Any Bell'O rack owners? Danger Will Robinson!

agfrost

Sounds good John. I got a Salamander S40 off CL for stupid cheap this summer and am very happy with both its performance and looks.

Keep that gear from paratrooping!

Jay

falconcry72

John, those pics hurt my soul.


I need a new rack badly, and I'm definitely not doing glass. Wood is sturdy, plus it seems like it would keep things dampened better.

Here's a VTI BL404 I'm looking at:



It is VERY sturdy. Each shelf is rated at something like 250 lbs. Each shelf is a solid welded piece, and you can stack as many or as few as you want, and they come in different heights. Extra shelves are about 100 a pop. They also come in different wood finishes and metal colors. Seems like a good deal.

John in MA

agfrost wrote: »

Sounds good John. I got a Salamander S40 off CL for stupid cheap this summer and am very happy with both its performance and looks.

Keep that gear from paratrooping!

Jay

This is an Archetype 7.0. One of those allthread racks. Looks pretty good from the pictures.

agfrost

I like the look of the Archetype series (mine's the Synergy); you certainly won't have to worry about those shelves dumping your gear! You should be happy with your purchase.

mantis

John in MA wrote: »

OK, enough with the arguing.

After a thorough examination, I couldn't find any time-efficient way of making this a failure-proof rack. But...I found a deal on an awesome 7-shelf Salamander w/bottom drawer on Craigslist. The guy's delivering it tomorrow.

If I break that thing I'll bloody well deserve it.

LOL,
Good going. Salamander racks are as sturdy as any on the market. Strong and very well built. Fully adjustable to the point you can place your shelf height exactly how you want it. I also switched from Bello to Salamander and still have that very rack today.
You also can add on as they are modular. Synergy series is a great line of Salamander and timeless IMO.
Mine is a Tripple 20 in Maple with Aluminum silver posts. I have one drawer but never Installed it.

If you break this one , you need a new hobby

mantis

falconcry72 wrote: »

John, those pics hurt my soul.


I need a new rack badly, and I'm definitely not doing glass. Wood is sturdy, plus it seems like it would keep things dampened better.

Here's a VTI BL404 I'm looking at:



It is VERY sturdy. Each shelf is rated at something like 250 lbs. Each shelf is a solid welded piece, and you can stack as many or as few as you want, and they come in different heights. Extra shelves are about 100 a pop. They also come in different wood finishes and metal colors. Seems like a good deal.

I 100% hate these racks. They suck **** when you want to move it or get behind. It's a strong design if you leave room behind it to get back there and work. No wire management at all , all exposed , nah it sucks **** get something else.

decal

dee1949 wrote: »

....looks like "EARTHquake" damage to me. File a claim.

dee, I sure hope your post is meant to be light hearted. False claims are one of the big reasons why insurance costs are thru the roof now. Not to mention they're illegal.

decal

John, you seem to be sending mixed messages about this situation.

I asked you this in Post#26..Did you have the feeling that the parts were inferior when you assembled the rack?

You answered with this in Post#28...I got it fully assembled, but I never liked the look of the shelf support method. My assumption was "well they sold this thing for years, so it must work."

Mantis asked you this in Post#48... From the pictures I see you Installed the shelf supports the wrong way. You put the screw end on the stop of the shelf and the flat non screw side on the bottom.

You answered in Post#53...but I set it up according to whatever paperwork I had at the time

So, did you get it fully assembled or did you assemble it?



BTW, in post #28 you also said this...I'm not dumb enough to have kids.
Are you implying that people with kids are dumb? :frown:

cfrizz

mantis wrote: »

I 100% hate these racks. They suck **** when you want to move it or get behind. It's a strong design if you leave room behind it to get back there and work. No wire management at all , all exposed , nah it sucks **** get something else.

I don't quite get why those little point things on the end would make this rack sturdy, and as you pointed out you can't move the damn thing once it's set up since the point things would no doubt sway back & forth.

falconcry72

mantis wrote: »

I 100% hate these racks. They suck **** when you want to move it or get behind. It's a strong design if you leave room behind it to get back there and work. No wire management at all , all exposed , nah it sucks **** get something else.

