OTHER TECH

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Access No system is ever really finished, and since you're likely to be continually tweaking, adjusting, and fixing your gear (although one hopes not too much of the last), you'll want to make sure you can get to each component easily. It's always best if you can get behind the furniture so you can work on your equipment's back panels. BDI's Avion series, for instance, has wheels hidden in the legs so you just have to roll the cabinet. But this kind of access isn't always easily accomplished - especially with massive wall units. In that case, look for furniture that makes it easy to turn gear around. While pullout shelves aren't common, they can be a real boon - but only if both the shelves and the runners are solidly built.

IR-Friendly Once all your gear's tucked away in a cabinet, you'll want to be able to operate it without having to get up and press the buttons on each component. The front panels of BDI's cabinets feature infrared (IR)-friendly glass that allows signals from your remote control to pass through unimpeded. Salamander offers an optional IR-repeater system that lets you aim the remote at a single location on the unit, even when the cabinets have solid doors.

Cable Management One of the most obvious "features" of any enthusiast's system is the inevitable tangle of wires. But nobody needs to know about your cable woes if you get a cabinet that has routing holes, wire channels, or cable straps. If your unit has solid shelves, be sure there are passageways for routing wires between them. If you have an open rack made of metal or glass, you'll want channels that not only route the cables but keep them out of view. A/V stands from Bell'O, for example, feature the company's patented Cable Management System to securely hide power cords and interconnect cables.

Expandability It's essential to future-proof. Since new gear is continually coming out, you should think about what you might be adding to your system over the next few years. If you don't have a media server, for instance, you might want to make sure your unit can accommodate one. Does it let you add shelves or reposition them to make room for new gear? Hooker's Fairview wall unit, for example, has an expandable bridge above the TV area so you can vary the size of the console opening according to the size of the set. Maybe the ultimate example of expandability, though, is Vantage Point's Evo, a modular wall-mounted system designed with flat-panel TVs in mind. Its aluminum frame has a series of tracks that easily expand to accommodate new gear or new configurations of gear. You don't need to breach your wall to install it, and it gives you fast access to all your wires and power connections. - Jamie Sorcher