM
Here's a link:

http://www.diamondcase.com/TT/TT_HTML_Files/TT400.HTML

And, no, I don't work for that company.

Lee Bailey
05-23-2005, 03:11 PM
If you have the option to mount it over the top of the TV, you can try this wall mount mentioned on this forum link:
Perfect Center Channel Wall Mount (http://forum.ascendacoustics.com/showthread.php?t=939)

jimsiff
05-24-2005, 01:32 AM
I remember looking at the Diamond Case stuff. It's definitely top shelf, with a price to match. In any case, good luck in your stand search. Unless you're stuck putting your center channel on a shelf below the TV, you should seriously consider the mounting option Lee linked to. It looks clean and offers the best sound quality for RPTVs.

BGHD
05-24-2005, 06:10 AM
Unless you're stuck putting your center channel on a shelf below the TV, you should seriously consider the mounting option Lee linked to. It looks clean and offers the best sound quality for RPTVs.I'm not 'stuck' putting it there, just thought it'd look stealthier. Mistake you think to place it inside? Now I'm curious about Lee's suggestion. If it makes any difference, I have 50" plasma that'll be wall-mounted. I'd like a credenza to block the kiddies from the TV, rather than an AV cabinet off to the side. Tips?

lmm
05-24-2005, 09:16 AM
IKEA furniture (http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10101&storeId=12&productId=51511&langId=-1) is closer to the price range I've been looking at. :D

jimsiff
05-24-2005, 09:19 AM
IKEA furniture (http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10101&storeId=12&productId=51511&langId=-1) is closer to the price range I've been looking at. :D

On AVS, many people have been satisified with the Ikea Oppli (http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10101&storeId=12&productId=11149&langId=-1&parentCats=10104*10174) because it's low enough that the centerline of the screen is at or very near eye level for many DLP and LCD RPTVs.

jimsiff
05-24-2005, 09:48 AM
I'm not 'stuck' putting it there, just thought it'd look stealthier. Mistake you think to place it inside? Now I'm curious about Lee's suggestion. If it makes any difference, I have 50" plasma that'll be wall-mounted. I'd like a credenza to block the kiddies from the TV, rather than an AV cabinet off to the side. Tips?

I mentioned "stuck" because my wife vetoed the wall mount idea. :rolleyes:

It does look slick having it below the screen, but IMO a well executed above screen mount looks very nice as well.

There are a few reasons I'd prefer an above screen mount vs. a below screen mount in most cases. We have a harder time localizing sounds from above us than below us. The front soundstage many times is more seamless with an above screen mount. With below screen mounts, the speaker is closer to the floor, and the sound is more affected by reflective surfaces such as the floor and furniture. This can be minimized by angling the speaker (http://forum.ascendacoustics.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=16) up towards the listening position. Also, Dave F.recommends (http://forum.ascendacoustics.com/showthread.php?t=940) an above screen mount.

I'm using a below screen mount as a compromise, and in reality it isn't a horrible compromise. It's just not an ideal placement, so I'm not getting the most out of the speaker. An above screen mount is still a compromise, but I believe the best one available for RPTVs. Front projection HTs can use an acoustically transparent screen and have the L/C/R speakers at exactly the same height, which is the best scenario.

Being a sound and music nut, I find that it's best to push the equipment and room setup envelope as far as the WAF will allow. Do as much as your wallet and wife will tolerate. :D If you can do an above screen mount, it would sound better, and you wouldn't need to look for a TV stand that can properly accomodate the 340C below the screen. I looked long and hard and couldn't find anything except high dollar units such as Diamond Case or custom work.