See, I like that the back is completely open, with no wire management, because I'm always back there switching stuff out, so I'd rather not have anything in the way. I see what you mean about not being able to move it, though, since it's multiple pieces, and although there will be room to get behind it in my current setup, I'd like to get something future-proof in case my next setup doesn't have room behind it. hmm, the search continues...

Demiurge

I own VTI racks, except mine is more horizontal than vertical, and it is a very sturdy rack housing a huge B & K amp, SC Series Pioneer AVR receiver, XBox 360, and OPPO Blu-Ray player currently.

They are great racks. They're also modular, meaning you can take it apart easily one level at a time. Very easy to take off the top and get full access to your gear.

They aren't hard to move at all unless they're on carpet, because of the carpet spikes. Any rack loaded with gear that is spiked in carpet is going to be hard to move. On hardwood they're simple to move.

Wire management is also easy, unless you consider wire management just hiding a rats nest behind a facade. In that case, these racks aren't for you, they're for people who want to take their time with wire management.

If I had it to do all over again I would buy another VTI rack. For the money, they're hard to beat.

VTI BL-503

falconcry72

Demiurge wrote: »

Wire management is also easy, unless you consider wire management just hiding a rats nest behind a facade. In that case, these racks aren't for you, they're for people who want to take their time with wire management.

I agree. I would be using this for my 2-channel rig. There aren't many cables, and the ones there are short.

I don't need no stinkin' furniture to manage my wires, I am the wire manager!

John in MA

decal wrote: »

John, you seem to be sending mixed messages about this situation.

I asked you this in Post#26..Did you have the feeling that the parts were inferior when you assembled the rack?

You answered with this in Post#28...I got it fully assembled, but I never liked the look of the shelf support method. My assumption was "well they sold this thing for years, so it must work."

Mantis asked you this in Post#48... From the pictures I see you Installed the shelf supports the wrong way. You put the screw end on the stop of the shelf and the flat non screw side on the bottom.

You answered in Post#53...but I set it up according to whatever paperwork I had at the time

So, did you get it fully assembled or did you assemble it?



BTW, in post #28 you also said this...I'm not dumb enough to have kids.
Are you implying that people with kids are dumb? :frown:

I got the rack fully assembled, as in the sides, bottom, and top were bolted together, etc. From the factory the main structure comes in five pieces, I think. The shelves have to be removed for transportation, so I put them back in once I had it home.

The shelf clips are not removable. They're held on with these silly pop-rivets, but they were a little loose so I could have rotated them around if I wanted to. As I got it, the shelf clips were positioned as shown, and the flyer or whatever showed the same as best I can remember.

falconcry72 wrote: »

See, I like that the back is completely open, with no wire management, because I'm always back there switching stuff out, so I'd rather not have anything in the way. I see what you mean about not being able to move it, though, since it's multiple pieces, and although there will be room to get behind it in my current setup, I'd like to get something future-proof in case my next setup doesn't have room behind it. hmm, the search continues...

I'm with this guy. I like a completely open shelf setup so I can fiddle with my equipment (say what?) whenever I need to. The Bello had a cable tunnel I never used, and it got in the way for my purposes.
And learn to take a joke. I'm saying _I_ would be suited for kids.

falconcry72

Demiurge wrote: »

They aren't hard to move at all unless they're on carpet, because of the carpet spikes. Any rack loaded with gear that is spiked in carpet is going to be hard to move. On hardwood they're simple to move.

OK, so on hardwood, if you try to slide it around, do the levels want to disengage from each other?

I'm seriously considering this rack.

I like the spikes between levels and at the bottom; I like the wood and welded construction of the levels; I like the open back, and I like the modular nature so I can add or remove levels as necessary.

I think the only hesitancy I have is in the ability to slide the thing around as a whole without the shelves coming unattached.

Thoughts?

