CD Storage

[plc]

spoiler - this isn't a question about hard-disc storage, streaming music or replacing my CD collection with a NAS drive.

I have a largish CD collection (approx 2,500 discs) and currently they're mainly housed either in those horrible CD towers which Argos used to sell (I seem to recall it saying 'More storage space than you'll ever need' in the catalogue at the time which always puts a smile on my face!) or in my LP shelves - which I need to free up for - you guessed it - more LPs.

Anyway, I'd really like to replace all of the CD 'towers' with proper units that go pretty much all the way to the ceiling if poss (or at least to 90 inches which is about as far as I can reach). Ideally, if the units hold around 1,000 discs each I'll happily buy three.

The problem is that no matter how much time I've spent on google, I can't find anything decent located in this country. Some nice examples of furniture in the States - and this one in Melbourne, Australia. Most of the units in this country appear to be tall, thin units from the usual suppliers (Ikea, Argos) and I don't really want to buy lots of thin units as I don't feel that they'll be solid enough as they'll be located in an upstairs bedroom rather than on a concrete floor downstairs.

If anybody has any good ideas on what I'm looking for, then please shout!!

 

[Jason36]

There are usually a couple of companies advertise in the back of the What HiFi magazine......I've not looked personally so not sure how expensive they are as a proposition.

alternatively I would suggest ripping them all to your PC or NAS and sticking them in the loft.....problem solved :clap:

 

[Crocodile]

This Dutch company have an English version of their site so maybe they ship to the UK?

http://www.cd-rek.nl/uk/index.html

Or maybe this?

http://www.watsonsontheweb.co.uk/pigeon-hole-cd-storage-shelves-beech.htm

The Ikea narrow unit could always be fixed together (as well as to the wall) for increased stability.

http://www.screwfix.com/p/interscrew-m6-pack-of-10/53627

Don't know if they're pre-drilled but easy enough if they're not.

 

[plc]

Excellent, Many Thanks both of you. Ideally, I'm looking for a hybrid of both of these products - the 'Watsons on the Web' Pigeon Hole unit looks great but isn't really tall enough as I'm limited for space width-wise, hence I need the unit to be as tall as possible.

The product from the Netherlands ticks all the 'functional' boxes but doesn't look quite as nice as the Watsons product. All my LP storage units are black ash so I'm hoping to get something which doesn't look too out of place with my existing furniture.

Many Thanks.

 

[Xanderzdad]

Hi

I thought you might like to see an Ikea 'wall of CD's' in action. They are all BILLY units.

 

[Anonymous]

+1 on Ikea Billy units. I've got a billy book case unit, half height I guess with 2 doors, inside is a pidgeon hold type "insert" which provides CD size "cubes"...a photo would help I know. Not sure if the inserts are still available but it works a treat.

 

[Inter_Voice]

Hi

I thought you might like to see an Ikea 'wall of CD's' in action. They are all BILLY units.

When you fill up the holes with CDs it performs like a diffuser. If you locate the unit on the opposite side of your speakers it can effectively diffuse primary reflections and thus making you feel your room bigger. An added bonus.

 

[plc]

Thank You,

Those Billy bookcases do actually look really good. Can I ask how tall they are as I'd like to maximise the vertical space as much as possible?

Many Thanks.

 

[Anonymous]

202cm high I think, there are also some height extension units available, 35cm high, which would pretty much take you to the ceiling.

http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/00197407/

 

[plc]

Hi Again,

Can you also confirm that these are BILLY bookcases.

The IKEA website shows BILLY as this http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/13690607/ whereas your bookcases look more like the BENNO model here - http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/87305207/

Have you linked them all together with screws? Did you fix them to the wall - and if so, in how many places?

And finally, the photo's quite small so I can't tell if you have a double-thickness of wood between each unit. Can you confirm if this is the case please? Actually - if you could upload a larger picture, I'd really appreciate it.

Sorry for all the questions! (and Thank You to all of you for your help and suggestions)

 

[Anonymous]

Billy and Benno are interchangable, Ive got Billy bookcases with the Benno CD units in between and they're the same height and finish. The big difference is in the depth - the CD units are shallow in comparison, and there are two options to fit them, either fronts flush (this is how they're intended to fit) or rears flush.

The shelving units should each be attached to the wall at the top, if I recall an L shaped metal bracket or flexible flat cord is provided for this. I didn't link the units together, but the CD units (and may be the shelves) come with "U" shaped metal inserts to join the units together - the CD units need these in order to keep them in place. They're not a tight fit, better to screw them together where ther screws wont show.

And there will be double thickness of wood between units, as each unit is standalone so one thickness each

Decent photo here btw http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/S79837959/

 

[michael hoy]

Thank You,

Those Billy bookcases do actually look really good. Can I ask how tall they are as I'd like to maximise the vertical space as much as possible?

