Schroers & Schroers
Audio/Video Furniture

     Strolling through the displays at the Las Vegas Hilton during the 2001 CES, I came upon a very attractive and well built line of audio/video furniture from Germany. Little known in the U.S., Schroers &  Schroers of Berlin make the number one selling line of entertainment furniture in Europe. It’s easy to see why when you gaze upon the lovely, unique and practical designs. The build quality is outstanding, with typical German attention to detail.
     The meticulous quality so obvious in all Schroers & Schroers products requires precision craftsmanship and use of advanced manufacturing procedures. 

• To insure absolute surface uniformity, S&S pours their glass onto a bed of mercury. Each piece of glass is perfectly flat and optically pure. 

• Glass shelves on all S&S stands feature beveled edges polished to a grade 5 level of quality (the highest commercially available), for an ultra smooth finish. 

• The all-glass products use a special three-part, UV cured, aerospace epoxy to insure optically perfect joints that will remain crystal clear for the life of the product.

• Metal frames are constructed using extremely heavy gauge large diameter tubing. All welds hand ground for smooth and seamless appearance. 

• Finish is a baked on scratch resistant powder coat.

     One of the more popular models in their line up is the Alphastatic. The triangular design (pictured left in Silver with clear glass shelves)) is stunning. I was surprised to find that the unit is very sturdy, and I would have no qualms about racking my gear on this stand. As with all S&S furniture, light kits re available to enhance the effect of the glass. Alphastatic $869.00 - $1149.00 depending on finish.
     I gravitated toward the Focus Maxi Series, attracted to the apparent rigidity and mass. This series use extremely heavy gauge, large cross-section metal tubing (all fully welded), to produce and ultra-rigid framework. Massive ¾” glass shelves offer attractive and extremely solid support for equipment. While  normally not a big fan of glass shelving for components, the thickness of the stock employed here causes me to make an exception. 
     Also very intriguing was the Archos. This glass and beech wood unit features five shelves hung by stainless steel tensioning wires from the top of the frame (not unlike what Arcici does with their suspense rack, but without the pneumatic bladder). Suspending the shelves this way effectively isolates them from structure-borne vibrations, and this rack should offer significant sonic improvement over more traditional designs. Visually stunning, sonically engaging. Archos $2100.00.
      Carrying the theme of sparkling clear glass to its zenith is the Graviton. Made from from stout 3/4" glass with optically perfect joints, the all glass designs from Schroers & Schroers offer a clean and elegant look while providing a solid, stable platform for both audio and video equipment.

     As much a work of art as a practical way to support your gear, S & S furniture is a rare combination of beauty and functionality. Here is a way to improve the sound of your system while enhancing the look of your equipment and the environment.