Lee Bailey
05-24-2005, 11:03 AM
The problem with mounting any speaker within another enclosure creates a problem with the acoustics. If it is not designed to be used in that manner, it will not sound the way you want. You could try plugging the rear port, and slide it forwards as far as possible while using it. You'll also need to tilt it up to aim it at the listener's head. You need a temporary top mount to demonstrate to the wife the difference in the sound. If you're gonna spend the money on it, you need to set it up correctly. Over time, you get used to the view, and the speakers just blend into the scene. Not to mention, mounting it on top will help keep the kids out of your speaker. Once they realize the grill comes off, bad things can happen. (Mine ripped the dust caps off my old Infinity woofers, and pushed in the midrange driver dust caps.)

With a wall mounted plasma, you'd probably want a speaker wall mount for the center that keeps about a 3 inch clearance to the rear wall. The mount davef suggests is more for RPTVs, since it sticks out quite a ways.

:eek: Whoa! This is my 100th post!

shane55
05-24-2005, 04:17 PM
I reeeeeeeealy like this cabinet.
http://www.studiotech.com/jsp/productDetail.jsp?prodID=63

Notice, however that the I.D. width is 20.9" (ugh) :(
I wonder if I could skweeeeze it in? ;)

shane

BGHD
05-24-2005, 04:22 PM
Don't know if it works but Sanus uses some kind of convection-like design for ventilation. They're quite pricey too.

shane55
05-24-2005, 04:32 PM
Don't know if it works but Sanus uses some kind of convection-like design for ventilation. They're quite pricey too.

Well here's a Sanus that seems to have a wide enough center shelf:
https://www.sanus.com/cgi-bin/web_store.cgi?page=products/furniture/java/JFV75e.html&cart_id=1033503_17163

Trouble is... this one is a bit low for what I plan on getting.

Yeah... $1k is about what I expect to pay. Of course I'd like to pay less.

shane

tw1zt3d
05-24-2005, 11:15 PM
okay...after trying to understand the 2 pages of above or below, in or out...extra resonating acoustics and reflective surfaces aside...i was always told that the tweeters of your mains and center should be as inline as possible and "up"...is that kind of a myth, or one of those "cause we decided it sounded better that way" kind of deals? or am i opening up a whole new can of worms?

lmm
05-24-2005, 11:48 PM
The theory is that higher frequencies are more "localizable" (seem to come from a particular direction) than lower frequencies.

I don't know if this is the official theory, but I figure it like this: sound travels at ~1K feet/second, so a 80Hz wave is about 14 feet, while a 20KHz wave is about a half an inch. Subwoofers set up room resonances, while tweeters set up responances in your ear -- move your ears in relation to the speakers a little, and you'll hear the tweeters differently.

If you want to maintain the illusion that a sound that moves from left to center to right is coming from a source that is moving smoothly, then you don't want the center tweeter to be a lot lower or higher. The woofers don't matter as much as far as placement, and the subwoofer hardly at all.

BGHD
05-26-2005, 09:16 AM
i was always told that the tweeters of your mains and center should be as inline as possible and "up"But, unless you have one of those perforated projections screens as mentioned earlier (which I've never known of before), for most people the line b/w the LR main tweeters will be right around the middle of a TV's screen. I was just looking for the best compromise b/w sound/aesthetics & was hoping placing the 340c in-cabinet would work (as opposed to on top of the cabinet). Also, I didn't wanna raise my plasma too high, so in-cabinet would allow me to mount the TV closer to an optimum height. With 340c in-cabinet with some type of backing to hide wires and pushed as close to the front as possible & angled up to listening are, while still maintaining the 18" above floor recommendation from Ascend, can I still get good results?

I guess what you think are simple threads always open up a whole can of worms...but always worms that I didn't but should now consider in my plans. I was placing more emphasis on aesthetics over acoustics.

jimsiff
05-26-2005, 10:55 AM
With 340c in-cabinet with some type of backing to hide wires and pushed as close to the front as possible & angled up to listening are, while still maintaining the 18" above floor recommendation from Ascend, can I still get good results?

You can have good results with this setup. If I were you, I'd consider keeping the center shelf open to the back to allow the speaker as open a space as possible to vent to.