Many Thanks.

Have a look http://www.blokdirect.com/av-furniture/vinyl-storage/stax-rack, they make custom HiFi, AV and other furniture.

 

[Xanderzdad]

When you fill up the holes with CDs it performs like a diffuser. If you locate the unit on the opposite side of your speakers it can effectively diffuse primary reflections and thus making you feel your room bigger. An added bonus.

Mine are on the opposite side from the speakers but only so they don't distract from my projected image. The room is already quite big at 7m x 8m though ;-)

 

[Xanderzdad]

Can you also confirm that these are BILLY bookcases.

The IKEA website shows BILLY as this http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/13690607/ whereas your bookcases look more like the BENNO model here - http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/87305207/

You are correct - they are Benno. But they are the same height as BILLY but much shallower depth.

Have you linked them all together with screws? Did you fix them to the wall - and if so, in how many places?

They linked together with the special pins that Ikea provide. I have not secrewed them to the wall. I just ensured that they tip back rather than forward. I thought I might need shims under the front but they are surprisingly stable. I was quoted over £400 by a carpenter to make a unit and I actually prefer the look of these. Thye are also more flexible - as you can see I store DVD's and Bluray in the bottom.

And finally, the photo's quite small so I can't tell if you have a double-thickness of wood between each unit. Can you confirm if this is the case please? Actually - if you could upload a larger picture, I'd really appreciate it.

Sorry for all the questions! (and Thank You to all of you for your help and suggestions)

The double thickness of wood is the sides of each BENNO unit touching each other. I uploaded a 1600 width picture from Picasa. Not sure why it appears so small. Can you right-click and open in a new page as this could show the original?

 

[Xanderzdad]

2nd attempt at pic. Now opens bigger when you right click and choose 'open in new tab'

 

[plc]

Perfect. That's a much better pic, thanks.

I notice that you have CDs and DVDs in there - is it possible to have the shelves such that I can store just CDs (and therefore have the same gap all the way up the unit of around about 5.5" to 6") ?? I'm kind of hoping/assuming so as the example picture on IKEA's website suggests that this is the case, but I just want to check.

This is definitely looking like an option. They even do it in black which would fit in with my current furniture (and the black units are £17.99 as opposed to £29.99 for the Beech/Oak units).

Thanks once again, much appreciated.

 

[plc]

Thanks Michael, I've checked it out but they don't appear to make furniture for CDs - only for LPs/12"s. I did a search for 'CD' on their website and it didn't find any matches.

 

[Anonymous]

Is it possible to have the shelves such that I can store just CDs (and therefore have the same gap all the way up the unit of around about 5.5" to 6") ?? I'm kind of hoping/assuming so as the example picture on IKEA's website suggests that this is the case, but I just want to check.

Yes, all the shelves are separately adjustable. The "pins" that hold the shelves up go into holes drilled either side the whole way up.

 

[plc]

Dr. Lodge, you're a star.

Many Thanks to everybody who has helped answer my questions.

Happy Christmas!!

 

[sc1]

The pigeon-hole inserts for the billy bookcases are no longer sold by Ikea.

There are plenty of specialist custom makers (including as stated in the back pages of the WHFSAV magazine or any music magazine i.e. Mojo, Uncut etc.) but from looking around myself I have found that the best value for number of cds stored are the Benno towers. They hold about 180 single cds each and cost about, what, £20-30 depending on colour. I have 16 of the things. The 14-15 you would need would be £450 or so maximum.

They do have holes drilled in the top into which you can fit the little bars supplied which loosely hold them together but they may not end up flush, even on wooden floors. They do come with L-shaped brackets to be screwed into the wall.

Unless you want to drill 14-15 holes in your wall you may want to consider instead fixing a length of wood about the same depth as your skirting, painted the same colour as the wall, along the wall horizontally at the appropraite height above the towers where the L-shaped bracket would meet the wall (3 or 4 holes in the wall perhaps with plugs) and then screwing the 14-15 L-shaped brackets into that piece of wood to fix the to the wall. You can then make small adjustments to the position of the L-shaped bracket where it meets the tower to make it all flush, and secure.

Also, if you are going to actually buy that many it might be worth paying Ikea to deliver depending where you live. The box for each is over 2m long.

 

[ifor]

Have you considered i-cubes? CD, DVD and Vinyl (7" and 12") modular units.

http://www.i-cubes.co.uk/

 

[amcluesent]

>If anybody has any good ideas on what I'm looking for, then please shout!!<

Check out the sleeves sold by Jazzloft, you replace the jewel cases and get a 5:1 reduction in the space taken by CDs