Massive entertainment center replacement ideas?


For many years, our family has had a massive entertainment center. I have found that it IS possible to get great sound out of my current system in spite of the presence of "Gladys" as it'll be called. But I still can't help but wonder how much damage is still being done to sound which is asymptotically approaching perfection (for me) by the gargantuan entertainment center.

And now, (insert Hallelujah Chorus here) the POINT:
Mercifully, my wife has consented to ditch Gladys at any time, provided that I can come up with something that more or less still hides the cords, cables, etc. OK fellow A'gon-izers, IDEAS???????
mdhoover
Mdhoover,

I see no issues with what you have....edge diffraction can become a problem with anything too close to the speakers but that does not appear to be your case.

If you don't plan on ever moving, are getting rid of Gladys anyway, and are prepared to stick with your speakers over the long term then you might consider custom build.... a soffit mount built in wall design....just use lots of MDF (2 inches thick and make sure it is all heavily braced)

Good luck!
Thanks to all who've responded so far.

Unsound: I'm not sure exactly what you mean.

Velo62: Beautiful stuff at the JPS web site. Your system is gorgeous too!

Newbee: If I open the doors on the bottom, they only swing out and will not push back into the cabinet. I generally play it with the bottom two doors closed. I may throw a blanket over the TV.

Shadorne: You already know how impressed I am with your setup! Someday something like that for me maybe, but not for a while due to lack of time, talent, etc.

I will say that the system images like the thing weren't even there, as if ghosts were playing in the same space occupied by Gladys, as well as elsewhere on the soundstage. Perhaps Gladys can stay for a while.

Thanks again.
Here's a thought Bill... remove Gladys and see what happens to your sound. If you like the change, then pursue a new less obtrusive rack, if no change keep her. No guess work. Make sense?

Check out my main system, you and I have the same Gladys! Built mine myself, where did you get yours? My rack is off to the side of the room, well away from the speakers. My main system is in the family room with the furnace room directly under it; I run a balanced interconnect from my preamp in the rack under the floor to my amp in the furnace room, and then run the speaker wires from the amp output up through rhe floor to the speakers. Nice clean install, wish I could get rid of the couch between my speakers though.
"Here's a thought Bill... remove Gladys and see what happens to your sound. If you like the change, then pursue a new less obtrusive rack, if no change keep her. No guess work. Make sense?"
Mijknarf

Mijknarf,
Yes, it makes perfect sense, except for the difficulty in moving Gladys. Just getting her to SLIDE required me putting four of those huge furniture slider things under the bottom, and I even sprayed those with Sailkote brand teflon spray. I continue to believe that Gladys is one of the largest wooden objects ever constructed by humans. Having been to Japan, I can vouch for the fact that the Todai-ji temple in Nara, Japan is an even larger wooden structure, in fact said to be the largest wooden structure in the world. Still, I think that Gladys is pretty darn big and hard to move.

"Check out my main system, you and I have the same Gladys! Built mine myself, where did you get yours?"
-Hack

Hack,
Unlike you and Shadorne, I haven't the talent to build such a structure. The story of Gladys, from my perspective, is told here, in the thread discussion following the review of the Intuitive Design Summits. Maybe Gladys isn't so bad after all. I'm beginning to feel like I'm in good company!