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(More customer reviews)After lucking out and getting my hands on an Atlantic Technology FS-7.0-GLB 7-channel surround bar (Gloss Black), I realized that I was going to need something to raise my LCD HDTV up high enough for me to not constantly have to arch my wrist in order to have the IR receiver in my TV pick up on the signal from the remote control. There began my search for an appropriate piece of entertainment center furniture.
I searched high and low online for the proper piece of furniture, and was ready to give up, considering how difficult it was to find anything suited to my needs. It wasn't so hard to find stands that were suited for raising a computer monitor up higher, but finding something sturdy that would hold my TV up and raise it higher on an existing entertainment center was nowhere near easy. It was starting to look like my only option was to buy a new entertainment center with a TV mount. NOT what I wanted to do! That didn't even address the need to find an actual cradle for my new surround bar. Forget about anything beyond a wall mount for that, which isn't an option for me, in my apartment with its sheetrock walls. There's a window behind my entertainment center, so any screwed-in mounting equipment wouldn't fit or hold properly anyway.
I was ready to totally give up when a Google search finally revealed a link for THIS solidly-built piece of furniture. It looked to be EXACTLY what I was looking for, even though the picture really didn't make it clear that it was the right size for my needs, or if the finish was going to be at all a decent quality. I decided to risk it, and boy, am I glad I did!
Wood Technology's Soundbar Riser Two lifts your TV up about 10", including the thickness of the wooden platform. And, unlike so many other items out there nowadays, it's made of SOLID hardwood, with a beautiful Ebony finish. Once it arrived (which took a few days, and a few phone calls - more on that later), it was a SNAP to assemble. As long as you follow the very simple, basic directions, and have a Phillips head screwdriver on hand, it shouldn't take you more than five minutes (literally!), to assemble. It's super sturdy, and has its own solid weight - approximately 11 lbs., so it'll hold your TV and sound bar just fine! The platform on which your TV will sit is a nice width and depth, and should accommodate just about any size TV that your average user or sports fan might be lucky enough to own. I can see this stand easily accommodating up to a 65" TV, so that covers a very broad spectrum of customers. Smart, on Wood Technology's part.
As far as the cutout area intended for soundbars goes, I was concerned, going by the photos on the product page, that this riser wouldn't be able to accommodate my Surround bar, but, once I had the riser in place, and the TV comfortably placed on top of it, I found that it cradled my surround bar PERFECTLY! No need for the cheapie-cheapie, unstable little legs that came with my particular sound bar. All I had to do was gently move the speaker wires out of the way, and lift the sound bar into the cutouts made for it. The riser is PERFECTLY stable with both the TV and sound bar placed appropriately on it. It's the completing piece to my existing Entertainment Center setup!
What proved to be a negative for me was the (potential) length of time that Wood Technology (via CSN Stores) takes in processing and shipping your orders. Mine DID arrive to me on the starting point of their 6 to 10 day window of time requested for order processing and shipment, but I'm pretty positive that I only got mine that quickly because I started contacting them daily after a few days of no apparent progress with my order.
I emailed CSN Stores after about four days of no progress with my order, and received a reply indicating that my order would ship out no SOONER than FOURTEEN BUSINESS DAYS after I'd placed it (NINETEEN calendar days)! I received that email, sent out a reply, then opted to look for a phone number for CSN Stores and call in about my concerns, which is when I got Hanna L. in Customer Service. Hanna was an absolute DELIGHT to deal with, and, over the course of a few days, maintained contact with me for updates. She was very diligent in finding out what the potential delay was, and did her best to get my order expedited. I have no doubt that it's thanks to her that I actually DID receive my order at the beginning of the shipment/order receipt window (thanks SO MUCH, Hanna! Tell your boss to give you a RAISE)! So, what COULD have been an unsatisfactory experience was turned around by some of the best individual Customer Service that I've experienced in YEARS.
Thanks to my experience with Hanna L., and the overall EXCELLENT quality of my Wood Technology Soundbar Riser Two, I would definitely try out more of their products. This item couldn't have been better suited to my needs if I'd had it custom-made (which is how it feels!), so if you've got a soundbar as part of your entertainment system's setup, I can't imagine that you'll find a better piece of furniture to accommodate it. There's nothing else out there that I've found to fit this specific need, and this stand/riser is very nicely made of solid wood, so, IMHO, it's worth EVERY penny!
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