Solid construction, peerless customer service, free shipping

May look too utilitarian for some people

I first saw ads for these racks in Home Theater Magazine. I was looking for a high-capacity system that didn't take up too much space, and didn't cost a fortune.

I also own the Wood Technologies modular cabinet system which I bought thru the Crutchfield catalog. This is a good setup, and the system is versatile because of it's modular nature. I'm also using the Lorentz Design CUBEs which are very well made, but lack the versatility of the Wood Techs. These are both very nice systems made of wood and can blend very well with your living or listening/viewing rooms. But both hold only about 400 CDs or 100 VHS tapes each. And they're costly too. I needed a better solution for my growing needs.

I ended up buying the MM-252 Multi-Media Rack with 252A expansion kit for home and the CD-600 CD Rack with 600A expansion kit for my office. My MM setup can house 294 VHS tapes and the CD setup has room for 1200 CDs.

Let me say that the Boltz product line is a Godsend. I thought I would have to build in-wall shelving to house all the media I have. And that's probably not a great idea in an apartment. These units are built to last. They have a clear coat finish that allows the metal to show through. I find them to be very cool, but they may appear too utilitarian for some. I think once you have the racks filled up it'll hide most of the metal. If you're not sure if these are for you, Boltz will send you a free sample to look at. The samples make awesome paper weights!

Most of their products come already built. However, if you decide to get the expansion kits they must be assembled and attached to the pre-built units. Thankfully, they also include extra parts just in case you get a defect or lose a rod or nut. This takes about 30-45 minutes. I would recommend buying the base unit and expansion kit at the same time. It's easier to do it all at once, rather than removing all of your CDs, re-assembling the unit, and putting the CDs back in. Plan for the future.

Now here's for the really good stuff. Shipping is free! These units are big and would probably be expensive to ship. I live in Los Angeles. Boltz is located in Carlsbad, CA which is about an hour from me. I have received my racks always in 1-2 days. That is express shipping for free!

Also, their customer service is absolutely without peer. I have always received constant e-mail updates as to the progress of the transaction - order confirmation, when it left Boltz, estimated day of arrival, and even an e-mail to inform me that the product was accepted by me, and they'd like to know if I was happy.

However, the kicker happened this last time. I received a phone call from a friendly account person informing me that the packing slip erroneously reflected a shipping charge added to the total. She told me that it was a mistake, and I wouldn't be charged for the delivery. The call came 2 hours BEFORE the racks arrived. Amazing! I apologize for gushing with enthusiasm, but I've never received customer service like this. They obviously care.

Recently, Boltz has added products such as audio component racks, TV stands and bookshelves. These seem a bit more expensive in relation to their media storage racks. However, component racks are more costly in general.

I agree that racks or storage that resemble furniture are friendlier to look at. But Boltz has taken a bare bones approach to design and construction that benefits those of us who don't have Fort Knox bank accounts. As far as I know they are factory-direct only. Check them out at Boltz.com

I'm surprised there are no other reviews for Boltz products at this site. For those who care, these racks made the Stereophile Recommended Components Issue.

Yeah, they're plain metal. But the people in my office think they're pretty cool.

Similar Products Used:

Wood Technologies, Lorentz Design CUBE, and other assorted Wherehouse cheapies

Design, Expandability, Quality of Materials, Customer Service

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I was looking for high-quality storage rack to house my CD collection that offered expandability and ease of use. The Boltz product fit this need perfectly. The materials are of a very high quality and the parts fit together well.

I received the rack in two boxes, the first of which is the assembled portion and the second the expansion kit. Unfortunately the first box containing the assembled rack was damaged in transit. I contacted Boltz's customer service and they shipped me a new rack as a replacement. This arrived without a hitch and I soon had the unit assembled and in use. They also arranged to have the damaged unit returned to them at their expense. The customer service staff at all times were extremely helpful.

My only suggestion to Boltz is that the assembled units could stand more packing materials (stryofoam, etc.,) when they are packaged. This would probably result in fewer damaged shipments and the corresponding savings in customer service time, reshipping, etc., would far outweigh the small packaging costs.

I would recommend this product to anyone seeking a high-quality storage unit. I would definitely purchase another one.

Similar Products Used:

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