When I first heard about the 180, I was initially excited and wanted one. But when I started to think about it, I just don’t have room for it and I most definitely do not have room for one under and one over my screen. Plus, I don’t want to hang one above my screen with chains, which I think it the only real option for the above screen location. There are those who feel two centers is a bad idea, but having done it, I’ll never go with one center again.

When Andrew posted this conceptual idea thread, I started thinking about it from a purely selfish perspective, and not a perspective from a builder / designer. I think that to make this possible, I need to put my cabinet maker hat back on and think about the cost / benefit ratios with differing cabinet sizes and shapes. When looking at it from that perspective, the “hump” or “triangle” ideas will be a show stopper. To do that would require a very radical cabinet change which will also affect veneering and internal bracing. It can be done, but I suspect the expense would be cost prohibitive. The strength of the cabinet is obtained by how it is assembled and the size of each cabinet piece. The cabinet structural integrity would be drastically reduced if the lid is cut to accommodate a hump or triangle. Cutting and assembling a lid with an odd shape would be a nightmare. To keep the cabinet structurally sound, but large enough to stack drivers vertically, it would obviously have to be squattier, like the one Tom posted the picture of. I personally do not like this look, but others do.

Whatever cabinet shape is determined, I would really like to see this thing wall mountable so that I could mount one above and one below my screen without stands or chains. That will require the cabinet depth be reduced, considerably, to get the pivot / weight moment point closer to the wall.

It sure would be fun to build a few of these differing design ideas and do some blind testing……

I’m also very pleased that Axiom has thrown this out for the general input of forum users. I’ve often mentioned during our CC meetings that a broader opinion base would be great for some of this stuff. Thank you for doing that Andrew.