Sonax BL-6440 Berlin 44-Inch TV Bench with Solid Wood Uprights

This entertainment center came out very nice looking, even better than what the pictures led me to expect. It was also delivered fairly quickly. One issue I had was that the package of screws broke open in transit, and the hardware managed to get scattered throughout the big box. The screws did cause a few scratches in the finish--but fortunately nothing too visible--and I had to conduct a search through all the packing material to find every last screw and anchor I needed to complete assembly. Many vendors now provide a few spares in the screw package, which I think would be cheap insurance against unhappy customers, especially since this is not common hardware store stuff. The other issue is a typical one for this type of furniture, and that is the closed back inhibiting airflow to the electronics. This is usually a problem with this type of furniture if you're not getting an open shelf system, and I plan to modify mine to improve that situation. All in all, I'm very happy with the purchase, it really is very elegant looking.

I purchased this unit as I wanted something with glass doors and some open space for any future electronics that need more airflow for cooling. The stand is quite heavy the box is around 145 pounds, so keep that in mind for both delivery and assembly. One person can assemble but having a helper would cut the time down a bit. I spent about an hour and a half putting mine together and I would consider myself reasonably handy.

The assembly is typical knock down furniture, so if you have ever put something together from IKEA or similar you should be able to handle this. The only tricky part is aligning the four glass doors, and this is the reason I gave it four stars instead of five I would urge the manufacturer to use 35mm cup hinges for the glass doors which are far easier to adjust, and would only add a few dollars to the cost. Admittedly it would require a significant redesign to accommodate these, but the added durability and speed of installation (would have saved 20 minutes or more, no kidding) would be worth it.

Some specific suggestions about the assembly. Make sure you put it together on a surface that protects the finish, and gives you room to spread out. I assembled it on the living room carpet. Take a couple of minutes to sort and inventory the hardware before starting everything was there in my package, but a spare or two would have not been a bad idea.

I used a #2 Phillips screwdriver, needle nose pliers and a small hammer to assemble the unit. Make sure the screwdriver is good quality and in good condition, as some of the screws can be stripped easily, especially if you use a worn tool.

Study the instructions first, and then start the assembly. It is straightforward, but there are a few points when more care is needed.

If you are not used to handling the small brad nails that secure the back, use a pair of needle nose pliers to grab the brad near the tip and hold in place while you tap them in place. Your fingers will thank you! You may want to think about your equipment and drill or cut extra holes in the back in you need to before installing this piece, as it will be much easier to do it at this stage. In particular, I would make sure that you cut holes if putting a gaming system or other unit that runs hot even better would be to put them on the open shelf above, as lack of air circulation is a killer for these types of electronics.

When you screw the cam posts into the solid wood legs, coat the threads with Beeswax (available at a hardware store) or drag the screws across and old candle. The wax will lubricate the threads and make them much easier to install. This is a good idea when screwing the metal bars that support the top into the legs in the next to last step too. It also helps to apply firm downward pressure with the palm of your hand to the top of the screwdriver while turning with your other hand, as these types of screw are easily damaged if the tip slips.

When installing the shelves, leave out two of the supports on one side, and turn the shelf at an angle to put them into. They will fit, but the fit is close. After you get them in you can install the final two supports.

The doors are a pain, but if you take your time you can get even seams. On my unit, a 3/16 gap was about right. Tighten the screws that hold the glass to the hinges and then back them off about a half turn. You can to gently maneuver them into place and then snug them down. Get all four doors up before you spend too much time aligning them, as you will want the center gap to match the two door gaps. For the metal u-shaped pieces that act as the magnet catch, I found that peeling off the adhesive backing and holding the adhesive, sticky side up to the door as I slide them on from the top worked best. I did pinch them a little to improve the fit. Again, a higher quality bit of hardware here that used screws and rubber instead of adhesive would have saved time.

Since they give you more of the rubber dots to support the top than the 8 specified, I used 10 to support the top. This way, I could line them up using the door seems as a guide. The top has a warning that it's maximum load is 200 pounds; this should not be an issue for just about all flat screen TV's, but do be careful if you put other things on it in addition.

All in all the final assembled piece is worth the effort, as it is solid and very good looking., The wood pillars in particular are a handsome design element, and are made out of a nicely finished, very dense hardwood. I did note a couple of small flaws in the finish, but because all the legs are the same part I was able to pick two that look perfect for the front.

Take your time with the assembly and you will have a very nice piece that will look great in my room and last for a long time.

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The stand arrived with no damage to any items internally and just the normal wear to packaging during shipment. Overall I'm very happy with the stand. I looked through literally hundreds of stands to find a unit that could accomodate my Yamaha Receiver which needed at least a 19" depth. Very nice stand. Nicer looking than I thought it would be with the black glass top. The only issue was one of the screws was malformed which holds one of the metal crossbars between two corner posts. Didn't notice it until I had tried to screw it in all the way and it never fully secured. I pulled it out and the hole was basically stripped. Either a longer screw or bigger screw was needed to fix. I went to HomeDepot and found a suitable replacement a #14 4" wood screw which fits the hole and holds it securely since it's longer. Instructions are simple and it goes together pretty quickly.

The color of the wood posts is pretty accurate to the internet picture, at least on my monitor, if you're trying to match other furniture. Would buy again or recommend to others.

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We purchased this piece to hold a new 60" TV within a 64" space. Product arrived without any shipping damage, which was my first concern when ordering rather than purchasing locally. This piece is heavy and well constructed. My husband put it together in approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. It looks great in our living room.

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Well packaged and easy "IKEA" type assembly style. I would advise drilling out certain screw holes as the philips screws are soft and tend to strip out on the heads. Go slowly, take your time and the results are rewarding.