The Salamander Archetype 5.0 rack is a simple and utilitarian five-shelf rack, consisting of four five-eighths-of-an-inch threaded rods and five shelves. The Archetype 5.0 system measures 36 inches high by 23 inches wide and 16 inches deep. These racks don’t offer any high-tech vibration control or component isolation. Shelves are secured to the rods with large nuts, washers and rubber gaskets and, as such, are infinitely adjustable, making them adapt easily to your system as it changes. Salamander offers an extensive list of add-on accessories, including drawers, rear panels, wire management, arched bookends and two caster options. Heavy-duty spikes are also available for floor contact, allowing them to be configured as much more than just audio stands. Shelves are available in black or solid hardwood in Cherry, Maple and Walnut, with black threaded rods. Extra shelves and rods can be added with the use of couplers at any time to increase the storage capacity and height of the rack.
The Salamander Archetype system’s design allows for infinite adjustment, but can make initial assembly tedious. Leveling the shelves is a must for optimum performance. The shelves are pretty wide, but not very deep, so larger components might not fit these racks, though each shelf has a quoted weight capacity of up to 150 pounds. Basic racks come with rubber footers for the ends of the threaded rods, which can make taller units a bit unsteady to outside forces, though they are generally stable. The best part of these systems is their low cost, infinite adjustability and, most of all, expandability. This allows them to grow with you, your needs and your system. The optional accessories allow them to become much more than simple AV racks; they can store media and be bookshelves, too. Matching TV stands (TV40 and TV65) are also available, so your entire audio/video system can be on similarly-designed shelving, making for a clean-looking system. Prices for the Archetype 5.0 start at $249.95 with black shelves and up to $399.95 with hardwood shelving.
| Manufacturer |
Salamander Designs
|
| Model | Archtype 5.0 Rack |
| Reviewer |
AVRev.com
|