John in MA

falconcry72 wrote: »

I think the only hesitancy I have is in the ability to slide the thing around as a whole without the shelves coming unattached

What's the worst that could happen?

falconcry72

Rick88 wrote: »

I recently got a VTI rack myself, and I love it. It got the one with 3 legs instead of four. I think it looks very sleek, and it allowed me to use the rear foot/post to zip tie my wires to it for nice wire management. I do agree that it would be a pain to move around on carpet, but I'm one to keep my gear in the same place for a long time so it is not an issue for me.

Nice. Black, chrome, and cherry? That's the same combo I'd get.:cool:

falconcry72

John in MA wrote: »

What's the worst that could happen?

ha. I think you know allll too well.:rolleyes:

cfrizz

If I got a VTI rack I would get one like this one.

http://www.racksandstands.com/asp/show_image.asp?pr=0&sku=VI1012&imgs=http%3A%2F%2Fcommon2.csnimages.com%2Flf%2F1%2Fhash%2F96%2F338341%2F1%2FAR%2BSeries%2B5-Shelf%2BAudio%2BRack.jpg

Nice and solid, with wheels to move easier.

falconcry72

cfrizz wrote: »

If I got a VTI rack I would get one like this one.

http://www.racksandstands.com/asp/show_image.asp?pr=0&sku=VI1012&imgs=http%3A%2F%2Fcommon2.csnimages.com%2Flf%2F1%2Fhash%2F96%2F338341%2F1%2FAR%2BSeries%2B5-Shelf%2BAudio%2BRack.jpg

Nice and solid, with wheels to move easier.

Not for me, though it does look like it would make a good room service cart.

Demiurge

falconcry72 wrote: »

OK, so on hardwood, if you try to slide it around, do the levels want to disengage from each other?

I'm seriously considering this rack.

I like the spikes between levels and at the bottom; I like the wood and welded construction of the levels; I like the open back, and I like the modular nature so I can add or remove levels as necessary.

I think the only hesitancy I have is in the ability to slide the thing around as a whole without the shelves coming unattached.

Thoughts?

It would really depend on your floor. If the floors are even and not rough, it'll glide well, especially if you outfit them with the felt stuff on the bottom of the rack. I could conceivably see what you've mentioned happening, though, but it hasn't to me.

I put enough space between the wall and the rack that I have a decent amount of room to get at the equipment, so having to move it around with stuff on it doesn't happen much.

falconcry72

Rick88 wrote: »

It is black, silver, and cherry. I thought about the chrome, but didn't want it to cause reflections when I take photos.

Man, that silver does look nice. hmm. The chrome is sparkly, but you don't the rack to detract from the gear...

Had any problems with the silver finish flaking off or anything?

I think I'm gonna pull the trigger in the next few days. It's just a matter of sliver or chrome...

I'm going 5 shelves: 13, 9, 7,7

John in MA

Oh wow, the guy just dropped off the Salamander. This is awesome. The only rack I love more is my girlfriend's.

Paid $125 and got this:

http://www.salamanderdesigns.com/archetype/archetype.jsp?modelbase=a5

http://www.salamanderdesigns.com/archetype/archetype.jsp?modelbase=a2

http://www.salamanderdesigns.com/archetype/archetype.jsp?modelbase=stack

http://www.salamanderdesigns.com/archetype/archetype.jsp?modelbase=drawer

falconcry72

John in MA wrote: »

Oh wow, the guy just dropped off the Salamander. This is awesome. The only rack I love more is my girlfriend's.

Paid $125 and got this:

http://www.salamanderdesigns.com/archetype/archetype.jsp?modelbase=a5

http://www.salamanderdesigns.com/archetype/archetype.jsp?modelbase=a2

http://www.salamanderdesigns.com/archetype/archetype.jsp?modelbase=stack

http://www.salamanderdesigns.com/archetype/archetype.jsp?modelbase=drawer

That's a ridiculous deal. Enjoy it, man.

John in MA

Just a dry run. Don't have time to adjust the shelves and hook everything up tonight. This looks so much better to me, too. Even matches the speakers.

