Decent Entertainment Center for CSiA6?

Silverfang2340

Hey guys, I've been searching for a decent entertainment center that would accommodate the Polk CSiA6 center speaker I plan on buying very soon, however, I can't find any where I'll be able to fit the center speaker nicely. I was looking at this South Shore one, but the top middle shelf is only 20 inches wide and 6 inches tall. I may just have to find another entertainment center, but I'm really liking this one. Maybe I'll just have to settle for the CSiA4, instead. Also, I plan on grabbing 2 RTiA7's as well, but space isn't a big problem with those. My room is relatively small, roughly 12 x 10 x 10.

Any suggestions?

Here is the entertainment center I was checking out: http://www.olejostores.com/img/south_shore_furniture_vertex_42_inch_corner_tv_stand_in_cherry-ssf10119-b.jpeg

Geoff4rfc

Silverfang, welcome to the forum.

In my opinion, you're going in the opposite direction, don't get gear to fit your entertainment center, get an entertainment center to fit your gear. In the end, I made my own stand, of course it doesn't look as nice as the one you have picked out, but if fits my gear.

Silverfang2340

Thanks, I'm assuming the CSi A6 will be a little "too much" for my room, anyway, hence why I may just get the CSi A4. I just don't want to go spending $350+ on an entertainment center for a center speaker. The CSi A6 is a monster. Would you be able to post a picture of your setup? Much appreciated!

EndersShadow

Why not just set it up so you mount your TV inside that opening using a TV mount and not a stand and then put the center below it.....

Assuming it will fit and all...

teamjhertz

I would recommend the CSiA6/CSi5 over the CSiA4/ CSi3 in most any room. I have a CSi5 in a spare bedroom that is used for movies/tv viewing. I had a CSi3 and prefer the Csi5. Also try to find a tv stand that has a mount integrated into. This will raise the tv high enough to place the center on the top shelf right under the tv.

Geoff4rfc

Silverfang2340 wrote: »

The CSi A6 is a monster. Would you be able to post a picture of your setup? Much appreciated!

Sure, I just replace my 50" with a 64", so I need to move my display up about 3-4". When the movie is in letter box, no problem, but when in full screen, the very top of the a6 is in the picture.

Silverfang2340

EndersShadow wrote: »

Why not just set it up so you mount your TV inside that opening using a TV mount and not a stand and then put the center below it.....

Assuming it will fit and all...

I may just end up doing that, I was just looking for an entertainment center that would be "filling" for my room. But my TV IS mountable, so I may just get one of those, I've seen decent ones around $200.

Silverfang2340

Geoff4rfc wrote: »

Sure, I just replace my 50" with a 64", so I need to move my display up about 3-4". When the movie is in letter box, no problem, but when in full screen, the very top of the a6 is in the picture.

What subs have you got, mind me asking? I'm looking into getting the HSU VTF-2 MK4

leroyjr1

A couple old pics of my rti a9/csi a6 days

Silverfang2340

leroyjr1 wrote: »

A couple old pics of my rti a9/csi a6 days

Nice! The second picture definitely gives me an insight of just how big that center speaker really is. I always find an entertainment center that has a cabinet about 20" wide, just 4" short of the CSi A6 which bums me out. When I purchase an entertainment center I will make a post stating which one along with some follow up pictures.

Also, I noticed how you said from your rti/csi days. Have you upgraded?

BlueFox

Geoff4rfc wrote: »

Sure, I just replace my 50" with a 64", so I need to move my display up about 3-4". When the movie is in letter box, no problem, but when in full screen, the very top of the a6 is in the picture

I would not worry about that. When the picture is 16.9 my center is a little into the screen. I never notice it now, and it is better for bringing the sound into the picture instead of being below it.

EndersShadow

Silverfang2340 wrote: »

Also, I noticed how you said from your rti/csi days. Have you upgraded?

He's running the Polk LSiM series now. 705 left and right with the corresponding center if I remember correctly.

MADGSF

I have a stand made by Standout Designs which fits my CSi-5 nicely. It looks like nice furniture and you can get extensions and active cooling if you are running a large amp like me. I don't have a picture of my setup but you can see them on their web site. I am using the Horizon N702. The one downside is that you're not going to be able to get a center speaker much larger that the CSi-5/CSiA6 in there if you want to upgrade in the future.

http://www.standoutdesigns.com/

Silverfang2340

MADGSF wrote: »

I have a stand made by Standout Designs which fits my CSi-5 nicely. It looks like nice furniture and you can get extensions and active cooling if you are running a large amp like me. I don't have a picture of my setup but you can see them on their web site. I am using the Horizon N702. The one downside is that you're not going to be able to get a center speaker much larger that the CSi-5/CSiA6 in there if you want to upgrade in the future.

http://www.standoutdesigns.com/

Those are some beautiful entertainment centers, nice wood finish, and cool to see they're handcrafted in Pennsylvania, where I live.

However, those are just a bit out of my budget, not to mention it would be taking up a little over half of my wall where I've got my TV, Receiver, speakers set up. I thank you for the suggestion, perhaps I can grab one of those when I move out. :cool:

rpf65

Did you consider adding a shelf above the tv. That's what I enede up doing, simply because a new stand isn't in the budget yet. Saving for rtia5's right now, then probably have to get a couch, so had to do something.

tommyt21

Silverfang2340 wrote: »

Hey guys, I've been searching for a decent entertainment center that would accommodate the Polk CSiA6 center speaker I plan on buying very soon, however, I can't find any where I'll be able to fit the center speaker nicely. I was looking at this South Shore one, but the top middle shelf is only 20 inches wide and 6 inches tall. I may just have to find another entertainment center, but I'm really liking this one. Maybe I'll just have to settle for the CSiA4, instead. Also, I plan on grabbing 2 RTiA7's as well, but space isn't a big problem with those. My room is relatively small, roughly 12 x 10 x 10.

