Thought on Phoenix AV3 equipment cabinet

Chewbacca · 18-01-2007, 10:49 PM

Hello Guys

I have been looking around for a AV cabinet for a while now and I have come across this http://www.av-sales.co.uk/Phoenix-AV3-208-29.htm

I am just wondering if anybody out there has got one of these cabinets or at least seen them in the flesh.

On paper they seem to be just the thing I am looking for but £567 is a lot of money if it turns up and the quality is rubbish.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

blicky_1 · 20-01-2007, 2:21 PM

One on this thread Walnut AV3 Cabinet

I'm going to look at one of these next week, looks quality kit though.

Chewbacca · 20-01-2007, 4:09 PM

Thanks for that Mate

Would You let Me know what You think of it please i see av-sales are doing a special offer on the av3 at the moment.

blicky_1 · 20-01-2007, 11:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chewbacca

Thanks for that Mate

Would You let Me know what You think of it please i see av-sales are doing a special offer on the av3 at the moment.

I have taken the plunge and ordered one from av-sales in oak tonight, will let you know how it goes!!

Chewbacca · 21-01-2007, 12:09 PM

cheers Mate

Kirk · 22-01-2007, 10:10 AM

Hello Mate,

Yep, I hae one of these AV3's in Oak and have just purchased the Plasma Bracket to go with it. (Wasn't available last year)

The Cabinet is great, nice materials that look and feel solid.

The delivery I took came with no assembly instructions whatsoever, which I am not sure is the norm, but anyone who has ever put anything together from Ikea will have no trouble.

On that note, thankfully the Plasma Bracket DOES come with instructions, and as this beauty holds several throusand pounds worth of screen, I am happy about that :-)

If I get a chance, I will take a piccie, but I suspect I won't have a chance to put the plasma bracket in for a week or two.

Regards,

Kirk

Chewbacca · 22-01-2007, 2:19 PM

Thanks for the info Kirk

Yeah I would like to see a piccie or two

blicky_1 · 22-01-2007, 8:29 PM

Mine is beigh delivered Wednesday!!

Carlos13 · 22-01-2007, 10:57 PM

Really like the look of this cabinet. However its internal depth (460mm) is less than all of the Pioneer receivers from the 1016 upwards

How odd that a specialist cabinet should be too small for such a popular range of products.

Chewbacca · 22-01-2007, 11:12 PM

I will have to have a look in the morning regarding the dimesions of My Pioneer amp its the Pioneer Vsa-ax10ai-s it is a monster in terms of size but I am sure it will fit into this cabinet

Carlos13 · 23-01-2007, 9:14 AM

According to the Pioneer website that amp is more than 460mm deep...

I'm looking at the 2016 and this is too deep also

blicky_1 · 23-01-2007, 8:00 PM

AV-Sales called today unit is comming tomorrow from Oxford fully assembled!!

Those Pioneer amps are very deep just measured my Yamaha 757se and its only about 400mm deep.....

simkna · 24-01-2007, 10:20 AM

Blicky 1, make sure you examine the cabinet before the driver leaves. Mine was delivered this way, and was damaged in transit. Didn't spot it until the driver had gone.
Other than that, am very happy with mine. Replacement side panels have been supplied, but haven't got around to fitting them yet.

Si.

bolts · 25-01-2007, 5:42 PM

Mine arrived yesterday with no instructions? could someone post a picture of one with the centre part open so I can see if I have something missing at the rear?

Thanks....

blicky_1 · 25-01-2007, 8:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bolts

Mine arrived yesterday with no instructions? could someone post a picture of one with the centre part open so I can see if I have something missing at the rear?

Thanks....

Will try later for you but mine came fully assembled

Ther rear center is open though.....

bolts · 28-01-2007, 6:19 PM

At the back of the centre part there are some holes drilled?

Attached is a picture of the bottom, any ideas?

blicky_1 · 28-01-2007, 7:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bolts

At the back of the centre part there are some holes drilled?

Attached is a picture of the bottom, any ideas?

