For the past two months I have been piecing together a mid fi HT rig. It is almost complete save for some ICs and
speaker cable. I needed a rack in lieu of stacking components
on top of one another and this led me to the Salamander
Archetype 5.0 in black. I went through the Audio Advisor
and paid $275 shipped with the Cable Hider which is a long
plactic channeled sleeve that is on backorder.

I had two choices in the "cheap" range, the 5.0 and the
Michael Green Designs (essentially the same setup) rack which
was $50 more.

I needed adjustable shelves because I have a Gateway computer
which powers a 36" monitor/tv and it is 8" tall. This has to fit
and some racks give less usable space between shelves. The 5.0
is pure "industrial" in design and this suits me fine. Sure there
are prettier racks, but none for $250 out the door. Setting it
up took some time as one has to thread all of the nuts down the
rods. Had I worked from each end at the beginning of setup, I
would have reduced time. The shelves are not finished on the bottoms
and mine will be placed up on a credenza so this may be a concern,
but a small one.

This thing is pretty stable but I have yet to place everything
on it. I have tried torquing it and don't feel much flex. I only
got the rubber feet in lieu of the spikes or casters and they are
a bit chintzy, but this is also a small matter. The thing looks
cool and will be a firm platform and this is really what matters
in the end.

My last caveat is the finish of the rods, nuts and washers.
I live in Miami and we have humidity. I will monitor during the
summer months for any rust which may take hold. I may also
wipe them down with gun oil and see if this helps should I spot
some rust. I can see this happening as the finish is not painted
nor is it parkerized.

I will give this rack 4+ stars for quality, "urban" design and
price, but round up to five in order to offset the three morons who
thought they could make it in their sleep and posted ones.

Adjustablity, looks and price

None so far

Have been looking for a rack for the bedroom system and most all of the new and used systems are either too expensive, not eye pleasing and /or sold. Looked at the rack at Audio Advisor and then here for the reviews and it sold me. Purchased it from AA for $184 shipped. I agree with most of the statements from previous reviewers. The rack takes time to assemble, some of the washers were rusted. I purchased the black rack and I think it looks nice. It was missing 1 washer, called Salmndr and they shipped 6. The wife thinks it looks nice and that is a bonus. I think the threaded rods look okay, but a little cheap, but the rack itself keeps growing on me and it is a great deal for the price. One reviewer stated to assemble it top down, great idea.

Design, Wood Finish, Quality Appearance

NONE...

I bought the arch type 5 in the hazelnut finish, and it is beautiful. You are given all the necessary tools to assemble it. It is easy to build, but it take some time.
It comes with soft rubber washers to absorb any vibrations, a level tool to even out the shelves. Best of all it is so sturdy.

Similar Products Used:

NONE...

After reading the reviews here, I went to Salamander's web site and started phoning distributors. Turns out Cambridge Soundworks had a demo rack, with a few nicks, for $150. A little flat black paint and you can barely notice the nicks, and I didn't have to put it together. See if you can find a dealer that wants to sell a demo rack, it's a great deal. (And save yourself the hassle of putting it together).
The rack itself is handsome in a high-tech industrial kind of way, and is built like a tank: extremely solid.

I got the black 5 shelf system for $150, I consider that price reasonable. Adjustment is nice. Simple design does what it's supposed to - keeps your audio gear from crashing to the floor! The rack is not as stiff as some others.
A note on assembly - use a rag (or the foam packing material) to spin the nuts. Hold in both hands and run across nut.

I'm worried about rust though. The metal part's finish isn't great.

In the future I may make some natural wood shelves - looks classier.

Adjustability, looks, strength, stability

Assembly time

I have a 3.0 and a 2.0 joined together. Not difficult to assemble, but time consuming. In cherry, looks much better than those black metal stands. If you tighten the nuts down hard, it's very strong and stable. Infinitely adjustable, and you can add shelves, so you can add components at will and not have to stack them or buy a new rack. You also don't have wasted space between shelves. Salamander's cable organizers are a waste - don't mess with them.

High Quality, Good Looks, Expandability.

Build time

I am very happy with this purchase. I have the 5.0 with the cherry shelves, and the wood looks very nice. Good color and grain - I definitely recommend the solid wood over the MDF shelves. It is expensive, yes, but not nearly as expensive as some other racks.

A few things to note (as others have on this page). The unit takes the better part of an afternoon to assemble (especially with only one person - I highly recommend enlisting the help of a friend). The metal components are shipped covered with a light oil, which must be wiped off prior to assembly. Even so, you will need to wash your hands periodically. Leveling the shelves takes some time as well, luckily a carpenter's level is included. The finished product looks wonderful however, and is well worth the effort. Finally, prospective buyers should know that if you push on it, the rack will wobble ever so slightly when fully loaded with equipment. In other words, it is not rock solid like an enclosed cabinet would be. Nothing to be concerned about, but keep this in mind if you live on a fault line or something.

Despite these caveats, a wonderful value. Highly recommended.

Denon AVR-3300 Reciever
Denon DCM-370 CD Transport
MonsterPower HTS-2500 Line Conditioner
Acoustic Research AR-1 Fronts
Acoustic Research AR-11 Surrounds
Acoustic Research AR-2C Center
BetterCables Interconnects and Speaker Cables
Salamander Designs Archetype 5.0 Rack

Similar Products Used:

None

I share Davids thoughts on the Archetype 5.0...This is one SOLID unit! I did have a problem when I first purchased the Stand though. One of the rods was about 1" shorter than the other 3. A quick call to Salamander fixed that. They sent me a new one and it arrived quickly too. I always receive positive comments on the appearance (I also have Natural Cherry). The thing I also like about the Salamander Archtype is it's expandability. I f you need more space for new equipment, they sell different packages so you can extend the rack vertically or horizontally.

A pain to assemble but once it's finished, it's as solid (and heavy) as more expensive racks. Slim simplistic design. It makes a perfect rack for separates or HT components. The wood finish is also very high quality. Highly recommended.

I recently purchased two arch fives. They sit side by side with a 27" tv place on top in the middle. They look beautiful and where a whole lot less expensive than most other racks on the market.