Hello all. I have a couple of questions regarding the audio rack OASE-A4. This fall I want to upgrade from my 950 and 5 – 200’s (5.1) to 7 – 200’s. (7.1) Currently I have a stack of 2 – 200’s and another stack of 3- 200’s. Will it be ok to stack 4 – 200’s and with a usable shelf height of 8.75”, will I have enough room and cooling to have a stack of 4 – 200’s? Also if I add 2 shelves to the 4 shelves on the main unit (total of 6 shelves) will I be able to use casters or will the whole unit just be too unstable? I was thinking about putting 4-200’s on the bottom self and the next 3-200’s on the next self. I also currently have a 950, HD tuner, satellite receiver, DVD, and I would like the extra shelves for added components in the future. Thank you.

1.75*4 is way less than 8.75, so yes you could stack them, however 2-3in of space above the amp is recommended for proper air flow, so you would be pushing it in that re:. i dont know enough about that stand to say anything about it. just make sure it can support all that weight, and if you "add" shelves make sure that they are solid and secure to the rest of the structure.

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Thanks for the reply curegeorg. Just to clarify my first post, instead of saying “unstable”, I should have said “tippy”. I’m more concerned about the whole unit tipping over then I am about its weight capacity. Of course if you push on the top of the unit it surely would tip over but I guess I’m just wondering if it would be within reason. The 2 add on shelves I’m referring to would be the ones listed under the accessories. Would the unit with 6 shelves be less tippy if I used the adjustable feet instead of purchasing casters for it or would it still be ok with the casters? I do own the much wider video rack with 4 shelves that I use in another room with a 36” tube tv and a large Yamaha receiver among other components. I really like it but I don’t have the width to use the video rack in my living room, but instead was hoping to use the audio rack with a width of just 23”. Also I was wondering why the top monoblock would need so much space for cooling when the other monoblocks stacked below it only have maybe a ¼” of clearance and they are supposedly fine with cooling? Does more heat collect above the top unit somehow? Would small fans be a good idea? Thanks again.

Two thoughts on the subject.

First, check with Outlaw about stacking M200's. At one time, I believe the recommended stacking no more than three of them due to cumulative weight load on the bottom one as much as heat buildup. Four may be OK, but I'd let them chime in .

Second, if you are concerned about the rack being stable, I'd like to know how you plan to arrange your components. If you plan to put a couple source devices (DVD player, CD player, VCR, satellite or cable box) on the bottom and the amps on top, then the rack would be much more likely to have stability problems if you bumped into it than if you located the amps (and the amps' weight) on the bottom shelves. Putting the amps on the bottom would anchor the shelves as well as put the devices that you interact with least in the most out-of-the-way place -- down at the floor. I haven't used any of Outlaw's racks with or without casters, but I'd expect the casters to be a little more prone to moving than feet if the rack is on wood or tile floor (if it's carpet, I would expect little to no difference). Some racks will allow you to fill the support posts with sand or lead shot for additional stability, which would be an effective way to eliminate any concerns about inadvertent tipping.

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a disadvantage of placing heat sources on bottom is that the heat will rise up through the other components, but your rack is open so i doubt this would be much of an issue.

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if you can lock the casters, they should be similar to spiked feet as far as stability, perhaps more since they would have more contact area.

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This post has been brought to you by curegeorg, thanks for reading.

Sorry to post on a dead thread, though if were me if I didn't have a solid mounting service to mount the cabinet too, I would consider using some type of a counterweight system on the back of the unit to balance out the bottom heavy components.. caster are fine on a tile or concrete floor, though carpet is a definite no no!! can be a hazard if you shift the unit full of components..

For venting purposes I would tend to allow for a 2-3 unit per component especially if you plan to house amps in the unit in question, you can never get to much air flow in my opinion, more the merrier is what i say and do..

Wow, this is an old thread!


I'm in favor of good ventilation, even if my current equipment rack hasn't always been a very good example of it. Leaving a few inches clear above heat-generating components (especially power amps and stuff like cable boxes) is definitely good advice. The original poster in this case was planning to use the Model 200 (since replaced by the Model 2200), though, and it was specifically designed to allow limited stacking. In most cases, a stack of three 200's or 2200's is acceptable both for heat rejection and structurally. Once you create that stack, it's probably a good idea to give them a little breathing room before the next shelf. My pair of 200's are set up in a similar arrangement.

actually I prefer it to be fan forced gonk where possible, especially where temps of 100+ degrees outside is a common place, i don't like it where heat stagnates with passive cooling

I can relate to the 100°F outdoor temperatures, as long as you make sure to include the humidity. If the equipment is located remotely (in a closet, for example), I am wholeheartedly in favor of mechanical ventilation - preferably in conjunction with good natural ventilation (or a backup mechanical system) to keep things from cooking if a fan dies. But unless you lose air conditioning while still having power and running your equipment, those 100+ temperatures won't ever reach the rack. They will make it harder for your AC system to reject the heat generated by the equipment (the AC system will be coping with a "design day" with the building envelope loads at their maximum and every internal load will add to that), but that's true whether there are fans in the rack or not - unless you put a dedicated AC system in the rack, including a dedicated outdoor condensing unit.

The reason I prefer natural ventilation in an equipment rack that is located in the listening/viewing room is ambient noise. Fans - even quiet fans - are going to generate noise. A good natural ventilation design can prevent stagnation, and it can do it without adding background noise. Added bonus: natural ventilation isn't subject to burned out motors like ventilation fans are.