This is for the optional screen bracket that feeds through from the top to the bottom, no need to worry

Chewbacca · 30-01-2007, 9:39 AM

Can You guys post some pictures of Your av cabinet please I am trying to convince the wife at the mo

smarty · 30-01-2007, 12:31 PM

Has anyone got the Phoenix AV furniture with the Keene remote extender?
Does the Keene work well? I've seen other makes of remote extender for anything up to £250 so curious to know how well a £70 unit works.

smarty · 30-01-2007, 1:12 PM

Also meant to ask how the doors open/operate as the pictures don't appear to show any door handles.
I'm looking for a cabinet with doors so that my 18 month old can't touch the equipment but didn't know if he would still be able to open the doors or if it would be possible to fit some kind of lock to them (or a Mothercare kitchen cupboard locking kit).

Thanks

simkna · 30-01-2007, 4:33 PM

Here's a picture of mine.

I am using it with the Keene IR kit, and it works fine.

The doors are on push catches. you push the door and it pops open. push again to close. They can take some adjusting to work just right, but it's no biggie.

Si.

smarty · 30-01-2007, 9:49 PM

What finish is that?

blicky_1 · 30-01-2007, 11:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smarty

What finish is that?

Simkna's is the walnut finish, I have the oak.....more like the colour of his sub....

richard plumb · 31-01-2007, 9:25 AM

where is the Keene receiver in that pic? I thought it was quite large - one of the advantages of the really expensive ones is that they have discreet receivers

smarty · 31-01-2007, 12:16 PM

Blicky,
Do you have a picture of your one you could post?
Would prefer oak but there's no picture of the whole cabinet in oak on the AV-Sales website.

I would also be interested to see the Keene IR sensor in relation to the cabinet for an idea of size.
If it's too big can a different sensor be attached to the Keene unit?

Thanks guys.

Kent Home Cinema · 31-01-2007, 12:42 PM

Morning all

Trying to see from the photo but the I think the Keene sensor/ receiver in Si's photo is where I have mine at home. You can see it reflecting slightly on the left hand underneath the screen. The receiver is approx 7cm at its deepest point and 7cm at its widest.

The cables lengths that come with the kit allow some flexibility where you put the sensor but as long as it is in line of sight with the remote there should not be a problem.

Regards

Alastair

smarty · 31-01-2007, 12:50 PM

Alastair,
I would like to get an AV2 but not sure whether it would be possible to stop an 18 month old from opening the doors. I don't think it would take him long to realise you have to push the door to release it!
Any ideas as to how the doors could be locked or kept shut?
Any suggestions welcome as I'm very keen to get one but the wife thinks we need something with locking doors (if it keeps sticky fingers off the Onkyo and Arcam then locking doors are for me too!).

thanks

Kent Home Cinema · 31-01-2007, 2:50 PM

Afternoon smarty

I have the same problem with my 15 month daughter and my AV3

She hasn't clocked the fact she can get into the cabinet yet as she is still enjoying climbing all over my sub and also trying to reprogramme my amp with the remote

In a few weeks I am going to add a few child locks that that you can get for kitchen cuboards etc.

It might cost a little more but I can ask the manufacturers if they could incorprate some form of locking device without it spoiling the look of the cabinet.

Regards

Alastair

smarty · 31-01-2007, 5:00 PM

Thanks Alastair.
I wonder whether a couple of these would work as locks:

http://www.mothercare.com/gp/product...72041&mcb=core

If you could find out from the manufacturer and it's not too expensive it might be a better option. I'll keep my eyes peeled for a reply ;-)

Regards

smarty

Kent Home Cinema · 31-01-2007, 5:31 PM

Hi smarty

Will contact the manufacturer and get back to you on whether they can provide locks.

Those child locks you have in your post should do the trick although I am not sure if there would be a problem with the current opening device. Will speak to the designers on this. I've used a similar Boots brand in the kitchen. The only thing I found tricky was for the magnetic type you have to drill into the doors (certainly with the boots ones you do). I was getting bored by the time I got to the 6th one and lost concentration and managed to drill through to the front face of the cuboard door

Now planning a trip back to Ikea to get a replacement door.

Hopefully will get back to you tomorrow with news on lock options.

Regards

Alastair