You can't tell from the pic I took, but it's almost a foot shorter than my old one, too. The turntable is now easier to access.

cfrizz

Very, very nice! Congrats.

janmike

steveinaz wrote: »

Oh man, that bites. As anal as I am, I'd have to sell everything and start over.

Same here, would not be able to live with the damage.

My heart goes out to you John.

DarqueKnight

John in MA wrote: »

Does Club Polk have any users of Bell'O racks? You might want to take steps to ensure this doesn't happen to you.

Disconnecting the speaker cables on my amp a few weeks ago and the lower shelf supports on my rack gave way and crashed to the floor. It's a Bell'O AT-4203A, about 8 years old, the $650+ price of which doesn't seem appropriate at this point.If anyone has had problems with these things, you might want to give the company a call, since they apparently have heard only positive feedback.

Oh, and my equipment does all fit within the advertised weight limit per-shelf.

John in MA wrote: »

Tempered glass apparently doesn't count for much when it's Bello:

http://www.ripoffreport.com/television-parts-services/bell-o-international/bell-o-international-corporati-47dd7.htm

I have three Bello AT-4203 racks which I used from 2001-2006. One was used in my two channel system and two were used in my home theater system. The Bello racks were replaced with Salamander Synergy racks in 2006.

The only problem I had was the bottom glass shelf of the two channel system's AT-4203 spontaneously shattered one day. A 48 pound Adcom GFA-5802 power amp sat on that shelf. There was no damage to the amp as it simply dropped a couple of inches to the floor when the shelf shattered.

I had just returned home from a weekend trip when I saw the shattered glass on the floor around the rack. My first thought was that I had been vandalized by an inconsiderate burglar, but there was no sign of unauthorized entry and everything was in place, except the amp was resting on the floor with glass all around and under it.

Bello acknowledged that a glass shelf might shatter if it was unduly stressed. Such stress could be caused by moving the rack while the glass shelves are held tightly in place by the set screws. I admitted that I had moved the rack away from and back toward the wall many times in order to access cabling at the rear. Bello sent a replacement shelf free of charge.

mantis wrote: »

I have personally used Bello racks and the actual one you own and [never] had a problem with [it]. From the pictures I see you Installed the shelf supports the wrong way. You put the screw end on the stop of the shelf and the flat non screw side on the bottom.

I never had any problems with that rack or any Bello product including the one I owned which was a higher end model. We also had that very rack on our showroom for many years and have swapped out gear left and right with no problems.

mantis wrote: »

I always put the screws on top as I felt it seems stronger that way. The screws are just there to keep the shelf from sliding forward. If you get new ones , please Install them with the screws on top going down on the shelf. This way you will have all metal bottom.

None of the shelf brackets on any of my AT-4203's can be turned upside down to orient the set screw facing down. The most they will turn is 90 degrees.

I thought it was poor design for Bello to have the glass resting on the plastic set screw rather than the metal bracket, but it seems they do things differently in Italy.

headrott

Love the Kirk shot on the TV Ray.:biggrin:

Greg

John in MA

Ray, that pic with all the Adcom power amps scares the hell out of me. Did the lower parts of any of your clips bend down? Most of the ones in mind were starting to do that, and I think the ones that broke were the worse.

DarqueKnight

John in MA wrote: »

Ray, that pic with all the Adcom power amps scares the hell out of me. Did the lower parts of any of your clips bend down? Most of the ones in mine were starting to do that, and I think the ones that broke were the worse.

I never had any problems with clip bending. The amps did't exceed the 50 pound per shelf weight limit. The two amps at the bottom in the right side rack were Adcom GFA-565's (41 pounds each), the third amp was an Adcom GFA-5500 (44 pounds). The left side rack had two GFA-5500's at the bottom.

The GFA-5802 weighed 48 pounds and put out a fair amount of heat. The heat, weight and bending stress put on the bottom glass shelf by me moving the rack around when it was loaded may have all contributed to that shelf's failure.

I notice one of the pics in my previous post didn't show up due to a link typo. Here it is: