Six things: bays deep and tall enough for full-size components, shelves rated for the weight of an amplifier, a back panel that comes off, real ventilation, doors that do not block a remote, and enough mass and stability that a turntable is not disturbed by footfall. Everything else is preference.
Notably absent from that list is any claim about the cabinet improving the sound. Furniture holds equipment steady, cool and reachable. That is the job.
Bays sized for components, not for boxes of DVDs
Mass-market media furniture is dimensioned around a television and some storage. Audio equipment is deeper, taller and heavier than that assumption allows. A cabinet that suits a system has interior bays measured in the same terms as your components, published rather than implied.
| Model | Overall | Each gear enclosure |
|---|---|---|
| Majestic | 70 or 82 w × 22 h × 22 d | 19.75 w × 17.25 h × 20.25 d |
| Monarch | 70 or 82 w × 24 h × 22 d | 19.75 w × 17.25 h × 20.25 d |
| Horizon | 72 or 82 w × 24 h × 22 d | 19.75 w × 19.375 h × 20.5 d |
| Haven | 72 or 82 w × 26 h × 22 d | 19.75 w × 20.5 h × 20.5 d |
| Pennington | 74 or 84 w × 22 h × 22 d | 19.75 w × 16.75 h × 19.5 d |
Mass, stability and what actually helps a turntable
A turntable is sensitive to vibration reaching it through the surface it stands on, which in a domestic room usually means footfall through a suspended floor. Two things help: a heavy, rigid piece of furniture that does not flex, and a surface that is not also carrying the loudspeakers.
Claims beyond that get speculative quickly. What can be stated plainly is load: B&A publishes 200 lb on the top, 95 lb on the bottom shelf, 60 lb on an adjustable shelf and 25 lb in a drawer, on every model, and the cabinets are solid hardwood rather than a light frame. Where footfall is a real problem, the fix is usually the floor or a wall shelf, not the console.
See the turntable guide for placement and the pull-out shelf option.
A back panel that comes off
Nothing distinguishes furniture made for systems from furniture made for showrooms more reliably than this. Systems change; a sealed back turns every change into an ordeal. On B&A consoles the vented back panels are removable, and on the Majestic, Haven and Horizon they come off without tools.
Airflow that is designed rather than decorative
Vented shelves and a vented, removable back give convection a path, and on the Monarch and Pennington the bottoms are vented too. Where the heat load is high, a thermostat-controlled fan does the rest. The ventilation guide covers both, including the AC Infinity AIRPLATE options B&A can build in.
Doors that do not fight your remote
A closed cabinet is only pleasant if the system still responds with the doors shut. B&A uses wood-framed doors with remote-friendly tinted glass on the Majestic, Haven and Horizon, and a choice of clear or grey tinted glass on the Monarch and Pennington.
The checklist
- Interior bay depth and height published, and larger than your deepest and tallest component with cable room to spare.
- Shelf and top load ratings published.
- Removable back panel.
- Vented shelves and bottom, with an active cooling option if you need it.
- Wire chases between bays.
- Remote-friendly doors.
- Adjustable shelves so spacing follows the manuals, not the factory.
- Made to order, so a measurement that does not work can be changed before it is built.
Frequently asked
What makes a media console suitable for high-end audio?
Interior bays sized for full-size components, published shelf load ratings, a removable back panel, real ventilation, remote-friendly doors, and enough mass and rigidity to keep a turntable stable.
Can I use the remote with the doors closed?
Yes. The Majestic, Haven and Horizon use wood-framed doors with remote-friendly tinted glass, and the Monarch and Pennington offer a choice of clear or grey tinted glass.
Talk to the person who builds them
Send your component list and the space you have. Brian will tell you which console fits, or whether it needs to be built to a different size.
Figures on this page are B&A's own published specifications, taken from the current product pages and the ordering and warranty terms. Equipment clearances should always be taken from your own component manuals.