Like I mentioned before, I have my 340C on a shelf below my TV. The tweeter is only about 15" off the ground angled towards the listening area. The 340C sounds very good, but just not as great as it can sound. I can tell the difference in center image height when I A/B a phantom center to the 340C (due to it's low placement.) However, if I'm watching something in 5.1 DD or DTS, I don't notice the issue if I'm not conciously trying to look for it. I liken it to the way some people "try" to find rainbows in DLP TVs. If you dart your eyes across the screen, jerk your head, bla bla bla, you're more likely to see rainbows. So what? We don't watch TV that way. In other words, you can actively seek out a flaw that's there but not extremely obvious. But, if you don't notice it during normal usage, don't sweat it unless you REALLY want to.

I'd prefer to have my speaker above the TV, but the WAF dictates I put it below. I'd rather have a 340C below than almost any other speaker above. :D

tamuct
09-03-2005, 10:20 PM
My wife and I are looking to upgrade our TV within 6-9 months and a new TV stand/entertainment center is a must. I originally was disheartened to hear that the CMT340c would not fit in the Salamander triple 20.

We went furniture browsing today and found a local dealer of Salamander furniture, and I was impressed by the quality of their furniture, and after closer examination, the CMT340 will fit in the center, but behind the aluminum support bars. The demo model they had on the floor had a 22" center channel on the shelf, but since there are no partitions between the sections, the speaker hung off each end by and inch or two. I believe the only problem would be if the drivers actually were in the way of the aluminum supports. I'll have to measure and check, but I don't think this is an issue.

I think the Salamander units are priced a too high, but I think I could build one similar to jimsiff's for a little less. I'd have to get the shelf brackets and doors from Salamander, but the whole unit certainly be less than the $1200 that Salamander charges.

BGHD
09-04-2005, 11:48 AM
Did you bring your speaker to see if it'll fit? I thought others have mentioned the 340c will not fit?

Please post pics when you set everything up. I'm still in my forever-search for A/V furniture. On my short list so far:

-Salamander (double? triple?)
-BDI Avion
-DiamondCase TT400 (correct model #?)
-DIY???

BradJudy
09-04-2005, 02:26 PM
If you want to go with Salamander, their answer to a wide center channel is the riser that has no middle-front posts. They have pictures of using it with wide center channels on their website. Of course, it adds height and a good bit of cost. You can get it with multiple different spacer heights.

If you go DIY, I recommend considering using drawer sliders for the center channel shelf like I did. It can really help with the sound of the center to bring it out a bit.

Lou-the-dog
09-04-2005, 05:48 PM
If you go DIY, I recommend considering using drawer sliders for the center channel shelf like I did. It can really help with the sound of the center to bring it out a bit.

Cool idea! Slide it out when watching a movie and when WAF kicks in then roll it back in! I LIKE it!

Randy

khoi911
09-05-2005, 06:22 PM
I have the Triple 30 and I placed a 340C in the center of the cabinet. It does fit but is recessed about 1 inch back so it can clear the post on either side. I can take some pictures if you wish.

Khoi


Anyone have a 340 center in the center cube of the Salamander Synergy cabinet (looking at Triple 20)? Although they don't list the inside measurements, looks like depth should be ok, but not sure about ht & width. I could always check it w/ a tape measure, but wanna know if others have done it with success.

340 C (h x w x d) 7.5" x 21" x 10.5"

here's link to Salamander site:

http://www.salamanderdesigns.com/syn/singles.jsp

BGHD
09-06-2005, 03:41 PM
For anyone remotely interested, I knocked the BDI Avion off my short list. Went to see it at a local Magnolia and wasn't impressed with the build quality (soft-ish wood; cheapish feeling drawers; dovetail nothing; wimpy casters; cramped drawer for center channel-->no chance in heck, the 340c would fit in there). No offense to anyone who has that model, but it was barely a step up from Ikea furniture IMO. Not a knock on Ikea either, just wasn't what I expected for the money ($1500-2000). I love Ikea stuff BTW, for the money. IMO, the Salamander stuff seemed better built. The other BDI items looked pretty solid though.