Any suggestions?

Here is the entertainment center I was checking out:http://www.olejostores.com/img/south_shore_furniture_vertex_42_inch_corner_tv_stand_in_cherry-ssf10119-b.jpeg

Dude I was in this exact position 9 months ago, please do not do what I did and settle for the A4, AHHHHHHG. I just upgraded from the A4 when I figured out a simple solution (and the sound difference is big enough for you to find a solution). The CSI A6 would not fit in my entertainment stand at all. I just decided to go around it. It was 1/2 to short shelf spacing vertically. What i did was up get a cheetah wall mount for the TV and measured out a 7 inch clearance from the top of my entertainment stand to the bottom of the tv. I hung the tv and put the csia6 on the very top of the tv stand. My entertainment stand is 20 &1/2 inches high plus a 7 inch gap to the bottom of the tv frame. Center of the TV is now at perfect height at 45 inches, which is almost the exact height of my eyes while sitting on my couch at 46 inches high.

leroyjr1

Silverfang2340 wrote: »

Nice! The second picture definitely gives me an insight of just how big that center speaker really is. I always find an entertainment center that has a cabinet about 20" wide, just 4" short of the CSi A6 which bums me out. When I purchase an entertainment center I will make a post stating which one along with some follow up pictures.

Also, I noticed how you said from your rti/csi days. Have you upgraded?

EndersShadow wrote: »

He's running the Polk LSiM series now. 705 left and right with the corresponding center if I remember correctly.

Correct, running Polk Lsim 705's and lsim706 center for my HT setup. Before that I was running Definitive Technology Mythos St, 8080hd center and inwalls for surrounds and loved them.

Dick Ringeisen

This is an old thread, however, a while ago (Last year, maybe?) when I was researching stand to hold my CSIA6 I noticed... there was almost nothing out there!

I had a Sanus center channel stand, leftover from many years ago. I used that for a while. It worked fine with the rear projection TVs that sat on the floor, other than that, it's in the way.


I found a few stands out there, very few with the required height for the speakers, but they all had issues. I didn't want glass shelving. I didn't want doors, I wanted it open. I didn't want to mount the TV on the wall. I also didn't want a center pillar blocking where I could put the CSIA6. What I wanted was a basic stand, large enough for me, that I could fir the CSIA6 on, and some other stuff.


it took a while, and it involved buying something that didn't really have any reviews out there, but so far, it's nice. I'm just sharing a link to information about the product, you can find it online for sale. The # on the catalog page is 165758. - http://donnieann.com/collection/richdale

So far, so good. I have about 3/4 of an inch of clearance from the tallest part of the CSIA6, to the bottom of the table-top's lip.

I spent MANY hours researching stands and tables, looking for something just like this, and now looking through some bookmarks, and finding this link again, I thought I'd post this information here as it may save someone else some time if they are looking for a similar piece of furniture.

.

tonyb

Today, even Wal-Mart has stands that will work. Any of those stands that have the back bar to mount the TV on that are adjustable, then put the center on the top shelf. You just have to make sure that back bar is adjustable high enough so the center won't block the bottom of the screen.

Some just build a wood box to put over the center and rest the tv on top of the boxed out center. Others build a shelf above the tv, and still others use no center at all, like myself. You have to be some what creative when it comes to big center channels, stands to accommodate them can be big money.

Dick Ringeisen

I looked at some stands with the rear bar support, but, that wasn't what I was looking for. The rear bar make it a bit more difficult for me to rotate the TV to get to something. Also, most of them had glass shelving. I dislike glass shelving. What I was going to end up doing, had I not found what I was looking for, was get a different stand and build a riser for it. I just didn't want my TV that high up.

Also, a problem I had in the past with my CSIA6 under a TV, close to the bottom of the television screen, was reflections in the Cherry finish of the speaker. I could cover it with some fabric, but I'd still get some of the light hitting it, so I had to lower it. that was a while ago, anyway, that's something that came to mind about the stands with the rear bars, It didn't seem there would be enough clearance for me to avoid reflections.

Mounting the speaker above the TV was an option, but there was a lot involved with getting the angle proper, being sure it was secure in the wall, etc. I prefer just having to wedge the center slightly upwards if I want to.

It was a long search to find what fit this speaker well, with what I was looking for. There aren't many stands, "Ready to go" for a center of this size. I just thought I'd share, as it took lots of research, which is what led me to this thread last year sometime.

tonyb wrote: »

Today, even Wal-Mart has stands that will work. Any of those stands that have the back bar to mount the TV on that are adjustable, then put the center on the top shelf. You just have to make sure that back bar is adjustable high enough so the center won't block the bottom of the screen.

Some just build a wood box to put over the center and rest the tv on top of the boxed out center. Others build a shelf above the tv, and still others use no center at all, like myself. You have to be some what creative when it comes to big center channels, stands to accommodate them can be big money.

evertune

looking good.

Megazine

Any stands that work with the csia6? Any luck?