Ask any custom installer or integrator about their rack designs and installations and expect to get the kind of enthusiasm you'd expect from a proud father. They put a ton of work into making their systems look and perform fantastically, including custom face plates, cooling systems, neatly organized cables and more. For those looking to give their systems that "finished" or professional installation look, there are a number of increasingly affordable products in the market for you today. Case in point: the Sanus CFR144 85-inch AV Rack reviewed here. At $1,499.99 retail the CFR144 may seem like a lot of money but when you realize its price is all-inclusive, this makes it a pretty fantastic value when compared to products from the likes of, say, Middle Atlantic.

Additional Resources
• Read more AV rack reviews from Home Theater Review's staff.
• Look for Blu-ray players, AV Receivers, and Source Components to stack on this rack.

The CFR144 is a tall drink of water dressed in all black and measuring 85 inches tall by nearly 24 inches wide and 24 inches deep. It weighs a respectable 245 pounds, though it's easy to move thanks to its integrated casters. As large and as heavy as the CFR144 is, it pales in comparison to its capacity, which is a staggering 1,000 pounds. The CFR144 is made from welded steel and comes preassembled, offering up 44 usable rack spaces. At its retail price the CFR144 also comes complete with a rear panel as well as a frosted glass door to protect your AV components from curious hands yet still allow remote signals to pass through. The CFR144 ships with five, one rack space (1U) shelves; three, three rack space (3U) shelves; 11 1U-blanking panels and eight 2U-blanking panels. This combination of shelves and blanking panels should be enough for most users, though additional shelves and blanking panels are available at an extra charge. The 1U shelves each have a weight capacity of 30 pounds whereas the 3U shelves can support up to 80 pounds. The CFR144's convection designed cooling system, which is integrated into the construction of the CFR144 itself, comes in handy when cooling an eventual tower of power - though additional cooling options can be purchased afterwards if further cooling is required. In contrast, most Middle Atlantic systems are largely a-la carte and when all is said and done, cost more than the CFR144's sub $1,500 asking price.

Read about the high points and low points of the CFR114 AV rack on Page 2.