BGHD
10-22-2005, 02:26 AM
khoi911,
Yes, can you post pics of your 340c in the Salamander triple please? GG is clearing out their stock, so they're selling furniture for about 30% off, so I'd be interested in seeing your install.

I've eliminated the Salamanders w/ the extra riser because it'll bring the TV too high for my tastes. Also, as jimsiff mentioned, only higher-end or custom made furniture has decent below TV options. So, now I'm leaning towards mounting above the TV w/ Dave F's recommended mount, which'll allow me to get any ol' credenza without having to worry about 340c placement (as jimsiff mentioned previously). And, since my DIY skills, tools and time, are quite lacking, that route is probably out for now.

Sorry to cross-post, but does DaveF's above TV rig really place the front of the speaker 22" from the wall? The speaker's only 11" deep, which means it's about 11" from the wall, which seems farther than shown in the pictures. Can anyone using that mount chime in?

As you can tell, it's been a slow process for me (original post in 5/05!), because I'm not really in a rush. But it'd sure be nice to get that 340c off the floor propped-up by a rolled-up towel though. :D

tamuct
10-24-2005, 07:31 AM
bghd,

Here's a couple pics of my Salamander triple 20 with the Ascend 340c in it:
http://www.aggiejones.com/store/dscn0101.jpg
http://www.aggiejones.com/store/dscn0102.jpg
http://www.aggiejones.com/store/dscn0107.jpg

I also considered the extra riser and then eliminated the option when I realized how tall it would be. I considered building my own version of the Salamander unit, but when I factored in time and materials my wife and I decided to fork over the cash for the Salamader.

The 340c is about an inch too wide to fit within the metal uprights, but fits nicely behind them. It won't interfere with any of your other componets unless they too are too wide for the Salamader shelves.

BGHD
10-24-2005, 12:34 PM
tamuct,
Thank you. Looks nice. I'll assume there's some wiggle room w/ the center shelf to angle the 340c up? Sounds ok to you? Sorry for asking so many questions, but w/ Good Guys closing shop here in CA, it's ALL SALES FINAL, so no returns.

tamuct
10-24-2005, 07:05 PM
I don't have mine angled up (I know, shame on me), but if you lower the shelf some you should be able to add some shims to the front of the speaker to angle it toward your listening position.

khoi911
10-25-2005, 10:57 AM
www.eatpho.com/stereo




khoi911,
Yes, can you post pics of your 340c in the Salamander triple please? GG is clearing out their stock, so they're selling furniture for about 30% off, so I'd be interested in seeing your install.

I've eliminated the Salamanders w/ the extra riser because it'll bring the TV too high for my tastes. Also, as jimsiff mentioned, only higher-end or custom made furniture has decent below TV options. So, now I'm leaning towards mounting above the TV w/ Dave F's recommended mount, which'll allow me to get any ol' credenza without having to worry about 340c placement (as jimsiff mentioned previously). And, since my DIY skills, tools and time, are quite lacking, that route is probably out for now.

Sorry to cross-post, but does DaveF's above TV rig really place the front of the speaker 22" from the wall? The speaker's only 11" deep, which means it's about 11" from the wall, which seems farther than shown in the pictures. Can anyone using that mount chime in?

As you can tell, it's been a slow process for me (original post in 5/05!), because I'm not really in a rush. But it'd sure be nice to get that 340c off the floor propped-up by a rolled-up towel though. :D

khoi911
10-25-2005, 11:02 AM
I did this by taking some mouse pads and folding them over each other (to create thickness) then placing them under the front of the speaker. You can see this in the pics if you look closely >> www.eatpho.com/stereo




tamuct,
Thank you. Looks nice. I'll assume there's some wiggle room w/ the center shelf to angle the 340c up? Sounds ok to you? Sorry for asking so many questions, but w/ Good Guys closing shop here in CA, it's ALL SALES FINAL, so no returns.

BGHD
10-25-2005, 02:37 PM
Thanks for the pics/info khoi.

I just found this browsing on the Salamander website, which is lower than the Triple 20 (at least I think it is from the picture), but I can't find the specs/pricing on it. It probably has less storage, but w/ a triple riser for the 340C, it might work for me. I'll have to investigate, otherwise I might go w/ khoi and tamuct's setups.

tamuct
10-26-2005, 06:24 AM
BGHD,
That's the triple 10. If you don't need the additional storage space of a triple 20 (or 30 as in khoi911's case), you could go with the 10 and the riser. If I remember correctly the riser is available in several heights and will let you pull the center channel all the way to the front of the unit. Be careful, and read the weight capacity of the riser unit. It doesn't have as many vertical supports.
Good luck!

BGHD
10-26-2005, 12:59 PM
Thanks. Finally found the info in their System Configurator. Good tip about the weight issue, which I really didn't think about. BTW, it has the four corner supports plus two more along the back area. Probably the 8.5" or 10" riser should work fine w/ the 340C.

BradJudy
10-26-2005, 02:33 PM
That Triple10 is nice - is it a new product? It wasn't on their website before I built mine, or I might have gotten it with a riser instead.

BGHD
10-27-2005, 10:09 AM
Not sure if it's new. I've checked their site before, but it's sorta hidden as an option in their System Configurator, not under the 'Products' section for the Triples. If the internal dimensions will work and if the riser can hold my TV, I may go for it. A little pricey, but pretty close to what I've been looking for. Gotta decide b/w the 8.5" and 10" riser is all. Thanks for everyones help.

curtis
10-27-2005, 11:08 AM
I say 10" riser, put the 340c under it with some Auralex MoPads to angle the speaker up slightly.

BGHD
10-27-2005, 11:44 PM
Can I assume my Harmony IR remote will work through the Salamander's metal grill?

tamuct
10-28-2005, 08:33 AM
Yes! I have the metal grills on mine, and the remotes still work flawlessly.

BGHD
10-28-2005, 08:58 AM
Thank you. OK, I'm finished w/ my 20-questions finally...I think. Time to spend some money and finally get my 340C off the floor and my TV off of a coffee table.

BGHD
10-29-2005, 07:47 AM
FYI: Per an email from Salamander, the internal dimensions of the Triple 10 are 8.5" between top to bottom (height); 19.75" between posts (depth). 8.5" and 10" risers 150 lb wt capacity. As Curtis mentioned, 10" is good idea to allow angling up of 340c.

BGHD
11-27-2005, 02:01 AM
Was able to pick up a Salamander Triple 20 for about 1/2 price at the Good Guys closeout sale. Lucked out that it was new in box (with no missing pieces too!) and the color I wanted (walnut w/ black posts). Will place the 340c in-cabinet for now as other Ascend owner have done. May place on top if I decide to wall-mount the TV (using stand now). Will post pics when finished. Thanks all.

curtis
11-27-2005, 08:06 AM
oh wow!! What a deal!!

You are in SoCal....may I ask which GoodGuys?

BGHD
11-27-2005, 09:01 PM
GG in Brea (sssh, it's a secret). Didn't see any other NIB Salamander stuff though. GG in Cerritos is about wiped-out. Brea had much better selection at this time, esp speakers and such (actually, tons of speakers like MA, Klipsch, Energy). Most shoppers seemed to be looking for TVs.

Kinda funny, but I was "this close" to dropping $2500 for a console from Diamondcase (in Yorba Linda), when I decided to turn left off the 57 North to look for a Howards or Ken Cranes "just to see", instead of right towards Diamondcase. I stumbled across the GG, and they had exactly what I had originally tried to purchase from the Cerritos GG (after a week of waiting, they just refunded my money). So, a lucky left turn saved me about $1800. Sweet.

curtis
11-27-2005, 09:23 PM
That is great luck! Thanks.